Need Stocking Stuffers?????

Last minute stocking stuffers? These Magic Stix washable markers are the perfect addition to the

stocking. They are odor free, bright bold colors and the best thing is they are guaranteed not to dry

out for 7 days if the cap is left off.  Not sure about the rest of you but I've thrown numerous markers

away because the kiddos left the cap off and they dried up.

Magic Stix are available on Amazon.com in 12 packs and 24 packs. They are in a nice hard plastic

case for storage.

They have a fie enough tip to color those small tight areas but large enough that bigger areas don't

take forever to color. There great for various crafts as well as coloring and adults enjoy them as

much as the kiddos ((I know because I LOVE them)

Merry Christmas

and

Happy New Year!!!!!

Fall Journey's

Wow it's been a while since I added to the blog. We did get our trip to the apple orchard in.Of course we ended up with more apples than we planned but it's so much fun picking them. Jacob and I have made Apple Sauce, Apple Butter, Apple Chips,Apple Scrap Jelly and made Apple Pie filling for later. Yes my house has smelled heavenly

                                          A lot of apples on the ground from the remnants
                                          of the hurricane

                                                           Jacob is in this tree

                                          What a view

                                                           We have been coming here for 20 years

Jacob's 1st orchard adventure

We took our trip to Dollywood in October for the Gospel & Harvest Celebration. We spent a couple days in Tennessee so Jacob could spend more time seeing some different groups this year. I am blessed that he loves Southern Gospel music versus some of the other music out there.

We really had fun looking at all the cool Halloween stuff they had this year.

We also went to The Island at Pigeon Forge which was decorated so pretty for Fall.

So we have been busy but so blessed that we can stay busy. Never give up on your dreams,family,life or God

Review of Forbrain

Jacob has been hearing impaired all his life and wears hearing aids so when we were given the

opportunity to receive, use and review Forbrain I immediately signed up. Jacob received speech

therapy until middle school and many people couldn't tell he was deaf/hearing impaired. I've noticed

a slip in his speech the past few years, he's now 18, and have thought he may need to return to

therapy but when I learned of Forbrain I thought I'd give it a try first.

What is Forbrain?

Forbrain, by Sound for Life LTD is a headset program designed to help people who have speech

difficulties, language issues, attention deficiencies and memory difficulties. The Forbrain headset

uses your voice to give your nervous system a "workout". Using the audio vocal loop your voice

is transmitted through bone conduction. The Bone Conduction Transducer sits on the temporal

bone in front of the ear. The  microphone on the headset transmits your voice through the dynamic

filter then to the transducers. Forbrain  improves activities such as reading comprehension even

more productive workouts at the gym. An increase in self-confidence is made possible by reducing

sensitivity to noise and become more in touch with your own voice. 20 minutes a day is all that's

needed for improvement of speech, focus, memory and coordination.

Some suggestions for use are:

For Me

• Musicality : Sing aloud the text you are reading
• Rhythm: Read a poem while taking a breath at the end of each line
• Flow : Read a text while taking a breath every 3 or 4 words irrespective of meaning and punctuation
• Diction : Read a text while exaggerating sounds as if you were making a speech to a crowd
• Accentuation : read a text while changing the volume of your voice every 5 seconds from very faint to loud and vice versa
• Memorization : read a text aloud and repeat it immediately without looking at the text
• Dialogue : read a comic book or a dialogue and give each character a unique voice

For a child

• Accompanying : you read the text slowly at the same time as the child without pausing for his/her mistakes or hesitations
• Echo: you overlay your voice on the child’s, who reads with ± one second lag to slow down or speed up his/her speech rate
• Memorization : you read a group of words, sentence or line of poetry that the child repeats immediately without reading
• Dialogue: you read a comic book or dialogue alternating characters with the child and accentuating differences in voice
• Invention: you create a story with the child, from images or figurines, taking turns inventing a sentence of dialogue

What's Included?

