Book Review: Saint Ignatius Loyola The Spiritual Writings

Have you ever started to read something and almost instantly felt overwhelmed?  That's pretty much how I've felt when reading the writings of Saint Ignatius Loyola.  Reading just little chunks of his writings leaves me with that feeling of spiritual indigestion I had only felt previously when reading too much by St. Augustine in a short period of time.

Initially I was near incredulous that I was having such a tough time reading St. Ignatius Loyola's writings.  Then I talked to a friend of mine who told me that he wasn't surprised because he had also arrived at the same conclusion a while back.  That's when I told him that I was about to delve into Saint Ignatius Loyola The Spiritual Writings annotated by Fr. Mark Mossa.  At that point he perked up and told me how awesome an annotated book St. Ignatius book sounded.  I'm not exactly someone who likes bouncing back and forth between a passage and then commentary on the passage, so reading this book still wasn't easy for me.  It took me a little bit of trial and error, as well as some emails to Fr. Mark asking his opinion of how I should best approach the book before I found what worked best for me.

Ultimately, I found that reading the complete selection from St. Ignatius first and then reading Fr. Mark's commentary was the best way for me to get the most out of this book.  In many cases, I found myself rereading the selection a second time after reading Fr. Mark's take on the passage.  His commentary was very helpful in alleviating the Saint Ignatius induced headaches.

My take aways from this book are simply that I like Saint Ignatius's approach to the spiritual life but I find his writing style difficult to digest.  I had begun the task of delving back into his writings using this book after having just finished reading St. Francis de Sales' Introduction to the Devout Life.  I feel like they're very similar in many ways, but I found St. Francis to be more approachable.

If you are looking to jump into the writings of St. Ignatius, I'd suggest picking up a copy of this book where you'll have excellent explanations of each of the selections.  Reading this book made St. Ignatius's writings seem less daunting.

I was provided with a review copy of Saint Ignatius Loyola The Spiritual Writings Selections Annotated & Explained, by the publisher, SkyLight Paths, in exchange for my honest review.  Visit Amazon to take a peek inside this book or to purchase a copy.

Book Review: Building Blocks of ToB for Tots

Pauline Kids has a new series of board books for preschoolers called Theology of the Body Building Blocks for Tots.  The three books that have been recently released cover the topics of gender differences, self-respect and self-giving in a way that is simply put and easy for children aged 2-5 to understand.  Each of these board books also has a parent page that explains the way in which the story relates to Theology of the Body and how the topic at hand will ties in with laying the foundation of a particular concept whether it be self-respect, gender identity, or self-giving.

In Everybody Has a Body: God Made Boys and Girls, gender differences are explained in a way that little ones will understand.  There is an emphasis on the genders having differences that make them special.

In Every Body Is a Gift: God Made Us To Love, children learn how we use our bodies to show love for others whether it's through making things with our hands, playing games or giving hugs.  Children learn that everyone is a gift and can give of themselves to show love.

In Every Body is Smart: God Helps Me Listen and Choose children learn about how our bodies tell us things and how we have to learn how to respond to those cues properly.  Whether it's exercising self-control at Mass and practicing patience when he or she would like to run an play instead or listening to our body's signals when we're hungry, tired or hurt.

The illustrations for these stories are all cute.  The very young children in the illustrations will make it easy for preschoolers to identify with the story.

Overall, it's a cute series for laying the groundwork of Theology of the Body for small children.

I was provided with review copies of Everybody Has a Body, Every Body is a Gift and Every Body is Smart by the publisher, Pauline Kids, in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: Before I Sleep

Not too long ago a copy of Carol Gordon Ekster's Before I Sleep I Say Thank You arrived at my house.  The book is about a little boy who is being tucked into bed by his mom.  Instead of saying what you'd probably call standard bedtime prayers, this little boy and his mommy have a bedtime routine that is an adaptation of the St. Ignatius of Loyola's Examen prayer.  I've read through the book several times now and the more the I read it the more brilliant I think it is.

The story is really sweet and thought provoking.  From a parent perspective, I realized that I the same sort of approach I take with my own prayer life can actually be adapted for a child quite easily.  I simply had never thought to do so.  This book was an eye opener for me with regards to how I could help my younger children think about situations and resolve to make changes for the better going forward.  I also like the emphasis this book placed on showing gratitude.  I know I frequently have to remind my children that our prayers shouldn't only consist of asking God for something, but should also include praising Him and thanking Him for those blessings we have received.  A child will encounter this book from an obviously different perspective.  He or she will recognize the familiarity of a bedtime routine that probably resembles his or her own a bit, and be able to see a different way of saying bedtime prayers modeled in the story of this little boy as he gets tucked into bed.

The illustrations in this book are bright and cheerful.  The pictures aren't overly busy, but there is enough detail for little ones to discuss different aspects of the pictures.  My three year old daughter is never content to just listen to the story and glance at the pictures, she always has to look at the details and point things out that she recognizes or finds interesting.  The illustrations were done by Mary Rojas who also illustrated another book which has been a hit with my kindergarten religious ed students, Forever You.

While I've enjoyed reading this book to my three year old daughter, I am most excited about reading this book to my kindergarten religious ed class.  I feel that this book is perfectly suited to their age group and I'm hoping the story will impact them and possibly help transform their bedtime prayer routines.

