Abbie Reviews

Summer of Promise, Amanda Cabot

2012-01-29T06:14:00.000-08:00

Content with her life as a schoolmarm at Mrs. Drexel's school in Vermont Abigail had her life planned out - even the man she would marry. Life was secure, happy, stable and predictable. However, nagging her were her concerns for her older sister who's letters held a certain not of melancholy in the carefully worded letters she sent from Wyoming.

Urged by these feelings that something is terribly out of place with Charlotte Abigail makes a decision to spend the summer with her sister in Wyoming at Fort Laramie. Little did she know that when she stepped onto the stage coach headed out West that the perfectly layed plans she had for her life would slowly disappear for a new road that God had planned.

Abigail has a set time and purpose for being in the dreaded baron landscape of Wyoming. Her distaste of the West is apparent to a fellow stage coach member who finds this very amusing. To keep her focus Abigail constantly reminds herself of the beautiful state she left and the steady, reliable man that she plans to marry upon return. However, another man, an Army Lieutenant, makes an undeniable impression on her.

Upon arriving at her sister Charlotte's house Abigail finds her sister saying all the right words about happiness with none of it reflected in her eyes. Abigail is determined to fix this for her sister. However, this proves to lead to more than what Abigail thought.

This big-hearted, forgiving woman touches the lives of everyone at the fort before the story ends. Her spirit of forgiveness and extending God's love softens every heart and changes those around her. This gentleness is just what Ft. Laramie has needed.

In this beautifully written story of love and redemption and following God's plans the reader is invited into a world of adventure, love and forgiveness from past pain. I especially like that though this story does have a love story threaded through it that is not the most dominant point of the story. This makes the unfolding love story all the more believable and likable. The author spends much time with character development, looking at the heart and and thoughts of the characters instead of focusing on an outward love. So the love the reader sees developed is one that is based on a mutual journey into God's plans and and acceptance of His grace and forgiveness.

Thank you Revell for this review copy.
“Available January 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

Where Wildflowers Bloom, Ann Shorey

2012-01-22T18:36:00.000-08:00

This is book one of a new series entitled 'Sisters at Heart' and seems to be a promising opener for this series. Ann Shorey has yet again created a story that is heartwarming and easy to read.

The Civil War has devastated a country - leaving families destroyed, homes lost, dreams shattered and lives forever altered. Towns are changed as young men, fathers and sons never come home and others that have lost everything and are seeking a new start stumble into towns looking for work. It seems that everyone is dealing with a grief of their own - trying desperately to make it all work out into something new.

The story is the same for Faith Lindberg who lost her father and brother to the brutal cruelty of war. In her small town she is constantly confronted with the memories that lurk on every street and around every corner. To add to this her fiance, Royal Baxter is presumed dead. All the dreams that Faith had held so dear prior to the outbreak of war and the onslaught of loss are shattered and she longs desperately for a new beginning.

Left with her ailing and aging grandfather, Faith looks to move west. The problem is how will she convince her grandfather to sell the family store and move with her. In the midst of all this comes an unlikely ally - a veteran of the war and his sister, a nurse. As Faith gets to know the two she becomes aware that what God has planned for her is not what she has planned. Add to this the unexpected return of her fiance and you have a mix of all kinds of emotions.

How far will Faith go to see her dream of leaving behind the small town with all the memories go - will she slow down and ask God what He would have her to do?

See the story unfold in the vivid imagery classic of Ann Shorey.

Thank you Revell for this review copy.

The Jerk Magnet, Melody Carlson

2012-01-22T18:21:00.000-08:00

The ugly duckling turned swan, the wall flower turned center attraction. What if you could become something that you never were before? What if you discover first hand that beauty really is more than just skin deep - because you are the transformed one - the overlooked that becomes the looked upon? That is just what unfolds in this teenage drama.

Chelsea Martin has long been the one to fade into the background. She has managed high school by just blending into the crowd, where no one notices her. That is until her father decides to marry a woman that is both beautiful and fashionable. Kate, the soon to be step-mom sees herself in Chelsea. Wanting to connect with her step-daughter she offers to give Chelsea a make-over, and what better time than when they will be moving to a new state. Chelsea has the unique opportunity of truly starting over.

Little did she know how different her life would become when she changes her appearance just a little.

This novel brings about a very interesting topic that most girls will be able to easily relate to. The very question that most girls struggle with is inner beauty enough, and can you have outer beauty and still be just as beautiful on the inside?

Chelsea goes from being the one that people pity, avoid or overlook to the one that people flock to, drool over, and even envy and hate. She quickly learns that being beautiful on the outside isn't what it was cracked up to be when people don't even take the time to get to know who she is on the inside and being overlooked isn't great for the same reason. So, how do you find the balance - what is it that Christ has called you to do?

This is a great teen novel. Once again Carlson has done an excellent job of tackling the subject of self-esteem and the struggle of becoming who you were always meant to be.

Thank you Revell for this review copy.

Chasing Mona Lisa, Tricia Goyer and Mike Yorkey

2012-01-15T14:58:00.000-08:00

This fast paced novel is set at the close of World War II in German occupied France just as France gains it's freedom. Four people are racing to save the beloved French artwork - the Mona Lisa while German Reichmarschall Hermann Goring sets out to claim it for himself.

From the first page the action and intrigue is non-stop. I was surprised at the depth of the characters since there were so many in the novel. Just as the reader thinks they have it all figured out - and have chosen the character they want to see win - things change. As it is in war time there are so many dynamics that the reader is torn between loyalty for certain characters and the greater cause.

What is it about this mysterious lady that makes her the most sought after piece of art - she truly is the most wanted lady in the world? Yet as each character takes their first look at this beloved piece of art they are captivated by her smile and poise.

I am forever amazed at the this particular period of history. Those living in this time were forced to make choices that I would never want be forced to make. Loyalty is constantly tested as black and white shifts to a hazy color of grey. Which side is the right side to belong to - and how should one serve to benefit the whole?

In this story you are invited into an exciting, life altering race that will forever change the lives of four individuals.

