Ridin' the Heartland Trails

Jason and I took a 2-day staycation to Harpole's Heartland Lodge in Nebo, IL earlier this week.  It was our third time there, but our first for riding the trails.  Because we don't own one ourselves (yet), a friend let us borrow an Arctic Cat side by side.  If you happen to stay at this location and want to ride the trails, I highly recommend you bring your own.  ATVs and other off-road vehicles are available for rent, but it's very expensive.

I've been muddin' and ridin' before but it's always been in a truck or jeep.  This was the first in an UTV.  Must admit, I had a blast.  Jason was a pro at driving and only once did we almost roll over.  

Which trail to take - left or right?!

There are about 60 miles of trails to ride within the different parks, and we went through half of it.  A map was given, marking off the different locations.  One particular area, deemed as "dangerous",  was for very skilled drivers.  We ventured down there but didn't get too crazy.

Checking to see where the rutted trail leads

Forests, creeks, prairies, ruts, mud holes, two turtles, and the beautiful scenery of nature - 

An amazing experience!

God's country

Do you ever go on trail rides?

Shout Out to These September Winners

Photo by Mel Poole on Unsplash 

Three of my giveaways have ended and the winners have been randomly drawn.

The winner of the I Can Only Imagine for Little Ones children's book giveaway is #4, Marilyn.

The winner of the True Colors party game giveaway is #65, Nikki Davis.

The winner of the Fergus and Zeke at the Science Fair children's book giveaway is #28, Robin Abrams.

Congrats to the winners and thanks to all who entered.  Be sure to check out the currently active giveaways, listed at the top left hand side of my blog.  There's no limit to how many you can enter or how many you can win.

NKJV Children's Outreach Bible - Review and Giveaway

Book Overview:

*Ages 6-12

*Our most-loved Children’s Outreach Bible includes full-color study helps with the trusted New King James translation to make Bible reading fun and accessible for kids!   

*This affordable Children’s Outreach Bible in the trustworthy New King James Version is a great value for anyone who wants to give children God’s Word. The fun and colorful cover is designed for boys and girls alike, and the interior features the full Old and New Testaments of the New King James Version, the translation loved and trusted by millions!

*Also featured are 24 pages of kid-friendly full-color study help pages to help young children learn and grow in their faith journey. 

My Review:

  Whether it be because of price or another reason, not every kid has access to a Bible.  I believe that any child who wants one should be able to have a Bible.  After all, it's the book that Christians base their beliefs upon and raising kids in a Christ-like environment is a big priority.

The NKJV Children's Outreach Bible is very affordably priced.  It does not have a thick or hard cover but, other than that, it's a nice Bible for a child to own.  

 The 24 pages of full-color study help pages are beneficial to helping a child further understand the Bible and work with growing their faith.  For instance, there's a page on "How do I pray?" and one for "Why should I read the Bible?"  There's also references to the miracles of Jesus and the names of God.  A "to" and "from" page at the front can be filled out is the Bible is a gift.  

Win It!

One person will win a NKJV Children's Outreach Bible.

*This is a Rafflecopter giveaway open to residents of the USA.*

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I received product for review from Tommy Nelson.  The opinions within this post are of my own and I was not influenced in any way.  Please do your own research before purchasing products or using services.  Your opinions and results may differ.

Catch by C Space: Voice Your Opinion and Earn Rewards

This is a sponsored post. I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

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In addition to your impact on these companies’ products and services, you will have many opportunities to earn valuable rewards like Amazon gift codes for your participation in online communities and through surveys you take in Catch.

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Membership to Catch is by invitation only and spots are filling up fast, so take this quick survey today to see if you qualify: https://bit.ly/2xoOhSf

Power of Prayer Thursdays - Week 140

Photo by Tyler Nix on Unsplash

I believe in a God that hears prayers and answers them. I've witnessed the miraculous gift of answered prayer. And, I want to pray for you. I've started weekly Power of Prayer post every Thursday. We are now on week 140.  If you are needing prayer in an area of your life, please leave a comment and I'll commit to pray for your need or request. You can be as general or as specific as you like. Whether it be for healing, salvation, finances, emotions, or another area of life, I'd like to lift it up in prayer.

Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly; not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God.
–1 Peter 5:2

Love the Q: Veterans Home - #ForQuincy

 About a month ago I created a post about Love the Q, and event where over 600 volunteers from our church went out into the community and worked at 45 locations.  My first post talked about the Equestrian Team and what they did.  Now almost a month later (I'm a little slow on the uptake) I'd like to talk about how our team helped at the Illinois Veterans Home.

two members of the ROOTS team washing off park benches

Jason and I were site supervisors for IVH.  It was our responsibility to make sure everyone had needed supplies and knew their positions.  We actually put some physical labor in too.

Illinois Veterans home was in need of grounds maintenance with pulling weeds, tilling dirt, putting down mulch, and other "gardeny" stuff.

Kids got involved too!

People gathered rakes, hoes, shovels and other "gardeny" stuff (yep, said it again!) and got right to work.  There was a lot of ground to cover but it only took a few hours with the amount of people willing to help.

Kevin and Billy. 

Kevin took the role of golf cart passenger very seriously.

Later in the day the ROOTS team showed up.  ROOTS (Reaching Out for Opportunities To Serve) is a program spearheaded by the church.  It pairs volunteers up with the special needs population and has them come together for activities.  This was my third time working with ROOTS. 

Church Volunteers and ROOTS Team coming together to make a difference in the community

With some adult supervision, the ROOTS team went around the Illinois Vets Home and washed down the park benches and picnic tables.  As always, I had an absolute blast hanging out with them.  To finish off the day, we ate lunch with the ROOTS group with Walking Tacos.

Illinois Veterans Home is a large state facility that houses female and male veterans.  It was such a good feeling being able to help out and show that we care.  I went home that day high on life.

The Norton family pulling weeds

I'm posting about Love the Q for a few reasons.  For one, I want to remember it all.  For two, it left a huge impact on our community.  Thirdly, it might give you an idea or two of something you can do to help your neighbors.

In Between Things - Children's Book Review and Giveaway

Book Overview:

By Priscilla Tey

9780763689834 | May 2018 | Ages 4-8 | 40 pages

Look over there — the cat is between a table and a chair with a tear. But now look again: the cat is on top of the dog, who’s between the floor and the cat (and not too happy about that!). As you wander through the delightfully detailed illustrations, the more you look, the more you’ll see — including colors made from a mix of two others, hybrid implements such as a spork, warm nooks that are neither too cold nor too hot, even a cross of a zebra and cow that makes a . . . zebrow? In an engaging and utterly stylish debut, rising star Priscilla Tey leads readers on an addictive exploration of the in-between, a surprisingly far-reaching and everywhere concept.

My Review:

A hardback book with lots of visuals through color and illustrations, In Between Things explains the meaning of the word "between" with whimsical rhythmic words.  A black cat and a brown dog are shown going between all sorts of things.  For instance, take this excerpt from the book:

"An in-between thing can separate two things, which is sometimes a helpful and necessary thing.

The glass in between keeps fish wet and us dry. It separates the cat from the tasty-looking guy."

For a book to explain a word in a way that's so entertaining and catchy, In Between Things is a definite favorite of all the children books I've ever reviewed.  It's a book that I wouldn't mind reading over and over to a young child.  Note to the author:  Please make more books like this!

Win It!

One person will win a hardback book copy of In Between Things.

*This is a Rafflecopter giveaway open to residents of the USA.*

I received book for review from Candlewick Press.  The opinions within this post are of my own and I was not influenced in any way.  Please do your own research before purchasing products or using services.  Your opinions and results may differ.
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