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New Children’s Book I Am Awesome! Teaches the Power of Embracing Our God-Given Confidence

A recent study by University of Washington researchers shows that by age five children have a sense of self-esteem comparable in strength to that of adults. That’s a significant finding given that self-esteem then tends to remain relatively stable throughout a person’s life.

Ryan Maule, motivational speaker and host of the popular Expect Awesome Podcast, is taking that seriously. He wants to make sure that all children get the positive self-esteem they need early so they can be the type of adults that live up to their God-given potential.

Explains Ryan, “I was brought up in churches where confidence was seen as a prideful thing that needed to be discarded and exchanged for humility. I don’t think that’s what God intended at all. We were created by an awesome God who created an ever-evolving awesome creation that needs to live up to the potential that God intended for us. How can we fully believe in God’s awesome power if we can’t believe in ourselves while living according to his power?”

After helping his own daughter overcome issues of poor self-esteem, Ryan wanted to create a way to improve children’s self-esteem in a format that is understandable and relatable to them. The result is his new children’s book, I Am Awesome! (ISBN: 978-1-9736-8105-2), which helps kids build confidence by teaching them just how awesome they truly are.

I Am Awesome!  tells the story of two robots named Grace and Zeal who live in Goodland, a land created by an Inventor where everyone and everything is Good. When Grace and Zeal meet a new invention who claims to be Awesome and not just Good they set off for the Inventor’s workshop to get some answers. There they discover the truth – that they are worth more than they ever realized. 

“I want kids of all ages to live with a God-powered self-worth and confidence,” says Ryan. “I want to impact lives and inspire both kids and parents to achieve and go for more.”

“Ultimately with I Am Awesome! I want to teach children that it’s not just a good thing to have confidence, it’s what God wants!” adds Ryan. “He wants you to live an awesome life with Him by your side through it all.”

Guest Post

3 Secrets to Teaching Your Kids to Choose Confidence Over Fear

By Ryan Maule, author of the children’s book I Am Awesome!

Being a parent of a child in grade school means constantly sitting on the edge of your seat. Changes are happening all the time that affect the way your child reacts and responds to everyday life situations. This makes parenting overwhelming, feeling like you’re just sitting around waiting to come up with answers to issues you didn’t realize would come up in the first place. 

One of those changes seen regularly is a loss in self-esteem or confidence. Many parents face the dilemma of seeing confidence deplete with little to no understanding of what’s going on or how it happened. Most of the time we don’t even notice until the confidence has dropped so far that we wonder how it will ever recover!

So, what happened? If you’re like me, it’s easy to remember the moments where your child looked like they were absolutely unstoppable. I’ve seen my daughter take on roller coasters that made me nauseas, introduce herself to a group of strangers where I hoped to just blend in and get ignored, and perform, sing, and dance in front of crowds that make even the most confident of parents wonder “where did this kid come from?!” For a while it seemed like the only thing that scared her was Santa Claus. 

But then, without notice or warning, she doesn’t have that confidence anymore. She doesn’t want to perform, she’s withdrawn, she doesn’t want to go on even simple child rides, or stand out at school or in small groups. 

Where did the confidence go?

The reality is that these depletions in confidence are normal and common throughout not only the growing up process, but throughout your child’s entire life. These life tests never go away. The trick is to be able to recognize and label the problem that is always getting in the way. It can be called many things and summed up into one word: fear.

Fear is the main reason your children lose some or most of their self-confidence. It can be discovering the fear of death, the fear of judgement, the fear of disapproval, the fear of disappointment, the fear of embarrassment, or even the fear of simply failing. They could even just be scared in general. Fear is always present and will never fully go away. Fear is the amplifier of all the negative outcomes in every situation that we hold in the back of our mind. 

The secret is to teach our children how to react to fear in order to maintain and build their confidence. To do this, I have three easy secrets to help your kids choose confidence over fear.

1. Teach Your Children to Recognize and Admit Their Fears

Most situations where confidence is attacked are never recognized because we allow ourselves to get away with lying to each other. Instead of properly saying “I’m afraid of” or “I’m scared to,” we allow bad excuses and “I just don’t want to’s” to be acceptable answers. Teaching your kids to identify the thoughts and feelings that are fear-related helps them to create the potential for a stronger, more confident response. 