Small Space Organizing by Kathryn Bechen

2012-01-15T13:20:00.000-08:00

Kathryn Bechen is no stranger to small living spaces having lived in more than a fair share over the past 30 years. Instead of despairing Kathryn has allowed God to develop a talent at organization and style that make small space living livable and peaceful. As a mother of 4 children that home schools living in a 3 bedroom home that has a separate school room I am always looking a ways to maximize the space I have. My children are two to a room and there is furniture every where. Sometimes I feel claustrophobic even thinking about entering their rooms.

This book is just the book for a person like me. It is very practical, and well layed out making it an easy and enjoyable read. The down-side, if you could even consider it thus, is that you will feel motivated to tackle each room - even the ones that are pretty well organized. I particularly enjoyed the fact that she included helpful websites and products and that much of it was very reasonably priced.

This is certainly a book I would recommend - as it is helpful and does not leave you feeling utterly discouraged by the clutter you once thought was so very organized.

Thanks to Revel for this review copy.

Showing Love and Hospitality to Others By: Roxanne Packham, author of "Inspired Design'

2012-01-14T16:29:00.000-08:00

Before we are inspired about how to show love to others, we must first ask why?

Quite simply it is because in Romans 12:10 & 13 we are told to be devoted to one another in brotherly love, to honor one another above ourselves. We are also told to share with God’s people who are in need and to Practice Hospitality. Notice the vocabulary: practice, not perfect.

In America, as a culture and as individuals, we are suffering in part because popular media gears everything to perfection. We are bombarded with messages that if we aren’t the very best at something, we just shouldn’t bother. We compare ourselves to others, rather than knowing our worth in God’s eyes.

I suffer from insecurity and wonder if I can be creative enough to inspire. Are my tips original? Are the photographs beautiful enough? Are my suggestions too simple for some, but too fancy for another? The problem: my thoughts revolve completely around me. My creativity, my skills, my ability. This is not about me but about God’s purpose for me. I suddenly realize the bigger picture; I can’t do it, but I can through Christ who strengthens me.

This dance in my mind between my preciousness in His sight and the enemy’s interjections has slowed me down at times, but God showed me this dance is the very reason for us to love others; to encourage each other. Because we are human we suffer from doubt, insecurity, and rejection of one sort or another. We are God’s tool to encourage others. God uses us as His hands to love others, but make no mistake it is His power, His grace and the Holy Spirit that do the real work, not ours.

God’s path of creativity in me began with a family history of silversmithing eight generations back, a degree from USC, design school in Paris, then design school in Los Angeles. Call them spiritual or otherwise, but they were the gifts God saw fit to give to me. Who am I to argue with my Creator? They are unique and I celebrate them. What are your magnificent and unique gifts that you can use to inspire others?

I do not want the gifts received as a blessing from God to “turn into spiritual dry rot,” as Ann Voscamp suggests in her book One Thousand Gifts, as the manna did when it was hoarded in Exodus 16:20. I want to use my blessings.

Inadequacies and all, imperfections and all: I want to inspire others to practice Hospitality and to LOVE others.

Creative Ways to Encourage Others on Valentine’s Day

KIND WORDS

A handwritten note with quotes, scriptures and words of encouragement is a wonderful thing to find in the mailbox.

Leave a sticky note on your child/husband’s pillow or be bold and write your note on the bathroom mirror or car window in red lipstick saying “I love you”.

Even an email just to say “thank you for your hard work, you bless me” can make a person’s day. A cute poem, scripture or old photograph will remind them they are remembered.

If someone has lost a loved one, kind words of some way that loved one inspired you to do something better will let them know that their loved one’s legacy is living on.

AN INVITATION, TIME

Take some time out of your days to meet someone for coffee, lunch, a long walk, or even just leave a phone message with a sweet sentiment. If you have more time, take a picnic basket to their home. Set up a lunch, tea or coffee, with all your tea cups and a candle. It is a lovely surprise! Just rinse when you finish and pack back up so they don’t even have to do dishes. They will have a lovely memory of a special time.

THOUGHTFUL GESTURE

Hang flowers on the front door handle, leave a pretty tiny package in the mailbox with a beautiful red bow, or cookies delivered to the front door. Create a breakfast plate for your child that says you are special . This is especially significant if your child has struggled with something recently.

A BEAUTIFUL DINNER

Of course this takes more time, but try for a beautiful table setting complete with candles, fresh greens or flowers and a lovely menu either handwritten or printed out on your computer. (Visit Roxanne’s Pinterest account, via the Inspired Design blog, for darling printouts, including gift tags, and much more.) Don’t concentrate on the gourmet or complicated quality of the meal: remember it is about relationship and encouragement!

VALENTINE’S DINNER

A beautiful table for Valentine’s simply consists of reds, pinks and perhaps some purple. (Although it could be beautiful in all white too.) Of course, it has to have some hearts and some colorful candles. Leave kind words of some sort on each place setting. Every Valentine’s table should have its share of sparkle, of course!

Visit Roxanne Packham’s blog at www.InspiredDesignPublications.blogspot.com

for more pictures and Inspired Design ideas for Valentine’s Day.

Wayward Son, Tom Pollack with Jim Alves & John Loftus

2012-01-13T10:15:00.000-08:00

Wayward Son is one of those unique novels you stumble across ever so often that is both interesting and thought provoking. The captivating plot draws the reader into an adventure of a life-time that crosses ages and centers around a person of historical and biblical magnitude.

What would happen if the one cursed by God somehow 'cheats' death and lives throughout the ages influencing many people in many different time periods? Find out in this exciting novel that encompasses world history and biblical history. A theme that seems to be explored is the danger of greed, and self-sufficiency.

Amanda, a beautiful (overly stated in the novel) and intelligent young lady is called upon to use her amazing (again over stated) Linguistic skills to translate a door that is found after an earthquake. Apparently our lead character is a master of multiple modern and ancient languages and so brilliant that she is highly sought after for this and her unbelievable beauty.

In the course of going to this archeological site Amanda is faced with a great offer to become a television host and make more money in one year than she could make in a life time at the Getty working ancient artifacts and translating ancient texts. This temptation is a lure to keep her from what lays in wait for her at the archeological site.