I'd certainly recommend this book if you're looking to help shake up a tired bedtime prayer routine for something that will help your child have a richer prayer life.

I was provided with a review copy of Before I Sleep by the publisher, Pauline Kids, in exchange for my honest review.  

Shaklee 180 Review

A few months ago I was asked if I'd be interested in doing a review of a Shaklee weight management program.  I'm not really into the scene for a couple of reasons.  First, I watched my mom struggle with different diets for most of my childhood and have an overall negative outlook when it comes to weight management programs.  Second, I don't have any weight issues that would send me in pursuit of help for dropping weight.  My husband, however, is a different story.  For the past two years he's been trying to lose weight.  He's had some success with other weight management and exercise programs, but seems to hit a point where he hits a wall and his success is halted.  It's frustrating for him and it's frustrating to watch.  So I asked my husband if he'd like to give Shaklee 180 a try and give me his thoughts on the program.  He was up for it.  The Shaklee 180 program is supposed to help you maintain muscle while losing fat.

Starting back in April,  Bryan began drinking the Shaklee smoothies and eating their meal in a bar and snack bars.  The kit also included an energizing tea and metabolic supplement.  He found that he was getting headaches when he took the metabolic supplement, so he had to discontinue using them.  He didn't care for the tea (hot or cold) at all so he didn't use that either.

The Shaklee 180 kit includes a "Plan for Success" to help you take your shape in a whole new direction.  The meal plan is based on a 1200 calorie diet, but you can use the Shaklee 180 app to create a personalized nutrition plan.  The app is similar to the My Fitness Pal app that my husband has been using for about a year and a half.  It helps you keep track of the calories you've consumed and I think that helps him feel like he needs to stay accountable for what he's consuming.

So back to the plan for success.  The program makes this really simple.  It has each meal, plus snacks laid out for you in an easy to understand format.  A breakfast with Shaklee 180 is a serving of fresh fruit, an energizing smoothie and 1 metabolic boost supplement.  To spice things up a bit you can add your fruit to the smoothie.  The mobile app offers some fruit smoothie recipes to get those creative juices flowing.  Lunch is either a meal-in-a-Bar or a smoothie with a metabolic boost supplement.  Of course, the program is flexible enough that if you want to swap out dinner for lunch and have a meal-in-a-bar or smoothie for dinner you can do that with this program and be perfectly fine.  When it comes to snacks you can choose from the energizing tea or a snack bar along with 1-2 servings of guilt-free foods.  The plan for success insert even offers some suggestions of guilt free foods that make great snacks like raw carrots or broccoli and pickles or cucumbers.  Dinner consists of a healthy meal and a metabolic boost.  The guide offers you a breakdown of what a healthy meal looks like.

With any weight management plan that involves using specific program food, the first thing you're probably wondering about is the food, right?  No one wants to start out a weight loss program and find out that the food is horrible and leaves you feeling hungry all of the time.  That's just a recipe for disaster.  So I asked Bryan to be perfectly honest about the food and tell me what he thought about it.

Bryan is definitely a fan of the energizing smoothie. He enjoys the taste of them and describes them as  thick, filling and lasting the entire morning.  Other shakes he has used in the past didn't have as much substance to them and left him feeling hungry within two hours.  He says the Shaklee shakes are like a meal by comparison.  Bryan chose the chocolate shakes for the kit and he thought they tasted pretty good.  He said a lot of other chocolate protein shakes are chocolate colored but they don't really taste like they have chocolate flavoring.  With the shaklee shake he said if it didn't have the gritty powder consistency to it, you might actually think you're drinking a chocolate milk shake.  He said the shakes mix up well.  Initially he was mixing the shakes with just a spoon and it wasn't mixing up as well and as quickly as he would have liked so we got a little single-serve blenderand he gets perfect shakes within seconds.  The energizing shakes come in four different flavors: vanilla, chocolate, strawberry and cafe latte.  Bryan can't speak to the other three flavors, but the chocolate variety gets his recommendation.

The Meal-in-a-bar comes in two varieties blueberry & almond crisp and peanut butter & chocolate chip.  Bryan decided to continue along his chocolate theme and chose the chocolate peanut butter variety.  He thought the bar was quite sizeable.  He describes it as being like a very heavily compacted krispy treat that has a deep peanut buttery flavor with chocolate chips.  He says it was filling and very convenient for on the go eating.  It's great for a quick eat while lunching.

Snack bar is essentially a mini version of the meal in a bar.  The snack bars are available in the following varieties: chocolate chocolate,  lemon & cranberry, and crunchy peanut butter--there's even a option to get the snack bars as a variety pack.  Bryan tried the chocolate chocolate flavored snack bars.  He found them to be a satisfying snack  that banishes the munchies.  The chocolate chocolate variety has a nice rich cocoa flavor so it's great if you're a chocoholic.

Between the smoothies, and the meal and snack bars Bryan was very satisfied with the meal-plan.  He felt like he had enough to eat for the most part, but he does think he could have benefitted from the energy that he would have gotten from the metabolic boost supplement.  He was disappointed that that part of the program didn't work out for him.

