Review: The Boy who Came Back from Heaven

UPDATE:  PLEASE READ THIS LINK.  The mother of the boy who was to have written this book has a lot to say about this book.  
The Boy Who Came Back From Heaven. . . Not Quite

I was skeptical of this book before picking it up.  Am I skeptical now?  I have to say I still am somewhat about the parts of heaven -- I'm not sure anyone can really know what heaven is like until we die and not return to earth.  (The author claims that his son died, and he may have, but I'm not sure we can still really know about heaven until we're there permanently.)  But it doesn't matter  if you read this with skepticism or an open mind, this is a page-turner.  Although it's entitled "The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven", it's more about the struggles the family encountered after the dad and Alex were in a car wreck and Alex became paralyzed. (One thing I noticed right away was the dad was talking on a cell phone while driving when in the wreck.  That bothered me a lot.  He blamed a dip in the road for him not seeing an oncoming car.  I realize the cell phone was probably only one contributing factor to the accident, as well as a chattery four year old in the back seat, but there was even a photo of how the road appears straight but really there is a dip.)  I did enjoy reading the account of how God provided for the family through their ordeal be it financial (although I was amazed the family qualified for government help with the medical bills since he has a psychiatric practice.)  Their church banded together like I've never experienced in any church I've ever attended, they provided food, people praying, people to help repair the house, get it ready for Alex to move back home, and more.  The parts about heaven?  It was only a tiny fraction of the book.  If you're reading this just to read about heaven, skip it as you'll be reading lots of accounts of hospital stays, medical milestones, and learning to adjust to a new life.  If you're interested in how a family survives a major crisis that changes their lives forever, this is an inspiring book.  

Review: So Long Insecurity

 I'm not one to really struggle with insecurity, so I'm not sure I'm the best one to write a review.  However, I realized why insecurity probably isn't a big issue to me.  In the book, she talks about how once we depersonalize someone, we no longer see them as human, and they are larger than life in our minds.  I stopped to think about that.  If you were to look at my list of friends on a social networking site, you'd find authors, recording artists, missionaries, even someone who has done modeling as well as "average" people.  Yet, I still find these people "normal".  My friend who won a Dove Award?  I remember the time he insisted we meet for a class project in college in his car, and then us riding around the city while doing our homework.  I guess I'm unlike a lot of women and see the human side of people rather than the larger-than-life side.  That said, I'm not totally immune to being insecure, but even with her, I see she has strengths I don't, and I have strengths she doesn't.

While this is an area I don't often struggle with, it helped me understand a bit more the women who do.  The stories of crazy things women did because they were insecure was a very interesting section of the book, as well as what men had to say about insecure women.  I enjoyed the chapter on dignity, because I've rarely seen that addressed as it was in this book.  Most times I've seen it either as being proper or covering your body sufficiently, but Beth Moore took this a step farther and basically describes dignity as the opposite of self-esteem.

I would recommend this book to other women who struggle with this issue!

Couponing Success Tonight!

It amazes me how things change over the years, including my perspective.

I haven't been to the drugstores for a while now because it seems like every time I go they are sold out of the sale items, and my time finding the coupons that match the sale items was a waste because they are all sold out. 

Well, we were nearly out of pop, and I saw CVS had Coke on sale for 4/$13 this week with $3 back for your next shopping trip.  As my mother can only drink caffeine free Diet Coke, I expected the shopping trip would be pointless, it has always seemed that caffeine free pop is always sold out around here.

Not tonight.  I was able to buy 4 cartons of it.  As I was walking up to the counter, I remembered there was a candy bar that was free after Extra Care Bucks. So I thought I'd get one.  Not surprisingly, both boxes of qualifying candy bars were empty.  Or was it?  I checked more thoroughly.  Would you believe the candy bar was small enough that one was pressed to the front of the box and no one saw it?

So I got the candy bar after all as well as the four cartons of Diet Coke.

Times have certainly changed when I consider finding a sale item in stock a victory! 

(I used a $10 gift card I got free, so I paid $4.39 and got $5 back in Extra Care Bucks because I had the last quarter savings spit out at the register as well as my $1 for using my Green Bag Tag four times.)

All That Glitters. . .

We moved into this house 24 years ago.  I have not used glitter since I was a child, over 24 years ago.  Well, I'm doing a deep clean of our house.  I'm in what used to be the junk room, and am down to some residue from the past.  Evidently at some point in time a box of stuff from when I was a child toppled and more boxes were piled on top of the 'topple' as well as the glitter.  There is a layer of glitter on the floor in this area.  Whoever invented glitter should be given glitter clean up for eternity.