Could it be that the modern world is still plagued by a god who is faceless, and just as ruthless as ever? A deceiver in the purest form - the ancient enemy of the one true God?

See this epic adventure unfold as you are invited into a modern world that collides with the ancient and see the battle of the adversary and God.

This is truly an interesting book.

Thanks to the Publisher for this free review copy.

Every Body Matters, Gary Thomas

2012-01-12T13:29:00.000-08:00

I have read many books that Gary Thomas has read and for the most part can say that I enjoy them. The fact that he chose to write something on this subject matter does not surprise since it seems to be a popular subject to write on. I have to say honestly that the title is cute - it is one thing that caught my attention. As a youth teacher I am constantly telling the youth that their bodies matter to God because they are the temple of God. This fact alone should stir each of us to take better care of what God created as a special place for the indwelling of his spirit.

In this book Thomas explores the negative and positive aspects of caring for ones body. He ties the healthy body to a healthy soul. His main goal is to show that our desires should not be for the outward appearance but should be for the goal of growing closer to God.

I would recommend this book for someone who is looking to make changes in their lifestyle while staying focused on God's design.

Thank you Zondervan and LibraryThing for this review copy.

Every Woman's Battle, Shannon Ethridge

2012-01-12T12:26:00.000-08:00

Back in May of 2011 we bought a copy of 'Every Young Woman's Battle' as we had a teen aged girl living with us at the time. Being familiar with the book 'Every Man's battle' and 'Every Young Man's Battle' we were confident that the book would be solid. The same was true when I saw this book for review: having read the other books I was glad to get a copy of this one too.

The author does an excellent job exploring a subject that has too long been tabu to talk about. I have found this to be a sad state of affairs. As a minister's wife, a women's ministry teacher and a teacher to Senior High Teens - as well as other ministries involving women - over the last 13 years I have met many young ladies and grown women who have been devastated in the area of sexual and emotional intimacy. Many have been wounded in such ways that they do not feel worthy. Others struggle silently with things they are too embarrassed to speak about, feeling they are the only ones struggling in these areas.

I found the book to be an excellent resource. The writing is very personable and easy to follow and the advice is biblical and scriptural based. Shannon Ethridge has stepped out to tackle a subject that has long needed to be tackled.

I would recommend this book for all women. I think that while reading it women will come face to face with issues that have long lay hidden in the dark recesses of their hearts and minds. This will produce a healing that will then produce a more intimate marriage or in the case of single women will provide a foundation on which to build an intimate marriage as well as tools to protect their hearts from things that should not be allowed into their hearts.

Thank you to WaterBrook Press for this free review copy.

The Daniel Fast, Susan Gregory

2012-01-12T06:42:00.000-08:00

This is the second book on the Daniel Fast that I have picked up to read. Again this book hits the reason to fast right on the head.

Though this book does go into the hows of fasting it focuses a lot of the why of fasting. After all the "why" of things is what gives us motivation and drive to follow through with something once we start. This book puts the focus right where it needs to be - on growing closer to God. In biblical text anytime fasting was used was for a person to spend time focused only on God and hearing His direction and guidance. The thought being to take away other distraction.

This book lays out a way to safely fast and I really appreciate the authors question and answer section in the back about common concerns. This puts to rest the person that is still uneasy about fasting. Also included is a 21-day devotional to help the person that is fasting. These devotionals are very solid in biblical application. Combine all this with yummy recipes that after 21-days will most certainly cause a certain amount of change in an unhealthy diet and you have a great book for those looking to fast for the first time.

Thank you Tyndale for this review copy.

A Year with Jesus, R.P. Nettelhorst

2012-01-12T06:27:00.000-08:00

A Year with Jesus is just the book needed for new and older Christians alike. After teaching the true meaning of theology to our teens and exploring that it in fact means the study of who God is and His personality - this book is easy to recommend. How better to get to know Jesus(God the Son) than by reading and studying His own words each day. If studied with an open heart that is seeking a deeper and more intimate knowledge of Jesus this book will open the door for solid foundational theology.

Each day is devoted to a teaching or saying of Jesus. This allows the reader to get to know the real Jesus to explore the character and nature of a Great and Awesome God and discover firsthand the personal love Jesus showed as he walked in human form on this earth.

This is an excellent book to start out your morning with or end a hectic day with. I would recommend it to any one.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson for this free review copy.

The Keeper, Suzanne Woods Fisher

2012-01-08T13:37:00.000-08:00

Sometimes our best laid plans, and the deepest desires of our hearts, even our hopes for the future of our dreams must be laid on the alter in exchange for God's perfect plan and His ultimate will. In doing this we are often surprised that what God had in store was far better than anything that we could dream up and that the deepest desires of our hearts are pleasantly and overwhelmingly met to the point of making us fall to our knees with thanksgiving - overwhelmed by the knowledge that we are loved that much.

This is just what the Lapp family discovers after a series of unexpected storms in their life that have left them in a state of disarray, discouragement and disheartened. The Lapp family is filled with quirky characters that fall short of the "normal" standards of the Amish lifestyle. This makes this story all the more personable as you see in honesty the struggles they face.

Julia Lapp has long dreamed of marrying Paul Fisher but he has yet to cut the apron strings that are like iron bands connecting him to his over-bearing, supremely controlling mother. When he yet again postpones their wedding Julia knows that Ms. Fisher is directly behind this - she knows the Ms. Fisher does not approve of the Lapp family. In fact she finds the Lapp family to be the black sheep of the Amish Community.

Amos Lapp, once healthy and fit is suddenly struck with a disease of the heart muscle that has left him with failing health. He struggles with depression as he sees his older daughters try to hold together the farm - working endless hours to do what the entire family once did.

Mary Kate (M.K.) and Menno the younger of the Lapp kids are facing their own trials as the family struggles to make things work. The spirited M.K. has made a resolve to help her sister finally marry the man of her dreams - Paul Fisher and to help her other sister Sadie discover a relationship with Gideon.

Throw in an uncle that is anything but the cookie-cutter Amish - his antics are often the talk of the little Amish community. However, in the midst of his quirky ways his heart is big and deep and filled with love and loyalty.

