Gluten Free Dairy Free Edible Ornaments

Our edible ornaments have improved over the years. :) Click the photo for a past attempt and a recipe. I used shortening this year and made the dough thicker, not as moist. Seems to be working better. We'll see what happens when they dry.

Secure

When I was young enough to lie down on a pew on Sunday nights, I would lie on my back, maybe with my head in Mom or Dad's lap, and study this ceiling and the bullet lights and the stained glass while listening to the cadence of Brother Huffman's voice. I felt safe and secure there. I always hoped the bullet lights were secure to the ceiling, especially when I was directly under one of them.

John 10:28-29

and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. "My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.

 Matthew 5:16 

¹⁶ Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

 "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world."

I am secure because of the sacrifice of Jesus The Christ. Being in the sanctuary of the church building of my youth reminds me of that security.

Mercy Me It's Christmas! review and giveaway

 My homeschooler and I have been listening to Mercy Me It's Christmas! in the car and I am ready to put up the Christmas tree and decorations!

When I was a child, I loved the moments in December after dark when my mother would plug in the lights on the Christmas tree and play Christmas albums on the turntable. There was something magical about those moments and my mind still wanders back there when I hear Christmas tunes on the radio.

I love Christmas music. When my husband and I lived in Michigan, I tuned my radio to the station that switched to Christmas music every November 1st. Oh yes! I am not one of those who has the rule that Christmas music must wait until after Thanksgiving.

I have a thing about Christmas music CDs. I prefer CDs that offer me a variety of tempos, a fast song here and there, a slow one here and there, a hymn, a traditional song, a new song, a secular song - I enjoy a good mix. And Mercy Me It's Christmas! delivers all of that. Sometimes I sing along quietly, sometimes I belt it out - I have really had fun with this one. (I am quite a good singer in my car. *wink*)

I really enjoy, "Go Tell It On The Mountain". It's always fun and Mercy Me's version is no exception. However, there is one star for me above all the other songs and carols on this album: Y'all, the arrangement of "O Come, O Come" is my favorite, ever. Not your traditional "O Come, O Come", it makes me have to think of the next line when set to a different tune. It is set to a folk tune that is used with the hymn, "The Gift of Love" that our youth choir sang when I was a teenager.

Pizza Ranch restaurants have a special version of the CD for sale with bonus songs on board. Buy $25 in gift cards and you'll get this CD free.

Songs:

1. Newborn

2. Christmastime Again

3. Sleigh Ride

4. I'll Be Home For Christmas

5. Hold On Christmas

6. A Holly Jolly Christmas

7. Go Tell It On The Mountain

8. Do You Hear What I Hear

9. Our Lullaby

10. Joy

11. O Come, O Come 

12. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (Exclusive Bonus Track for Pizza Ranch)

13. O Holy Night (Exclusive Bonus Track for Pizza Ranch)

14. Silent Night (Exclusive Bonus Track for Pizza Ranch)

15. Joseph's Lullaby (Exclusive Bonus Track for Pizza Ranch) 

 Mercy Me It’s Christmas​ CD will be available in Pizza Ranch locations beginning November 1, 2015 through December 31, 2015.  It has 4 exclusive songs that can only be found on the CD version being sold by Pizza Ranch.  Each CD will be sold for $5 plus tax.  Pizza Ranch will give away the CD with a $25 gift card purchase as well as sell the full album at each of its 200 locations throughout the Midwest and Great Plains states.  "We are so excited to debut our new Christmas album, MercyMe, It’s Christmas, with Pizza Ranch” said Bart Millard with MercyMe. “Pizza Ranch is a fantastic restaurant with a great mission to glorify God. It's the perfect gift to give this Christmas season and the perfect CD to get you in the Christmas spirit.”

I have a copy of Mercy Me It's Christmas to give away on my blog! Just comment to enter.