So I bet you want to know what kind of results he had while using Shaklee 180, right?  Well he didn't do too badly.  He lost seven pounds in the five weeks that he used this program.  Five weeks for a 30 day program?  I know, the math doesn't add up there, does it?  Bryan had a week long business trip the second week he was using the program so he had to take a week off from it.  So we're not looking at perfect use results when we look at Bryan's experience.  I suspect he might have lost more weight if he had been able to use the program for 30 consecutive days.   I know he's happy with the overall results.  In his first week of use he dropped three pounds and after that he lost about pound a week.  Now he did combine the meal plan with moderate exercise to optimize his results.   About four days a week he would walk or bike and then two days a week he would do a little bit of running around on the soccer field as he coached our daughters' teams.

So I asked Bryan if he would recommend this weight management program to others.  Given his experience with the metabolic boost and his general dislike of the tea he said he'd really only recommend the meal and snack bars and the smoothies.   He says the smoothies were the best part of the meal plan.  If, like him,  you don't like tea, he doesn't see the point in going for a kit that includes the teas.  Also, since he had issues with the metabolic boost he points out that perhaps the program isn't for everyone, but I think that can be said about almost every other weight management program out there.  I suppose it's just a matter of finding what works for you and gets you the results you're looking for.

From what I can tell, the Shaklee 180 Turnaround program isn't just about eating a few specific foods to lose weight, a big part of it seems to be about learning to eat healthy and get fit.  It's not just a matter of eating a few specific foods and expecting the weight to melt away.  So if you're considering this program, or really any weight management program, it's pretty important to make sure you have some support.  It's helpful to have someone cheering you on and offering encouragement along the way.  There's an awesome team of people who are dedicated to cheering you on and helping you reach your goals with the Shaklee 180 program on FaceBook.  They certainly offer plenty of inspiration and lots of helpful tips for healthy living.

You can learn more about the Shaklee 180 weight management program by visiting this site.  Becky will be happy to answer any questions you may have for her about the program.

I was provided with a Shaklee 180 Turnaround kit by Becky, an independent Shaklee distributor, in exchange for my honest review of the program.  Visit Becky's Shaklee page for more information on this program and many other Shaklee products.

Preparing for Advent: Make An Heirloom Jesse Tree

After I wrote about how my family celebrates Advent using a Jesse Tree, Lisa linked to her beautiful hand made Jesse Trees, do-it-yourself Jesse Tree Kits and her awesome pattern for the same.  My girls love having their own paper Jesse Trees on their bedroom doors, but I loved the idea of having beautiful handmade Jesse Tree that can be displayed somewhere on the main level of the house. During Lent we have a felt Jesus Tree that is in a prominent location and the girls will go over to it and discuss the different bible stories that go with each of the symbols on the tree.  I imagine they might do the same with a Jesse Tree of this sort.

Lisa was gracious enough to send me a copy of her Jesse Tree pattern so I could make one for my girls and tell you about it.  The pattern is very straightforward and is very easy to follow if you have some basic cross stitching or sewing experience.  Over the course of an afternoon I sat down and cut out all of the patterns and the felt for the ornaments.  This beautiful Jesse Tree is certainly a project.  Personally I find cutting out the pieces for the pattern to be the easy part, but sewing it all together is where you need to find a bit of time to get the job done.  This isn't a project that you want to start a day or two before Advent.  If you have a toddler in the house, like me, you'll want to give yourself a bit of time to make this.  I find craft projects like this are best done when little ones aren't around to "help".

I had hoped to have most if not all of this Jesse Tree finished so I could show you how well it turned out for me, but after being sick and then having to tend to sick children I'm afraid I haven't gotten much further than cutting out the ornaments.  Comparing this pattern to the Jesus Tree I made two years ago I'd say they're very similar but I like how complete the directions are with Lisa's pattern.  I also like that these ornaments are stitched together.  I learned the hard way that gluing felt doesn't work well when I made our Jesus Tree and that meant I wound up having to make several of the ornaments twice.

Lisa's pattern comes with the readings for the Jesse Tree.  After paging through our Catholic Picture Bible,I'm pretty sure you can match up most, if not all of the readings with this bible.  I also compared it to the Holy Heroes Jesse Tree.  For the most part, the symbols and reading from the Holy Heroes version match up with this one.  To keep my girls happy, I'll be making a few additional felt ornaments to coordinate with the Holy Heroes Jesse Tree.

If you think you'd like to make a beautiful Advent heirloom for your family check out Lisa's Etsy shop Navy Mango.  If you're not the crafty type and you love the look of this great Jesse Tree, you can purchase a ready made one from her.

Book Review: A Picture Book of the Mass

A little while ago I was given the opportunity to review Lacy Rabideau's Catholic Icing Presents A Picture Book of the Mass.  This lovely little paperback missal is perfect for adults and children.

A Picture Book of the Mass is richly illustrated with beautiful masterpieces throughout.  I love how the selected artwork beautifully complements each area of the missal.  In a sense, the pictures can help a child who is learning to follow along and participate in the Mass get a feel for what is going on.

