Ellie Claire 365-Day Devotional Journal Review

Peace begins with Me is one of my most favorite devotional journals that I have ever owned. The cover is beautiful, yet simple and compliments the contents of this journal very well. The devotions and prompts inside that are all about finding peace when we praise God. I truly believe that the only way any of us can ever find true peace is when we praise and pray to God. Finding solace in Him. This has been the perfect journal for me. The pages are well made and are of non-bleed material, each page has space for reflection of thoughts. I love the scripture that is included at the top of each new day. One of my favorites is- Right Side Up: Lord, You are the truth and the life, You are also the way to make everything right. Great devotional and would make a great gift! You can put hase your own copy here- https://www.amazon.com/Peace-Begins-Me-Journal-Devotional/dp/1633262073/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1542662442&sr=8-1&keywords=Peace+Begins+with+Me+Ellie+Claire

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus is a beautiful journal. The cover is made from thick paper and decorated with beautiful flowers that coordinates with the pages inside. Each devotion begins with a sampling line from a song or hymn and is followed by a scripture verse. There is also room on each page to journal your thoughts. Life can get so hectic and crazy sometimes that we forget the most important thing we should be doing. God is our refuge and His love is perfect. This journal is a perfect reminder that we all need to stop and look to Him. The pages of this journal are also non-bleed and are made of great quality paper. You can buy a copy here https://www.amazon.com/Jesus-365-Day-Devotional-Journals-Lifestyle/dp/1633261808/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1542662275&sr=8-1&keywords=Turn+Your+Eyes+Upon+Jesus+ellie+claire

The Earth is the Lord’s and Everything In It is an absolutely beautifully designed journal that has peacocks and flowers gracing the cover in brilliant colors. This journal is perfect for the nature lover in your life or anyone that is intrigued with all of God’s creations. Each page contains scripture and a short devotion that will inspire you to just stop and take in the beautiful expressions all around us in nature every day that God has given us. A design that I feel is encouraging. Just an all around beautiful journal! You can purchase your own copy here https://www.amazon.com/Earth-Lords-Everything-Devotional-Journals/dp/1633261700/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1542662078&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Earth+is+the+Lord+Ellie+Claire

Ellie Claire Art Journal Review

 I had the opportunity to review three of Ellie Claire's art journals in exchange for my honest review. I love to journal and art is my one of my favorite past times so I knew that I would really like these. Each one of the journals are unique in their own way and I love the different journaling and creative  opportunities that each give.

The Faith and Lettering journal is one of my favorites! The cover is beautiful with foil lettering and the inside contains beautiful, vibrant pages with scriptures imprinted on them. It has different handlettering styles that you can practice along with pages that are designed for personal thoughts or note taking. I did take the opportunity to use one page to test the paper thickness and did not have any marker transfers from page to page. Many of the scriptures in this journal are some of my favorites. I plan on giving this journal to my daughter that enjoys journaling as well as art. I think this specific journal would be perfect for a teen girl.

The Illustrated Word was my second favorite. It has a medieval theme and contains beautiful pages of art with scriprures imprinted. The cover is a work of art as well with foil lettering and an embedded design. These pages can be colored to create your own keepsake. I also took the liberty to create my own artwork using one of the page designs and once again, the paper thickness passed the test. I used a marker set and had no page bleeding. This journal also has plenty of space to write devotions or personal thoughts. This journal would make a great gift for church friends.

The last journal I reviewed, Illuminate Your Story, also has a beautiful foil lettering cover with an embedded design. The inside contains many handlettering tutorials that are very easy to follow. There is lots of room to journal and beautifully written scripture and quotes at the top of the journal pages. The quotes are perfect for this style of journal and I can see this specific journal a perfect one to pen your Christian journey. I have not had the chance to use this journal yet, but the pages are thick and good quality. I see this journal as a great gift idea for anyone in your life. Tell your story with the Illuminate Your Story journal.

I loved each of these journals and each of them offer the opportunity for a different expression of faith.




You can view each of the journals at the following links. They each would make a great gift for someone in your life.
Faith & Lettering: https://worthypublishing.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3318f9c320453165232322371&id=ad2c0d79b5&e=d5398b9197

The Illustrated Word: https://https://worthypublishing.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3318f9c320453165232322371&id=229f9ed47f&e=d5398b9197

Illuminate Your Story: https://worthypublishing.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3318f9c320453165232322371&id=229f9ed47f&e=d5398b9197

Beloved Devotional Review

Beloved is an incredible devotional for young women. I knew I would love it from the minute I opened the package and saw the beautiful cover. I was not disappointed. Beloved contains a devotional for each day of the year and contains inspiring stories from women of the Bible such as Dinah, Esther and my favorite, Ruth. Each devotional starts with a verse from the Bible and the bottom page of each day contains journal space for personal thoughts.