Can two unlikely people change the Lapp family and give them the hope and joy they so desperately need? The Bee Man, Roman Trower, shows up with his bees he unexpectedly decides to stay on and help get the farm up and running. This mysterious Amish man soon makes a deep impression on the family and on one heart for sure. Fern - or Stern Fern as M.K. calls her - is recruited by Uncle Hank to help get the family house in order. She does just that with authority and sternness. Though Fern changes the family the greatest change is in Fern herself.

God's best is often a surprise - the changes He has in store for us are often unimaginable.

This is a unique and fresh approach to Amish fiction. The Keeper is certainly a keeper.

“Available January 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

*** I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review ***

Lucky, Craig Inglis

2012-01-06T07:24:00.000-08:00

This endearing story of a man and his dog teaches a deeper principle of over-coming obstacles and adversities.

When the man's best-friend dog gets run over by a car and loses his leg the dog must relearn everything. With the help of the man this dog overcomes the trials and teaches that no matter what the obstacle with a little determination things turn out good. I liked that in the end the dog did all his tricks better with only three legs.

This book is a great spring board for discussions concerning physically disabled people. It teaches the principle that despite these things a person is still talented and viable - able to accomplish many of the same things they did before or would have done despite the disability. I think there is also an underlying thought that we should all be sensitive to those with disabilities and that we should also be the one to encourage the best in people.

I recommend this book to school teachers and to parents alike.

I received a free copy of this book directly from the author in exchange for an honest review of the product. As a mother of 4 children I can say that it was great. My children enjoyed the illustrations and the discussion of what it would be like to lose a leg, arm, or be in a wheel chair. We also discussed how we can help those with disabilities while encouraging them to strive for excellence in their endeavors. We talked about how it would be easy to get discouraged if you thought you were not the same as others and if it were harder for you to do things.

That's My Girl, Rick Johnson

2012-01-01T14:32:00.000-08:00

Subtitled "How a Father's love Protects and Empowers His Daughter" this book is just that. Many father's get lost in the provisional respects of their role in the family life forgetting or never fully understanding that love is a key element.

As the Senior High Girls Youth teacher and the Sunday School teacher for younger girls I see first hand what a lack of a father's genuine love does to a girl. Few father's truly understand the magnitude of influence they have in what type of young adult emerges in their daughters. They wonder why their daughters make bad choices in careers, life style, dates, etc - it boils down to what they were taught by their fathers. A girl's worth is often tied up in what she thinks her father thinks about her.

I am impressed with Rick Johnson's book in that it not only explores the importance of a father's love and influence, or what a father should do for his daughter, but it goes a step father to empower men to be the very best fathers. In this book Johnson attempts to give men direction, encouragement and advice on how to accomplish the task of loving their daughters in a way that protects and empowers them.

Our children are faced with a myriad of decisions. They desperately need a solid foundation of love to succeed in this unstable world. After reading this as a review copy I found myself wanting to buy the book "That's My Son" and "Better Dads, Stronger Sons". As a mother I want to know firsthand how I can help my sons become godly men - and if Johnson handles the subject of sons as well as he did daughters I do not expect to be disappointed.

Although I am a mother, I would highly recommend this book for fathers (and mothers to read with your husbands). If you are a single mom - read this book to better understand what it is your daughter may be longing for - then begin to pray for godly men to step into that role.

I received this book from the publisher Revell as a review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

“Available January 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

The Accidental Bride, Denise Hunter

2011-12-26T07:22:00.000-08:00

Shay Brandenberger's life has been filled with shattered dreams, disappointments and heartache. Her childhood was filled with hurt since she grew up poor and without. This was compounded because of being raised in the small town of Moose Creek. Now an adult Shay still struggles with feeling that everyone looks at her as a charity case, and whispers about all the bad things that have happened to her. Deep down Shay has a feeling that she is not special at all and she struggles constantly with trying to prove that she is worth more than people think.

A single mom struggling to make ends meet and keep her parent's ranch afloat after she was left by her husband Garrett this proud and spirited woman tries to keep her head held high. However, things are about to change for Shay when she agrees to play the bride in the town's Founders Day play. What should have been a pretend event turns into a real, legally binding marriage through the mistake of the absent-minded minister. How will Shay handle the town gossip when she finds herself now married to her one true love - the one that had left her at the alter 14 years before.

Travis McCoy is Moose Creek's golden boy. However, the Travis McCoy that left Moose Creek and the love of his life 14 years earlier to pursue a career in the rodeo is not the same man that has come back to take care of his parent's ranch. His heart longs to have a second chance with the girl he left standing at the alter so many years before, but after such a devastating hurt will she allow this man back into her heart and life? Then things suddenly change when at the last minute Travis is asked to play the groom - will he have the patience and endurance to prove his love to Shay?

This is a sweet story of love and life - of change and forgiveness.

Thanks to the publisher and B&B Communications for this review copy.

The Accidental Bride by Denise Hunter
Thomas Nelson/January 3, 2012/ISBN 978-1-59554-802-3
304 pages/trade paper/$15.99
www.ThomasNelson.com ~ www.DeniseHunterbooks.com

The Gospel Story Bible, Marty Machouski

2011-12-21T05:50:00.000-08:00

This colorful storybook is absolutely wonderful! This would make an ideal bedtime story book or early morning devotional type story book. Kids will be captivated by the beautiful and colorful illustrations and their attention will be kept by the stories told. Each story is followed by a "Let's talk about it" section that has simple questions.

The book contains 156 stories - enough for an entire year of Sundays. I liked this because it was easily adaptable for Home school bible time for the younger children. After reading this I am very interested in the other material available by this author for Sunday School and home school bible time.

I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a unique and interactive storybook to share with their children. This will no doubt be a book that piques a child's interest in the bible causing them to want to learn more and more.

Thank you B&B Publications for this review copy.

To view more by this author visit the website www.newgrowthpress.com

Mo Wren, Lost and Found, Tricia Springstubb

2011-12-15T19:30:00.000-08:00

This is a modern Ramona story - it is absolutely enjoyable on all levels. A great chapter book for early to mid-elementary age students to read. This is a classic in the making.

