What I Wore: Easter Sunday

 Me and My Dad :)

    
Yellow Maxi Dress: Goodwill/Target/Mossimo $7 - Purple Undershirt::Kohls $5-                                 Yellow Headband:Claires $3. -Earrings:Claires $5 - Necklace: Maurices $16 Shoes: Gifted - Bracelet: Maurices $16

Book Review: The Elemental Journal by Tammy Kushnir

     Do you like to do crafts? I sure do. This book contains over 15 uniquely designed crafts, with incredibly easy to understand instructions. Are you Eco-conscious? This book is for you too! Barely any of the craft supplies used are new. Many are used from a  thrift store, your backyard, or even you house! This book helps you find a new way to use everything from polaroid photos to old towels! This book is perfect for a liberal, Eco-conscious girl. While it contains some beautiful bohemian crafts, it also contains a few odd crafts such as "Graven" and a couple other peculiarities, it contains some wonderfully lovely home decoracions.
     What did I think of it? I thought it was beautifully designed, with some stunning pictures! With a lovely bohohemian/vintage look to all of the crafts, except for a couple which I believed were somewhat, eerie. The entire book, though beautiful, was not quite what I expected. It had a grave, solemn atmosphere to it. I didn't enjoy the amount of, earth-worship if you will. I have come to expect a bit more from Tommy Nelson. Some of the supplies are a tad harder to find anywhere, but it sincerely depends on your necessites and quality value. Overall, I did find it a strikingly designed manuscript, with only minimal dislike.
P.S. Tommy Nelson gave me this free book to review, regardless of my disposition on the book :)

Book Review: Praying for your future husband

  

What would you do if someone knew *exactly* who your future husband is? What if you could pray for their well being and safety? The good news is, you can! Robin Jones Gunn and Tricia Goyer share information vital to a successful marriage. Before. it. starts. with numerous prayers, discussion questions, real-life tales of women who have prayed for their future husband, and plenty of truth-bringing scripture, this book is perfect for graduation presents, group discussions, and to read on your own! This book is beautifully written, and just as  beautifully designed!

   I know of one word that states my feelings on this book. Wow. Say that backwards. Wow. This was an incredibly amazing book. What stood out to me, is how they shared their opposite-yet-similar love stories, and were so very down to earth. They also maintained  a very practical application of the prayers, and encouraged the nurturing of a beautiful romance with God, the creator and lover of our souls. Overall, I believe that every single girl should read this prior to going into a dating/courting relationship.


P.S. Waterbrook Multonohmah gave me a free copy to review HONESTLY :)

Over indulgence: Gym Meberships and Starbucks vs. World Hunger

Via Google

 
     Did you know that there are 925,000,000 hungry people right now? Almost 16,000 children died today just from hunger. That is 5,840,000 children dying per year, because of something so simple, and yet so necessary. Let me give you some more stats: Out of America's 308,745,538 citizens, about 45.3 million have gym memberships. The average yearly cost of a gym membership is $480. Now $480 per year is not enough to end world hunger. But if you take the $480 each of those 45.3 million people, the total amount of money is $21,600,000,000, which is enough to buy 100,000,000 50 lb. bags of rice.
It is approximately $26 for 50 lb bag of rice, and since the average person would need around 200 lbs per year, it would cost about $104 to buy one starving person’s food for a year.  That is more than enough to feed 5,840,000 children for a year. That is enough to feed 5,840,000 children for 35 years. Unbelievably, feeding all the hungry children for 35 years would only cost one year of America’s Gym memberships.
       Now am I against gym memberships? No, rather I am against indulgence. America has become such an indulgent country. It is fine if you want to spend $480 on a gym membership. However, that also means we should help starving children with just as much if not more with financial support. Another facet of this is how truly blessed America is. Did you know that the average below-poverty American citizen is more likely to have a TV, phone, air conditioner and computer than a middle-class European citizen? Also, if every single American citizen gave $5 per year to fight global hunger, ($0.41 per month) we could donate $15,372,690; enough to buy 5,837,411 50 lb bags of rice. If every American was willing to sacrifice $10 per year ($0.83 per month) We could buy over 116,474,822 50 lb bags of rice?
I believe if Americans were more willing to let go of their money, and stop selfishly hoarding (and wasting) their money, we would be able to not only end world hunger, but give starving people a new start, a way to get back up on their feet. I hopefully have gotten the point across that we as Americans, rather than focus on our wants, and ourselves should unselfishly share what we have been so graciously given and share it with others.
There are so many luxuries that America could simply cut back on, and it would end world hunger. i.e. Americans spend over 4 million dollars per DAY at Starbucks. If Every Coffee-Drinking American  gave up 1 day a month(12 days a year) of having Starbucks, and donated it to fight hunger, there would be a total of $48,000,000 dollars donated to fighting hunger. That would feed every starving child for 8 YEARS. Imagine if every Coffee Drinking American gave up coffee 1x a week.$208,000,000, enough to pay for every starving child's food for 35 years. That is only cutting out Starbucks one a week for the coffee drinking Americans. What about cutting it out altogether? That is 365 x $4,000,000 spent every day at Starbucks. That is enough to feed every starving child for, you won't believe this... 250 years. Which means, that ending world hunger is easily grasped, if we simply let a few luxuries fall first. I am not saying we can't ever buy a Starbucks, or go to a gym. Rather, I want to let people know that an end to starvation is close at hand!