2. Make A Rule of No Hypotheticals

This secret is one that all families should use and applies to both adults and children. Hypotheticals are imaginary negative outcomes and more commonly, fantasy worst-case scenarios. It’s so easy to think up disasters and failures and play them out like a movie in your mind. The answer is to not allow them. No hypotheticals means basing your decision on only the things that are facts and that you already know. By not allowing your worst-case scenario to impact your decision, you create opportunities where positive outcomes are truly possible.

3. Discuss Past Successes! 

When you’re in the moment, it’s hard to remember past experience. Sometimes all you need is a little reminder of great moments of past confidence to inspire more instances of future confidence! 

“Do you remember that time you did this same thing and it went perfectly?!” 

“Mom and I were so proud of you the last time you handled a situation like this!” 

“You are awesome at this!” 

“This is nothing for you!” 

“You could do this in your sleep!” 

By drawing on past successes, your children will start to see beyond the fear and see themselves conquering the world!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

RYAN MAULE is a nationally recognized and highly sought-after motivational speaker, host of the popular Expect Awesome Podcast, and the president of Integrity Doctors, the world’s largest chiropractic business organization. Over the last 15 years Ryan has traveled the world spreading the message of expecting awesome and building a stronger self-image in order to gain a God-powered confidence. Ryan is happily married to his awesome wife Amber and they live in Florida with their two awesome kids, Summer Grace and Nolan Zeal.

Learn more about Ryan and I Am Awesome! at www.ryankmaule.comand on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

I Am Awesome! is available on Amazon.

• Author’s Facebook: LINK 
• Author’s Twitter: LINK
• Author’s Instagram: LINK
• Author’s Website: LINK
• Amazon: LINK
• ChristianBook.com: LINK

Come attend this years’ LDS Film Festival February 24-29th at the Scera Center for the Arts. View the schedule and learn more at www.ldsfilmfestival.org

From their website: “The LDS Film Festival was founded in 2001 by Austrian filmmaker Christian Vuissa, who envisioned a place for LDS filmmakers to network with each other and showcase their work to an appreciative audience. The festival is independently organized and not  affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Since 2006, the festival has found a perfect venue at the Scera Center for the Arts in Orem, Utah.

The LDS Film Festival strives to annually present a diverse spectrum of films that represent the status quo of current LDS filmmaking. At the same time, the LDS Film Festival seeks to discuss what LDS filmmaking should be or could be. The festival’s LDS Film Forum presents papers by LDS scholars and academics that deal with different theoretical aspects of Mormon filmmaking. Discourses, discussions and exposure to different ideas and thoughts are all encouraged.

The LDS Film Festival has grown tremendously over the last few years. What began as a short film festival, is now a major event that showcases an impressive array of feature films, special screenings and short films. Over the last ten years, attendance has been steady, averaging 4000-7000 visitors each year. Since its inception, the LDS Film Festival has premiered dozens of theatrical releases and screened hundreds of films. Regional, national, and international media have all reported from and about the festival, including The Associated Press, The Washington Post, and Premiere Magazine.

The LDS Film Festival also offers a unique atmosphere with dozens of filmmakers attending the festival and mingling with each other and the audience. Experienced filmmakers share their knowledge with younger filmmakers in informative presentations, and almost every screening at the festival is followed by a Q&A session with the filmmakers. Additionally, the festival draws industry professionals, distributors, and broadcast media looking for content.”

God’s Army

1h 48min

2000

PG

A serious, entertaining, profoundly moving religious movie. Rookie missionary Brandon Allen (Matthew Brown) confronts the challenges of missionary life in Los Angeles, soon realizing that his most important convert may be himself.

Yesterday we sat and watched the movie God’s Army to celebrate the LDS Film Festival’s opening night. It’s been years since I’ve seen it. The film addresses anti-Mormon literature, blacks and the priesthood, doubts about serving, older missionaries, and serious health issues while on a mission. There are several “real-life” moments with lots of humor sprinkled in. Overall, it has a more dramatic tone. My oldest though it highlighted too much of the bad behavior of missionaries. I enjoyed the scenes which built faith and showed miracles as well as the message of wearing out one’s life in the service of God. I loved the message of “find out for yourself” through prayer.

