Canada Book: C is for Canada


Allow me to introduce to you a sweet board book all about Canada, perfect for your littlest ones to learn some of the fun things about Canada.  It was my pleasure to review C is for Canada: A Canuck Primer.   In case you didn't know, Canuck is one way of saying Canadian. 

The colours are bold and bright, with simple details to draw the eye.    20 pages of colour and ideas.  Some pages like this one double up on the letters, while others.
like this one of Ogopogo devote a whole page to one letter.

 It's a very sturdy board book, just right for the hands of your littles.  I like that it introduced a whole variety of subjects from birds, to animals, places and tourist attractions.  
 My Recommendation:
A wide array of subject matter.  A book that teaches young ones simple concepts about Canada.  Easy to read font.  Sturdy board book.

All this makes it a great book to your youngsters.

 C is for Canada: A Canuck ABC Primer

Author: Trish Madson

Illustrator:y David W Miles 
Pages: 20
Publisher: Familius LLC
Approximately 8 x 8
Reviewed for: Raincoast Books

Looking to find it?  Check out these Amazon Affiliate links.  They don't affect your bottom line and it makes me delighted to know you found a good book while helping me out.  :)

From Amazon.ca: C is for Canada: A Canuck ABC Primer

From Amazon.com: C Is for Canada: A Canuck ABC Primer




This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool - thank you! ©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time/

Review:The Imperfect Disciple

 The other day the lad and I were talking about how much I enjoyed this book and how that would make it a hard book to review.   He didn't understand how that could be.   I said "well, if I don't like the book I can say this is what I didn't like and this is why.   But when I have a book that I really enjoy I just want to tell people "READ IT, It's GOOD"."   

So the Imperfect Disciple by Jared C. Wilson.. READ IT, IT's GOOD!.  :)


Okay, so maybe I can't tell you to just go read it because it's a good book, perhaps I need to tell you why I loved (yes LOVED) this book so much.

1. Jared writes like my hubby preaches.  He breaks down points to make them easily understood.  Uses scripture well, and within contest.  He shows his heart.

2. God's grace is clearly shown throughout the book.  How God knows us SO well and yet still calls us his own.

3. My heart was broken and touched.  I wept, I laughed, I talked about different points with my lad.  It was a book that compelled me to stop and THINK about what I was being taught, and how I could let that change my life and my heart.  I intend to keep this book and read it again and to have my lad read it next year.  

4. I want to have more copies of it so I can share it everyone I think who would possibly read it. I want their lives to be impacted by the simple, yet profound truths locked within the pages of this book.


5. This is not a how-to book.   It's not "make sure you read your bible every day in the morning, and pray eight times a day".  It's a  "can you see what it means to behold God, to really BEHOLD him (not just look or see but to behold.. it's a different connotation)", "let me point out the advantages and disadvantages of Christian fellowship".   It's real life and tough and not always easy, but God's heart and love are always held forth as a source of strength, comfort and encouragement.

6. The writing style is casual, with humour and sarcasm used freely.   Because his style is casual, it makes me more apt to listen to his words cause it's like talking with a brother or a mentor.  So you listen and want to talk back and think about what is said. 

7. Speaks straight into the heart of the Christian who struggles with their imperfections and struggles to be a good disciple of Christ.  Who desperately wants to walk in the way of the Lord but finds themselves stumbling, more oft then not, over their own two feet.   THIS IS a book for ME.  I stumble and fall and get up again, and this book left me feeling so encouraged and beloved of the Lord.
So what do you get in the book. 
The introduction.. YES.. read this too!
1. Sin and the art of soul maintenance
2.  Good News for Losers
3. Staring at the Glory until you see it
4. The Rhythm of listening
5. The Rhythm of Spilling your guts
6. The Revolution will not be instagrammed
7. The Nine Irrefutable laws of fellowship
8. Will the real me please stand up?
9. Does Grace Go all the way down?
10. Lurv Wins.
AND don't forget to read the conclusion.

The Imperfect Disciple: Grace for People Who Can't Get their Act together
Jared C. Wilson
Baker Books
234 Pages
softcover, slightly larger book 8 by 6 approximately

Reviewed for: Nuts about Books



Where can you find it?  (cause you really need to get it)

Amazon.ca - The Imperfect Disciple: Grace for People Who Can't Get Their Act Together

Amazon.com - The Imperfect Disciple: Grace for People Who Can't Get Their Act Together


This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool - thank you! ©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time/

Expect



Expect

Two weeks ago I was in a state of expectation.
A longing,
A hoping for,
A waiting for 
Time away

Holidays awaited
Time with my hubby
Time with my boy,
A time to visit with on-line friends.
I waited and hoped and foresaw good things.