The headsets come with a rechargeable battery and a USB cord for charging. Included in the nice

zippered hard case along with the headsets are extra microphone covers and a quick start guide with

directions on posture when using Forbrain . There's also a more extensive Users Manual included.

How Did We Use It?

Jacob wore the headsets and read scripture throughout our six week review time. He liked being

able to hear himself reading and I did notice some improvement with his speech. Hoping he will

continue to use these headsets.

Would We Recommend?

Yes I think they are really awesome. I'm going to try to get my mother to try them for improvement

of her memory.

Follow Forbrain on social media:

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn

To read reviews of other crew members click on the box below

Thin Stix Creativity Pack Review

When the opportunity came up for us to review the Thin Stix Creativity Pack I immediately

asked to be one of the reviewers. We reviewed Thin Stix 6 pk of Classsic Colors in May and fell

in love with them. Both of these products are offered by The Pencil Grip,Inc. and are part of the

Kwik Stix family.

I hadn't told Jacob about the new review of Thin Stix Creativity Pack and he usually begs to open

packages that we receive so when he opened this one you would have thought it was Christmas

morning. He immediately started telling me what all he could do with sooooo many colors. As a

parent you get excited when your child is excited about something.

So I want to share what Thin Stix is......

These are mess free solid tempera paints that make craft time much more enjoyable no matter a

persons age. With these non-toxic paints art and craft time with the kids will be fun all the time.

One great thing about these paint there's no need for paint brushes, cups of water to wash out the

brushes, smocks or protection for the floors and tables. Definitely a win win situation in my book.

Thin Stix are part of the Kwik Stik family but have a smaller tip to make controlling the painting

process easier. The paint dries in 90 seconds so no more smudging the picture and no more letting

the project sit for days to dry. Unlike other paints these dry smooth. Another great thing about

Thin Stix Creativity Pack there are 24 different colors that can be used on a variety of surfaces paper,

poster board, rocks, wood.

There are 12 classic colors, white, yellow, two shades of orange, pink, lime green, green, two shades

of blue, purple, brown and black.

In addition to these classic colors there's also six neon colors and six metallic colors which increases

the projects you and your kids can produce.

Even though Jacob has turned 18 he likes to relax by drawing, coloring or painting so when we

received these he immediately got to painting.....Santa Clause. Even though he enjoys coloring and

painting it's a struggle for him to be particular with small areas not to mess his work up. He has

ADHD but also wants his pictures to look good. With these neat small tipped paints he is able to

achieve his goal. Looking at these pictures you might think like I did....How? Yes they look a lot

like glue sticks but was I surprised when I painted on a letter to a friend.

What Do We Think About Thin Stix Creativity Pack ?

We are hooked on these great little mess-free paints. I think they are great for anyone homeschooling

but I would also recommend them to churches and clubs. They are reasonably priced as well so

anyone can afford to add them to their art supplies.

Remember you can follow The Pencil Grip on social media

Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

To read what other crew members thought about Thin Stix Creativity Pack click on the box below

Gospel Tracts and Evangilism Tools Sampler Pack

For this review we were sent the Gospel Tracts and Evangelism Tools Sampler Pack from

Let the Little Children Come. This sampler pack is an awesome variety of items to spread the

Gospel to children of all ages. It contains 10 of their most popular Evangelism Tools and Gospel

Tracks to help share the Gospel and simply explain God's plan for His children. The sampler pack

contains pop up book style tracts (2),animated tracts that look like they come alive when the plastic

card is moved over them (3), beaded salvation bracelet with directions and explanation what the

beads represent, a multi-colored silicone salvation bracelet, 2 flip-abouts(folding and unfolding to

revel 4 pictures) and one wordless book.

