Fruitbearers

2019 seemed to go by very fast for some reasons. There have been some new beginnings (ex: Josiah started college) and some endings (ex: Isaiah graduated from our homeschool high school). We thank God always for His overflowing goodness, loving kindness, and unwavering faithfulness through all our ups and downs. We are also thankful to attend and feel at home at a wonderful Christ-centered, Bible-teaching, gospel-living church (West Hills Community Church). In January , we and the boys enjoyed our day trip in Portland (tried out Killer Burger and visited World Market) and in Bend (visited the last Block Buster store in the world). January 26: Eric and I went to our first First Taste Oregon and enjoyed trying out a variety of yummy foods. March 4: Josiah received a letter from Western Oregon University, awarding him with $2,500 (per year) Provost scholarship. March 23: We bought an iPhone XS Max ($1,100) and got an iPhone XR for free. April 6: We bought 6 original oil paintin

I was given an opportunity to review BlankieGram Faith blanket . I picked purple because it's one of my favorite colors. I didn't know that " purple is known to help bring sleep, soothe mental and emotional stress and decrease sensitivity to pain. Purple may help in detoxification as well ". (taken from the BlankieGram's website) Cool, eh? The blanket came in a lovely organza bag. BlankieGram throw blanket is super soft and plush. It feels warm and comfy. It has encouraging, inspiring words all over. The words included are grace, gratitude, glory, generosity, goodness, gentleness, hope, faith, love, pray, prayers, praise, patience, peace, strength, blessed, thankful, lovingkindness, faithfulness, compassion, joy, joyful, rejoice, and eternal. Tis the season to wrap yourselves in a cozy throw blanket while relaxing on the couch and reading or watching your favorite Christmas movies :). This blanket is big enough for two people to snuggle up in. The dimensions ar

This is the second book in the God on Trial series. I have not read Doug Webb's first book, "' I Was Framed!' Signed, God " or his third book, " God Acquitted ". Book Two consists of six chapters: Adam, Mankind Disabled, Humanity's Curse, Life After Death, Heart Disease, and The Change. The author invites readers to join him in a journey of being a Bible detective. He gives clues (relevant verses) from the Bible and encourages us to ask questions and dig deep for answers. In Introduction, he lays out a list of key events for people who are not familiar with Biblical history. In this book, Doug Webb investigates the Fall of Man and the subsequent Curse (consequences) in Genesis. He includes two main accusatory questions: Why would God put a tree nearby, which if eaten from, could cause death? and Why did God let Lucifer have access to the human race? He proceeds to use Scriptures to explain and help readers understand God's intentions & m

I was given an opportunity to review a necklace from Holly Lane . Wow...I was so excited when I received the package in the mail. On top of the box was a sticker with one of my favorite Bible verses (Proverbs 3:5). The unboxing experience itself was quite special. Each layer was beautifully packed with thoughtfulness and care. It felt like Christmas or birthday.                 There are so many fantastic designs to pick from. I chose this necklace because I love heart shapes and I love the verse that inspired the necklace, " We love because He first loved us ." (1 John 4:19). The two hearts connected by the cross beautifully symbolizes the bond my husband and I have in our marriage because of Christ at the center and the bond we have with others & the love we have for others because of God's love for us. I am so pleased with this lovely necklace that really represents who I am (I am all about love...being loved by God, loving God and loving

I enjoyed reading their first book, Two Are Better . I was excited for an opportunity to review this book. It did not disappoint me. In Wheels of Wisdom , the authors (who are a married couple and volunteer coaches for TheHopeLine) share 52 valuable life lessons that they learned during their three cycling tours (totaling over 10,000 miles). Some chapters are written by Tim Bishop and others are written by Debbie Bishop. The book is divided into 6 main sections: Charting the Course, Shifting Gears, Taking Precautions, Finding Motivation, Riding through Storms, and Enjoying the Ride. The authors impart their wisdom through their stories of exciting adventures. Their experiences on the road are unique and have taught them how to navigate through life's journey.   Life is filled with ups and downs, challenges, obstacles, changes, and blessings. It's inspiring and encouraging to see that the authors do not let their age (they're in their 50s) or strug