"Pizza Ranch is a chain of buffet restaurants serving pizza, chicken, salad bar and Cactus Bread in IA, SD, ND, MN, NE, IL, WI, MI, KS, MT, MO, WY, CO."  Pizza Ranch is God honoring in its business. The food on the Pizza Ranch twitter page makes me hungry. Click through and check it out! I have never seen a Pizza Ranch, (there aren't any in my state) so I'll share info about them from the press release:

About Pizza Ranch:

Cultivating its mission "To give every guest a legendary experience" since its inception in 1981, Pizza Ranch connects with its communities in a way that provides bridges for friends, family and colleagues to come together. Today, Pizza Ranch is based in Orange City, Iowa and owns, operates and franchises over 190 locations in 13 states. Consistent growth has been a Pizza Ranch staple, as the brand has become a beacon of community involvement and exceptional food. The Pizza Ranch buffet features legendary pizzas, salads and desserts, and is delivered with an unmatched service quality.  "We are extremely blessed to have a very close connection with our guests," said Adrie Groeneweg, co-founder and president of Pizza Ranch. "This project extends the brand's essence to a new dimension beyond our four walls and into their lives. It's a new kind of way for us to relate to our loyal fans."

I hope you'll enter my giveaway. I think you'll enjoy the CD as much as we are! I'll draw a winner Friday, Dec 5, 2015.

"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, you are not eligible to win. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”

ESPEROS Carry Hope Review & Giveaway

ESPEROS comes from the Spanish verb "esperar": HOPE. ESPEROS is a brand of bags that Carry Hope to families in the developing world by providing children access to education through the sale of these bags.

I'm always looking for a good tote bag. We take activities to do and gluten free/dairy free snacks or food just about everywhere we go.

I chose a market tote in navy with a chocolate brown trim ("poppy" according to the marketing info). The market tote is priced at $54.99 and a portion of the sales goes to educate a needy child in another country.

ESPEROS makes backpacks, smaller totes, travel bags, a laptop bag, a variety of items for toting our stuff.

The last tote bag that I was given (back in May) was a freebie at an event and the fabric shredded into a big hole before I got home with it. I don't want any more bags like that one.

I need a sturdy tote made from solid, strong fabric with strong rivets/snaps and stitching, big enough for large books if that is the item of the day that we are transporting. And the ESPEROS market tote delivers. The fabric is heavy duty, the straps are doubled for strength and comfort (I don't have another bag with straps like this one in my collection of totes). The bottom is flat and the bag stands on it's own for loading or for resting - it doesn't keep falling over, spilling contents and I don't have to keep righting it.

I chose the market tote for its large size and for the removable pocket inside. I can unsnap the pocket and move it to my purse or carry it as a clutch.

The other tall bags I own are narrow - by the time I add several coloring books, a clipboard, and a variety of crayons and markers, my daughter can't look around at the items inside. My wider totes don't hold tall coloring books well; the tall items tend to lean and fall out. The ESPEROS market bag is tall enough to contain tall books and  wide enough that the items fit more loosely so that my child can browse inside the bag without removing every item to see what's inside, important while we travel.

The best part is that a purchase provides a year of school to a child in a developing country.

ESEROS has a Facebook page, Twitter, Instagram, check them out!

DISCOUNT ALERT:
Use the code Esperos EsperosMoms when checking out for a 15% discount on the web site.

Leave a comment telling me what you'd put in your market bag for a chance to enter a bag exactly like mine. Deadline to enter is Friday, Oct 2nd, 2015.

"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, you are not eligible to win. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”

 

The Biggest Story, How the Snake Crusher Brings Us Back to the Garden

"Of course, God still had his promises to keep. But most days it was hard to imagine how anyone could save this stubborn people.

It would have been even harder to imagine how the Promised Man could come from among this people."

If you read my blog, you know that teaching my daughter with autism about God is a very challenging task at my house. Stories during Sunday School and Vacation Bible School scared her. God isn't concrete and tangible, and that frightens her.

I am thankful that God keeps his promises even to children who don't understand Him.