Pop up style tracts are sure to get and keep the attention on children. The Most Amazing House

explains and shows how God has a beautiful house for all of us in Heaven . It explains that we

have all sinned and gives examples of sins. After the story of Jesus dying on the cross for our sins

there are the ABC of how to accept God and then a prayer to be prayed. This pop up tract would be

great to have on hand anywhere and anytime. Our church does a Children's Time before our 

preacher delivers his sermon on Sunday and The Lost Easter Egg pop up tract  would be

awesome to give to the kids on Easter. This tract explains why we celebrate Easter and also spells

out the ABC's of accepting God in our lives.

As a child I enjoyed the "magic" of things like the animated tracts and as an adult I'm still

a big fan of them. Each page has an animation that goes along with the story and will keep you

moving the plastic card over and over to see the picture come to life.

The wordless bracelet kit is a great activity to do with older children, don't want swallowed beads,

in Sunday School or Children's church. The silicone Salvation bracelets are available in small,

medium and large sizes and would be great for smaller children as well as adults. These would be

something good to put in treat bags at parties or at Christmas. There's also a "Wordless" book that

was first used by Charles Spurgeon in 1866 and is used all over the world today to teach children

about the gospel.

The Gospel Tracts and Evangelism Tools Sampler Pack can be purchased at

Let The Little Children Come. This sampler pack is available for $11.95 when you buy 1 - 10 and 

the price reduces when you buy more. This sampler pack gives you a chance to try the various

products and then if there are certain ones you just love and feel they would work in your ministry

they can be purchased separately.

What Did I Think

I loved being able to touch and try all these great teaching items. I also loved that the sample pack

was enclosed in a nice clear plastic zipper bag. A great way to always have the tracts readily

available and not worry about them getting "messed up".  Jacob volunteers at one of our local soup

kitchen and chapel so he will be using these items to spread the gospel to all who come.  I would

recommend these to all who want to share about God, His love and how to receive Him in your life.

We never know when we are going to have the opportunity so we should always be prepare.

Facebook

To read what other crew members are saying click the box below.

Fall Fun

     We buy yearly passes for Dollywood mainly for the Harvest Southern Gospel Festival that last

the whole month of October.Jacob loves Southern Gospel and keeps up with many groups and

individuals via Singing News, Instagram and T.V. When the schedule for the festival is available he

sits down and makes his list of who he really wants to see. This year we got to see some different

groups perform and we really enjoyed it.

     The leaves weren't as pretty when we went to Tennessee but God's landscape is ALWAYS

beautiful. No matter how many times I travel through the mountains I'm amazed how something so

big and rugged could be so soft and small in God's world. So many times we don't stop and look at

the beauty but complain about the ugliness and miss His blessings.

     I want to say fall is my favorite time of year but I also love spring (except the allergies). There are

so many things to do and participate in that if you don't watch it major overload. Picking apples has

been something we've done since moving to NC 22years ago but this year we've gotten overloaded

and haven't gone. Jacob has found some Apple recipes(jelly,applebutter,etc.) that he wants to try this

year so not sure there are any apples to pick but we're heading out today to see.

     With this new season Jacob has set out on a new adventure.....The Red Bow Tie Club. He is

volunteering as an usher at The Foundation which is where there are concerts,plays,etc. He did his

first concert last week and really enjoyed it so much that he's decided he wants to add more programs

to his list. I am so proud of him!!! This is a big step for him to actually go to an event without

me being present. Most people don't know he has many health problems and assume he's just a

momma's boy. Well this momma is Jacob's biggest cheerleader. Enjoy Fall Y'all and stop to look at

God's beauty around you be it mountains,beaches,prairies.

Brinkman Adventures Season 4

Have you heard of Brinkman Adventures? We hadn't until recently we were given the opportunity to

receive and review Brinkman Adventures Season 4. After reading about what this review would be

about I got excited to get started.