I had my seven year old daughter use this missal at Mass for a few weeks to see how easily she was able to follow along with it.  She has been using a Magnifikid for the past two years, so she wasn't new to using a missal at Mass.  While she missed not having the Mass readings in front of her, she liked looking at the artwork and found the larger print easier to follow.  She also found the pictogram people instructing her when to sit, stand and kneel to be quite the novelty.  I like how the instructions to "strike breast" or "bow during these words" are next to the bracketed text.  In other missals you might find these instructions at the start of the words, but someone who is new to the Mass or learning to participate might really appreciate knowing when to start and stop.

You should know that this missal is a straight up missal.  It's not a prayer book and missal like many missals.  What you will find in this book is a beautifully illustrated and thoughtfully laid out guide to the Mass.

A Picture Book of the Mass would be perfect for children, recent converts (I would have LOVED something like this when I converted.) and even those who are sill getting used to the new translation of the Mass.  It would be a great gift for a child who is preparing for or has just received first Eucharist.

I was provided with a complimentary review copy of this book by Lacy of Catholic Icing in exchange for my honest review.  You can learn more about A Picture Book of the Mass or order a copy for yourself by visiting Catholic Icing.

Catholic Family Gifts: First Communion Music Box and Giveaway

A few weeks ago I was contacted by Catholic Family Gifts and asked if I'd be interested in blogging a product review and giveaway.  I didn't have any previous experience with their online gift shop so I decided to take a look and see what they have to offer.  They have a great selection of gifts that are appropriate for sacramental milestones.  Whether you're looking for a baptism, first communion or confirmation gift for that special child in your life, chances are you'll find just the right gift at Catholic Family Gifts.

This school year our middle daughter, Ellie, is preparing for the sacraments of first reconciliation and first communion, so you can imagine that my thoughts are already turned towards her reception of these sacraments.

I was quite intrigued when I saw that Catholic Family Gifts had a great selection of first communion music boxes.  And since I absolutely adore the beautiful Ave Maria tune, I decided that I would select a First Communion Music Box for this review.   They had so many wonderful designs to choose from for the music box art work, that I had a hard time deciding which one would be just right for Ellie.  Her big sister stepped in and weighed in on the decision so I went with her choice.  Once it arrived I knew that Ellie will love it when she sees it.

The music box has a nicely sized compartment for storing a a special First Communion rosary or a few pieces of jewelry.  Next to the velvet lined compartment is the glass covered music box mechanism.  I've always liked music boxes and I particularly like the ones like this one where you can watch the music play.

The insert on the lid of the music box can be swapped out for a favorite photo if you choose.  Perhaps Ellie will keep the first communion artwork in the framed portion of the music box, or maybe she'll want to have a photo of her first holy communion added to it instead.  I like that you have the option to swap out the insert since it will allow the music box to grow with the child.

I'm sure that this music box will become a treasured keepsake for our daughter.  I like that this item is a bit different from the ordinary gift you might give to a first communicant.  Typically I lean towards giving items such as a rosary or a missal for a first communion, but this music box is a bit different but still every bit as appropriate as my standard gift ideas.  I think most young girls would be delighted to receive this music box as a gift.

Catholic Family Gifts online store is an extension of the family owned Catholic retail store, Vineyard Books, Gifts and Church Supplies.  At CatholicFamilyGifts.com they strive to provide customers with quality products quickly and accurately, while also displaying their rich family values.

Catholic Family Gifts is sponsoring a giveaway where you have a chance to win an item of your choosing (from a select group of items).  Among the great items you can choose from are a lovely St. Anne Rosary, The Handbook for Catholic Moms and one of my favorite books to use with my religious education class, The Catholic Encyclopedia for Children.

The giveaway starts today and will end on September 26th.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Catholic Family Gifts sent me this music box in exchange for my honest review.

DVD Review: Brother Francis Forgiven!

For the past two months the latest Brother Francis episode entitled Forgiven! has been a heavily requested DVD in our house.  Forgiven! teaches young children about the sacrament of reconciliation.  As with other Brother Francis episodes, this episode beautifully explains the sacrament of reconciliation in a way that is easily understood by children and will reach them.

As with the other episodes of Brother Francis, this DVD contains two catchy songs.  The first song is called God is a Loving Father and teaches children that God wants to help us.  The song is accompanied by a fun little cartoon of children playing on a swing set.  My seven year old really enjoys this song and the cartoon.  The other song is called "Praise God, I'm Forgiven!"  It's an upbeat song celebrating the sacrament of reconciliation.  The visual accompaniment for this song is scenes of the sacrament and the children and Brother Francis joyfully singing about how happy they are to have received God's forgiveness.  This particular song is probably my favorite part of the episode, but that probably has something to do with the song getting stuck in my head.

Just like the other Brother Francis DVDs, the show flips between standard animation and CGI.  I like how they use both of the mediums because I think it adds interest to the way the show is presented. 

Brother Francis gently teaches children about sin, conscience, and what exactly the sacrament of confession is and why we need it.  His approach is such that children should come away with a good understanding of the ways in which we can sin (thought, word, deed and omission), why we should listen to our conscience, and how we can obtain God's pardon when we fail to do what we should by going to confession.

I was really happy to see the Parable of the Tax Collector in this episode.  I like that it shows children that they should approach the sacrament with a humble heart and not an inflated ego.

