23 December 2024

A Dog Named Speed: A Story of Unconditional Love and Faith by Larry Fitzgerald Book Review & Giveaway

 

About the Book



Book: A Dog Named Speed

Author: Larry Fitzgerald

Genre: Fiction

Release date: December 4, 2023

Join Speed, the most adventurous pup ever, in “A Dog Named Speed” by Larry Fitzgerald! Speed had a rocky start in life, living in a cave beneath the Blue Mountains of Oregon, battling freezing winters, sneaky coyotes, and even a junkyard keeper with a trigger-happy finger. But Speed’s luck takes a turn when he’s rescued from a watery disaster and adopted by Babe, a young newspaper boy.

As Speed and Babe grow up together, they embark on thrilling adventures in the wilds of Oregon, discovering secret fishing spots and having daring encounters. Speed becomes Babe’s trusty sidekick, and together, they form an unbreakable team.

But it’s not just about Speed and Babe; this story is packed with excitement and surprises! Speed meets Kate, a lively Australian shepherd, and their connection adds even more adventure to the mix. Plus, there’s a deeper message about faith and friendship that will make you think.

If you’re ready for action, friendship, and a heartwarming tale, “A Dog Named Speed” is the book for you. Get ready to cheer for Speed and Babe as they navigate life’s ups and downs and discover the true meaning of loyalty and love. This is a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat and warm your heart at the same time!

 

Click here to get your copy!

My Review:

Speed is a heartwarming story that will melt your heart and stay with you for a long time. You will never look at a stray dog without imagining more.

The story is based on the author’s dog Speed growing up in a small mountain town in Oregon. It is told from a dog’s point of view in heaven who is waiting for his beloved person.

One topic that readers may disagree with is whether or not an animal goes to heaven. The authors believe that dogs go to heaven when they die.  

Speed had a rough start in life. He was taken away from his mom and sibling, abandoned, and abused. Speed wanted nothing to do with humans and would proclaim that he hated people. He saw his protector and best friend, Big get killed by a human. Big taught him a lot. They searched for food, kept each other warm, and protected each other. Big loved Speed enough to give his life for him.

One day Speed found himself in a life-altering situation. For the first time, he saw the compassionate side of humans. That event made him curious about people. Speed started to follow the newspaper boy. The boy was always kind to him and tried to earn his trust. Speed just kept his distance. Speed followed him on his morning delivery route to his home daily. One day the temperatures outside were the most severe that Speed had ever encountered and he knew he was in trouble if he didn’t ask for help. He decided to go to the newspaper boys' house and ask for help. From that point, Speed adopted a young newspaper boy and found the true meaning of love.

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through Celebrate Lit Bloggers in exchange for my honest thoughts. 


About the Author


Larry Fitzgerald, a retired businessman turned youth soccer coach, infuses his writing, managing, and coaching with an unwavering commitment to Christ’s Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). Concerned for today’s youth growing up without spiritual guidance, Larry took to writing. Larry’s impactful short fiction is showcased in anthologies like “Stories from the Attic” (2022) and “Fortunes” (2023) by AA Inc. Publishing. His stories transcend pages, offering beacons of spiritual enlightenment for a generation navigating a world where God’s presence is often obscured.

More from Larry

Writing the story about Speed and the newspaper boy should have been a slam dunk. All I had to do was remember the years between my ninth and eighteenth birthdays—not all of it, of course, just the time my dog Speed and I spent together, which was, basically, all of it. Getting the story into my computer was easy. The hard part was getting it out of my computer and into the format(s) required for publishing and marketing. That was and continues to be a challenging learning experience.  Someday, I may write a book about that.

The great thing about my book, A Dog Named Speed, is that it’s a true story except for the parts where Speed is not with me, alone, or with other animals. Those were imagined but very plausible. The story is told from the dog’s point of view, from heaven, as he awaits his master to join him.

Speed was a stray dog who started following me as I delivered newspapers in a small town in Eastern Oregon. He would not come near me despite my enthusiastic efforts to win his favor. He was afraid of all humans, which I assume came from having been mistreated as a young dog. Our coming together happened only when Speed was desperate and had no choice but to reach out to me.