The antics and adventures of Mo Wren will keep any child's attention just as Beverly Cleary did with her books. This little girl is always up to something or into something making each page an exciting page to read.

I especially liked the fact that this book deals with a child's hopes and fears. Children who read this will be able to relate to Mo as she begins a new journey in life and moves from the home that she has grown up and and loved for so long. From a house on a street to a home in a building Mo is up for many challenges and changes. Too often young children feel they are alone in their fears and dissapointments when the things they hoped for and loved change. In this book children are invited along to travel with Mo as she faces these things and sees that life is full of change, challenge, a little fear and lots of laughs.

This book was provided free of charge by the author in exchange for an honest review. Visit the author at her website at www.triciaspingstubb.com

I Love you More than Chocolate, Melanie Milburn

2011-12-15T13:35:00.000-08:00

Melanie Milburn, a self-avowed chocolate lover, has written an absolutely adorable children's book. I really loved the fact that this book was based on a night time ritual that she has with her own children. My children loved the easy rhymes and colorful illustrations because they could relate easily since we also play a similar game. The included cd with song makes this a great gift for any child. The child can follow along in the book as the verses are sung by Melanie Milburn. It is evident in this book the deep love that this author has for children and her desire to share with them how very special they are. I believe that this book will quickly become a favorite bedtime tradition for parent and child - a welcomed break at the end of life's hectic day to remember just how special and dear our children are and to let them know just that.

Thank you Melanie Milburn for this wonderful children's book.

I received this book as a free review copy from the author and publisher.

The Hidden Gifts of Helping

2011-12-07T10:43:00.001-08:00

The Hidden Gifts of Helping:

Do Good Things for Others This Holiday Season

Article by Stephen G. Post,

Author of The Hidden Gifts of Helping,a Wall Street Journal bestseller

(www.StephenGPost.com/HiddenGifts)

Ebenezer Scrooge begins in The Christmas Carol with a “Bah humbug!” He is both miserly and miserable. As the story unfolds, he eventually discovers the “giver’s glow,” as I like to term it. He is dancing on the streets in the enduring joy of his newfound generosity of heart. I compare the giver’s glow to a glow stick that children get at parades and fairs. These are the translucent plastic tubes containing substances that when combined make light through a chemical reaction. After the glass capsule in the plastic casing is broken, it glows. The brokenness is part of the process. Give and grow, give and glow. Scrooge discovered this before it was too late.

Human beings are wired to give of themselves for noble purposes, regardless of circumstances. Recently, I delivered a sermon in an African-American Baptist church in Coram, New York. The subject was how we benefit when we love our neighbor. Afterwards, a wonderful elderly woman, who was full of vitality, said to me, “You know, that giver’s glow is how we African Americans have been getting through hard times for two centuries!”

On the inside cover of a copy of The Book of Common Prayer, given to me in 1986 by the Rev. William B. Eddy of Tarrytown, New York, is an accumulating memorial list of twenty people I have known closely as models of kindness and generosity over the years. To get on the list a person must have passed on and, by all accounts, remained generous even in their final days. These are people who understood that happiness is not to be found just in the getting, but in the giving, and they taught by example. Have you noticed the warm glow in your heart that comes when you act kindly? They had a deep sense of common humanity, and they all had a certain happiness about them—a sort of gaiety that comes with a life well-lived and rightly inspired.

In my most recent book, The Hidden Gifts of Helping: How the Power of Giving, Compassion, and Hope Can Get Us Through Hard Times (Jossey-Bass, A Wiley Imprint), I describe a bit of an upheaval in my own life, and how helping others got me and my family through the inevitable tough times that come everyone’s way.

“After twenty years of being ‘at home’ in the Cleveland suburb of Shaker Heights, my job disappeared. Maybe we were too attached to Cleveland, and maybe God wanted us to move on. But as a family we never anticipated just how challenging up-rootedness is, especially when it is not something that you would have opted for in better times. So in June of 2008, we sold the house and moved east on Route 80 from Ohio to the George Washington Bridge, landing in Stony Brook. What a great place! But still, we just had not quite imagined how stressful such a move would be and how hard we would have to work to find renewed peace of mind and heart.

“Suddenly cut adrift from friends and community, we felt painfully uprooted—out of place, stressed out, disoriented and at odds with each other. Most movers suffer from a lack of companionship and intimate friends, at least temporarily, and doing this repeatedly is really tough. Fortunately, we had those twenty good years in Ohio. We struggled to find our footing with the move, determined to recreate the good life of community and friendships we all so keenly missed. The key turned out to be something we knew quite well, but learned to remember daily in our upheaval: the healing power of helping others. The medical prescription is this—Rx: Helper Therapy.

“Simply put, helping others helps the helper. Research in the field of health psychology, as well as all the great spiritual traditions, tells us that one of the best ways to get rid of anger and grief is to actively help others. Science supports this assertion: Giving help to others measurably reduces the giver’s stress; improves health and well-being in surprising and powerful ways; renews our optimism about what is possible; helps us connect to family, friends and lots of amazing people; allows the deep, profound joy of our humanity to flow through us and out into the world; and improves our sense of self-worth. These are valuable gifts anytime and particularly in hard times. If there is one great secret to life, this is it.”

After all was said and done, this move worked out. My wife found a grade school where she could continue her work as a teaching assistant for especially needy children, my son Drew volunteered at the hospital and I started working with families of individuals with autism. We eventually realized that wherever we are, we are at home when we can contribute to the lives of others. We got back in touch with the things that matter most, and maybe that is what hard times are for. We helped others in ways that we felt called to, we used our strengths so as to feel effective and we shared our experiences with family, faith community and like-minded others.

Eventually, of course, everyone stumbles on hard times, and no one gets out of life alive. Today, even those who had considered themselves protected from hardship are being touched and their lives changed by volatile economic markets, job uncertainty and the increasing isolation and loneliness of modern life.