We hiked.
We museumed.
We toured.
We listened. 
We even sang, and biked, and watched in amazement.

Caves, speakers, water, birds, 
Peepers busy peeping...how close can we sneak?
The thrum of a bullfrog 
The patter of rain and
The ACK of wetness on a sleeping bag unplanned.

The sorrow of no visits with on-line friends.
The delight of seeing a heron on the prowl.

Expect.
Expectations seen and exceeded.
Expectations hoped for and missed.

So what do you expect?  


--------
This is a five minute Friday post. the word prompt is brought to us by Miss Kate over at Five Minute FridayWhat is Five Minute Friday?  Well it's a party of a group of like minded folks who gather on Friday to do a five minute free write around a singular word.  AND THEN (and this is the most important part) we take the time to offer up encouragement to each other on this writing journey.  It's fun, though it's not always easy, but it is always good.   Come join us won't you?  You are always welcome.
This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool - thank you! ©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time/

Review: Jesus Journey

Jesus Journey is a look at the humanity of Christ by Trent Sheppard.



Book Synopsis:

Jesus was human, like you and me. If the gospel is true, he still is.
Christians worldwide believe that Jesus is God. But this belief wasn’t the starting point for Jesus’ earliest followers. While Jesus’ humanity was a given for the disciples, his divinity was a truth they grew into believing—it was a journey of faith. As Christians today, we are also called into a faith journey—this time, to rediscover Jesus’ humanity.
Yes, we believe that Jesus is God, but do we truly believe that Jesus is human? And if so, how does that transform our own experience of being human?
Through eye-opening yet down-to-earth reflections, Jesus Journey invites you to encounter Jesus again—as if for the first time—by experiencing his breathing, heart-beating, body-and-blood, crying-and-laughing humanity.
Join Bible teacher and storyteller Trent Sheppard as he shines new light on the vibrant humanity of the historical Jesus through an up-close look at Jesus’ relationships with Mary and Joseph, with the God he called Abba, with his closest friends and followers, and how, ultimately, his crucifixion and resurrection finally and forever redefine what we mean by the word God. Come encounter the human who radically transforms our view of God.
Come encounter the God who forever changes what it means to be human.

What do you get?

A book divided into five sections.

40 separate chapters covering topics such as Joseph and Jesus, Intervention, Nicknamed, Holy Fury, No Escape, Biology 2.0, and Ascension.





My Thoughts:


I tried, I really really tried but I had to stop part way through the book, I just couldn't continue to read this book.

Points I struggled with:

1. Text taken out context.
2. Text changed without it making sense why he was changing the traditional understanding.
3. Too focused on the humanity of Christ to see the Godness of Christ as well.
4. When he did use text, he often stopped it too soon OR miss the point of the passage.
5. He makes too many suppositions.  Such as at the wedding at Cana he assumes there was a special look that passed between Mary and Jesus...when we have no sign of that AND he misses the point that the wedding is about God's glory at work in Jesus.
6. He seems to want to bring Jesus down to our level instead of bringing us up to his. Jesus shows us what true humanity is all about.
7. I dislike the almost exclusive use of paraphrases throughout this treatise.

What I liked:
As a devotional Mr. Shepherd adds three points to the close of each chapter 
Ponder - He'll give a point to think on.
Pray - He's gives a point of prayer, something we can ask for usually.
Practice - How to put into practice the lessons learned.

Many of these three points I liked, particularly the practice ones.   It's good to think on ponder on who Jesus was. 

I have to admit... I thought the idea of the book was intriguing, but the fact is this... Jesus was so interlinked, his humanity with his divinity that its one of those mysteries you just can't really understand.   How can God cry?  Can God skin a knee?   Yes, if he's also fully human.   Jesus wept, got hungry, got tired, just as we do.   Just as Jesus did, we need to grow in maturity in the sight of God and man.   Jesus is that perfect example of weakness held within strength.

Now.. just because I couldn't finish this book doesn't mean it's not at all worthy to read.  I can easily see this book being used in a group study as a way to think differently about a subject and to talk out some of his points.  To read different translations, to get the full gist of what the bible passages are talking about and to look for how Jesus shows us how living as the humans that we are can be better.

