I read this book to my son as soon as it came in the mail, and he loved it! He is almost 2 years old, and loved the rhyming and cute illustrations throughout the book. In fact, when we finished reading the book, he climbed off my lap and ran across the room with the book to ask my husband to read it again. Based on his liking of the book, I would recommend this book to families who would like to think about what it is like when God created their child (or themselves as parents). The one thing my husband and I noticed is that it is important to explain to the child that the book is about their forming in the womb, not the creation of the world. Overall, this is a very cute book that deserves a spot on every Christian family’s shelf.

*I blog with integrity, I received this book from Waterbook Multnomah in exchange for blogging about it. All opinions are mine.

Book 2 of Voices of the Faithful, compiled by Kim P. Davis and created by the renowned Beth Moore, brings so much more than the first book in the series. Kim found missionaries who are serving in every part of the world to write the 366 devotions featured in this book. The stories they tell are incredible and at times miraculous. Each month in the devotional is given a specific topic. These topics are: Prayer the Priority; God, Our Loving Father; Divine Appointments; Jesus, the Sacrificial Lamb; “Follow Me”; The Power of the Story; Lost and Found; Making Him Known; Lessons from the Young; From Adversity to Triumph; Be Encouraged; and Hope for the World. This set of devotions is a breath of fresh air. Each day the reader will be challenged to see what is happening in the world around them, and pray the prayer suggested for that specific day. This book could be dangerous, as reading it may radically change the life of the believer willing to allow God to work in His heart. Voices of the Faithful Book 2 should be a welcome addition to any believer’s library of devotions, but especially for those whose heart is broken for the multitude of unsaved peoples of the world.

Scott Hamilton shares many stories and experiences from his own life in the book, which makes it much more enjoyable to read. As a young boy, Hamilton was adopted. He suffered from illness after illness, leaving both him and his parents to wonder what would become of his little life. After a time, Scott discovered that he loved to ice skate. Miraculously, the more he skated, the better off he became. His health improved along with his skating skills. The book is full of insider information about his formative years of skating and competition up into adulthood, when he suffered with testicular cancer and  a terrible brain tumor.

This book is funny and witty at times, but also moving and terribly sad as you experience some of the joys and pain this Olympian has experienced in his lifetime.A  gander through  The Great Eight gives the reader a fresh outlook on life and a greater understanding of the man named Scott Hamilton.

The call we received August 20, 2008 was to tell us that he was dead. Neither of us knew how to handle such sadness. This was a young man with so much potential, so much talent. Here we were, celebrating my husband’s life, and mourning a friend’s death at the same time. This was one of those life situations no one can ever prepare you for.

Here I am, a year later, and I still don’t know how to handle this. Even today I have struggled with the contrast in feelings that keep pouring over me. I am thrilled to be celebrating my husband’s life, especially as we look forward to the birth of our son in December. I am also heartbroken as I remember our friend who is now with the Lord.  Dear, dear friends of mine had their lives completely changed when God allowed our friend to leave us all behind. I am jealous, too. He’s in heaven and the rest of us are left to deal with the pain. It’s hard to understand.

How do I deal with this day? Well, first, I thank God. Thank Him for His goodness and unrelenting love. He cares about all of us that were left behind after this tragedy. I thank Him for giving me my husband, the love of my life and joy of my heart. I am thrilled to be adding to our family with him. Then, I remember. I think it’s ok to sit and think about those who have gone on before, because God gave us those times together and they are a blessing. And then finally, I must go on. The sun has come out and I have a day to live. This is a beautiful and terrible day, all at once. And I know, that in the end, it will be ok.

1. My head is way too full of thoughts, ideas, and musings to not have a place to write it all down.

2. God has given me the privilege of being young, married, a new college grad, and pregnant while trying to raise support to serve as a missionary alongside my husband in an urban area. There’s plenty to write about with all that going on!

3. I am tired of reading everyone else’s blogs and not having my own!

4. Pregnancy has been amazing and has gone by way too fast. I am already at 23 weeks and promised myself at the beginning that I would write down what was happening so I would remember. Sadly, the journal entries are few and far between. I hope this helps me write more.

Well, there are a few reasons. They work for me, so I hope they work for you, too. Thanks for coming along on this journey with me. I have no idea what it will look like, but at least now we can enjoy it together.