Brother Francis also tells children how to prepare for confession, gives them the steps for the sacrament and explains what a penance is.  I think children who are nervous about their first reconciliation that watch this episode of Brother Francis will feel a lot less anxious about this sacrament after watching this.  My seven year old who will make her first confession in six months is finding herself more at ease with the idea of going to confession the more she watches this DVD.  Hopefully by the time the date of her first reconciliation rolls around she will feel very comfortable with this sacrament.

Brother Francis easily captures the attention of children from preschool age up to about age nine.  Our ten month old will happily sit and watch an episode of Brother Francis with her big sisters.  The show appears the have the biggest appeal with our middle daughter who is now seven.  She's been hooked on Brother Francis since she was five, and is always asking if there are any new Brother Francis DVDs out yet.  

I heartily recommend this episode of Brother Francis for anyone who is preparing a child for first reconciliation.  This DVD would be perfect for religious education classes, too.  I have shown other episodes of this series to my kindergarten religious education students and they have all been well received.

I was provided with a review copy of Brother Francis: Forgiven! by the publisher, Herald Kids, in exchange for my honest review.  Visit www.brotherfrancisonline.com for more information on the Brother Francis series.

Book Review: A Mary Christmas

About a month or so ago I decided to take a look at A Mary Christmas from Kathleen M. Carroll.  A Mary Christmas is the final book in a trilogy of books that look at Catholic customs and traditions surrounding the celebration of Christmas.  All three of the books in this series are well written and engaging.

In A Mary Christmas, the Advent and Christmas seasons are examined through the Seven Joys of Mary: the annunciation, the visitation, the nativity of our Lord, the adoration of the magi, the finding of the child Jesus in the temple, the appearance of the risen Christ to his mother, and the assumption and coronation of Mary as queen of heaven.  I really enjoyed reading this book and seeing how we can look at Advent and Christmas through the lens of the Seven Joys of Mary.  The author parallels how we can apply the lessons we learn from our Blessed mother to how we celebrate or live a certain aspect of Advent, Christmas or even everyday life.  The book offers a fresh perspective that will help you to focus on the true meaning of the Advent and Christmas seasons.

The book is relatively short and could easily be read in one sitting, but I think you would likely get the most out of the book by reading it a chapter at a time and take a day or two to let the message ruminate. The book is small enough to slip into a purse to be read while waiting to pick up kids from school or practices and the chapters are short enough that you could read one in the span of time that you might be waiting.  As a busy mom who is frequently on the go, I like books like this that can be used as a bit of spiritual reading on the go.

If you're looking for a fresh take on Advent and Christmas this year that doesn't have a daily reflection and passage, this book may be a good fit for you.

A Mary Christmas will be available from your favorite bookseller August 2012.

I was provided with an advanced copy of this book by the publisher, Franciscan Media, in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: Yours Is The Church

I just finished reading an advanced copy of Mike Aquilina's Yours Is The Church How Catholicism Shapes Our World.  It was one of those books that I really had a hard time putting down.  Mr. Aquilina writes in such an engaging way that it's often hard for me to peel myself away from his books until I come to the final pages.

Yours Is The Church gives a brief and engaging look at how the Catholic Church has shaped Western Civilization.  There are many people in secular society who seem to view the Catholic Church as an outdated, irrelevant organization that oppresses rather than contributes.  This book is a breath of fresh air that shows just how relevant our Holy Mother Church is and how much modern society is indebted to the Church for all it has done.

Even though this book isn't exactly designed as such, you could almost use it as an apologetic resource for when you encounter someone who wants to rant and rave about how the church is backwards and oppresses women and is opposed to science and reason.  I know a small handful of people who have a twisted and sadly misinformed view of what they think the Catholic Church is that I wish would read through this book.  I think it could certainly inform and possibly change the negative outlook some people have about the Church.

For those of you who aren't exactly huge fans of reading history books, I can assure you that this book does not read like a "boring" history text.  You won't feel weighed down with overwhelming historical accounts or anything of that nature with this book, but you will walk away with a good understanding and hopefully an appreciation for all that Catholicism has done for our world.

Yours Is The Church will be available in October 2012.  Look for it at your favorite Catholic bookstore.

I was provided with an advanced copy of this book by the publisher, Servant Books, in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: Saint Who?

Just about every time I pick up a new book on the saints I find several that I have never heard of before.  With Brian O'Neel's Saint Who? ~39 Holy Unknowns~I met about 37 saints I didn't know existed.  I had read O'Neel's other book 39 New Saints You Should Knowa while back and I have to say that I enjoyed Saint Who? every bit as much as his previous book.

As with many books on saints that devote an entire section or chapter to each individual saint, this is a book that you can pick up and zero in on reading about the saint of your choice and not feel like you should have read the book from cover to cover.  Something I really appreciated about the table of contents for this book is that there was a little subtitle next to each saint's name so you could scan the list and see if there was a particular saint that jumped out.

The stories for each of the saints featured in this book are all well written.  I really enjoyed getting to know some of these lesser known saints, and came away wanting to know more about some of them.

