Sunday, November 15, 2015

H3 Leadership by Brad Lomenick Book Review

I think one of the main draws I had to this book was the word Leadership.  Leadership definition - providing guidance, direction, control, management to a group of people or organization.  In life there are so many areas that leadership is essential.  In being a mom I deal with leadership every day.  In my work setting, I have skills that I teach others how to do or I implement and that shows leadership.  I really liked how the book takes you on a journey of Brad's life and how sometimes we need to regroup in order to find our true leadership skills and make sure we aren't just controlling the ship we are sailing, but also enjoying the journey.
H3 Leadership provides a practical road map for implementing and living out the transformational habits of a leader.
You can find the article in the Heartbeat magazine... http://issuu.com/nicoleflothe/docs/heartbeatconnectionmagazineoctober2/c/scamgkd

True leadership can be complex. Brad Lomenick keeps it simple with the three transformational habits of leadership: stay hungry, be humble, always hustle. These powerful words describe the leader who is willing to work hard, get it done, and make sure it's not about him or her; the leader who knows that influence is about developing the right habits for success.
H3 Leadership is an application-driven, practical leadership resource that provides much needed guidance on how to run the leadership race well. Based on a decade of work with Catalyst and the gathered insights of leaders in a wide range of fields, H3 Leadership gives leaders a critical edge by showing how to: Develop an appetite for what's next Outwork everyone else Set standards that scare you Forge partnerships with coworkers and competitors Readers of this highly practical book will find it chock-full of easy-to-incorporate tips for catalytic leadership.
Here are a few of my highlights...
Life is about decisions.  If you want to change, make a decision.  Decisions build habits.
Habits create standard operating procedures in your life and are the fuel to get to the finish line.
Believe it or not, learning to share the real you with others will make your family, friends, and staff stronger and more authentic too.
Find out more about Brad and his writing at www.bradlomenick.com.  To order his books go to Amazon.com.  Thank you to Booklookbloggers.com for the opportunity to review this book. 


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xoxo,
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Sunday, October 25, 2015

Book Review of The Threshold by Michael D. Rourke

I was intrigued by the cover of this book and was given the opportunity from BookLookBlogger to review the story.  Here are my excerpts...

 Excerpt From: Michael D. Rourke. “The Threshold.” WestBowPress, 2013-11-14. iBooks.

“the Bible verse in Proverbs 3:5–6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He “shall direct thy paths.”

“My small writing room in the back corner where the diary started twenty years ago would now hold the new collection of memories. The additional diaries added to the old ones in the house totaled over two hundred notebooks.”

“Christmas tree farm and cut our own six-foot Douglas fir and dragged it out. I enjoyed the quick changes the passing cloud cover made in lowering the air temperature, followed by the warm, steady sunshine after its passing.”

“A week later, Ma and I took the tree down as I preached to her”
“We were relatives in blood and in name, not in time spent or in experiences.”

“I sought people who placed God’s Bible first in their lives as direction on how to live.”

“John 14:27. “Jesus said, ‘Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’”

“church and pastor connection moving around played out. I still went to church, but it was different. Change is or is not comfortable, but it is always constant.”

“I could only give him what the Bible facts were; only God can change a heart.”

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen” (Heb. 11:1).”

“putting my growing worship for God and His saving grace in front of readers was my mandate.”

“I delight to do Your will, O my God, and Your law is written in my heart” (Ps. 40:8).”
xoxo,
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Thursday, October 1, 2015

HiPFiTS Designer Dress Clip Review and Giveaway

It was exciting to hear from HiPFiTs that we would be able to offer our readers a give away for a chance to win one of their adorable designer dress clips.  Have you ever heard of HiPFiTs?  I found them via another one of my friends blogs and then visited their site dreaming of which one I wanted to order for my daughter.  Below are a few photos of the dresses and their cute designs. We love the heart clip! Enter the Rafflecopter at the end of this blog post!

Designer Dress Clips

There are so many to choose from and love!  They even have special ones to help support Breast Cancer Awareness!
The descriptions on the back are so cute!


 Please enter our giveaway by using the Rafflecopter app...


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xoxo,
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Monday, August 31, 2015

The Printer and The Preacher by Randy Peterson Book Review

This story title intrigued me and the book shared how the strange friendship between George Whitefield and Benjamin Franklin was created.  I was able to select this book from BookLookBloggers.com and provide my review.  These men together defined what it means to be an American.


They were the most famous men in America.  They came from separate countries, followed different philosophies, and led dissimilar lives. But they were fast friends. No two people did more to shape America in the mid-1700s.