The Brinkman Adventures is a audio missionary drama based on a real-life missionary family and

their missionary experiences in real-life. While the stories in this audio drama are true and about

modern missionaries some of the detail may have been adapted or fictionalized. These adventures

can be read about at Brinkman Adventures Real Stories Season 4 and see pictures and videos of their

adventures. Brinkman Adventures Season 4 has 12 episodes that take you from a Bible camp  to

Cambodia, Russia and the Middle East while encountering some scary things along the way.




Season 4 (Episodes 37 - 48)

37 A Paradise Lost
38 Remember Nhu
39 Aisha’s Fear
40 Heart Song
41 The Crashed Kitchen
42 Crisis In The Congo
43 The Mysterious Palm Feller
44 War of the Raccoons
45 The Five Guys
46 Toughest Man
47 Cambodian Quest
48 What Brings Us Together

Favorite Episodes

A Paradise Lost had Jacob and I on the edge of our seats waiting to hear and imagine what the

Brinkman's and the campers were going to do in the bad storm. We had just been camping so it

was easy to visualize what was happening at this Bible camp.

Remember Nhu brought back memories of our trip to California where we were told about slave

trade in Cambodia. Jacob was about 13 and had never really been exposed to these topics before

so now to hear it in the Brinkman Adventures has made him(18 years old now) start questioning

what he can do to try and help combat against these acts.

I would have to say my favorite episode was The Mysterious Palm Feller. The audio drama is so

realistic that I felt as though I was right alongside them biking and flying through the Congo. To hear

the native people loving God and wanting to love God made me feel proud to be a child of God. A

witch doctor comes to know God and doesn't want to perform evil things anymore. To me this is

just a reminder that ALL CAN COME TO GOD.

Through out the missionary stories prayer is shown to be a way to help with the life situations. So

many times we as humans only go to God in prayer when we have a problem or situation we can't

fix but prayer should be constant not just in bad times.

Our Thoughts

We really enjoyed listening to this season and will be purchasing the other seasons. We listened while

working around the house and while doing some computer things.

You can follow Brinkman Adventures on Facebook.



To read what other crew members thought of  Brinkman Adventures Season 4 click on the box below

Glory Song Review

   
     We love music in our house.....especially Christian music so you can imagine my

excitement when we were offered the opportunity to review Glory Song by Matt Redman.

Being a member of the FlyBy Promotion reviewers I received a free cd to listen to and give

my opinion. On this new praise and worship cd where Matt Redman teams up with other

worship singing friends.

     Glory Song Track List
      

1.   All Glory featuring Kierra Sheard

2.   Gospel Song featuring Guvna B

3.   Greatest Hallelujah

4.   Gracefully Broken featuring Tasha Cobbs Leonard

5.   One Day (When We All Get To Heaven)

6.   Redemption Ground featuring Madison Cunningham

7.   It Is Finished

8.   Questions (You Are Faithful)

9.   Still I Will Sing

10.Place Of Praise featuring Kim Walker-Smith

11.Hope Is Marching On

12.Simple Pursuit / Glory Song

13.Your Ways

     Available to preview and purchase today at
      
                    iTunes
                    Amazon (CD)
                    Amazon MP3)

     My Opinion
     
      I've really enjoyed listening to this cd at home and in the van as we're out and about.
Definitely it has a calming and soothing result on me while worshiping God and all He does for us. Highly recommend purchasing and adding Glory Song to your library.

     

Social Corner:

Gracefully Broken Top Of The Tower Live Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__haUJns_b8

Gracefully Broken (Lyric Video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJNR0lxbIP4

Gracefully Broken (Song Story): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LeKJYkhIo8  

September = Hydrocephalus Awareness

HYDROCEPHALUS

What is Hydrocephalus?

     Hydrocephalus is commonly referred to as "water on the brain." The so-called "water" is actually cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), a clear liquid that looks like water and is produced in the 4 ventricles (cavities) of the brain, connected by narrow pathways.

Causes?