This book also caught the attention of my almost eleven year old daughter.  She loves reading about the saints and kept paging through the book whenever I would put it down.  While I chose to read the book from cover to cover, she chose to scan the table of contents to see who she wanted to read about.  She was excited that Sts. Perpetua and Felicity were in this book.  She has been very interested in them since watching The Story of Saint Perpetuaand seems to be eager to read about them whenever she can.  Since I'm on the subject of writing about my middle schooler reading this book, I have to say that it's not a book I would just hand off to her and let her read from cover to cover.  There are a few saints in this book who have stories that I think are a bit too mature for her.  For example, I don't think a middle schooler needs to be reading about a saint who is listed as "The Cuckold".  So as she read through this book, I made sure she told me what she wanted to read before I let her read it just to make sure she wasn't reading anything that I felt had a more adult theme to it.  But don't mistake me for saying that this book has any kind of sordid details or anything of that nature, I just think that the stories for some of the saints are too mature for a child and I am not ready for the questions that some of the stories may evoke.

Overall, Saint Who?is another great book from O'Neel on some of the more obscure members of the Church Triumphant.

I was provided with a complimentary review copy of this book by the publisher, Servant Books, in exchange for my honest review.

*This post contains Amazon Affiliate links.  If you purchase through these links Amazon gives me small percentage of the purchase price.

Book Review: My Vocation Is Love

I recently had the opportunity to read Jean Lafrance's My Vocation Is Love St. Therese's Way to Total Trust.  I was struck by how deep and thought provoking this book is.  Having just read St. Therese's Story of a Soul a few months ago, I came to realize how much I simply didn't understand when I had read that book as I slowly made my way through My Vocation is Love.

It took me several weeks to make it through this book.  It is certainly not a book you can pick up and breeze through over a few lazy afternoons.  Throughout this book I needed to stop and process what I was reading, pray and reflect.  As I read through this book my understanding of St. Therese deepened and I have come to realize that her writings and her little way are every bit as  spiritually daunting to wrap my mind around as St. Augustine.

My Vocation Is Love is a book that you truly have to read in bite size pieces so that you can properly reflect on it and get the most out of it.  I'm certain that if I had powered through this book I not only would have had yet another case of spiritual indigestion (something I previously thought only St. Augustine's writings could give me).

I heartily recommend this book if you are seeking to gain a deeper understanding of St. Therese and her  little way.  If you have read her Story of a Soul and possibly found it all to be very sweet and sentimental but didn't catch the deeper message in it all, then I'd suggest this book as a great starting point to help you uncover the depth of Theresian spirituality.  After reading this book I became more amazed by this saint.

Now my oldest daughter who is about to turn eleven hounded me for weeks asking when I'd be done with this book.  She was hoping to read it, but honestly, I think the book is written on a level that is simply not going to be easily understood or read by a middle school aged student.  She loves St. Therese, but I'm certain that this book would be too daunting for her.  Because she showed a deep interest in this book I feel compelled to let you know that I would probably put this book in the ages 15 and up category.

This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. I was provided with a free review copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.  Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on My Vocation Is Love: St.Thérèse’s Way . The Catholic Company is also a great online store for all your Catholic gift needs, such as baby baptism and christening gifts. You can also find a wide selection of Catholic Bible Studies for both parish groups and individuals, as well as a variety of other Catholic Bible studyresources.

Book Review: Saint Anthony of Padua

St. Anthony of Padua: His Life, Legends, and Devotions edited by Friar Jack Wintz is a collection of articles on this popular saint.  The most of articles came from past issues of St. Anthony Messenger magazine and a few chapters were written specifically for this book.  This volume is actually an expanded revision of Saint Anthony of Padua: The Story of his Life and Popular Devotions.

St. Anthony is one of those saints who I frequently am asking for his intercession, but I really knew very little about him outside the fact that he's the patron saint of finding lost things.  After reading this book I feel like I know this old friend of mine much better.

This book is separated into five parts:  A portrait of St. Anthony, which covers his life.  The Legends of St. Anthony, which takes a look at some of the legends surrounding him and the reasons for the symbolism frequently depicted in paintings and statues of him.  St. Anthony, the Contemplative which discusses his hideaways and contemplative life. Praying to St. Anthony, which looks at popular devotions, tracing his footsteps and a lovely novena. And finally, a section on the shrines of St. Anthony.

I enjoyed this book and felt like I really got to know so much more about St. Anthony from reading this book.  I learned things about St. Anthony that I never thought much about before.  I feel like I met my sainted friend for the first time after having read this book.

Now because this book is a compilation of articles on St. Anthony from various authors, there is a bit of redundancy here and there.  In one chapter you may read about an aspect of his life only to find another blurb about it in a later chapter.  If the book wasn't a compilation of articles, I'd think the author was a bit scatterbrained at times, but given the nature of the book, I don't think it's much of an issue.  It's just something that caught my attention here and there while I read the book.

Overall, I'd say this is a pretty good book for getting to know this popular saint.

I was provided with a review copy of this book by the publisher, St. Anthony Messenger Press, in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: The Catholics Next Door

A few months ago I became aware that Greg and Jennifer Willits, The Catholics Next Door, had written a book.  It was one of those books that I had on my list of books I had hoped to read.  I like to listen to their pod casts from their radio show so I was fairly certain that I'd like their book, too.