Here are four things to keep in mind. First, as Washington Irving put it so well: “Love is never lost. If not reciprocated, it will flow back and soften and purify the heart.” Second, love often does beget love, just as hate usually begets hate, and so good givers need to be good receivers. Third, we should never count on reciprocity because this is sure to be frustrating and ultimately small-minded. Better to take joy when those upon whom our love is bestowed do not “pay it back” to us, but rather “pay it forward” to others as they move through life remembering our good example. Or to bring this to the kitchen table, as I heard one Italian mother in Cleveland tell her son, “Love and forget about it!” And fourth, in I Corinthians Paul linked “faith, hope and love,” and he proclaimed that “love never fails.” What is faith but having confidence that no matter how harsh a particular scene in the drama of our lives or of history might be, it is love that wrote the play and love that will be revealed in the final act.

Do a little good this holiday season. The 2010 Do Good Live Well Survey,released by United Healthcare and VolunteerMatch (www.VolunteerMatch.org), surveyed 4,500 American adults. 41 percent of Americans volunteered an average of 100 hours a year. 68 percent of those who volunteered in the last year reported that volunteering made them feel physically healthier. In addition:

89% reported that “volunteering has improved my sense of well-bring”
73% agreed that “volunteering lowered my stress levels”
92% agreed that “volunteering enriched my sense of purpose in life”
72% characterized themselves as “optimistic” compared to 60% of non-volunteers
42% of volunteers reported a “very good” sense of meaning in their lives, compared with 28% of non-volunteers

How wise it is to do what one can to contribute benevolently to others!

Some individuals on my The Book of Common Prayer list were well known and others lived quiet lives out of the limelight. Some were appreciated and some not. We might prefer to think that loving servants of goodness would, after a long and successful life, die peacefully in their beds and all people would speak well of them at their funerals. But this is too simplistic. Everyone on my list experienced an enduring joy as a by-product of their generosity. Thus, the motto of my independent Institute for Research on Unlimited Love (www.unlimitedloveinstitute.com), founded with the help of Sir John Templeton (who happens to be on my list!), is “In the giving of self lies the discovery of a deeper self.”

To request permission to post this article or for review copy and interview information, contact:

Audra Jennings

Senior Media Specialist

The B&B Media Group

1-800-927-0517 Ext. 104 - ajennings@tbbmedia.com

Live Reflectively and Live Abundantly , Lenya Heitzig & Penny Rose

2011-12-02T16:16:00.000-08:00

Live Reflectively: A study of the book of Ephesians and Live Abundantly: Lessons from the Watershed (Moses) are both excellent devotions.

I like the fact that the books were a little wider than the average book allowing space for journaling and jotting down thoughts or additional scripture (or things that you might want to work on). Though they say that this is a 20 minute devotional I think most people will find that it can last a lot longer than that. The actual devotional is short however it is followed with questions for reflection and with additional scripture. I thought this was unique to this devotional as it really pushes the reader into the scriptures instead of taking the devotional as is. The format causes the reader to really take time on self-reflection and searching the scripture. I believe this type of study will help a Christian get the meat of the scripture instead of the milky watered down version of diluted scripture in devotional story telling style. Both of these studies will bring about growth and maturity as well as cause a reader to ask more questions and there by search the scriptures more. The questions make it easy to apply the scripture and devotion to ones self.

I have really enjoyed these and will be recommending them to the ladies of our church.

Thanks to B&B Communications for this review copy.

The Spirit Of Texas, Winton Menzies

2011-12-02T16:05:00.000-08:00

If you are a history buff or maybe just a proud Texan this book is a good read. Walter Menzies has compiled a historical account of his family and Texas dating to the earliest years of the state. I chose this book because I thought it was a comprehensive look at the history of the state of Texas. I was a little surprised to find that it is more a history of one family who has been in Texas for generations. However, I was not disappointed. Menzies has done an excellent job of compiling historical information, data, and pictures to make a beautiful book about the actual "Spirit" of Texas. Being a native born Texan and having living in another state for some time before returning I realize that Texan's have a pride about our state. Some have viewed this as an arrogance, but truly being a Texan is a mindset. This proud state was founded on the backs of strong and courageous men and women who braved the wild frontier. The battles fought here were historical great in our nation and the men and women who built this state are proud to be a part of one of the largest states in the union.

This book is a historical account of one great Texan family but it captures the essence of the Texan pride and strength. I am using this book in our history curriculum as required reading.

Thanks to B&B Media for this review copy.

www.winstonmenzies.com
Published by Creative Publishing.

Teacher Book Bag's Black and White Nativity Packet

2011-11-29T12:50:00.000-08:00

The Publisher's Description:

There’s nothing more meaningful than a nativity scene. It is a visual remembrance of why we celebrate Christmas time as well as all the other days of the year. This packet was designed for children with small hands learning how to cut, but older children find it fun as well. Cut out your stable, assemble it, and cut out your characters in groups or individually. Design the colors to all the parts of the packet. This was made specifically with families in mind who have black ink printers. For families with color printers, save some money and allow your children to be creative!!! What fun for the children as they make each part of the packet uniquely theirs. Stands are included in order to make your stable and characters stand upright. A variety of sizes gives you loads of choices. Enjoy a packet near and dear to our heart.

My Thoughts:

If you are looking for a new way to make Christmas meaningful this is it! This is excellent for personal family use, Sunday School, Children's Chapel, or Home school settings. My children and I sat down with the scriptures and read the biblical account of Jesus' birth. We talked about each of the characters in the story and their significance. This opened up an opportunity to talk with my kids about how God uses ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things in this world - From the unlikely shepherds on the hill to the believing magi that traveled from afar. From a young girl with a heart turned toward God and a young man willing to follow God's instruction even though the path would be difficult to the Inn Keeper who offered the stable.

My children enjoyed coloring the pictures/figures which I copied onto card stock paper. We put glitter and gems on them and made. Each of the four children worked on their own nativity. I took time during this to ask them each which character in the story they thought they were most like and which they would like to become.

I really liked the fact that the children could choose different sizes of figures - though my children chose to color one in each size. I also liked the fact that they could display these in their rooms and take pride in knowing they could now tell the story themselves.

This by far has been one of my favorite Christmas crafts thus far this season. I am certain that it would be a hit in Sunday School classes and intend to recommend it to our Sunday School teachers as well as to others.