This is a perfect devotional for teens as it has an emphasis on things that put pressure on us in our daily life. The stories are designed so that they inspire and encourage through biblical truth. This devotional is geared toward younger women and the language in which the stories are told are in a format perfect for teens to take in and continue to build on their faith.

Each and every one of us were created by God for a purpose and I think Beloved is a great devotional for teens that will trigger curiosity for a deeper learning into God's word. I personally loved this devotional and am excited to give it to my daughter as she continues her journey into adulthood. Beloved would make a great gift idea for the teen or young women in your life. Beloved is another great devotional by Zondervan.

I do have one copy to give away to one blog reader! Follow the directions on my Facebook page to enter! You can get more information on the devotional @ http://www.zondervan.com/p/beloved-devotional/

“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.

Winners (from the continental U.S. and Canada only) are due 7-10 days after your post goes live.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of Beloved in exchange for my honest review.

"Can You Believe It? Songs of Truth" DVD Review

Chances are you know a few of the worship songs on this DVD geared towards kids. Songs such as Who You Say I Am, What A Beautiful Name. This DVD by Hillsong Kids starts out with a video that has a little bit of teaching done in a fun way by Funny Man Dan to engage kids. I really liked that about this specific DVD because the whole concept is both a challenge and a question. A few of the topics discussed in the video are God, the Bible and living your life for God. The entire message is relayed in a way that kids can understand and have fun learning at the same time.

The music videos have lyrics and I can see that as very beneficial to the older kids that can read as this allows them to sing along. The video also contains a few videos that were done live in the studio as well as a few jokes and a peek at behind the scenes.

I had planned on using this in my Pre-K class, but while the music is great for them, I feel like the video itself is geared more toward school age kids and will maybe use it at some point while teaching older kids in Children's Chapel.

Overall, I really liked this DVD! The songs are amazing and catchy, kids are given the opportunity to learn about God in a fun, engaging way and the videos are super cute! This is a great Christian DVD to own and I am glad that I got the opportunity to review it and give my opinion for others that might be considering purchasing for use. It will not disappoint and kids will love it. Having worked with kids in different age groups, I have found that they all love to learn through music. It's fun for the adults, too!

You can buy your own copy @ http://hllsng.co/canyoubelieveit?IQid=blog

Spirit of God Bible Review

I enjoy reading bible stories with my toddler and my Sunday School class. I also love short stories that keep the attention of smaller ones. I was offered The Spirit of God (Illustrated Bible) to review in return for my honest review. I love this book! The illustrations are beautiful and the colors on the pages pop to spark the attention of the little ones. The stories are from both the Old Testament and the New Testament. The stories, from God’s Spirit and Creation all the way to The Fruit of the Spirit are great stories for the littles who are just beginning to hide God’s words in their hearts. The book contains 40 stories in all with a total of 311 pages.


I love this hardcover book and will use it for many years, at home with my children and in my Sunday School classes.



This would be a great gift for a birthday or Christmas, but would also make a great gift for parents so that they may read to their children and for any church leader that works with children. To preview the book and view a free sampler you can visit http://www.zondervan.com/p/spirit-of-god-illustrated-bible/

Hog Wild (Things to do in Arkansas series)

The kids and I went to a birthday party at Hog Wild in Hot Springs last month. It is very much like Party Central in Bryant, but it does have a few extras. My older two enjoyed Hog Wild as much as my two year old. In addition to the inflatables, there is also an arcade area and a snack bar with seating. The arcades (you do need your own money for these) were fun and offered tickets that could be exchanged for prizes. Air hockey seemed to be the favorite. The snack bar included things like nachos, hot dogs, drinks, and candy. There were plenty of inflatables, including a large inflatable slide. In addition to the inflatables for the littles, there was also a small carousel. However, you will need to bring quarters for your littles to ride. The party room and building in general was clean, the staff was friendly and we had fun! If I had to choose between Party Central and Hog Wild as a venue, I would more than likely choose Hog Wild due to the face that you could fit more of an age range into a party event. 

