A Few Things

Happy Monday!

I hope you all had a great weekend. :)  I just wanted to pop in today and share three random thoughts.

ONE

The mister and I are starting on a 30 day Paleo challenge today and I'm kind of nervous!!  I've never done one of these clean eating/workout plans before, but when I saw this pin on Pinterest, I felt like it was something I wanted to try.  This gal posts each day's menu and provides video links to workouts for each day.  It seems like a great way to tone up and eat well after all of the Christmas treats I have been indulging in lately!

TWO

And on the theme of goal-setting, I'm sharing my review of a darling little book a I read recently through my friends at Booksneeze.  If you would like to receive books in exchange for your honest review, follow the link and sign up.  It's a really neat program!  I was so happy to see one of my favorite authors -- Max Lucado -- on the list of available books to review.  When I was in high school, I think I checked out every book of his we had in our church library.  I would say his writing has had a definite imprint on my faith journey.  Here is my review of my most recent read:

The Christmas Candleby Max Lucado is a heartwarming read set in the Cotswolds of England. I have always enjoyed Max Lucado’s devotional and children’s books, but don’t recall having read any of his fiction.  If you are looking for the perfect book to read by a warm fire with a freshly brewed cup of tea, this is it.  The story takes you through generations of a family of chandlers.  Every 25 years an angel appears to the chandler and touches one of the candles he has recently made.  When that specific candle is given to someone in need in the church congregation and that person prays with the candle, the need expressed is provided for.  The angel’s visit always occurs close to Christmas, but this year a bumbled misstep threatens to extinguish the candle tradition.  This particular year coincides with a new parish minister’s arrival who is not so keen on the story the villagers share with him.  This story is one filled with redemption, grace, and the hope of a second chance.  Where past mistakes may influence our lives, but do not define our futures.  I think you will enjoy this story a great deal and find it especially meaningful if read around Christmas.

In exchange for my honest review, I received a copy of this book through Booksneeze.

THREE

The third thing for today is go see Saving Mr. Banks!  G and I saw it before Christmas and it is an amazing story.  I will never watch Mary Poppins the same way again.  I sobbed through the whole thing, so if you are prone to crying in movies, bring some Kleenex.

Ok, that's all for my random thoughts on Monday.  Hope you have a great week!