Sadly but true, lots of families nowadays are too busy with works, schools, after school activities for different kids and/or too occupied staring at their own cell phones or computers. Family bonding and connection takes some intentional planning. 52 Uncommon Family Adventures was written to help families have fun adventures together and make fond memories together. It takes the stressful part of planning out so that you can pick and try out what sounds good to you and what relates best to your children's age, interests, and love languages. Each adventure shows key symbols for time commitment, cost, locale, and love language. I love this feature because it makes my decision-making much easier :). Each adventure includes 5 sections: Getting Ready (preparation), Adventure Time (fun activities), That Reminds Me (real life application), Family Devotions (relevant Bible verses and how they apply to our daily lives), and Language of the Day (the relevant love language). This book is

We enjoyed our short and sweet vacation. On September 12th, we drove to Bend, had Thai food at Noi Thai Cuisine , visited Pilot Butte , and played 4 games of pool (billiard), did bowling, and some arcade games at Sun Mountain Fun Center. We stayed overnight at Best Western Hotel in Redmond. On September 13th, we visited Painted Hills and hiked the Carroll Rim Trail (1.6 miles roundtrip) to an amazing panoramic view. Painted Hills was the last of the 7 wonders of Oregon we have visited. We then drove to Strawberry Mountain Wilderness . We hiked to Strawberry Lake (1.2 from the trailhead) and a waterfall. Gorgeous weather and gorgeous views! We stopped to have dinner at Latitude 45 Grille in Baker City before driving home. Lobster Manicotti, Serrano Bleu Steak, and nachos were all delicious. It was only two days but we had a wonderful time and it was a cool drive on the Journey Through Time Scenic Byway. 

Catching Faith 2 is the sequel to Catching Faith (2015). It follows the same Taylor Family. Just when Alexa is starting her dream job, she finds out that her son, Beau, lost his professional football career because of an injury and her daughter, Ravyn, gets engaged. Alexa is excited about planning her daughter's wedding but discovering who her daughter's future mother-in-law is throws her a curve ball. In addition, Alexa feels overwhelmed by the responsibility of caring for her mother who has Alzheimer's disease. Alexa struggles with her own issue of pride, jealousy, desire to maintain control and image, and fear of missing out. Nothing is going the way she expected. She eventually learns that there are different seasons of life and that she cannot do everything by herself. She needs help from God and others. We all do. Beau struggles with finding his purpose. His high school football coach comes alongside him and helps him gain a right perspective. Life is filled wi

Courage for Life Bible App is the first female voiced audio Bible app. It uses the New Living Translation and it's free to download . I love reading the Bible in print and enjoy listening to audio Bible. Audio Bible apps are helpful and convenient for people who don't like to read or have trouble reading, people who have eye problems, auditory learners, and those who are on the go. It is quite useful and practical for me when I'm exercising or cleaning. The project was originally started to help hurting women, including victims of abuse, since listening to a man read the Bible can turn them off from hearing God's Word. 12 women read 27 books of the New Testament. These women did an excellent job. Their enunciation is clear; the pace of their reading is good (not too fast and not too slow). Their voices are pleasant to listen to. There's an introduction at the beginning of each book. The introduction includes information about the author, the audience, what'

Two Are Better is a unique memoir about the two-month cycling adventure that Tim and Debbie Bishop experienced shortly after their wedding. They both faithfully waited upon the Lord to find a spouse. It took them over 30 years but it's totally worth the wait. They got married at age 52. Tim retired from a 26-year career in the corporate world eight days after he proposed to Debbie. Two weeks after their wedding, they embarked on their dream cross-country bicycle trip. It's definitely one-of-a-kind extended honeymoon. The first three chapters of the book talk about how they met (online), how their single lives & previous relationships were like, and the whirlwind weeks of wedding and preparation for the trip. Their coast to coast bicycle trip began in Seaside, Oregon and ended in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. They biked through fifteen states and part of Canada in 53 days (with a few transports). Their trip log is included in the back of the book. I got hooke