Hydrocephalus has a variety of causes including:

• congenital brain defects
• hemorrhage, either into the ventricles or the subarachnoid space
• infection of the central nervous system (syphilis, herpes, meningitis, encephalitis, or mumps)
• tumor

Hydrocephalus is believed to occur in approximately one to two of every 1,000 live births. The incidence of adult onset hydrocephalus is not known. There is no known way to prevent hydrocephalus.

Facts About Hydrocephalus

Although you may have not heard the word hydrocephalus (hi-dro-seff-a-lus), it is not an uncommon condition. Hydrocephalus has no ethnic or gender preferences – and it can develop at any time during gestation all the way through to senior adulthood.

Here are a few facts about Hydrocephalus:

• Hydrocephalus is one of the most common birth defects, each year one out of every 500 births results in hydrocephalus
• Another 6,000 children annually develop hydrocephalus during the first 2 years of life
• Brain injury occurs every 15 seconds in this country - and in some cases leads to the development of hydrocephalus
• There are approximately 75,000 discharges a year from hospitals in the U.S. with a diagnosis of hydrocephalus
• More than 50% of hydrocephalus cases are congenital
• 70-90% of children born with spina bifida also develop hydrocephalus
• CSF shunting procedures account for approximately $100 million health care spending in the United States alone - half of this amount is spent on shunt revisions
• In the past 25+ years, death rates associated with hydrocephalus have decreased from 54% to 5%, and the occurrence of intellectual disability has decreased from 62% to 30%
• Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus affects adults and can cause dementia, difficulty in walking and, urinary incontinence
• No statistics are kept (by our government), for those who develop

Signs of Hydrocephalus

Congenital Signs normally found in infants and children
EARLY	Enlargement of the head Irritability Lethargic	Feeds poorly/Decrease in appetite Recurrent vomiting Prefers to be alone
LATER	Distended scalp veins High-pitched cry Increased muscle tone	Enlarged and bulging fontanel "Sunset Eyes" (downward gaze)
Acquired Signs normally found in older children, teens, and adults
EARLY	Increased intracranial pressure Headache Decrease in appetite Lethargic Nausea Vomiting Double vision	Deteriorating mental capabilities Irritability Restlessness Personality changes Incontinence Difficulty in walking
LATER	Seizures

Please note that these are just the most common signs - and it doesn't mean that a patient who is suffering a malfunction will follow all these signs. And no two malfunctions are alike, although they may be similar.

Treatment?

The most common treatment for Hydrocephalus is to use a shunt.      

A shunt is a mechanical device designed to transport the excess CSF from or near the point of obstruction to a re-absorption site and it is implanted under the skin.
There are many different types of shunts, but there is no perfect shunt. The quest continues for one, the shunt manufacturers are always trying to achieve this goal.

Having a shunt is a lifetime commitment. Once a shunt is implanted, it is not a "one time" operation. Life expectancy of a shunt averages 10 years. However, a shunt can last 5 minutes to many years. It is wise to always be aware of the warning signs for a "shunt malfunction."

Shunt Malfunctions

If an obstruction or other problem is found within the shunt system, one or more components of the shunt may need to be replaced. When this occurs, surgery is necessary.

Some of the problems that can cause a shunt malfunction are:

• Infection
• Blockage
• Calcification or breakage of the catheters
• Separation (catheters may disconnect from the valve and reservoir unit)
• Valve is broken or stuck
• Wrong pressure valve (usually found in a fixed shunt)
• Catheter needs lengthening
• Over-drainage or under-drainage

     Jacob's come a long way in his short 18 years. He's had 4 brain surgeries due to Hydrocephalous

which I thought was a lot but we've met many that have had 50-100 and they are young.There is no

cure and many face constant headaches and everyday pains. We went to Hydrocephalous camp in

Texas a couple of years ago and learned we ARE NOT alone in this daily battle. We now have many

Hydro Warrior friends and their families to help along this journey.

     Though September's almost over I spread awareness anytime I can. Jacob is my HERO!!!

Thanks to

for the information I've shared.