Karen Ehman

Subtitled "Other-Centered Living in a Self-Centered World", this Christian living title illustrates how we can love others by listening actively, showing up when someone's grieving, opening our homes hospitably, showing kindness to prickly people, and more.

Ehman effectively uses Scripture and examples from her own life (not just when she was giving, but also when she was on the receiving end) to challenge and inspire readers. There was a lot of good material here for someone looking to put show more their faith in action. show less

Ms. Ehman is one of my favorite authors! I love sharing, giving and doing for others. She always has beautiful, thoughtful and unique ideas to brighten people’s days and make them feels special. This book as with her others has practical ideas anyone can do. The majority without a lot of work or cost. They are flexible in that you can personalize them to fit your special giving situation. More than ever right now people need to be encouraged.
As the book cover says there are 101 of these show more little treasures. I found them all to be uncomplicated and easy. The most impressive thing I found was that ALL of them are extraordinarily thoughtful, and that is something that really touches people’s hearts. One of my favorite of the 8 sections is “Throughout Your Day and Around the Town.” I love surprising people that work in the community as they are seldom recognized.
This is not giving me a pat on the back as the Lord gets the credit, but I want to share a personal experience in this area. There was a woman at a very busy business in town. EVERYTIME I was there no matter how busy they were or how grumpy a costumer she was always patient, kind a wore a real smile. The Lord kept prompting to do something for her. So I put together a little bag, and wrote a letter telling her how much I appreciated her. She cried. Next time I went in she told me that day she had planned to take her life. She was so discouraged and alone. The tiny gift and note that only took a small amount of time gave her hope and made her want to go on. I learned that you never ever underestimate the impact of small acts of kindness as in this book. Remember, the gift you give is not truly the “gift”; the true gift is that you thought of them and cared.
I received these books from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest review. The opinions stated are my own. show less

I'm not going to lie this was a pretty adorable book. I initially thought that there were just recipes in here, but there is soo soo much more. There are lots of ideas on how to celebrate the little things in life and start new traditions.

This book is mainly for Christian families (i.e. mothers and grandmothers) but never fear there is something for everyone in here. Someday far in the future when I have kids I would love to implement some of the "family traditions" she outlines (scavenger show more hunts on Christmas, random acts of kindness, half birthday celebrations, etc).

The recipes included also sound delightful. I really want to try out the Christmas Pistachio-Cherry Muffins, Eggnog Stuffed French Toast and Creamy Gratin of Winter Root Vegetables. They all sound so good! Each section has three or four recipes (there's probably around 50 in the book, maybe more).

Like I said this isn't just a cookbook. It's a guide for bringing families closer together and closer to God through traditions, religion, and good cooking.

I received this book for free from Revell Books in return for my honest unbiased opinion. show less

When I saw Karen Ehman’s name on this book I KNEW it would be great, but it was better than that, it is outstanding! How wish this had been published when my girls were little! I tried very hard to make holidays special, but wracked my brain to find ways to make the many days in between them fun. This book was just what I needed! All is not lost because now I can use the ideas with my grandchildren.
This book’s celebrations did not require a lot of extra purchases and expense to carry show more them out. That is a plus for any family in this day and time. I especially liked that the throughout the book there was a Christian emphasis on family times spent together. The ideas were not only unique but very creative. Just the stuff great memories are made of.
Regular holidays are of course represented, with new traditions, games, and crafts. Many unusual calendar days not typically celebrated are included. There are sections on daily and weekly moments such as meal times, family night, sibling’s night, name day, spiritual miles stones, and reaching out to others in hard times. There is also a chapter on ways to keep connected with your children from the young to those heading to college.
I liked that it was divided into seasons where I can easily find what is appropriate for that time of year. The recipes are excellent, not a lot of fuss and things everyone would like, but delicious! Throughout the books are quotes, spiritual insights, and experiences of other women. This book is a keeper, and one you will want to use over and over!
I received this book free from Baker Publishing. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. show less