After that, Speed and I were rarely apart. We shared many exciting times centered on fishing adventures, camping trips, and ball games. Speed and I slept together every night. He followed me to school each day and waited faithfully for me to get home so he could join in whatever was in store for the evening.

The most important thing I observed about Speed was how he treated his master. I knew Speed loved me unconditionally. As the story affirms, there was nothing he wouldn’t do to come to my aid. As this became clear, I began to think about how I treat my Master, Jesus Christ. Was I faithful? Was my every thought about Him? Were my first thoughts when I woke up every morning about Jesus? I am certain Speed’s were of me.

My book was written for young people, but it has found a broader audience as well. Any reader who has ever owned a dog can relate to this story. I am blessed to have owned A Dog Named Speed.

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, December 13

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, December 14

A Reader’s Brain, December 15 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, December 15

She Lives To Read, December 16

Life on Chickadee Lane, December 17

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 18

Back Porch Reads, December 19 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, December 19

Texas Book-aholic, December 20

Locks, Hooks and Books, December 21

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, December 22

Little Homeschool on the Prairie , December 23

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, December 24 (Author Interview)

Artistic Nobody, December 25 (Author Interview)

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, December 26

Giveaway



To celebrate his tour, Larry is giving away the grand prize of a $75 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54117


09 December 2024

You Are a Child of God by Michelle Alisa Fritch


You Are a Child of God is a faith-based children’s coloring book for sharing between children and their parents. It highlights verses from both the Old and New Testaments. This book is fun for kids to color and invites adult readers to meditate on scripture while coloring.



The book draws from verses like Psalm 139:13-18 and Jeremiah 29:11 to remind children of their identity in Christ.

 The coloring pages are simple and not too busy with scriptures surrounding the images to color. The Bible references aren’t on the pages. The reference for each scripture is in the back of the coloring book. You could review the scripture before coloring and read it with your child. The scriptures are taken from the NIV translation.


This would make a wonderful keepsake gift for someone special. Order You Are a Child of God today in time for a meaningful gift or even as a baby shower gift. You can order it here

Many thanks to GoodWorks Mission for providing a product sample for this review. My opinions are 100% my own.

 #YouAreAChildOfGodMIN #MomentumInfluencerNetwork #ChildOfGod #YouAreAChildOfGod #LovedByGod #IAmIChildOfGod #JesusLoves-

MeThisIKnow #WonderfullyMade #ChildOfLight #FaithfulCreativity #ChristianParenting #GoodWorksMission

04 December 2024

Grace Bible for Kids Review



I have a child who is a struggling reader. I had the privilege to homeschool her and I have tried multiple programs and devices for dyslexia. I was thrilled to see a Bible that was created to be dyslexia friendly.

Grace Bible for Kids, was created in partnership, with Holman Bibles, 2K/DENMARK, and Cambridge University. It is designed to enhance readability for kids with all levels and varieties of dyslexia and other reading challenges. The CSB Grace Bible for Kids features innovative and academically tested typeface, layout, and design principles. These principles include distinct letter forms and added space between letters, words, lines, and paragraphs. It sounds simple with no fancy gadgets. I have found that simple features like layout, color, spacing, and colored overlays can do wonders for someone with reading challenges.

The Bible uses the CSB translation. I hope they will expand to other translations one day. The Bible doesn’t have extra things to fill the pages like scripture boxes or pictures. It's very streamlined, which helps with distraction for a child with reading challenges. The font is 11-point type. It is a nice size font with good spacing and white area. There are no italics, bold words, or all caps. There are also no footnotes or highlighted boxes.


This Bible has multiple-colored overlays (10) to accommodate the colors for individual needs. The overlays are tucked away in the Bible sleeve. If you are wondering why the colored overlays? Years of research have found that dyslexic symptoms are related to visual processing. Individuals with dyslexia and reading challenges read better if colored overlays are used over the text. It changes how the brain processes visual stimulation. Once you have found the right overlay color the reading is easier to process. It would be great if the Bible had a reading tracker for tracking sentences. You can easily use a piece of paper to help with tracking. Or buy a tracking gadget to help.