Bible review: Take Action Bible , Tommy Nelson

What a Beautiful Bible! I chose to read Mark, and found that it had an easy to read, convenient style. What sets this Bible apart from others?

1. It's size. It is a very convenient size, and easy to carry around. I was even able to carry it in my pocket!
2. It's lovely pictures. It has amazingly moving photography, and is a great telescope into impoverished countries.
3. It's inserts. Their are five inserts, which read; GO,SERVE,GIVE,HEAL, and TEACH. They each contain a relevant scripture, and a few tales of men and women around the world who are "taking action"                                

     I loved this Bible. It in fact is the one I intend to bring to my classes. It has a unique touch to it, and automatically draws the reader to open it.  I liked the "Notes" sections at the end of each story, though I don't know if I would ever write on the beautiful pages. I have always had a desire for missions. I loved at the beginning of each section of the bible, a simple map was sketched with the area which the book would e taking place in :) My only complaint is that the inserts sometime cut through the middle of books, but it honestly wasn't that big of a deal. Overall, I loved it!


P.S. Tommy Nelson Gave me this book in exchange for an honest review, be it good or bad.

Book Review: Courting Miss Amsel by Kim Vogel Sawyer

     Imagine being a 28 year old young woman, living in a quaint Nebraska Village, daily dealing with a mischievous pupil, a longing heart, and a frightfully dreadful past. You know exactly how it is to be Miss Edythe Amsel. During the time of the women's suffrage movement, Edythe Amsel teaches in a one-room schoolhouse, perfectly contented on her odd way of teaching and her status as a single woman. The town council, however, is not. Through many difficulties, a victorious ending is reached, one that, in fact, is one of the better endings I have read.

      I adored this book. What could be better then a classic love story between two such pure hearts? I enjoyed her (usual) calmness though she sometimes freaked out, and I myself fell in love with Joel Townsend ... I am pressed to recommend this book to anyone who likes a good read. Another of the books facets was the historical part. I adore historical fiction.I also love, love stories :)  It was a beautiful cover and also, a fantastic plot. I can't remember one moment I was bored. I am now lending it to my Grandma, and I am sure she will like it as well :)

I give this book 6 out of 5 stars :)

P.S. Bethany house publishers gave me this book for free to provide an honest, fantabulous review on, be it good or bad.

Where have I been?

     You may be wondering where I have been this past week. Well the truth is I was in Scotland, without any money and without any phone. Oh wait, that wasn't me, that was the hacker. You know, the hacker who got into my account and changed my password so I couldn't get in, and so that Google disabled my account? Yeah that one. After a very strenuous week of trying to get back into my account, I finally regained access today! Yippee! I am so sorry to all of you who received the "emergency" email. It won't happen again :) Anyways, I have quite a few planned posts! I will hopefully get them up soon! Until then, don't get hacked!