A Holiday GIve Away!!

2011-11-27T14:11:00.000-08:00

This is a give away for a free copy of the "My Favorite Bible"

With the vibrant illustrations and engaging text in this Bible storybook, you can enjoy sharing the best-loved stories
of the Bible with the children in your life and encourage a life-long love for the Word of God. My Favorite Bible is
a book of exciting Bible stories and activity pages that guide children through the foundational truths of Scripture.

Each story is fully illustrated and includes a simple narrative full of things kids love: repetition, rhythm, and energy,
along with a key biblical theme, a key Bible verse, and discussion questions to help adults introduce children to the
Bible.

The colorful illustrations will capture the imaginations of children ages 4–8, and the stories will help adults to pass
along the most important truth in life—the Gospel. Families will cherish this time as they read, listen, learn, and
love, growing closer to one another even as they grow closer to God.

To see inside the book:

http://www.amazon.com/My-Favorite-Bible-Best-Loved-Stories/dp/0800719565/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322074374&sr=8-1#reader_0800719565

If your interested leave a comment with an email. Name will be drawn on Nov 30th. Bible will be mailed from the publisher

The Names of God Bible, God's Word Translation

2011-11-27T10:47:00.000-08:00

I have really enjoyed this bible! There is something about reading the Word with the actual names of God in the original language. In addition there is the meaning of each name. This makes the Word of God seems so much deeper as you begin to understand the depth of the character of God.

I have the books Praying the Names of God and Praying the Names of Jesus by Ann Spangler so this bible is a welcome addition to my library. It has quickly found it's place next to my regular study bible where I have started using it in comparison with my ESV.

The added study helps, definitions of the names of God, and the footnotes make this bible very user friendly! In addition each chapter starts out with an over view and the names listed in that chapter.

This is an excellent resource bible and also great for everyday use. As I stated above there is something about having the original language and meaning of the names right there in scripture that adds a whole new depth to your bible study.

Thanks to Revell for this review copy.

Let Our Children Go, Rebecca Greenwood

2011-11-26T11:11:00.000-08:00

The forward of this book is written by Cindy Jacobs, author of 'Deliver Us From Evil', a book that covers much the same topic at a different approach. Because of this I was interested in this book as well. As a mother of 4 children and a Sunday School Teacher and youth worker I am very interested in books concerned with breaking the bonds of the Enemy in the lives of children. This world is quickly becoming a dark and terrifying place for children and so many are left with no spiritual covering or upbringing. Even those raised in Christian homes face darker things than I did as a child.

This book is an excellent resource for parents, grandparents, pastors, Sunday school teachers and all others working with children. I believe that it is of the utmost importance to prayerfully study the things that our children face and to study the strategies of the enemy. This book is well-written and easy to read. It is not like some books on this subject that are far reaching or seem to attempt to scare parents. Instead this book is written for the purpose and intent of teaching parents about the things that might affect their children. It does explore the bondages and lies of the enemy and give parents appropriate tools to better battle against the spiritual darkness that is creeping across our nation.

I highly recommend this book to all those working with children.

Thank you to Charisma House for this review copy.

Common English Bible

2011-11-26T09:29:00.000-08:00

If you are looking for a reliable and accurate translation that is easy to read and understand this is the bible translation for you! The new Common English Bible (CEB) is very close to the ESV. This translation is not wooden but instead is very fluid and easily understood. Anyone, of any age would be able to pick it up and read it with full assurance of understanding the verse. I think that such translations help modern Christians get a better grasp of the richness and depth of the scriptures. I find, as a Sunday School teacher and youth worker, that many younger people get hung up on the archaic language and vocabulary of older translations such as the KJV. I however, do not discount the beauty and poetic flow of the KJV or its unique richness. This newer translation, though, is easier for the modern reader to pick up and understand without losing the original intent of the scriptures. This is not like the other modern "translations" that are based on a paraphrase or a translation based on the "idea" of the text nor is it loose like the newer Message bible that has been confused as an actual translation when in fact it is a loose paraphrase modern re-telling of the scriptures.

The following is a scripture and the other translations. As you can see this translation does not lose any of the meaning, depth or beauty of the original language but instead makes it more readable for the modern reader.

I Chronicles 16:8-9

(CEB) Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make his deeds known to all people! Sing to God, sing praises to him; dwell on his wondrous works!

(ESV) Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among all peoples! Sing to him; sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works!

(HCSB) Give thanks to Yahweh; call on His name; proclaim His deeds among the peoples. Sing to Him; sing praise to Him; tell about all His wonderful works!

(KJV) Give thanks unto the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people. Song unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye all of his wondrous works!

(NKJ) Oh, Give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples! Sing to Him, sing palms to Him; Talk of all His wondrous works!

You can comment on this post and you will be entered to win a free copy of this bible from the publisher. Please leave an email address. I will notify the winner on Friday, December 2, 2011.

Other ways you can learn about the CEB translation:
http://CommonEnglishBible.com
http://twitter.com/CommonEngBible
http://facebook.com/groups/CommonEnglishBible
http://vimeo.com/CommonEnglishBible

Precisely Terminated, Amanda L. Davis

2011-11-25T07:39:00.001-08:00

Precisely Terminated is a book that transports readers to a desperate and terrible time. It reminded me somewhat of Ayn Rand's writing as well as 1984. The Dystopian society is clearly illustrated in the pages of this book. Each character is well-developed, and easy to empathize with. Amanda Davis does an excellent job with her descriptive writing making this world real and believable and causing the reader to become deeply connected with the cause and condition of the slaves.

I loved the themes of self-sacrifice and love that are deeply embedded in the story. This is true heroism at it's highest - people willing to go the distance for others. All of these slaves believed in a higher goal and held a hope of a brighter future. This hope was tied up in one child that did not have a chip, yet keeping this one child alive was difficult and required a great deal of sacrifice on the part of others. In this we see Monica develop into a young lady with mercy, and kindness guiding her thoughts.