Some Study Aids are in color and black text on separate pages. The Bible contains a few full-colored maps and the standard maps are in the back of the Bible. There is a visual Timeline of Jesus' life.

You can never go wrong with gifting a special person with a Bible. What greater joy is the gift of someone with dyslexia and reading challenges the opportunity to read the Word themselves. Order your copy today!

Learn more  here

Shop for the entire family at holmangiftguide.com

#GraceKidsBibleMIN #MomentumInfluencerNetwork

Many thanks to Lifeway Christian Resources for providing a sample of the product for this review. Opinions are 100% my own.




26 November 2024

Walking in Wonder Series by Catherine Claire Larson Review



My children are now young adults. Gone are the days of diapers, sleepless nights, toys, and messes all over the house.

Honestly, I have never been one to do a devotional journal. However, I know many people who do journals, and I admire them for it. They are passionate about it and find a lot of comfort and satisfaction in it. It's not without wanting to do it I just have never been one to be consistent and I guess I don’t make time to do it.

The Wonder Series consists of three books: Waiting in Wonder, Watching in Wonder, and Walking in Wonder. Each devotional covers different stages of a journey with your precious little ones.  

Purchase link: https://bit.ly/WalkingInWonderFGM






Waiting in Wonder by Catherine Claire Larson

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

ISBN: 9781400237579

This devotional is for the expecting mom. It’s a memory book to fill with your dreams and hopes for your little one.  Several features like “Points of Prayer”, and “Mommy’s Memory Verse”.  The book starts at week 5.  There are many lists of specific things to praise and pray to God about. Each week begins with a devotional with encouragement, scripture, helpful hints, and words to dwell on. Throughout the week you have 4-5 devotions that will encourage you while you wait to meet your little one face-to-face. Each week you can write down the growth of your baby. There is ample space to share your prayers and thoughts throughout. It has helpful prompts if you are like me and draw blanks on what to write down. What a precious gift to give your son or daughter one day as they read through your words of love and faith while you carried them in your womb.






Watching in Wonder by Catherine Claire Larson

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

ISBN: 9781400236107

The first year of your baby's life is filled with excitement and wonder. It’s hard to capture those moments as your little one grows up. The journal is a weekly devotion for you to write down stories and prayers with each new milestone. The devotions have a weekly inspirational devotion theme of God's unchanging characteristics.

Monthly "Memories and Milestones" sections to write down your baby’s growth.





Walking in Wonder: A Devotional Journal for Moms of Toddlers

by Catherine Claire Larson

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

ISBN: 9781400236152

Now you are even busier with an active toddler as they are exploring their world. This devotion starts on their first birthday. The devotion has weekly “Three Scripture-based devotions that focus on spiritual and parenting themes. You have a monthly “Memories and Milestones” to document your toddler’s growth. You can also write down stories and sweet memories in the journal. It’s filled with tips to help your growing toddler and their development. I like that this is not overwhelming as a busy mom.

These would make a lovely gift for a baby shower. Purchase link: https://bit.ly/WalkingInWonderFGM

#SpiritualGrowthJourney #ChristmasGiftingIdeas #MilestonesAndMemories #ParentingWithLove #JoyOfParenthood #MemoryBook

 @TNZGift @catherineclairelarson

Disclosure:  I received this complimentary product through FrontGate Blogger Network in exchange for my honest thoughts. @frontgatem

07 November 2024

A Healing Touch by Suzanne Woods Fisher Book Review


Ruth "Dok" Stoltzfus is the kind of doctor who still believes in house calls, addressing not just her patients' physical needs but their emotional ones too. When newly widowed Bee faces a breast cancer diagnosis, Dok connects her with Fern Lapp for support. When her painfully shy assistant Annie finds herself drawn to a new calling, Dok goes to great lengths to help her achieve her dream. And when an abandoned newborn mysteriously appears at her office one frosty morning, Dok's world takes an unexpected turn as ripples of change touch several lives.