I keep looking for resources to help bring Bible stories into content that my girl can understand. Long columns of letters, words, paragraphs are not our favorite medium.

We  were given an opportunity to review a book for children, The Biggest Story, How The Snake Crusher Brings Us Back to the Garden, and I raised my hand quickly for a copy. Anything with fun illustrations is inviting to my daughter, and if it is inviting, she spends time with it, and she gains new knowledge or at least new familiarity.

The images are delightful. Take a peek below (or at the promotional video):

I really appreciate Don Clark's illustrations. There is so much to look at!

I am impressed with author Kevin Deyoung's ability to condense a concept into just a few very powerful sentences. The summaries are fantastic for a kid with special learning needs!

"The second monarch, young David from Bethlehem, was definitely much better. In fact, before we get to the King, there's almost no one more important than King David.

When King David wasn't busy sinning (which he did in some really big ways), he was a good, wise, merciful king. May good things happened to God's people when David was in charge. They were victorious and prosperous and blessed."

There are so many concepts to find in the illustrations and talk about. This is a bonus for the homeschooling mom to a child with autism. The non-verbal information within the pages of this book is rich.

We haven't  had time with younger cousins since we got this book - when we do have time with them, "The Biggest Story" will be an excellent choice for my homeschooler to read aloud to her younger cousins. Reading aloud and co-teaching are wonderful ways to work on communication for a child with autism. 

Many of you will read this book in one sitting although it can be read in sections for children whose attention span is short, the sections are short enough not to overwhelm.

Throughout the book, Deyoung reminds us again and again of God's wonderful promises:

"So  keep waiting for him. Keep believing in him. Keep trusting that the story isn't over yet. God's promises never fail and the Promised One never disappoints."

The hardback retails for $18 (it is discounted as I type at Amazon), is 132 pages, and is not too big for little hands and it has a silky fabric bookmark for saving your place.

If the powers that be are reading, I like the black text on the pages better than the white text.

Social Media
Follow Crossway Books on Facebook and Twitter. Buy the book here.

"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, you are not eligible to win. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”

 

Preview Practice

Parent and family weekend at the university is fast approaching, and I had just one home football game to use to scout the event for challenges. Big Sis is in the (LOUD) marching band and I love to watch her perform. (Side note: Much to my surprise, finding my kid in a ball cap is much more challenging than finding her in a shako.)

My desire is that the entire family go to Parent and Family Weekend. I have less than two weeks to preview the experience for my girl w/ ASD and a list of sensory challenges and to prepare for the challenges. Someone from the university posted quite a few videos from the first home football game, so I am attempting to watch some of the video with my daughter. She is less than cooperative. We will take her ear plugs and noise canceling headphones. I may walk around behind the stands with her for much of the game to avoid the loud recorded music, sirens, fireworks, noisy special effects. She will bring her little handheld video game. We will probably take two vehicles so that I can leave with her while the guys stay to watch the end of the football game. I told her about the cotton candy that was sold at the first home game (she loves cotton candy, and as much as I hate the sugar and dye, if it will get us there until the band performs at halftime, it is a good incentive).

Wish us luck! And if you have any suggestions, please send them my way!

The Bridge Builder: The Life and Continuing Legacy of Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein Review

I grew up in the South of the United States, in the buckle of the Bible Belt. There were three or four Jewish families in my small hometown and I knew nothing about them. I always wanted to know. My Jesus is a Jew. I do remember one Sunday, Mrs. Cook brought in one of the Jewish men of our town, who talked to us about Christianity's Jewish roots. I always wanted to know more.

Fast forward to my time in the Midwest in an area where there are lots of Jewish families. My children learned about Jewish traditions and holidays from friends from school. And then we learned about Friendship Circle and began to learn even more. (The Jewish community reaches out to families with special needs children in a way that Christians do not.) I longed for a collaboration between the Christian community and the Jewish community in terms of serving families with children with special needs and sometimes vocalized my desire on deaf ears in my Christian circles. Now we live in the South again, where we don't interact with Jewish families on a daily basis and I don't know where to begin thinking about a collaboration.