Some of the other things I've found:

• an old time chair for a "little people" toy
• the rear end -- just the rear end -- of a Barbie doll
• a coupon that expired decades ago
• a badge from Canada's Wonderland
• photo from a school field trip circa 1985
• Christmas cards from decades ago
• a huge stack of newspapers from 1987-1990

I'll be glad when the list square of glittler is eradicated from this room! 

Robert Pierre CD review

I've been a fan of Christian music for years.  I have a huge collection of music dating back years, even records and cassettes, so when I was asked to review a new Christian music CD I was excited at the opportunity to listen to I'm All in .

What did I think?  I'm getting a little older these days.  I very much enjoyed the lyrics, but a few songs sounded very much the same to me musically, although the lyrics were very deep and definitely made up for my disappointment in the couple of the songs sounding alike.  It was a CD I enjoyed listening to, but unlike many of my other CDs, this one will find itself being listened to once through and then being switched out for another CD.  That said, I know I'll be listening to this CD quite a bit, just not on constant repeat like I do with some of my favorites.  (I think again my age is showing not only in musical styles but that I listen to CDs and not through streaming or digitally!)

MyLoveBook review and Giveaway

Have you ever wanted to give a creative gift book to someone?  What happens, if like me, you have run out of photos to create photo books?  Or maybe a photo book isn't exactly what you want to give?

Well, now you can still give a gift book even if you're not particularly creative with MyLoveBook.  The website http://www.mylovebook.com/ is easy to navigate, and they have "story starters" for you to tell that special person in your life how much they mean to you.

I was given the opportunity to create my own MyLoveBook.  I gave the code to my mother as she thought this would make a nice gift to her sister for Christmas.  (We shop early around here!) 

My mother isn't extremely computer savvy, but she did fine creating this book.  What she made was an 18 question, 35 page book, complete with dedication page. 

While this book sounds like it's for a spouse, you can create it for anyone you love.  My mother did find it a bit difficult to find enough questions appropriate for her relationship with her sister.  I think it would be great if in the future MyLoveBook would add a way you could create your own story starters for those who are a bit more creative.

You can add funny comments, too, if you like.  For instance, one answer my mother wrote was this:
 

Your most impressive talent:

being able to spell "automobile."

(about 1950)

Of course, this is a joke between my aunt and my mother.  Growing up, my aunt always tormented my mother by not allowing her to swing on their one swing until she spelled a word correctly.  Being five years older, my aunt would ask my mother to spell long words such as "automobile" until she was tired of playing on the swing, and then ask her to spell something simple like "car".

This is one of the great things about MyLoveBook -- you can personalize it how you wish.  If Mom would have wanted to have been serious and told of a talent my aunt has she finds impressive, she could have.  Instead, she decided to be funny with this one. 

The book measures 8 3/4 inches by 5 3/4 inches.  There are three different covers to choose from.  Because this was for my aunt, this is the cover we chose:

The inside of the book looks fantastic.  On the left side on each page there is a beautiful design.  The selection my mother wrote is on the right side of each two-page spread.

I know I am looking forward to Christmas when my mother is planning on giving this to my aunt. There are answers my mother gave that are both sentimental and some so funny I know it will cause all of us to start telling stories of mishaps and humorous events in our family's history. My mother and I were very pleased with the finished book!

I have fantastic news:  http://www.mylovebook.com/ would like to give away a code for one of my blog readers to create their very own MyLoveBook. This is a $49.99 value!  (Shipping isn't included.  Shipping starts at $5.95 for the USA, $13.95 for Canada and Mexico, and $15.95 for all other countries.)  Even with paying shipping, this is a fantastic way to create your own MyLoveBook for just the cost of shipping.  Just imagine the surprise your love one will have when he or she realizes you created a book just for them! 



Giveaway details:

Giveaway ends August 25th at 11:59 pm Eastern.  Open worldwide.  Winner has 48 hours to respond to e-mail or another winner will be chosen.

Mandatory Entry:  (PLEASE LEAVE A SEPERATE COMMENT FOR EACH ENTRY as well as a way for me to contact you if you win)

Visit MyLoveBook.com and tell me something you learned or who you would like to give a MyLoveBook to and for what occasion 

Additional Entries:

• "Like" MyLoveBook on Facebook AND tell them "The Radar Report" sent me
• Follow MyLoveBook on Twitter
• Follow me on Twitter
• Follow Me with Google Friends Connect
• Tweet the following:  (This can be done for a daily entry)