When a review copy of this book showed up in my mail box I was pretty excited.  That day I started reading it and had a hard time putting it down.  The following day I spent a lazy afternoon engrossed in the book and finished it.  The book is a great mix of sound advice and humor.

Several of the "adventures in imperfect living" shared in this book are expanded versions of what I've heard on a few of their podcasts.  So I think it's safe to say if you enjoy listening to Greg and Jennifer on Sirius XM radio or via their podcasts, you'll probably like this book as much as I did.  If you've never listened to them [and you're not anti-humor--seriously, there are people out there who don't want any humor mixed in their Catholicism] and you're in the trenches raising kids you'll likely enjoy this book.

While this book is actually quite humorous, that doesn't mean that Greg and Jennifer don't cover any serious topics.  They talk about some of the tough topics that are tough for some Catholic couples to swallow, such as being open to life and practicing NFP [Natural Family Planning].  They are very candid about these topics and are pretty transparent about how at one point in time they bought into a more secular view of these issues.  They share how they put their marriage first, before their kids, and why that's a good thing for both them and their children.  They even discuss their experiences with homeschooling and public education.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it if your looking for something good to read this summer.

I was provided with a review copy of The Catholics Next Door Adventures in Imperfect Living by the publisher, Servant Books in exchange for my honest review.  You can take a peek inside this book here.

Book Review: Feast Days & Holidays

I recently had the opportunity to read Joan Marie Arbogast's Feast Days & Holidays.  The book is packed with crafts, activities and kitchen fun that you can use with your children at home or in a classroom environment.

The book follows the calendar year from January through December with a nicely laid out index that organizes everything by month.  While the primary focus of this book is celebrating Catholic customs and traditions, there are several secular holidays [for both Canada and the U.S.A.] also included in this book.  For the secular holidays, I like how the faith was woven into either the explanation of the holiday or the accompanying craft or activity.

Most of the crafts in this book are ideal for children between the ages of 5 to 8.  As I paged through the book I found several crafts and activity sheets that I thought would either be perfect for my kindergarten religious education class or my old girls who are 6 and 10.

Throughout the book there are many saints featured.  I thought some of them seemed a bit obscure, when compared to similar books on this topic, but that didn't make them any less relevant.

Overall, it's a decent book if you are looking for a way to introduce your child or a religious education class to some fun hands on activities to cultivate faith formation.  While I like the book, I'd be remiss if I didn't point out that it's not my favorite book on this topic, but even my favorite book doesn't cover everything.  I do particularly like that this book has plenty of reproducible pages for activities and crafts.

This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Feast Days & Holidays. This is also a great Catholic gift store for all your seasonal shopping needs, such as Christian wedding gifts and Catholic Garden Gifts.

Book Review: Pete and Repeat

A copy of Pete and Repeatshowed up at my house just as we were heading out to lunch one afternoon, so I brought it along to see what the kids thought of this "Can you spot the differences?" book.  Those of you who subscribe to St. Anthony Messenger Magazine are likely familiar with Pete and Repeat, but for those who aren't, this series is an awful lot like the comic strip pictures where you are asked to find the differences between the two pictures.

My girls had a lot of fun trying to find all eight differences found between the two pictures.  I was surprised at how engrossed they were in looking at this little pocket sized book.  The book features fifty-two of these puzzles.  Each puzzle has a little eight lined poem that goes with the picture.  The first verse changes with each picture and the second one is the same throughout the book.

The picture puzzles certainly offer a challenge for both young and old.  While my girls were able to find all of the differences on some of the puzzles, there are still many more that neither they nor my husband or I have been able to find all eight differences.  That means the girls are still coming back to this book over and over trying to find all the differences.  For people like me who get a bit frustrated when they can't figure out what's different, the book offers an answer key in the back.

What I like about this book is it's small enough to tuck inside a purse or diaper bag so that it can be pulled out to entertain children when it's needed.  The kids have enjoyed spotting the differences.  It's certainly worth getting if you can use a quiet activity book that's easily stored in a bag or your glove compartment for when you are on the go.

I was provided with a review copy of Pete and Repeatby the publisher, St. Anthony Messenger Press, in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: Praying the Rosary for Intercession

I recently had the pleasure of reading Catherine Odell's Praying the Rosary for Intercession.  The book has a wide range of appeal for anyone who's interested in the rosary.  Whether you pray the rosary daily or are curious about this beautiful prayer, you'll find something in this book.

Aside from giving a brief history of how the rosary came to be and how to pray it, this book looks at the four sets of rosary mysteries and, in turn, each individual mystery on it's own.  The in depth look at each mystery starts with a related scripture passage which is then followed up with a thought provoking reflection, a section entitled "The Rosary in Our Lives" followed by a prayer related to this mystery along with a list of intentions to pray for.

The book as a whole really resonated with me, but I particularly enjoyed the stories found under "The Rosary in Our Lives" section.  There were just so many beautiful stories about how the rosary has transformed the lives of the people featured in these stories.  I enjoyed the stories so much that I am convinced that a book comprised of just these types of stories would be a great idea.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and recommend it to anyone who is interested in reading a good book on the rosary.  I've read numerous books on the rosary and this book ranks up there with some of my favorites.

This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company.  Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Praying the Rosary for Intercession . This is also a great online Catholic store for all your religious shopping needs, such as gifts for Confirmation and gifts for a baby baptism.