When I was given the opportunity to review The Bridge Builder: The Life and Continuing Legacy of Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, I was thrilled.

No, the story is not about serving families with special needs. It has nothing to do with special needs.

The story is Rabbi Eckstein's incredible journey bridging the gap between Christians and Jews and between United States and Israel, from a culture that forbade him from interacting with evangelicals to not only interacting, but building relationships with evangelical Christians - and the price he paid to do so. As he went against the teaching of his culture and religion, he sometimes sacrificed his reputation and his friends and family in order to build this bridge.

The book is as much a history book as it is a biography, giving the reader insight into the world political stage and the religious and political climates in Israel and the United States at the times of different events on Rabbi Eckstein's timeline in the last 40 years. I haven't studied history in years, my memory and understanding are weak and fuzzy and I need the detail for my understanding as I read.

I never gave much thought to how much work would have to happen to bring Jews and Christians together in ministry. One would just ask the other and the other would say 'yes'. The effort has not been a simple one. There have been big barriers to work around and remove. The process has been a labor of love over decades. I love Rabbi Eckstein's heart and how he followed the calling he felt from G-d. And I understand a little better some of the challenges that need to be addressed for a collaboration in terms of helping families with a child with special needs.

Author Zev Chafets goes into great detail to give the reader enough background and context and he gives the reader an authentic look into the life of Rabbi Eckstein, good, bad, ups, downs. He's human. And he loves people. I enjoy the peek into Rabbi Eckstein's life. I suspect that you may enjoy it, too.

Know this: His work is ongoing; there is more to his story yet to unfold. Follow Rabbi Eckstein on the internet and social media to see what events are added to his story. Don't miss the social media - the Rabbi Eckstein web site offers a free chapter of the book.

Official Websites:  http://www.ifcj.org/site/PageNavigator/eng/USENG_homenew

                                          http://www.rabbieckstein.org

Twitter:  @TheFellowship

                     @RabbiEckstein

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/FellowshipFan

                  https://www.facebook.com/RabbiEckstein

YouTube Channel:  https://www.youtube.com/user/IFCJ25

"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, you are not eligible to win. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”

Plan Your Teacher Gifts Now

School is just beginning - the time is too soon to worry about Christmas or even end of the school year gifts, right?

Wrong.

Allow me to tell you about my favorite teacher gift. Are you familiar with the legend about the starfish? Here is one version. Here is another.

My favorite teacher/therapist gift is starfish themed.

I use card stock or construction paper as a background for a bookmark. I format the poem to fit on a bookmark, add "Thank you for making a difference in me!" and have my daughter sign her name. I size photos of my child working with the teacher to fit the bookmark and attach them to the back of my bookmark. Then, I laminate my homemade two-sided bookmark and I attach the bookmark to a gift with a starfish motif. Yes, I should have taken a photo the last time I made bookmarks, but alas, I did not. You'll have to imagine it.

When you begin looking, you'll probably notice all sorts of items with a starfish motif. You may find some bargains now as summer items are put on clearance. Look for jewelry, candles, picture frames.

Your to do list so you'll be prepared at gift giving time:
- take some action photos of the teacher or therapist working with your child
- cruise stores for items with a starfish motif

Hint: print extra copies of the poem in case your child needs to practice.

Thank you, readers, for making a difference in me.

And the winner is... (Patterns of Evidence DVD)

We had four entries. 

 

Put them on paper 

Folded them, put them in a bowl, shook, and CHOSE A WINNER:

and the winner is... TAMMY!!!!!!!!!!

Apologetics Study Bible for Students Review and Giveaway

We got the opportunity to use and review a copy of Apologetics Study Bible For Student from a special needs perspective.