They do offer open jump at certain times, as well. For more information on this venue or to book a party visit Hog Wild

Magic Springs/Crystal Falls (Things to do in Arkansas series)

We celebrated my son’s birthday at Magic Springs this year. In years past, we have been season pass holders, but have not been in a couple of years since our little was born. I have heard many complaints in these couple of years from others about problems with unruly kids running around, rides not in operation, general complaints. We didn’t have any of these problems. It is April (it has been really chilly here), Crystal Falls (water park portion) is not open yet, and school is not out for the summer yet, so maybe that cut down on some of these issues.

I took advantage of the discounted ticket offer that was available online and saved them to my phone. We planned to spend the entire day so arrived at open. There really was no waiting to get in (season pass holder line was another story) and no problems scanning tickets from my phone.

I was a little worried that my two year old would become tired and bored before the day was over, but she had FUN. She is exactly 36 inches tall and while I knew there would be a few rides she would be able to enjoy, I didn’t realize there were as many available to her that actually were. Granted mom and dad had to ride along with her on some so that she could enjoy, but that was not a problem. There were at least ten rides she rode. There was the train, the carousel, the airplanes, the log ride, a small roller coaster, just to name a few. She loved them! And yes, we rode them over and over all day!

My husband rode the new Brain Drain with the older two. Not my thing to rocket 13 stories high, so me and princess just watched. Awesome was the feedback from their experience. All other rides were open with the exception of the X-Coaster and Arkansas Twister. That was kind of a bummer because those happen to be two of my family’s favorite rides. But, those two rides being down didn’t take away from their fun at all.

The food at any amusement park is a little over priced in my opinion, especially with a larger family so we generally picnic or eat elsewhere. Magic Springs does have a picnic area so we took advantage of that. The area was clean and had lots of shade. But, there were not enough picnic tables available and there were no trash cans available. Sure hope they fix that!

Each summer, there is a series of concerts that are available as well. Some really big names come! We did see Billy Currington here a few years back. I believe the concerts begin in May, but not sure on that.

We had a great time! The park was clean, the staff was friendly and safety minded, and the rides were fun! We will add some more trips to Magic Springs to our adventures soon!

If you are interested in more information, you can find it here @ Magic Springs

The Assignment (Book Review)

Many times throughout my life, I have wondered what my purpose in life is. As a Christian, I know that my main purpose here is to live for God and serve others. But, I have always felt like I didn’t know what my talents were or if I was serving where I was meant to be.

The Assignment is a book by Dr. Devon Blanton that was inspired by these constant questions. The desire to find purpose is something we all have. Some people go their entire life and feel as though they never found their purpose. Is your purpose right in front of you? Many people give up because they measure the way the world measures success.

This read offers perspectives that are unique. We all have a purpose in this life. An assignment. This book just might point you to an ‘aha’ moment. Your purpose may be right in front of  you and you never even knew it.

I enjoyed reading this book. I was given a complimentary copy in return for my honest review. The Assignment can be purchased on Amazon.

Party Central (Things To Do In Arkansas Series)

When I originally started this blog, it was going to be centered around my family’s adventures while out and about here in Arkansas. It has since taken on an “all things momma likes” kind of theme. But, summer is right around the corner and we have started adventuring a little more again since our baby is now a two-year-old that likes adventure as much as the rest of us. So, with that comes my first post in the “Things To Do In Arkansas” series.

During Spring Break, we visited Party Central in Bryant with our church group. Party Central is toddler heaven! An entire room full of inflatables for hours of jumping fun. My two-year-olds favorite was the slide. This particular Party Central seems to be geared towards younger kids and while it was a lot of fun for my toddler and our church groups younger kiddos, I would not choose this as an outing with my older two in tow.

I didn’t notice any concession stand available, but did see smaller items like candy that was available for purchase. The staff was very friendly and the building was very clean.

Party Central has birthday party packages and can be booked for family reunions, church group outings, etc. They also offer scheduled open jump days throughout the year. Open jump entry fee is affordable and party packages seem comparable to other like businesses.

For more information visit Party Central

Holes in the Soul (Book Review)

Holes in the Soul is a book that is written by Dr. Devon Blanton. Dr. Blanton is a pastor of many years with experience as a professional Christian counselor. Have you ever wondered what makes us do the things we do? Do we live with strongholds?

Holes in the Soul is a fairly short book that tries to help one understand what creates broken places in the heart- holes in the soul. How does discernment play a vital role in this? This book is a simple read, I enjoyed reading it and found it to be thought provoking. There are only 23 chapters to this book, but those 23 chapters  are packed full with the last chapter meant to add humor.

This book would be a great read for anyone. We all have holes in the soul and this book helps to reveal the processes and effects in an easy manner. Great study!