Jesus Journey: Shattering the Stained Glass Superhero and Discovering the Humanity of God.
Trent Shepherd
Zondervan
256 pages
softcover
8 x 5

Reviewed for: booklookbloggers

This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool - thank you! ©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time/

Art Book: Splash of Color

 Ah... I need to apologize to you all.. being away last week totally wrecked up my routine for getting posts ready for the blog.  TOTALLY!!!    I need to figure out a way to get caught back up!  

Anyways, I have a neat book here for you today... it's not a little book by any means, rather long... think the size of those big sketch books you can buy for art ... NOT the HUGE ones, but those middle sized ones.   It's called Splash of Color.  It's a painting and colouring book.

I know I know.. SAY WHAT?  

It's a painting and colouring book, it's made on watercolour paper so you can colour the pages with watercolour brushes or pens, or use paints OR use pencil crayons. 
The point is to colour.  :)

 Isn't that welcome lovely?   Makes me think of the pleasure it brings to share art with each other doesn't it with you too?   And this book calls you to make art, to share that art on the easy tear off sheets. 

I have GOT to show you my favourite design in the whole book.  I have this major thing for chickens.  :)  So guess what!   I found a chicken!!!!!
Though admittedly I also like this one: 
Lest you think they only have animals in this book, let me show you some of the variety.
The paper is a very sturdy watercolour paper, able to be pulled out easily to be displayed.  They are designed so they will fit in 9 x 12 frame.  The pages, as you can see pull up from the top.
The opening cover fits smoothly behind each page to provide additional support in your painting & colouring endeavors. 

I definitely recommend this book you and if you do get it, you might want to consider trying out their watercolor pencils as well!


 Splash of Color: Painting & Coloring Book
Author:  Liz Libre of Linda & Harriett 
Pages: 50
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Reviewed for: Raincoast Books

Where can you find it?
Amazon.com - Splash of Color Painting & Coloring Book

Amazon.ca - Splash of Color Painting & Coloring Book



This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool - thank you! ©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time/

The Lord is There

It's the last day for our study in Ezekiel, I hope you have enjoyed it as much as I have. 

Today's Passage: Ezekiel 48:30-35.
 

 30 “These shall be the exits of the city: On the north side, which is to be 4,500 cubits by measure, 31 three gates, the gate of Reuben, the gate of Judah, and the gate of Levi, the gates of the city being named after the tribes of Israel. 32 On the east side, which is to be 4,500 cubits, three gates, the gate of Joseph, the gate of Benjamin, and the gate of Dan. 33 On the south side, which is to be 4,500 cubits by measure, three gates, the gate of Simeon, the gate of Issachar, and the gate of Zebulun. 34 On the west side, which is to be 4,500 cubits, three gates, the gate of Gad, the gate of Asher, and the gate of Naphtali. 35 The circumference of the city shall be 18,000 cubits. And the name of the city from that time on shall be, The Lord Is There.”

HUH!   I never knew that before.  Each tribe had a gate named after it.
Makes me wonder if people would enter the city through the gate named after their tribe or if they entered how ever they wanted to.   I know... it's just speculation on my part and it probably doesn't even matter.. just a random wondering in my head.  :)

Each side is the same.  4,500 cubits with three gates. 

I like how God named the city.   The Lord Is There.  It just seems so appropriate.  God dwelling right there, with his priests, surrounded by the land owned by the Prince, surrounded by his people the Israelites.     The Lord is INDEED there.

Just as he is INDEED there among his people, the ones who call upon his name, who see their need for Christ and believe in him.

The LORD is there! 



This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool - thank you! ©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time/

Review: Beekeeper's Lab

Do you know what we discovered the other day?   A BEE's Nest!!!!   In our own backyard!   It wasn't a honeybee, just a normal bumblebee... doesn't matter though, the lad and I were so excited, and we carefully covered up the nest again (and reinforced it with other wood). When Gramma stopped in the afternoon, she was delighted as well and had the lad show her where the bee lived.   We like having easy going bees flitting about the house, so imagine our delight when the "Beekeeper's Lab" showed up in the mail!  :)

Kim Lehman is an author who knows bees well, having been a hobby beekeeper for 20 years and a contributing author to various bee publications and coordinating the Kids and Bees program.  She writes with a desire not only to teach, but help people really learn and see the beauty that can be found in all aspects of care-taking bees.

Her book has 8 chapters, covering everything you can think of in the world of keeping bees.  Each section is called a lab and can be everything from information to an experiment or art project that you can do. From providing the bees a safe home to working with beeswax and honey. It closes with a whole section on how to be helpful to bees.  This is a very informative and fun book about beekeeping.