I have never hidden the fact that the idea of God is a difficult one for my child who is on the autism spectrum. Some of the stories in the Bible are scary, and that fear makes Sunday School and Bible study sometimes aversive for her. I continue to look for products that reduce her anxiety about God and church while increasing her understanding. I want her to have a confident faith, but she is concerned about why the king wanted to kill all of Esther's people or why the men nailed nails into Jesus's hands and feet. Separating now from history and figuring out who God is when He is invisible is a difficult concept for many children with autism.


My first favorite thing about the Apologetics Study Bible for Students are the index (reverse) tabs on the page edges that allow us to find books of the Bible quickly. My daughter has never owned a Bible with the books visually imprinted on the page edges.

Everything about the Apologetics Study Bible for Students is inviting. The version of this Bible that we were given to review is weighty and substantial and the cover is hardback and easier to handle than a soft, slippery, floppy leather cover for kids with motor challenges.

A Few Features of The Apologetics Study Bible for Students HCSB:

- Book Introductions for each of the sixty-six books of the Bible.

- Study Notes provide evidence of the reliability and truthfulness of Scripture.

- 120 Articles written by today's leading Christian thinkers dealing with life's ultimate questions.

- 60 Twisted Scriptures address ways that various religious movements distort Scripture to support doctrine contrary to historic Christian teaching.

The chapter introductions give us historical context and background information. The text is smaller than my girl is accustomed to, more words on a page, yet the layout on the pages is inviting enough that she will pick up the book and read from it to herself. (This is amazing!) The study notes (extra tiny) add more important context and explanation. The 120 articles addressed things we've all wondered about; for example, "How were people saved before Christ?".  Twisted scriptures also answer questions I've wondered about - why didn't Adam and Eve die the moment they bit the fruit from the forbidden tree?

My homeschooler is a big fan of archaeology and the Apologetics Study Bible for Students contains 50 Bone & Dirt features  that tell us about important archaeological discoveries and why they are important. Other features are 25 Tactics, to equip students to withstand opposition to Christianity by outlining tactics and strategies for handling frequently heard anti-Christian arguments; 20 Personal Stories of encouragement; 20 Top Five bullet points.

As part of the PR materials that arrived with the Apologetics Study Bible, I learned that, this summer, the gift of Confident Faith is being celebrated with 16 brand new, but energetic and brief videos featuring Sean McDowell, free resources like Bible studies and articles as well as wonderful specials on apps and Bibles.  There are new resources every week - a full 16 weeks of resources when it is all done. The videos are located here. They are short (under four minutes long) and to the point. They give me insight into how to answer questions - so if you find the material is too advanced for your student, you may choose to watch them and teach the material yourself.

The intro to each video is a bit bothersome to me for my child with special needs (but not for the typically developing sibs). Allow me to explain. One of my problems with Sunday School lessons for typically developing teens is the topics are sometimes not developmentally appropriate for my child with autism. She is not ready to talk in a group about topics like dating, sex, cheating at school (that doesn't apply to her), abortion. The intro to each video is the same, a piece featuring Sean McDowell, and he mentions the topics that are too advanced for my teen w autism. I am able to fast forward through the intro and begin each video without the intro. The videos are clearly labeled, so I can avoid the topics that my child is not yet ready for - I like that flexibility and control and those are things Sunday School can't give me.

You can purchase the Apologetics Study Bible here in a variety of covers and prices. You can enter here to win one - I have one copy to give away. Leave a blog comment by Friday to enter. I'll choose a winner at the end of the week (22-Aug-15). AND, if that weren't enough, a Confident Faith Sweepstakes is being offered to give away Bibles, free mini libraries of B&H's best apologetics resources and even a trip for two to the National Conference on Christian Apologetics (NCCA) being held October 16-17, 2015 in Charlotte, NC where some of the world's leading thinkers will offer insights and teaching. Enter sweepstakes here.

We are enjoying this resource - it is inviting enough its own that my reluctant reader does not have to be coaxed to read a little. I like that a LOT. 


"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, you are not eligible to win. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”