 Enter to win a @mylovebook from The Radar Report and @jenndiggy  Ends 8/25  http://bit.ly/oqv3gw

~~~

FTC disclaimer:  I received a code to create my own My Love Book from the company.  The review is my own.

My birthday.

A friend posted on my Facebook wall "Quit havin' myself, but Happy Birthday".  He and I are the same age.  It's funny how thirty years ago birthdays were something to look forward to and I'd count down the days.  Now I don't exactly enjoy the extra number added to my age, but the birthday freebies are kind of fun.

Last week I received a number of birthday coupons in my e-mail.  I started using a few of them, and then this week the big day.

Mom said she'd take me somewhere to eat, so I picked Chili's.  I asked if they still did free dessert and was told I would get a free scoop of ice cream.  What was NOT told to me is they sing to you with your free ice cream. 

Also, Mom had been wanting a hot dog, so I asked if they had a children's menu she could look at.  They also brought her crayons.  :)

I stopped at McDonalds just before 7 to try the new pineapple mango smoothie.  (I loved it, but wouldn't pay full price for it.  It was on sale for 25 cents yesterday.)  There was such a run on smoothies, I was late to church and as I walked in the back of the room, my pastor whispered "Happy Birthday" and then another friend called out "Happy Birthday".

After church, I was joking with a friend and told her she should take me to Denny's for my birthday since they give you a free Grand Slam (and also thinking that they don't sing to you at Denny's).  She got all excited that it was my birthday and said we'd go and asked if we could invite a few others.  Well people started inquiring about my age.  The oldest anyone guessed was 26.  (Have I ever mentioned I LOVE my friends?  Ha ha!)  I admitted my age, which is the same age as some of their parents, and got looks like "You can't be serious".  I was surprised how few knew I was as old as I am!

Well, my friend rounded up 18 of my closest friends to go to Denny's.  I even had someone treat me to my drink (which isn't free) and pay the tip for me.  While I was there, a friend from Kansas called.  She has remembered my birthday every year since we met 15 years ago, and has called every time except the summer she was in Russia and I was in China.  :)  She even called me from Costa Rica one year.  Of course, I didn't really have time to chat but told her we'd talk soon.

When I returned to the table, this is what happened. . .

So much for thinking I wouldn't be embarrassed.  In fact, I sang along because I didn't want people to know I was the one being sung to!  :)

Then I came home and needed to talk to a friend at some stuff, so that rounded out my day.  What a wonderful day.

Winner of RESTORED!

The winner of the Restored! Giveaway has been chosen.  She has been contacted, and her prize will be on the way to her very soon!

Local Music Festivals

In 2007, at my (sort of) annual ice cream party, an attendant at a local music festival wandered by our house, saw the spread of scoops and half gallons and asked if he could join us.  I agreed, as he looked harmless enough and there were plenty of  people around.  He is still talked about as the person who crashed my party.  (One friend came up to me and asked, "You don't know him, do you?")  He had somehow lost his shoes, and our mayor's wife went to her home and found a pair he declared "perfect".  He won a door prize, and he (in his new shoes) was on his way after the party.  (Somehow I have a feeling he'll someday tell his grandchildren about my ice cream party and how welcomed he was.)

Well, the music festival has moved to the other end of the county.  We were sitting in traffic for about an hour today when a man went into the woods to -- um -- do his business.  Of course, at that moment the traffic jam eased and he was jogging down the road to try and catch up with his ride.  Instead he jumped on the back of a pick-up and waved for it to drive until we were stuck in traffic again (about another half mile to mile down the road.)

I'm glad the music festival in our area is over for the year and life can get back to normal and hopefully the county will be free of party crashers and those literally hoping a ride from strangers for another year!

Savvy is Back and Better than Ever (Review)

I was first introduced to Sandra Byrd's London Confidential series a few months ago. I read the first two books, and put it in the back of my mind that I wanted to read the next ones. It was that good. I'm not a fiction reader, but I couldn't put these down. Savvy is such a well developed character who is so easy to like.

In this book Don't Kiss Him Good-Bye (London Confidential) Savvy falls for a guy who says he is new at the school. But is he? Whenever Savvy mentions Rhys, everyone seems disapproving, but WHY? Then Savvy's little sister, Louanne, starts acting strangely, but what could be wrong with her?. At April Fool's For Christ night at church, Savvy isn't careful with her notes and someone (But who?) finds out she is the author of the “Asking For Trouble” column in the Wexford Academy newspaper. Savvy has no date to the May Day Ball. A former columnist for the Wexford Academy newspaper moves back into town, and is there something strange there?

Obviously there is no lack of plot lines, so this is a very fast paced book. I enjoyed it as an adult, and I think teen Christian girls would especially enjoy this! After reading it, I want to be able to hang out at the fish and chips shop with Savvy and her friends!