A Healing Touch is a captivating tale of compassion, resilience, and the bonds that form in surprising places. Bestselling and award-winning author Suzanne Woods Fisher invites you into a new story that's like medicine for the weary soul. Join Dok, Annie, and the tight-knit Stoney Ridge community as they navigate the twists of fate, discovering that sometimes the greatest healing comes from the heart.

My Thoughts:

I’ve enjoyed the story based in Stoney Ridge and the Amish and English community that live there. Getting reacquainted with familiar characters and diving in deeper with others.

 This book has a complex of characters it touches on. The main story is on Ruth “Dok” Stoltzfus. Dok as she is called grew up Amish, but left her community to become a doctor. She came back to her community and is a well loved and respected doctor among the Amish and English. Her and her husband both have busy schedules with him being a police officer and her making house calls at all hours throughout the community. Dok didn’t realize how much it was starting to affect Matt and their relationship. A newborn baby shows up and his left on the steps of her office. They find out that Matt is related to the infant. They are able to foster the baby, and decide that they want to adopt him. Did God bring them this baby for a reason?

An English patient of Dok finds out that she has cancer. Bee is still grieving the loss of her husband. Dok introduces her to Fern Lapp. A wise and intriguing woman that has a different way about her as she loss her husband a while back.  Dok’s husband ask a friend to assist Bee with her prized horses while she is battling her cancer. Little did Matt know that they have some unfinished history.

Dok’s office assistant the shy Annie Fisher, has a calling to become an EMT. Being a young Amish woman makes that calling complicated within her community. She keeps running into Mr. Wonderful a handsome Amish EMT who lives in a neighboring town. She is smitten with him. Can shy Annie overcome her shyness to follow her calling to approach Doc, bishop, parents, and the handsome EMT.

Then you have a staple in the community the loudmouth Hank Lapp. Stubborn and needs a biopsy done to see what is causing his relentless cough and trouble breathing. He refuses to waste money on a foolish test that could help determine what is going on.  

Another well-written book that touches on many hard topics. As you get to visit Stoney Ridge and glimpse into the lives that I have become pretty fond of. I look forward to reading the next book in this series.

I received this complimentary product through Revell in exchange for my honest thoughts.



04 November 2024

The Carpenter Movie Review



An adopted Viking orphan, Oren, becomes a carpenter’s apprentice to Jesus. The orphan fights as a side hustle. His experience training as a carpenter with Jesus as his mentor changes his lifestyle.

 My Thoughts:

The Carpenter is an interesting concept. The Carpenter, movie may not be for everyone, especially if you want to watch a traditional Bible movie of the Gospels.


This is a very unconventional movie that reminds me of “what if”?  We know that Yeshua (Jesus) did many miracles and other things that are not recorded in the Word. John 20:30. The movie takes a bit of liberty with Yeshua interacting with other people outside of what we already know about. This drama is an interesting look at the people we don’t know about that He touched and changed their lives.  

The movie takes place in Nazareth in 29 A.D. in an action-packed film. Oren is a Northlander with pale skin and red hair. He is adopted at a young age from a kind Jewish family. Oren was a prisoner of war and was brought to the region. His brother Levi is also adopted. The brothers share a close bond.


The movie starts with a fighting scene in Galilee. Oren is in an MMA-style fight where the audience is betting on the fighters. Oren is good at his fighting skills and has the potential to compete with the best. The two brothers were supposed to be home helping their father fix the roof. The father falls from the room with severe injuries. The brothers arrive in time to talk to their father before he passes. Oren is told by his father to go to Nazareth to find peace. That there is a greater plan for him.

 Oren heads to Nazareth and lives with his Uncle Sharar. Sharar manages the fighting club in the region. Sharar sees a promising fighter in his adopted nephew and wants to take him to the championship in Jerusalem. Oren has a bit of a temper and gets in trouble with the Roman authority. While Oren is hiding, he meets Yeshua, who resolves his situation with the local authority. Yeshua heals his head wound and invites Oren to become his apprentice in a carpenter shop.