Benjamin Franklin was the American prototype: hard-working, inventive, practical, funny, with humble manners and lofty dreams. George Whitefield was the most popular preacher in an era of great piety, whose outdoor preaching across the colonies was heard by thousands, all of whom were told, “You must be born again.” People became excited about God. They began reading the Bible and supporting charities. When Whitefield died in 1770, on a preaching tour in New Hampshire, he had built a spiritual foundation for a new nation—just as his surviving friend, Ben Franklin, had built its social foundation. Together these two men helped establish a new nation founded on liberty. This is the story of their amazing friendship.


Here are a few highlights from the book that I enjoyed:

Success was available if you were willing to work for it. - Ben Franklin

How on earth did these two very different men become friends?  It began as a business partnership.  In 1739, Franklin was one of several printers to publish Whitefield's journals and sermons.

Newspapers had existed, but it was Ben who harnessed their power.  George employed advertising techniques that were cutting-edge for business enterprises and absolutely revolutionary in the church.

Some of this correspondence has surely been lost, but the letters that remain provide a fascinating slideshow of a relationship-in-progress between two extraordinary people.

The two men carried on a meaningful friendship for more than thirty years.

George was an Englishman who loved America, crossing the ocean thirteen times in a period of thirty-two years (all the more stunning when you consider that each trip took two to four months.

Each of these men individually had a major influence on the emerging American society.  The Great Awakening that Whitefield carried through the colonies set a tone of personal religious commitment that endures today.  Yet Franklin's humanism also endures.  The ideals he promoted, the civic responsibilities of citizens banding together for the common good, took root in the founding documents of this nation.


About the Author: Randy Petersen has written more than fifty books on subjects ranging from history to relationships, psychology, sports, and even word games. Formerly an editor and writer with Christian History Magazine, he also prepares curriculum for small-group Bible studies. Apart from his writing, Randy teaches public speaking at a community college, preaches occasionally at his church, and directs in area theaters.  He lives in the Philadelphia area.  http://randypetersen.com/
xoxo,

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Friday, July 17, 2015

Miracle at the Higher Grounds Cafe Book Review


I love having the opportunity to read inspirational books from BookLookBloggers.com.  This last month I choose a book called Miracle at the Higher Grounds Cafe by Max Lucado with Candace Lee & Eric Newman.  

What I loved about the book was the mystery and possibilities of the main character.  The story focuses around this woman that has left her Football star husband as he cheated on her.  Her mother passed away and left her coffee shop to her daughter.  She loves to bake and has moved into her mother’s home with the coffee shop with her two kids.  The older son is frustrated as he wants his parents to work things out.  She finds out she has a large tax debt that her mother never paid and her troubles begin.  Her estranged spouse still wants to be with her and work things out but she can’t see this ever happening.  Throughout the book there is this man that helps in different ways.  She had a hired helper that quit and he just happened to show up and be able to work for her.  The book shared how this special person was her guardian angel.  He was to protect her and keep her safe.  As the cafe struggled to survive with the tax debt and the few patrons she didn’t know how she was going to stay open.  The competition offered free wifi and she didn’t have this capability until one night this vendor came in and said that she could use their globe wifi for a few months.  She accepted and the cafe began to prosper but the funny thing was that the internet only offered one website.  It was a blog written by God and you were able to ask one question.  Each person that came in had the opportunity to ask any question they wanted on the blog and they would get a response.  People started coming from all around to see the answers that were offered and try and figure out who was behind this blog site.  What I liked about the story was how the family situations were shared and they were so realistic.  I could really feel the frustration and anxieties when she was dealing with her business and her personal life.  Another thing I thought was interesting was how the book explained the guardian angels role and that he didn’t always have all the answers but was there when she needed him.  All she had to do was ask or pray.  Trust was a big issue throughout the book and I would say made the most impact in the novel.  I would recommend reading this book when you have some free time this summer! 

Thanks for stopping by, leave me a comment and your blog and I'll be sure to visit.

xoxo,
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Thursday, July 16, 2015

The Art of Work by Jeff Goins Book Review

I'm a part of BookLookBloggers and whenever I finish a book I provide a review and then get to choose another book.  It's a Win, Win situation!  This month I chose, The Art of Work by Jeff Goins.

I enjoyed the stories in the book and how the author tied them into real life situations.  Here are a few of my highlights:

Writing this book illuminated my own understanding of how purpose and vocation work together.

 Pining for what could have been only holds people back from living their lives now.  Life is full of surprises, and it doesn't help us to fixate on regrets or try to recover what has been lost.