Each page is filled with tons of images to delight and inform.  The images further explain the well written text enabling you to complete each project well.
Help bees find a home


How to make fire starters
On almost every page you will find a supply list, bee buzz (Tidbits of information about bees), Fun with Kids, how to take it further, and a safety note (only if required). 
All these helpful features make the Beekeeper's Lab a very helpful and informative book.  I am actually looking at sourcing out some of these materials to do a co-op class since alas.. I have no bees from which to take honey or wax.  :)  I think it would be fun to make honey sticks and beeswax art.  To help youth make smoker bundles and bee bread.  Learning about bees, their importance, their usefulness to mankind and how to protect them is vitally important to our food chain.  Keep the bees, keep the food, sustain life.   A good thing that!

I wonder if anyone will join me in making a wax candle holder?
Or perhaps make a whole host of the other crafts and projects found within the pages of this marvellous book all about bees?   52 different ideas.  Pick and choose or do one activity a week for a whole year!  :)  You will find activities that will challenge your teens or delight the littles and everyone in between.  Science, art, bee care, 52 different labs to entertain, delight, educate and inspire everyone in your family.

The Beekeeper's Lab: 52 Family Friendly Activities and Experiments Exploring the Life of the Hive.
Author: Kim Lehman.
Publisher: Quarry
144 pages
250 photos
8.5 x 8.5 inches
Reviewed for: The Quarto Group
Where can you find this treasure trove?




This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool - thank you! ©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time/

The Land distributed, God dwelling in the midst

I need to apologize, it's been so long since I've visited with Ezekiel. Life's been so busy lately I've been doing other things rather than work through the last chapter. I'll finish up Ezekiel this week and then i think I'll start with Corinthians, or perhaps Romans. What do you think??  


Anyways, today's passage is from Ezekiel 48:1-29.

 “These are the names of the tribes: Beginning at the northern extreme, beside the way of Hethlon to Lebo-hamath, as far as Hazar-enan (which is on the northern border of Damascus over against Hamath), and extending from the east side to the west, Dan, one portion. Adjoining the territory of Dan, from the east side to the west, Asher, one portion. Adjoining the territory of Asher, from the east side to the west, Naphtali, one portion. Adjoining the territory of Naphtali, from the east side to the west, Manasseh, one portion. Adjoining the territory of Manasseh, from the east side to the west, Ephraim, one portion. Adjoining the territory of Ephraim, from the east side to the west, Reuben, one portion. Adjoining the territory of Reuben, from the east side to the west, Judah, one portion.
http://trackingbibleprophecy.org/speculation.php
“Adjoining the territory of Judah, from the east side to the west, shall be the portion which you shall set apart, 25,000 cubits in breadth, and in length equal to one of the tribal portions, from the east side to the west, with the sanctuary in the midst of it. The portion that you shall set apart for the Lord shall be 25,000 cubits in length, and 20,000 in breadth. 10 These shall be the allotments of the holy portion: the priests shall have an allotment measuring 25,000 cubits on the northern side, 10,000 cubits in breadth on the western side, 10,000 in breadth on the eastern side, and 25,000 in length on the southern side, with the sanctuary of the Lord in the midst of it. 11 This shall be for the consecrated priests, the sons of Zadok, who kept my charge, who did not go astray when the people of Israel went astray, as the Levites did. 12 And it shall belong to them as a special portion from the holy portion of the land, a most holy place, adjoining the territory of the Levites. 13 And alongside the territory of the priests, the Levites shall have an allotment 25,000 cubits in length and 10,000 in breadth. The whole length shall be 25,000 cubits and the breadth 20,000. 14 They shall not sell or exchange any of it. They shall not alienate this choice portion of the land, for it is holy to the Lord.
15 “The remainder, 5,000 cubits in breadth and 25,000 in length, shall be for common use for the city, for dwellings and for open country. In the midst of it shall be the city, 16 and these shall be its measurements: the north side 4,500 cubits, the south side 4,500, the east side 4,500, and the west side 4,500. 17 And the city shall have open land: on the north 250 cubits, on the south 250, on the east 250, and on the west 250. 18 The remainder of the length alongside the holy portion shall be 10,000 cubits to the east, and 10,000 to the west, and it shall be alongside the holy portion. Its produce shall be food for the workers of the city. 19 And the workers of the city, from all the tribes of Israel, shall till it. 20 The whole portion that you shall set apart shall be 25,000 cubits square, that is, the holy portion together with the property of the city.
21 “What remains on both sides of the holy portion and of the property of the city shall belong to the prince. Extending from the 25,000 cubits of the holy portion to the east border, and westward from the 25,000 cubits to the west border, parallel to the tribal portions, it shall belong to the prince. The holy portion with the sanctuary of the temple shall be in its midst. 22 It shall be separate from the property of the Levites and the property of the city, which are in the midst of that which belongs to the prince. The portion of the prince shall lie between the territory of Judah and the territory of Benjamin.
23 “As for the rest of the tribes: from the east side to the west, Benjamin, one portion. 24 Adjoining the territory of Benjamin, from the east side to the west, Simeon, one portion. 25 Adjoining the territory of Simeon, from the east side to the west, Issachar, one portion. 26 Adjoining the territory of Issachar, from the east side to the west, Zebulun, one portion. 27 Adjoining the territory of Zebulun, from the east side to the west, Gad, one portion. 28 And adjoining the territory of Gad to the south, the boundary shall run from Tamar to the waters of Meribah-kadesh, from there along the Brook of Egypt to the Great Sea. 29 This is the land that you shall allot as an inheritance among the tribes of Israel, and these are their portions, declares the Lord God.

