The Grumble Free Year: One family's journey to help others be grumble free

The Grumble Free Year: Twelve months, eleven family members and one impossible goal by Tricia Goyer is her family’s journey to attempt to grumble less and praise more. Before they set off on this seemingly impossible journey, Tricia and her husband, John, promise their kids that if they can achieve this goal, the family will go on a cruise. Their ten children agree to give it a try. The book is twenty chapters, separating into three parts: Gearing Up, The Challenge Begins, and Winding Down, Tricia Goyer details their planning, their successes as well as their failures and where the ideas need to be thrown out, added new ideas or improved upon original ones. At the end of each chapter, there are three Reflection Questions in which the reader can reflect on the topics discussed in each chapter and find the areas that need more attention or improvement. There is also a My Turn section in which the reader can apply the Grumble Free technique to their own journey. Using personal stories and well as relevant Bible verses, Tricia Goyer guides the reader to a grumble free year and beyond.

I was invited to become a member of the Grumble Free Year Launch team. Since I review books on a regular basis, I joined even though I was unfamiliar with Ms. Goyer’s work. I was curious about what this journey would be about. As I began, I was intrigued by her story as her younger children come to their family through adoption and the challenges they faced as the children were older adoptees. At the end of each chapter, I would thoughtfully answer the Reflection Questions and I begin to see where I could change my grumbly ways. Some of the challenges and methods do not apply to me…yet as my children are only 7 years old and 13 months. However, I now have a tool at my disposal in order to face those future grumble years by getting to the root of the grumbles. The Grumble Free Year is a wonderful book with heartfelt, personal and honest stories that shows that the goal of being grumble free isn’t easy, but it is rewarding. This book helped me realize where I am already working on my grumbling and the areas where I still need work. It is a book I will be visiting again and again as I need it. I highly recommend The Grumble Free Year.

The Grumble Free Year:

Twelve months, eleven family members, and one impossible goal

will be available November 5, 2019

in paperback, eBook and audiobook

I was Hungry: a real look at the American hunger crisis

I was Hungry: Cultivating Common Ground to End an American Crisis by Jeremy K. Everett is a deep look into the American hunger crisis in which millions of Americans go without food daily. Most of the hunger crisis is due to food insecurity, the lack of access to enough healthy food to live a healthy lifestyle, in which inadequate food is experienced episodically. For example, the food supply is fine for a family at the beginning of the month but soon runs out before the month is over. Everett confronts what we know about the food crisis in America as many families must face the decision whether to buy food or pay bills with food usually loses. Poverty is an extremely complex issue. He claims that Americans often think the poor are just lazy people who are looking for a handout. Everett puts forth that many of Americans that suffer from food insecurity are working families who are underemployed, having jobs that do not pay enough to cover all expenses. However, Everett doesn’t just point out the problem and say deal with it. He offers a plan, from his own experiences, on how we can come together as a nation to end hunger in America. He highlights where plans have succeeded and where plans have failed and how they could be improved.

I was Hungry is an interesting read with statistics I have heard before. Roughly 39.7 million Americans live in poverty with 12.9 million children living in food insecure households. He is critical of all politicians, church leaders and Americans who seem to be more content to bicker. He says, “Our political system has become toxic, with both sides preferring to cast stones at the other rather than coming together to find common ground for the common good.” While I agree with him that something needs to be done, unfortunately, not everyone agrees. He claims that the image of the “Welfare Queen” is a myth and while many people on SNAP food stamps are working families, the myth exists because there are examples in the real world. He also claims that the “pulling yourself up by your bootstraps” is a myth as well because it “does not apply to people who cannot afford boots.” More and more, the news media is carrying stories of the very people he is describing doing just that. They go from homeless to Harvard. Students who live and go to school in disadvantage areas are getting full ride scholarships to very prestigious schools. These students may be the exception; but to call it a “myth” when there are examples out there is shortsighted. Everett does come off, at times, as condescending and self-righteous at times, which he acknowledges, so I applaud that, he does presents a very real problem in our nation and offers real solutions and how we can come together as a community and a nation. I highly recommend I was Hungry.

I was Hungry:

Cultivating Common Ground to End an American Crisis

is available in hardcover, paperback and eBook.

A new adventure with Captain No Beard and his crew

A great new addition to the Captain No Beard series. Fribbet the Frog and the Tadpoles by Carole P. Roman is a story of sharing your problems with your friends and learning to be a big brother or sister to the newest members of the family.

The story opens with Cayla making a mess on the deck of the ship and Fribbet in hiding. When the crew finds him in his hiding spot, he is upset and doesn’t want to share. The crew convinces him that sharing your problems with your friends help make the problems not so big to handle. Fribbett then shares that his home has been overrun with many tadpoles. Captain No Beard tells Fribbet that while being an older brother is hard work, it is also worth it. As the ship returns to a bed, Captain No Beard’s mother brings in the newest member of the family.

I loved this story for three reasons. First, the story helps children understand that sharing your problems with your friends can help. Friends can help find a solution and offer support. Second, the introduction of new family members and the changes that take place. Third, I love that the book takes the children through the development stages of frogs, from eggs to tadpoles to frogs. It’s a great way to illustrate the life cycle to children. I highly recommend Fribbet the Frog and the Tadpoles as well as the other titles in the Captain No Beard series.

Fribbet the Frog and the Tadpoles

Is available on Amazon

In paperback for $9.99

And on free on the Kindle

for Kindle Unlimited subscribers