 More people are watching your life and...are gaining strength in their own lives and in their own challenges because of what you're going through.  I promise you:  your life matters, your life is significant and things are happening that you don't even fully understand yourself.

 Frankl's memoir, Man's Search for Meaning, became one of the most popular book of the twentieth century, affecting millions of lives.  

 In any great narrative, there is a moment when a character must decide to become more than a bystander.

 To learn more on the author:  www.goinswriter.com

Recently I received an email from one of my readers and they suggested a link with a guide for freelancers.  Here is the link to that resource. https://www.websiteplanet.com/blog/ultimate-guide-to-being-a-freelancer/
Thanks for stopping by, leave me a comment and your blog and I'll be sure to visit.

xoxo,
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Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Forever Mom What to Expect When You're Adopting by Mary Ostyn Book Review


My mother was adopted, so I've always been interested in understanding how people feel about adoption.  I was excited to be given the opportunity to review Forever Mom, What To Expect When You're Adopting by Mary Ostyn from BookLookBloggers.com.  

The story shares her personal journey of adoption and how she loves to educate others during their possible adoption process.  During the book I highlighted my favorite heartfelt passages:

God has helped me see my own life more clearly, helped me better see my children's hearts, helped me become more the mother I wanted to be all along.

I gave up and just prayed, not only for the baby who by this time seemed alive in my heart but for unity between us.  If it was really God who'd put adoption on my heart.

John began, now and then, to ask little questions about adoption.  I'd answer, heart leaping hopefully.

Could he seriously be considering it, or was my wishful heart running away with me again?

When the airplane left the tarmac in Soeul, I cried again, overwhelmed to be taking this child away from the land where he'd been born, from the mother 

who'd given him life, from the foster mom who loved him so, but not from the God who created him.  Josh was sleeping, peacefully clueless, but my heart was ripped wide open.

My heart knew no distinction between birth and adoption.

Fifteen months later, another waiting child photo did something to my heart, the child was also from Korea.

She had mom/child bonding problems with her second adopted son.  When I tried to smile into his eyes - trying to make that heart-to-heart connection--his eyes shuttered away, avoiding me.  She referenced a great website www.empoweredtoconnect.org

Attachment, after all, is a relationship---a two way street.  I hadn't realized before that a mother falls in love with her baby partly because of the loveable things the baby does in response to mom's overtures---nestling in, quieting when being cuddled, enjoying being fed, smiling and cooing, preferring mom above everyone.  Sure, motherhood is exhausting, but the very responsiveness of the baby pays mom dividends and fuels mom's desire to nuture.

I don't know why God chose to allow us to parent these precious ones instead of their families, but I trust His providence, and I see His leading all the way.

But as aware as I am of the gift that our kids are to us, I also wish I'd been better prepared for the complexity of the job, for the layers of emotion I'd need to sort through both in my own heart and in the hearts of my children.

Check out AdoptUSkids.org for more information on domestic adoptions.

I love seeing how God ignites different passions in different hearts.


To learn more about the author, Mary Ostyn, go to www.forevermombook.com.  Mary Ostyn offers encouragement and practical help to mothers in her books, on her blog owlhaven.net, and at adoption and homeschooling conferences across the U.S. She lives with her high school sweetheart in Nampa, Idaho, where she homeschools the youngest six of their ten children, including four daughters born in Ethiopia and two sons born in South Korea.





xoxo,


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Thursday, March 12, 2015

Celebrated my daughter's 9th Birthday with a Disney Side @Home Celebration Party

I am always so thrilled to be able to review free products and it was perfect timing as my daughter was about to have her 9th birthday party.  I received free products in order to host a Disney Side @Home Celebration.  The opinions expressed here are my own.  #DisneySide  For more recipes and activities visit www.DisneySideCelebrations.com. The box arrived with the big decal and ready for my kids and I to open.  You can watch our unboxing video on Youtube...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXd0nWajmaU                                                                                                                                                                          
Elizabeth Turns 9
INSIDE THE DISNEYSIDE BOX OF GOODIES 
My daughter, Elizabeth, was so excited to see what she'd have to share with her friends at her party. Enclosed I found so many fun Disney decorations, Disney Side invitations, napkins, cups, plates, a tablecloth.  I really loved the Disney themed activities, such as Bingo, trivia, word searches, matching games and more.  They also included fun extras, like nail polish and lots of coupons.

Mixed All The Beautiful Colors of the Tie Dyed Cake Mix

























I took on the challenge of using the Mickey Mouse cake pan, and a Tie Dye cake mix from celebrity baker Duff Goldman by Gartner Studios with fun sprinkles included.  The process of making the cake was so interesting and time consuming but I felt like a real baker once the final results were created.  Here are a few photos that I took while I mixed and made the different colors and then finally made the Mickey/Minnie Cake.