I have to admit, as I read through this list I've been wondering... what do I pull out of this passage that will point me to Christ and his amazing work in my life?   I see names and numbers and quite frankly kinda all runs together.

It's great to see how God ensured that each family line within Israel got the land it should have.   It seems like the larger families got more land than the smaller ones which makes sense right?

Do you also see how God put himself physically into the midst of them.  He didn't give himself and the priests a portion off to one side or the other, but a portion right in the middle. 

This makes me think of Christ, and how we are his people and he dwells within us.  He doesn't pick a small corner and say HEY here's where I will stay, but rather he dwells IN US.   Makes himself an integral part of who we are. Ergo affecting change within us.   God's people having God's Priests dwell right in their midst.  It's a good thing that eh?

This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool - thank you! ©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time/

Today.. it's the Letter U for blogging through the Alphabet.

E.T. Phone Home..

I don't know about you, but I really remember that movie and need to show it to my lad sometime.  :)

Now with that in mind.. I want you to think back to Canada turning 100 years and wanting to find a good way to commemorate it.

It's two years before the first men even walked on the moon, years before images came back from Mars and what not.  

BUT The government decided to do something you might think is a bit odd. They helped a small town in Alberta put up a UFO landing pad.  St. Paul was designated a centennial city.

Pretty neat eh?

Like I mean that SERIOUSLY.  

Who thinks of putting in a UFO landing pad?   Only us creative Canadians.  :)   (grinning widely here eh?)


It was put up (with no public funds being used) at a time when people were highly optimistic about space travel. Wouldn't it be cool to explore space and possibly find alien species!?!?!?!

I found this image on TripAdvisor
This photo of Ufo Landing Pad is courtesy of TripAdvisor

St. Paul, Alberta wanted to do something different from all the other towns around them as a drawing card.. no oversized food or furniture for them!   How about the world's first UFO landing pad?   Make the aliens feel welcome yes?  And ... if in welcoming aliens you made yourself a tourist attraction.. ALL THE BETTER!  (see this article).

Built as part of the Canadian centennial celebration in 1967, St. Paul, Alberta has an official UFO landing welcome site. Weighing just over 130 tons, the large flat concrete structure contains a time capsule to be opened on the 100-year anniversary of the pad’s opening in 2067. (source)

It's actually a rather informative centre, teaching people about UFO's and various sightings.  You'll find photos of possible landing sites, mysterious Cattle mutilations and crop circles. 

A large map of Canada has been made with stones that come from each of the provinces.  This map is found at the back of the pad. 

This image below is from CTC News.

Check out this video of the Landing Pad. You may wish to shut your sound off unless you like music playing...


Anyways, I am so glad you joined me here today, I hope you will visit with Amanda as well and learn all about "Ugly".  If you have an alphabet blogging post, do join in won't you?

 A Net In Time Schooling Blogging Through The Alphabet Grab Button Code:
A Net In Time Schooling


This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool - thank you! ©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time/

Canada Book: O Canada, Our National Anthem


Want to help your children learn Canada's National Anthem?   Check out this book from Scholastic.  A 32 softcover picture book.

It's LOADED with images from all across Canada, her people, her land, her infrastructure and more.

My son thoroughly enjoyed this book when he was learning the words to O Canada.  I would belt out the words to the song and he'd be flipping the pages singing along with me.  It really didn't take him very long to learn the words either.  :)

O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.
With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!
From far and wide,
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

The book can be found: O Canada: Our National Anthem



This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool - thank you! ©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time/