Book Review: 101 Bible Adventures

Months ago a copy of 101 Bible Adventuresshowed up on my doorstep.  The book is geared to children and features 101 Bible adventure stories.  The first sixty stories are from the Old Testament and the remaining forty one are from the New Testament.

Judging by the girls' response to this book, I'd say it's well suited to elementary school aged children (first through sixth grades).  My six year old was easily able to read several of the stories on her own.  She liked the cartoon like illustrations that accompanied each story.  My ten year old thought the stories were easy to read and liked that they could be read in a matter of minutes.  She and I both thought the book had some stories which could be used for our Jesse Tree and Jesus Tree readings during Advent and Lent.

I liked the format for each of the stories.  Each story has a "What's Up" heading that gives the reader some background information on the story about to be read.  Then the "Action Adventure" begins.  For families who will want to look up the story in their bible, the scripture reference for where you can find this story in the bible is listed.  Each story has a "key verse" section that contains another scripture reference that relates to the adventure story.  At the end of each story there is a "Now What?" box that offers further explanation.  I thought the "Now What?" feature offered plenty of opportunity for talking points to future discuss with your child.

This book could easily be used either as a bible story book for a child, or it could be used for devotional reading with your children.  During the seasons of Advent and Lent I sit with my children daily and read and discuss a bible story for the day.  With the format of a book like this, I could easily see how this could be used during the rest of the year.

The book is not a Catholic book, but I didn't see anything in it that was glaringly objectionable or our of line with Church teaching.

I was provided with a review copy of 101 Bible Adventuresby the publisher, Tyndale Kids, in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: Douay Rheims First Communion Bible

The Douay-Rheims First Communion Bible from Saint Benedict Press is a lovely gift idea for a first communicant.  This hard cover bible is packaged in a nice box that is suitable for gift giving.  With it's gold embossing, gold page edges and ribbon marker, this bible will certainly become a treasured keepsake.

The bible contains several features that make this an excellent bible to commemorate a first holy communion.  There is a presentation page where the gift giver may record the child's name and date of first holy communion.  Then there are saint stories for Blessed Imelda and St. Tarcisius that will inspire the recipient.  There are also full color inserts that offer descriptions of all seven sacraments as well as the Mass.  Also included in these inserts is a collection of daily Catholic prayers and a section explaining the rosary and how to pray it.  I found the full color inserts, which are printed on nice thick semi-gloss pages ,to be very nicely done.   The illustrations on these pages look like beautiful stained glass windows and complement the accompanying text perfectly.  In addition to the prayers in the full color insert pages, there are for additional pages of "Beloved Prayers" to know by heart and a list of the succession of popes.

Because this is a Douay-Rheims version of the bible, young children may struggle with the style of the language.  Where as a NAB bible is more modern in terms of language, thereby making it easier to read, the Douay-Rheims translation is Elizabethan English.  That may deter some from wanting to give this to a young child, but I think children can easily become accustomed to reading this translation.  Having come from a Protestant background where the King James bible was what I read growing up, I don't see much difference in terms of the language [the translations themselves, of course, are obviously different] which leads me to believe that it's not impossible for a child to read and understand this beautiful translation.  Given the accuracy and beauty of the Douay-Rheims translation, I think it's worth giving this version to a child.

Overall, I think this First Communion Edition Bible is an excellent and fitting gift for a first communicant.  It's beautifully done and is perfect for gift giving.

I wrote this review of Douay-Rheims First Communion Bible for the Tiber River free Catholic book review program, created by Aquinas and More Catholic Goods, your source for Baptism Gifts and First Communion Gifts.

Tiber River is the first Catholic book review site, started in 2000 to help you make informed decisions about Catholic book purchases.

I receive free product samples as compensation for writing reviews for Tiber River.

Book Review: Embracing Motherhood

Embracing Motherhoodis an encouraging book for mothers to help them better understand the importance of their vocation as a mother.  I really wasn't sure what to expect out of Donna-Marie Cooper O"Boyle's latest book, but I figured it would certainly be worth my time given other books I've read by her.

Embracing Motherhoodis broken into nine chapters.  Each chapter begins with a quote from scripture or a saint.  Each of these quotes on their own offer food for thought as well as being great lead ins to the subject matter of the chapter itself.  Donna-Marie offer well thought out and practical advice throughout the book to encourage mothers to fully embrace their unique and incredibly important vocation.  Each chapter concludes with a reflection section which poses questions which are great for both introspection and group discussion [if the book is being used in a group setting], and a prayer for reflection.

What I particularly like about the book is how she offers great insight on dealing with outside influences and media distractions that try to vie for your children's attention.  As a mom who seeks to make sure her children are living in, but not of, the world, I felt this book provided lots of affirmation and encouragement.  In fact, on a very remote level, it reminded me of another bookI read a while back without coming across as preachy.

Overall, I recommend this book to any mother who is trying to sort out how to raise Catholic children in this current cultural climate.  The book is well written and could easily be read a chapter at a time in short periods of time.

I was provided with a copy of Embracing Motherhoodby the publisher, Servant Books, in exchange for my honest review.  You can click hereto see a short preview of the book's contents on Amazon.