                              
                Layered All the Colors for Baking
















Finally Cooled and Took out of Mickey Pan

Frosted with Icing and added a bow to make Minnie Mouse
Slices came out with Rainbow Tie Dyed Delight


Other Fantastic inclusions from awesome sponsors, included:

HP CMYK (Create Memories You Keep) Packs 
I was able to give everyone that came to the party one of the HP CMYK Packs, which included photo paper and envelopes perfect for printing #DisneySide photos and vacation memories! #CMYK

Soy Vay Veri Veri Teriyaki
This sauce was amazing and I used it to cook up some delicious chicken snack bites.  This genuine teriyaki sauce is so versatile and easy to use, it simplifies everyday cooking.  The recipe included in the kit that I received was straight from Epcot Theme Park at Walt Disney World Resort.  So Cool! #SoyVay

All laundry - Thanks for the great supply of laundry detergent for my many loads from the party and our regular laundry days.  #all_laundry

Twinings of London - It was great having a lovely selection of teas for our guests to enjoy.  The chamomile tea was a big hit.  #tea

The best part of the birthday celebration was two games we played.  
Disney Bingo - the kids loved finding the Disney characters and using Cheerios as their Bingo markers.  They sometimes ate the markers and I had to give them more.

The other game was Disney Quote & Attraction Match-Up
It was fun to test the skills of the kids to remember certain quotes from the Disney shows.  I couldn't believe how well they new the answers!

I loved this quote-
"If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you."  Guess who?

A: The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

The party ended with goodie bags for everyone and fun luggage tags that can be customized with your favorite Disney character and with your address.  It looks like it's time for a vacation to Disney World soon!!

Thanks for stopping by, leave me a comment and your blog and I'll be sure to visit.

xoxo,







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Saturday, February 28, 2015

The Wishing Season Book Review

I picked this book from BookLookBloggers.com to review because I loved the cover and the way the photo predicts a winter romance.  Perfect for this time of year!  While I was reading the book, several characters began to seem familiar and then I realized that I had read another book from Denise Hunter and this one was about PJ from the same family.  I love when that happens in books.  It gives me an opportunity to see how these fictional people are progressing in their lives. One of my favorite things is when my wish for a story to continue comes true.

PJ is the youngest of her siblings and she is looking to become successful in the restaurant business and Bed & Breakfast.  Her opportunity comes when a local wealthy home owner wants to retire and donate the "Wishing House" to a business with a great cause.  PJ and others are presenting for a chance to win the house.  

The book starts out with a possible break-in at PJ's house that she is renting.  She clobbers the guy over the head with a vase and he's knocked out.  It turns out there was a mix-up with the rental, and Cole wakes up being cared for by PJ.  The interesting part is that Cole has to get better fast because he also is presenting to be able to start a teen group home for foster children at the Wishing House.

While PJ is giving her presentation, in walks Cole and reality sets in that he is her competition.  When they both share their reasons for the house the women is moved by each possibility and can't decide so she gives them a year challenge to see who can prove success and win the house.

They each had one floor to use and remodel as they saw fit and were told they must share the home.  After much consideration they both agreed and began the renovations.  Throughout the book PJ was always wondering if Cole had ulterior motives and would want to sabatoge her business.  She didn't trust him, but something about him intrigued her and increased her heart rate every time she saw him.  Her floor transformed into a beautiful culinary kitchen and restaurant.  She was able to hire workers and hosted cooking classes for increased business exposure.  During the season the restaurant was packed, but she struggled with the winter months.  

Cole renovated his upstairs and made individual rooms for his teenagers that he picked out of a large stack of possibilites.  He was a foster child and when his parents and sister died in an accident he always blamed himself for the loss.  He wanted to give back and so this foster home for teenagers was his way of doing that.  In foster care there is a time when kids turn 18 before they graduate from high school and have to leave the foster system and live on their own.  His home was for these type of kids.

During their year together, they got to know and appreciate each other.  PJ had a bad relationship from the past and the ex-boyfriend was causing a problem.  Cole rescued her in many situations.  Another challenge that PJ had was anxiety and she began to have panic attacks.  Cole's mother used to have them and so he was able to be of support to her.  One of my friends shared with me that she believes we are all put here to find our perfect match, and when we do, we have certain things in us that will help benefit the other.  This was true in their relationship.  

