Happy Independence Day! I hope your fourth of July is filled with fun, family & friends and fireworks! 🙂
Our local firework display was last evening and we watched the colors light up the sky and reflect in the lake and felt the boom rattle our frames. I often reflect on the reversal of life and emotions if the sound and boom were coming from cannons and guns in the midst of war. Peace and freedom are gifts I am deeply grateful for.
Today, I have several fun things to share. Linking up with Ginny since it’s the beginning of July.
{I have giveaways happening all through the month of July. Hop over here to read why and enter to win a print from GraceLaced.}
See the cute succulent stickers up above? They’re hand drawn by my niece and this new design is available in her Etsy shop right here along with some funtastical taco stickers. {AND…..secret….(whispering) we have a giveaway for her sticker sheets happening later this month}{YAY!!!}
This is the devotional I’ve been reading lately. Jennifer Dukes Lee shared it on Instagram and it stood out to me as a wonderful addition to my summer. It has been.
Pushing Into Joy
27 Invitations to a Life marked With Joy
This book is an ARC I received as part of the launch team for Hannah Grimley. She’s self-publishing her book and you’ll find her blog, Pushing into Joy, right here.
Hannah shares her heart and struggles and efforts to push into joy in these pages. This book could be used as a devotional or you can read through it quickly or slowly, whatever pace works for you.
Each invitation is about two pages long and at the end of each one, Hannah sums up the subject or content of the invitation with two focus sentences. I love this detail. Flash by Rachel Anne Ridge does this too. Somehow, for me, it helps solidify the lesson in my mind. I’m currently re-reading Flash and have a picture of it at the bottom of the post.
Back in April or May, I ordered this little bundle of yarn from Ginny Sheller’s Etsy shop. I don’t have any set plans as to what I plan to make with it, but I love the colors and the pretty twists. I may use it simply as part of my home decor for a while! 🙂
{another photo of the stickers because I had fun snapping them!}
Here are a couple of lovely storybooks about courageous girls and women from the Bible. You can hop over here to Called and Courageous to check them out further.
Rachel Spier Weaver sent me these beautiful books to review. She even signed the inside cover…so fun!
These books are hardcover and make a wonderful addition for the-kiddos-in-your-lives bookshelves!
When I saw them online, I thought they looked neat and they’re even better in person. If you can describe a book that way. Ha!
The first one follows the life of Miriam. I like how this book not only captures her as a young girl watching over her baby brother Moses, but it continues on to the crossing of the Red Sea where we find her leading the Israelites in a song and dance of victory.
I love how soft and rich and full of enchanting colors the illustrations are.
Another shot of this beautiful yarn!
This is what’s on my needles. I love this color for summer! I need to finish this dishcloth so I can start using it!
Here’s the other book….
This one is about Priscilla. I’m excited about it, because while we hear about Priscilla and Aquila, she isn’t a Bible woman we see in storybooks as often. At least, it seems that way to me!
It starts out with Priscilla as a young girl and follows her growing up, meeting Aquila and the two, marrying. All in simple form, of course, to fit the length and rhythm of a storybook.
I’m excited to read these books to my four little nieces.
Each book has reflection questions at the end.
The third title, Deborah, releases this October. I’m excited about that one too, of course! 🙂
{Hop over to this post to find another book for girls about Deborah and another series of books about women in the Bible.}
Here’s Flash. I love the simple, peaceful style of Rachel Anne Ridge’s writing and the lessons she sees in an unlikely donkey named Flash. I’m re-reading this book. It’s on my favorites list. I first read it in January of 2016 as I was recovering from back surgery and while my man and my daughter were in Haiti for ten days.
What are you reading this summer?
And again………don’t forget the giveaways coming…….. 🙂

Aw! What a bunch of good books! I love your Ginny wool! So pretty!
I love my Ginny wool, too! 🙂
Such pretty pretty pictures in this post! Love the succulent stickers. You have a very talented niece!! This summer I’m reading the Mitford Series (again) by Jan Karon. I just love the sweet characters. I also look forward to the Deborah story due in October 😉. I plan to read Flash as well. I’m having surgery next week and look forward to a nice read while recovering. Happy 4th of July! God Bless America!!
Thank-you!
I love my niece’s stickers. They’re so fun.
The Mitford books are among my favorites. They make you want to step inside. I want to go to Sweet Stuff Bakery and spend an afternoon with Miss Sadie!
Why yes! You need the Deborah storybook, too. 🙂
Prayers for your surgery to go very well and a speedy recovery! I really, really love Flash. I was super excited to find out recently that Rachel Anne Ridge has another book coming out next spring about their second donkey. It’s called Walking with Henry.
The stickers and yarn are very pretty.
Thank-you! Aren’t they?! 🙂