Oren sets out to follow the path that takes him to the championship in Jerusalem. While in Nazareth Oren is learning skills as a carpenter and compassion, helping others, humility, and other attributes of the Messiah. Oren meets a young woman Mira and her daughter who are followers of Yeshua. Oren doesn’t quite understand who Yeshua truly is. Not until Oren comes to acknowledge who is truly is after the crucifixion does he accept him as his Savior and Yeshua reveals himself to him.

My family sat down and watched the movie together. My husband is usually the worst movie critic and he surprised me. He said, “The movie is clean, with no sexual content, and language”. He thought it was different and came into the movie knowing it wasn’t a traditional gospel movie. He thought it had a good message. My daughter and I at first were a bit unsure. After we talked about the movie we concluded that it was decent. The movie does have several fighting scenes, that lead to bruises and some blood. Nothing gory or drastic.

You can buy tickets today as The Carpenter is in theaters today, November 1st. Buy your tickets here.

This is an action-pack film that is unconventional but filled with the gospel message.

#TheCarpenterMIN #MomentumInfluencerNetwork

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Disclosure: Many thanks to Three Coin Productions for providing a sample of the product for this review. Opinions are 100% my own.

 

28 October 2024

Zaia Christian Social Platform App


Zaia (which means light) was created  because we simply wanted a place for all God’s kids to get together.

In John 17:23 NLT, Jesus prayed: “May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me”. This scripture is the driving force behind Zaia and the core of our reason for being.

What started off as Jesus and His 12 friends is now 2.6 Billion Christians strong across 46 Thousand denominations!

We wondered how much good we could do for each other and the world if we had a place to come together in unity, so we created one.

Please join us on the Zaia app and spread the word and light with every Christian you know. See you there!



My Thoughts:

There are several online social media platforms. Zaia @zaia_app What makes @zaia_app  different? It’s a Faith Community app. With 2.6 billion Christians worldwide, Zaia wants to unite believers worldwide. Zaia means light and the creator of the app hopes that through the app we can connect with others and brainstorm how we as believers can be a light to the world.

The app is available for download on both the App Store and on Google Play Store.

I am late in the game compared to family and friends on social media. I found that many of my family and friends want to connect on social media nowadays. I resisted for many years thinking it would be a time zapper and not wanting to hear all the criticism that social media creates. I wanted to connect with family and friends who live out of state I caved in a year ago on a certain platform and used other platforms prior.

Zaia is an easy platform to use. It uses text, images, and video post options. It’s easy to use. You can create “Tribes” which are private or public groups to connect with others. My first thought was that this social media platform was serious and not a cheap knock-off. I have used some Christian media things like emails and other things that lacked many key elements which made it a turn-off. Zaia really put a lot of thought and not a cheap knockoff. My first initial impressions were good.

Creating a profile was easy and following other “Tribes” was simple.  You can choose what content you want to follow. There is music, Christian content creators, food, praying, nature, art, specific churches, mom’s groups, singles, fitness, and many other “Tribes” to join. I thought that there were some unique groups to be part of. You can search for the various groups.  

You can also create your own “Tribe”. This is the only area that I struggled with. Some of the ones I thought of creating already had multiple groups. The groups looked pretty established and I wasn’t sure how much I wanted to be involved in creating a group at this time. I wanted to test it and see what it was like to make a “Tribe”. It seemed pretty easy. First, you put in a photo. Second, you add a group name. Followed by a group description. When I did try to create a group multiple times, I got an error message. I wasn’t sure why and I tried several times. At this time I am content to join Tribes. You can invite individuals once you create a Tribe also.

You can look at trending posts, testimonies, A word, and prayer requests, to find popular feeds. You can also look up people.

According to information I read it said, some people are using it to replace WhatsApp since tribes (groups) have all the same features.

Another feature is a Bible that is within the app. It has all 66 books in multiple languages and a few versions to choose from.  It’s broken down by book and then by book chapters.

Overall, it’s impressive. It’s not quite as complex and may have a few features it lacks to other social platforms. I think it's promising and I hope it continues to grow as Christian alternative to social media. You can link here @zaia_app

 #zaia #christiancommunity #faithcommunity

Disclosure:  I received this complimentary product through FrontGate Blogger Network in exchange for my honest thoughts. @frontgatem

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