Tina The Storyteller

The Beauty Book  by Nancy Rue is a great book for tweens. It is a previously published book that has been updated. There is lots of great information for young girls struggling with their identity and how that plays out with not only they way that they feel about themselves, but how they can express who God has created them to be with their hairstyles, clothing, and the way they interact with others. She discusses self care with out getting into some of the more complicated things that come with puberty (which she discusses in The Body Book which is soon to release). There are a couple of things I really like about this book, one, it always points to who we are in the eyes of God and has scripture to back up each point; two, the parents are the authority and there are lots of tips on how to deal with parents when you don't get your way, all of which honor parents; and three there are quizzes and places to write your answers to deeper questions. The age the book is writ...

It has been a long week two weeks! We went to Georgia last week to visit with my dad and had a great trip, for that I am very thankful. I'm also thankful that I have an amazing husband to come home to. I'm thankful for technology that helps with school work, even if I do want to spend way too much on apps. I'm thankful for friends and family. What are you thankful for today?

It's that time of year, the one when you really just want to sit around and watch cartoons all day and eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches until your face is sticky. That time when homeschooling feels a bit like it just might not be working the way it's expected to. And then maybe all those thoughts are just leftover vestiges of being in school. Because now is the time of year when the final grade is about to happen and things are due and you are desperately trying to make sure that you can move on to the next level of learning and not have to spend another year repeating things that weren't so interesting in the first place. Personally, I was a straight A student, with B's and C's not showing up until I was in college and graduate school. So I have quite the history of expecting myself to have things done in a year's time. What a crazy thing to think about, as if life really works that way. Imagine if you thought that you should have all the ins and outs of ...

I just got back last night from a trip to Atlanta to spend time with my dad. If you think that being low carb at home is difficult, you should try it will staying with a bachelor. We had one home made dinner, luckily, I was able to research most of the restaurants we went to before hand so I had a good idea on what to order. But one of the last meals we shared together, there was bread and a trip to the ice cream shop. I was able to say no to the bread, mainly because I have designated it with a Mr. Yuk sticker in my brain. Four loaves came to the table and every crumb was consumed. I think that my lack of eating the bread and the battered and deep fried calamari my have concerning to my dad's dinner guest. A story was told about a lady that was allergic to shellfish, but eats shrimp anyway. It really reminded me that it's been a long time since food has been a form of entertainment for me. I still enjoy food when I eat, but I don't use it to entertain me. And I think...

I have been a little obsessed with finding good desserts now that I'm in the low carb category. This one that I'm sharing this week isn't technically low carb, but it's tasty and I feel sure that if you are into fake sugar or unusual sugars, you could knock out the majority of the carbs in this tasty dish. That is if you can eat beans. I got the recipe from Chocolate-Covered Katie's blog. It's called Giant Chocolate-Chip Cookie Cake . It's vegan, but you won't realize it. It's also healthy, but you won't realize that either. I took it to a brunch today and no one said to me "You know, Tina, this cookie cake tastes healthy and beany." Here's my two cents on the making of the recipe itself. I used cannelloni/white beans, just a normal size can. I did not pack the brown sugar. I cooked it for 25 minutes and it could cook longer, but it won't ever get dry like a normal cookie, it will always be dense. I stored it over night o...

I am thankful for a few days off with my sweet husband. As Hannah said "It's like three Fridays in a row!" I am thankful that I was able to celebrate Easter with a loving community. I am thankful for friends and time spent with them. God works things out as we need them. I am thankful for my little girl, who knows how to read, but keeps trying to convince herself that she doesn't. I am thankful that God still speaks. What are you thankful for?

Jim Cymbala is the pastor of Brooklyn Tabernacle in New York. A couple of years ago I read his book Fresh Wind Fresh Fire which is about how his church got its start. Spirit Rising is about how to keep a church alive. The premise behind Spirit Rising is how to get more Holy Spirit in your life. There are numerous stories about the workings of the Holy Spirit, as well as plenty of scripture to remind us why we should want the Holy Spirit in our lives. I really enjoyed this book, because it reminded me of the fact that there have been times in my life when I had more Holy Spirit than in previous months. It served as a jumping off point for my relationship with the Spirit. And as Cymbala makes clear over and over again, if this is something that you want to experience and increase in your life, you’re just going to have to do it. He makes it clear that if you want the Holy Spirit in your life you need to ask God for His Spirit, pray for it, read scripture, and then wait. M...

I wrote this this morning for my church's Facebook page and thought I would share it with you here As we slept, he was arrested. As we woke, he was denied. As we prepared for the day, he was tried. As we hurried about, he was crucified. As we took no notice of another man dying, he bore our sins and died. As we finished our daily work, he was laid in a tomb from which he did arise!

I'm thankful that I get to enjoy opening day of the Tigers in a warm home, full of tasty food with my family. I'm thankful that after seven years of parenting I have discovered that I have something that gives me the upper hand that my daughter has yet to develop; it's patience. I have it in spades and it's been quite helpful lately. I'm thankful that God is faithful through and through. I just have to follow his lead and I will walk in his light. I am thankful that God's word instructs as well as encourages me. I am thankful for friends! I am thankful that we are about to celebrate Easter, it has been a very eye-opening Lent. What are you thankful for?

I've been craving warm snacks at night lately. Fortunately, I've had left over cauliflower in the house and I like the way it tastes. So I've been doing a very far off shoot of a recipe I mentioned last week from I Breathe...I'm Hungry (Cauliflower Mash) . I take some cauliflower florets and put them in a microwaveable container with heavy cream, Parmesan cheese and some cream cheese. I cook for about five minutes, stirring half way. And then enjoy a tasty bowl of warm numminess. What have you made that's tasty?