In the final months they began to fall in love, but still were unsure of the possibilities of the Wishing House.  PJ's mom didn't like that Cole was interested in her daughter and told him.  So the relationship went bad as Cole pulled away and PJ didn't know why.  He gave up and told the owner that PJ could have the house.  She was miserable and couldn't reach  Cole to figure out what happened as he left town.  The mother finally came to her senses and found Cole and told him she was sorry.  Cole came back to PJ and they talked about what life would be like together.  PJ said that she was going to give the house to him.  They decided to keep the house as dual owners and he would own the foster home for teens on the top and she would run her restaurant on the bottom floor.  It was another one of those books that I was looking for the future story.  So good!

To learn more about the author, Denise Hunter:
www.denisehunterbooks.com




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Wednesday, February 11, 2015

January 2015 Heartbeat Magazine Cover and Giveaway

This last month the cover photo was provided by Artistic Puppy Creative photography.  I found the photo from Facebook, my high school friend, Molly Blakeley-Poland's daughters were so beautiful and it made for the perfect cover.
I truly am so happy Facebook was created!  It's provided me with the opportunity to see and connect with so many friends and family that I would never have a chance to otherwise.   My heart was captured by the above photo, so I asked if Molly would be interested in letting me use her daughters, Emerald and Anni Poland, for my cover girls.  The photograph was taken by Artistic Puppy, a Soldotna Alaska photography company.  They specialize in Couples Portraits, websites, and marketing for small businesses. 

Emerald and Anni Poland are musicians, among many other talents, and recently they auditioned for America's Got Talent. So exciting!  They also have a band named 
5 Sided Di. You can find them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/5-Sided-Di/
1453772291569841  Their latest post said that they are booked this summer every Sunday at Anchorage Hard Rock Cafe!  Congrats to them!

This month our giveaway is one Free online Social Media Class valued at $100 by JENSTARMEDIA! Enter on our giveaway page for your chance to win. 



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xoxo,
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The Promise Or, The Pros and Cons of Talking with God by Sean Paul Murphy Book Review



Interview with Sean Paul Murphy by Nicole Flothe:

It was so nice to connect with Sean Paul via email after he read my review of Sarah's Choice on the Heartbeat Connection blog.  I was excited to read his memoir and I enjoyed learning from his life experiences.  Below is a telephone interview I did:

What compelled you to write your story?  My words seemed to help people with suicide or someone in need.  
I told the story through my eyes and reviewed past letters.  I was respectful of people's privacy and life and changes were made to locations.  My niece gave me great details 
in my sister's suicide and since we hadn't talked for a while this gave us a way to connect again.


How are you doing now?  I've had a great year. My health has taken a tremendous improvement.  My wife and I are doing great.  People are thinking, changing their attitudes, and getting closer to the Lord.

What do you recommend to give back to your community and the world?  We attend our local church and are involved with many charitable events.  One that is close to my heart is helping the Inner City Children of Baltimore.  Seeing children get off the violent streets, out of gangs, and into the education system are some of our many goals.  Another area I recommend people get involved in is with suicide programs.  If you can help someone get past that first suicidal moment and help them find a reason to keep on living studies have shown that the risk for recurring suicide diminishes greatly. 

To learn more about your book and your life what website should someone visit?  Please visit my blog at http://seanpaulmurphyville.blogspot.com/ You can also order a copy of the book at http://amzn.com/0692200533.

Here are some of my favorite heart quotes from the book:

 I needed her to utter a word of such monumental power to break the wall around my sheltered heart and encourage me.

 I just never felt capable of discussing the deeper things of my heart like my feelings and my faith, which, in the end, are the things that define us all as human beings.

 My stories, like the other treasures of my heart, remained bolted down and locked away.

 What I previously understood with my head became real within my heart.

 he inherited an admirable trait from his parents: An unwillingness to take no for an answer in matters of the heart. 

 Still, there was something supernatural about that dream.  If it wasn't actually my grandfather, the dream had to be a vision given to me by the Lord to set my heart at ease.

 I would do whatever it took to win her heart. 

 I held the key to her heart. 

Being a person who didn't like being pressed on matters of the heart myself, I never pressed her on the subject.

 Distance definitely made both of our hearts grow fonder.

 The relationship with a parent and a child is perhaps the most fundamental relationship a human being will ever have.  If you can't find peace within it, I doubt you will be able to find peace within a marriage later.

 Being unwilling or unable to talk to anyone about my heartbreak, I suppose it was bound to surface somewhere, whether I liked it or not.

 I hope you enjoy reading the memoir of Sean Paul Murphy and learn from his life lessons.

xoxo,
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