Content: seizure, toilet scenes, minor violence, punching, questioning of faith, prostitutes. Recommend for older teens or adults.

Stream it live on LDS Scriptures. (ad)

The Milkman's Son: A Memoir of Family History. A DNA Mystery. A Story of Paternal Love

on March 3, 2020
Pages: 336
Format: ARC

Buy the Book • Goodreads

Raised in a family he bore little resemblance to, Randy was jokingly referred to as the "milkman's son." This warm and candid memoir chronicles the unraveling of a family secret, which begins with Randy's dad having dreams about deceased relatives urging him to complete their family tree. Randy agrees to help with the genealogy, but after his searching leads to a dead end, he takes a commercially available DNA test. The results reveal a possible genetic match to a sister, which begins a familial quest that forever changes the author's life.

Featuring a cast of vivid characters richly drawn from two distinct families, The Milkman's Son reveals one man's family tree, pulling back layers of new information as he gets closer to the truth--a biological father, siblings, and family members he never knew. This is a story of accepting, forgiving, and reuniting. Most importantly, it's about the bonds that connect us and the unconditional love that makes us feel like we belong.

Review

This book was relatable to me as I have helped several of our cousins and DNA matches locate their birth families using genetic data. Written as a memoir, it is the tale of a man who goes about trying to break down brick walls for his father and finds something else all together. I could feel the authors pain at others making light of his situation and nickname, but later his acceptance of who he is and how he came to know his roots. I really hope we hear more about his mother’s story and reaction in the future. There was also a bit of a disconnect in emotion portrayed to the readers between the writer and his biological father as a result of the medical conditions involved. Because his extended bio family accept and envelop him you can feel it coming through in other ways. I loved the discussion of jealousy and tension between bio and half siblings, as well as the differences in culture between the place where he was raised and the East Coast. There’s even a mention of Tastykakes!

Any genetic genealogist will enjoy this memoir. It was a bit slow in pacing through a few parts, but overall, I found it to be an interesting look at what can and does happen with Ancestry DNA testers. Thank you Shadow Mountain for the sneak peek!

About the Author

RANDY LINDSAY is a world traveler. Which sounds impressive until you realize the worlds he visits exist only in his mind and on the pages of his novels. He claims to prefer this method of sightseeing because he can stop at any time, go to the kitchen, and indulge his ice cream addiction. When he isn’t busy making things up he likes going to movies with his wife to watch what other people have made up and plays board games with his children who are in the habit of making up the rules as they go along.

WWW.RanTheStoryMan.com

From the New York Times bestselling author of When Dimple Met Rishi comes the first novel in a brand-new series set at an elite international boarding school, that’s a contemporary spin on Beauty and the Beast.

Will the princess save the beast?

For Princess Jaya Rao, nothing is more important than family. When the loathsome Emerson clan steps up their centuries-old feud to target Jaya’s little sister, nothing will keep Jaya from exacting her revenge. Then Jaya finds out she’ll be attending the same elite boarding school as Grey Emerson, and it feels like the opportunity of a lifetime. She knows what she must do: Make Grey fall in love with her and break his heart. But much to Jaya’s annoyance, Grey’s brooding demeanor and lupine blue eyes have drawn her in. There’s simply no way she and her sworn enemy could find their fairy-tale ending…right?

His Lordship Grey Emerson is a misanthrope. Thanks to an ancient curse by a Rao matriarch, Grey knows he’s doomed once he turns eighteen. Sequestered away in the mountains at St. Rosetta’s International Academy, he’s lived an isolated existence—until Jaya Rao bursts into his life, but he can't shake the feeling that she’s hiding something. Something that might just have to do with the rose-shaped ruby pendant around her neck…

As the stars conspire to keep them apart, Jaya and Grey grapple with questions of love, loyalty, and whether it’s possible to write your own happy ending.

