New Happenings!

Hey everyone! Do you want to know what's new in Sarah's world? I'm getting my little female Cavachon, Nikki, bred to a Bichon Frise male, and am hoping to get a litter of pups from this. So, although I miss Nikki (she's spending a few days with "Popcorn"--a little, white Bichon), I'm excited about the prospect of puppies! More updates as they come. Look for a litter in two months time, Lord willing!

"It's (Not That) Complicated" Book Giveaway

Here's another awesome giveaway! This time it's a book titled It's (Not That) Complicated.

Ever been confused about friendships with boys? How to handle crushes? How friendly is too friendly? How close is too close? What to do when a guy is being way too friendly? What guys think about all this? What it means to be a "sister, in all purity"? Guy-girl relationships have always been complicated, but perhaps never more so than today. It's (Not That) Complicated is a humorous, hopeful, and deeply thought-provoking new look at guy-girl relationships in our times. Dealing practically with such complications as online interaction, Hollywood expectations, undefined relationships, and unrequited love, the Botkin sisters offer enduring biblical principles that can make it all much simpler.

This book looks very interesting, and to learn more about it's giveaway, go to Jenna's blog.

Secrets of the Snow

Whoo-oo-oo! The wind howls savagely in the eaves. Outdoors everything is brown and bare. The trees shiver nakedly in wind, their gay covering of autumn leaves shaken to the ground. The whistling wind now dances and swirls with the piles of raked-up leaves that cover the dry grass. High overhead the birds urgently announce their departure to warmer lands.

But the next morning I look outside to see a changed world. The wind playfully tosses and scatters snowflakes like a child with a handful of glitter. The trees flaunt their delicate, pure-white garments of snow. The bright rays of sunshine dance on the glistening snow-diamonds. Everything is clean and shining.

Friends, when living in sin we are as dry and dead as the autumn grass. Our hopes and dream fall to the ground like leaves; the winds of fear howl in our minds; the great, heartless trees of hardship stand in our path; our friends have winged away. But, oh, what a change is born when we invite Christ into our hearts and lives! He washes away our sins until we are whiter than snow. Then how brightly we shine the rays of His love onto others!

Giveaway

Hey everyone! I'm currently following a blog that is doing a really neat giveaway of some very pretty, very feminine flexi hair clips! Please visit Jenna's blog: Feminine Farmgirl and check out this awesome giveaway!  ~Sarah

Praying with a Purpose!

So, I have a prayer list with many, many names on it. When I would begin to pray, I would always find it hard to remember all the names without having my list right in front of me. So, I broke all the names down into categories (friends, relatives, neighbors, etc.). Then I assigned a different category to each day of the week. Here's my modified list:

P ersonal & family on Sunday
R elatives on Monday
A uthorities & government on Tuesday
Y our friends on Wednesday
E ach neighbor on Thursday
R eligious leaders & church family on Friday
S tudiers (those we are studying the Bible with) on Saturday

And, yes, it does spell PRAYERS! This has been a wonderful help me. Now, rather than praying haphazardly, I am learning to PRAY with a PURPOSE! These are the kind of prayers that God loves to answer.

Newspaper Article & Review

Hey everyone! I'm sooo excited! Our local newspaper just printed a story about my book! You can read it by clicking HERE.

Also, an anonymous 9-year-old girl rated and reviewed my book on Barnes & Noble (HERE). It is so helpful when someone does this since it boosts the book's popularity. So, if you've read my book and enjoyed it, I would really appreciate it if you could rate and review it on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or the publisher's website (or all three).

Thanks so much, and God bless!
~Sarah

Rate/Revew Please!

Hey everyone! If any of you have read and enjoyed my newly released book, "Learning Lessons From Furry Friends," it would be a big help to me if you would rate and review it on Amazon and/or Barnes & Noble. That would really help boost the popularity of the book. Thanks, and I really appreciate it!

Contrasting Descriptions

My last English assignment had me write two descriptive paragraphs that contrasted each other. Here is the finished product:

Why don’t you pay an unexpected visit at my dream house? First, how I like to think it will be; and second, how it will most likely more realistically be.

You drive down the long lane past the pasture where the horses, goats, and sheep graze contentedly. Chickens greet you with merry cackles from their tidy chicken pen. My oldest daughter opens the door to welcome you in. The house is quiet and the three younger children are playing lovingly together in the prettily-painted den full of neatly arranged toys. The four school-aged children are studying studiously in the little “classroom” upstairs. My daughter calls me from my clean kitchen where I have dinner bubbling happily on the stove. You quickly peek through the open bathroom door. It’s unmistakably spick and span. You glance around. The bright sunshine streams through the big bay window and dances on the large dining room table. The warm summer breezes blow through an open window, filling the house with the aroma of outdoors. You are completely charmed by the house’s tidiness and your hostess’s calmness and composure at your unexpected arrival.

You drive down the long driveway past an empty pasture. You find the nickering horses, and bleating goats and sheep pressing close to the pasture gate. The cackling and fluttering chickens are creating complete chaos in the chicken pen. You conclude that I have not had time to feed them yet. A loud wailing from an unhappy child drowns your polite knock. Finally, you just enter the house, and try to gain the attention of my oldest daughter, who is rushing about a cluttered kitchen trying to throw together something edible for dinner. My three younger children are arguing noisily in the den over whose turn it is to play with their favorite toy. They needn’t have—there are plenty of other toys strewn all over the floor. My oldest daughter finally notices your presence, and she hurries upstairs to call me from the school lesson I am trying to patiently explain. While you are waiting you quickly peek through the open bathroom door, and then wish you hadn’t. I finally arrive, and try to apologize for the mess. I invite you to sit down and make yourself comfortable—that is, if you can find a vacant chair. You quickly apologize for dropping by unexpectedly, and assure me that you won’t—you mean can’t—stay long! You sigh with relief as you leave, and sincerely hope that I will see better days!

I sure had a lot of fun writing this, and I hope it put a smile on your face, as it did on mine!

HOT Off the Press!!!

My children's book of true animal stories of our pets titled "Learning Lessons From Furry Friends" is NOW! AVAILABLE! on Amazon: (click here)--sorry the picture isn't up yet, but that's coming soon, Barnes & Noble: (click here) , and the publisher's website: (click here). I am so excited, and so happy! Thank you everyone for your support, and I hope you will read and enjoy it!! If you do, perhaps you could post a rating and review on Amazon or Barnes & Noble to help boost the popularity of the book. I would greatly appreciate that! I am so excited and praising the Lord that I am now an official author! YAHOO!!! Also remember that Christmas is coming soon, and these would make wonderful Christmas presents for your children, grandchildren, young nieces or nephews, or any children you know! ENJOY!!

P.S. If you look around, you will also find this book available in hardcover on the same websites.

Fire

Nothing could be cozier

Than by the fire sitting;

Toasting in its cozy warmth

And reading books or knitting.

While staring at the flickering flames

The imagination runs

To faraway lands and places and

To worlds with other suns.

And listening to the crackling wood—

So comforting the sound!—

It soothes our troubled, anxious thoughts,

And peace at last is found.

We all should pray that in our hearts

A steady fire would burn;

A flame that fills us with God’s warmth

As souls to Him we turn.