Book Review: The Reason Why by Mark Mittelberg

     Are you struggling with your worldview? Does Christianity seem like one hot mess? This is the book for you! In this 127 page, easy-to-read book, Mark Mittelberg asks six ever-popular questions:
Is There a God?
Can the Bible be trusted?
Are we accountable to God?
Who was Jesus and what was His purpose?
Is divine forgiveness available?
What do I need to do?
Mark answers these questions with simple, understandable answers, in this updated version of Faith Makes Sense. Using many clear, concise illustrations, he demonstrates the reality of the gospel, along with the hope of God's forgiveness. Leaving no room to doubt, this is a great book to give anyone struggling in their faith.
   
     I thought this book was a very interesting book, with modern illustrations that were very relevant to my generation. I am certainly going to recommend this to quite a few people! It had some incredibly interesting facts, and was easy enough for a 12 year old to understand. I liked the portable style of the book, which is great for on-the-spot use, and it was nice to have the chapters organized so perfectly. Overall, I can't think of anything I disliked about this book, and I would definitely recommend this to anyone in Jr. High and up!


P.S. Tyndale blog network gave me a free copy of this book to honestly review. I was not told to give a good review but rather an Honest one.

Blog Award!

I was given a fantastic blog award, from Rose of "Through My Eyes"!

Anyway, to accept this award, I have to:
~Tell seven things about yourself

7 things:
1. I am pretty sure I know which college I'm going to.
2. I will be graduating a year early, because I did my 8th and 9th Grade years in one year
3. I have won too many blog giveaways to count. At least 20, most likely more.
4.I have only read Pride and Prejudice once
5. I am averaging 105% in one of my classes.
6. I am going to be a senior in highschool THIS fall!
7. My favorite number is 7, because it is a good number :)



I'm going to pass this award on to some of the blogs that I love to read and find inspirational:

Abby from Follow God {Every Day}
Elaine from Kissed By Jesus
Abby from Scampified
Natasha from What I wear, What I did, and Why I did it.

To accept this award, just head over to your blog and say you accept it, as well as write 7 things about you!
Also, pass the award on to other bloggers that have inspired you, and be sure to tell them that you have awarded them!

Book Review: Unsinkable by Abby Sunderland and Lynn Vincent.

    Did you know that the Indian Ocean is 27,000,000 square MILES wide? Imagine being stuck on a boat, in the middle of that vast aura. Imagine Being 16, with a broken mast, and a dead phone. Now you know what it's like to be Abby Sunderland. Abby Sunderland set out on an attempt to be the youngest person to sail solo, unassisted, and nonstop around the world. She baffled her critics, becoming the youngest person to sail solo around Cape Horn, the scariest sailing ground of all. It is no surprise, considering she has been around sailboats her whole life. On January 23rd, 2010, Abby sailed off from Marina Del Ray, determined to achieve her goal.
     This book had some high and low points, one of the highs being the time when her family to a 3 year family cruise. Just them,the Amazing Grace ( their boat) and the long rolling waves of ocean. They sailed around Mexico for three years, lingering at the ports they liked the most. One of the low points of the books was when Abby asked God how long He had been planning her  mast breakdown. Not cool. I also did not enjoy the pride laced throughout the book. Granted, she deserves to have a little pride in what she accomplished, but in this sort of a book, it is hard not to sound prideful even if you're not. I think the book was interesting, but I believe it would've been better had it come out 10 years from now. Overall, I think this book was an interesting book about a courageous 16 year old, and I believe it is a good read for anyone who has sailed before.








P.S. Booksneeze gave me a free copy of this book to review, honestly and in all truthfulness.

What I wear: To a Wedding, and the Winners!!!

Dear Blogging friends, I am so sorry for my lack of blogging! I have a couple of posts {fashion ones :) } planned for the next few weeks :) Anyways the winners of the free matching blog button, signature, and header are:


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Every person who entered! I decided that everyone should be a winner :) So, all of you winners email me at    libbilogs{at}gmail{dot}com  :)
      My Grandpa was remarried. Indeed, the wedding was very sweet, but also somewhat casual :) Hence the lace of silk on my dress :) Here is my outfit, whick I am also putting on Suddenly Darling. {I will post it later}
Here it is:

Undershirt: Kohls $5 Dress: Kohls $20 Sandals: Old Navy $15 Leggings: Target $5 Bracelet: Kari Jobe Concert $10  Necklace: Claires $15 Butterfly Bobby pins: Sweetheart Studio, as a gift, about $18.

What do you all think?