I’m about a third of the way through the advanced reader’s copy of Curses and Kisses which releases today. So far, so good! Elite boradning school students, a mysterious curse, and teens navigating their loyalty.

Content: mild swearing, underage drinking.

About the Author

Sandhya Menon is the New York Times bestselling author of several novels with lots of kissing, girl power, and swoony boys. Her books have been featured in several cool places, including on The Today Show, Teen Vogue, NPR Book Review, Buzzfeed, and Seventeen. A full-time dog servant and part-time writer, she makes her home in the foggy mountains of Colorado.

Movie Synopsis: Gabriel Ngandu is a young Congolese revolutionary running from the terrible mistakes of his past. His journey of escape leads him to new experiences and even a new religion that challenges long-held beliefs about his destiny and world around him. He find himself torn between the influences and expectations of two very different father figures- Mwabila, his revolutionary leader, and President Kabasubabu, his new religious leader. Called to serve as a missionary, he is sent back to his native village to build an orphanage with Jason Martin, an American who also has a tragic and secret past. Together, they struggle to understand and overcome their histories, cultures, and prejudices to serve the people around them.

Caught between enmity and reconciliation, revenge or forgiveness, intolerance or understanding, they begin to see the potential for a better; more peaceful future for themselves and for the Congo. Worlds finally collide when explosions rock the new orphanage and Kabasubabu is kidnapped by Mwabila’s revolutionaries. Gabriel is faced with choosing between the two different worlds of these father figures… or finding his own path toward a new world inspired by understanding and redemption.

Share Trailer Link: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=K_BK3bYKQ60&feature=youtu.be

Rafflecopter Giveaway: $50 Amazon Gift Card 

More Info:http://heartofafricafilm.com/about/

The last couple of days we’ve had the opportunity to stream the Living Scriptures in our home with their new live service. Much more than cartoons, it’s been a game changer. There are many titles to choose from and inspirational movies we can streamwithout worrying about the content. We are using it in our school day and as a part of Come, Follow Me gospel study. Highly recommend for every family. We are going to dig in this week and let you know what we loved on Faceboook and Twitter.

Streaming Service Details:
Good clean fun! With hundreds of movies and audio stories especially for Latter-day Saint families, you’ll never run out of good things to watch. Enjoy anytime on your favorite devices. Available for browsers, tablets, smart phones, Roku, Chromecast, Kindle Fire, Apple TV, Android TV and Fire TV.

What’s on Living Scriptures?
Enjoy animated scriptures stories, Latter-day Saint produced comedies and dramas, church inspirational films, values-based children’s shows and much more. There are thousands of titles to choose from with new titles added every week!

Hundreds of High Quality Videos & Audio Stories
Experience the scriptures and church history like never before! Young and old will better understand the stories from the Book of Mormon, Bible and Church History. Access our growing collection of Latter-day Saint produced and family friendly movies and shows, with new titles added weekly. Browse our extensive library – your streaming membership gives you instant access to all titles!

What we’ve watched so far:

The Fighting Preacher

This movie has an incredible message about kindess and love in the midst of heavy persecution. Willard Bean was called on a 24 year mission to Palmyra, New York with his wife during a time when members of the Chrurch of Jesus Christ of Latter- Day Saints were hated. Neighbors ostracized them for their religious beliefs without getting to know them or giving them a chance. Their life is one of perserverence and service. LOVE, LOVE, LOVED it and recommend this movie to everyone. Family friendly. Thanks to Living Scriptures Streaming, we were able to experience one of the best movies I’ve seen in a long while. …Five ⭐️ stars.

Spirit of the Game

1000 to to 1: The Cory Weissman Story

Hidden in the Heartland (ad)

Other benefits:

Create a spiritual atmosphere

Affordable with great resources

Synergize your family scripture study

Entertain & educate

Wholesome heroes

Kids know all the answers in primary

High replay value

Stories that an be applied to life

Perfect alternative to TV on Sunday

Quick and easy family home evenings

Tour church & scripture sites from home

You Can Try Living Scriptures Streaming for one month free

Promo Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=30&v=xvII-nA7GRA&feature=emb_logo