I can not wait to read the coming books in this series. Amanda Davis has written a book that could quickly make it's way onto the reading lists of public schools along side the classics of 1984, Atlas Shrugged, and The Handmaid's Tale. This book is truly exceptional.

Thanks to the publisher for this review copy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jTNcQYK0Jk

Fierce Beauty, Kim Meeder

2011-11-17T17:23:00.000-08:00

This book is one that every woman should read. As a Pastor's wife and leader and Women's Ministry I highly recommend this book to all women even teens. In fact it would be an excellent stocking stuffer for the teen in your life.

Without excuse or hesitation Kim confronts head on the lie that today's woman has accepted regarding beauty. She carefully tears apart this lie exposing the great untruths that have been twisted into something that closely looks like the truth.

Through applicable stories and scripture Kim opens up the truth of what real and lasting beauty is. This simple truth is the very thing that most women so desperately need to hear. Furthermore, this is a truth that most women need to take hold of.

This is a book that leaves you wanting to trade in your crown of jewels and entitlement for a sword and beauty that radiates from deep within. Her challenge is to be like Jesus and to be the hope that others need to see.

Excellent job Kim Meeder.

Thanks to the publisher for this review copy.

21-Day Dad's Challenge, General Editor Carey Casey

2011-11-16T05:41:00.000-08:00

This book is in response to the movie Courageous and is a challenge to men to step up to the call of Fatherhood. This is a daunting task in today's society and many men feel over-whelmed and ill-equipped. This book is written with the evidence of the heart of Jesus - in that it is very encouraging and edifying to men who are in the season of Fatherhood. Though it challenges men in areas it also encourages them to continue in the daily work of being a father.

Like mothers, fathers too need the mentorship of older men. This is simply the call in Timothy spelled out. In this book men will find the advice of other father's who have been down the path. They impart their wisdom that has been gleaned from experience and scripture in a way that will empower the father's of today to become great leaders.

Father's you will not be disappointed. Women - encourage your men, but don't nag them. Point out what they are doing right and allow God to show them through this book and other godly men what scripture says they need to work on. If you buy this for your husband be sure to remind him that you are proud to be married to a godly man that would be willing to read a book like this. As a mother - I know I am constantly encouraged by the huge amount of books on the subject of motherhood. I am glad to see this well-written book for men.

Thanks to the publisher for this review copy.

Song of the Unmaking, D. Barkley Briggs

2011-11-16T05:07:00.000-08:00

Briggs has written a book that is deeply involved. I now wish that I had read the first two in this series of tales. However, I came upon this series through an offer for a book review. I will be going back now to collect the first books in this series.

As a mother of 4 I am on the constant outlook for good books for my children to spend time in. This is one of those books. Much like the writing of Lord of the Rings this is an epic tale of an ancient world removed far from our own. Pre-Teens, Teens and young adults who love fantasy fiction will immediately find themselves drawn into this world of conflict and heroes - of war and victories.

I will say the action is fast-paced and there is much information to take in. I had to often refer back to previous pages to sort out names and locations - However, this is due mainly to my in-experience with reading fantasy fiction and the names and descriptions are confusing to me (even in well-known classics like Lord of the Rings and Narnia). The world of gnomes, witches, elves, ogres, etc is not usually my forte. However, my children had no problem sorting the information. In fact they liked the characters and could visualize the places much more vividly because of Briggs excellent and deep story telling abilities.

Thanks to Glass Roads Publication for this review copy.

A Woman's Guide to Fasting, Lisa E. Nelson

2011-11-15T12:42:00.000-08:00

Lisa E. Nelson has done an excellent job at teaching on a subject that has become legalistic and religious in a way that brings back the spiritual beauty of seeking fully the Lord. This book is very well written and extremely concise.

Lisa addresses not only the physical aspects of fasting and how to be successfull at it, but she also addresses the spiritual. She does this in a such a friendly manner that the reader truly is introduced to the heart of God. As the book unfolds Lisa teaches that fasting is more about the relationship with God - a true and deep hunger and thirst for knowing God more closely and personally.

I absolutely enjoyed every aspect of this book as it caused me to search deeper into the scriptures and find for myself what God had hidden there for me. Fasting truly is about a relationship not a religion, not rules, not legalism - but a faith that seeks to grow stronger in the Lord.

Thank you for this review copy.

Remembering Christmas, Dan Walsh

2011-11-15T05:43:00.001-08:00

Often we leave behind our family, our childhood, the things that we want to forget and forge for ourselves a new path. We long to reconcile the aching in our hearts, to fill the void that is in our lives. So we search out success and wealth, relationships and fun to fill our days. We build up walls around the past, the pain, the hurt, the memories we just can't seem to put into a proper place or make fit into a perfect world that we seek.

This is the case with Rick. Leaving home years ago he had found success in the business world, including wealth and relationships. By all worldly standards he had attained what all seek. A life separate from his childhood - carefully removed from the imperfect memories that he could not make fit into his ideal world. He had shut off his mother, created a life that was suitable, and workable by his standards. Then came the call to return home and help his mother while his step-father was in the hospital.

In this time Rick comes face to face with the memories he had carefully constructed and the truth. The longer he stays the more his eyes are opened. He is asked to run the bookstore that his mother and step-father had - little did he know that this seemingly simple task would cause his carefully constructed world to unravel piece by piece.

The journey begins with the introduction of two completely opposite people - a homeless man and a single mother. Both of these people bring about a change so complete and so absolute that Rick is never the same. The things he held as truth and the world he had created come crashing down and a peace and forgiveness that he had never known follows this breaking.

Dan Walsh has a way of unfolding a story that draws a reader into the very midst of it. It is as if you, the reader are more than just an onlooker. This story is so powerful in its simplicity that it is nothing short of amazing.

Thanks to Revell for this review copy.

The Christmas Shoppe, Melody Carlson

2011-11-06T01:07:00.000-07:00

An eccentric old lady with strange ways, a small town, a ruthless City Councilman and a new to town City Manager fleeing a past of brokenness and pain are thrown together in a story that effects every one in this sleepy little town.

Melody Carlson has woven together a heart-touching story of faith and redemption. This book is just the right length to read on a lazy fall day as you cuddle beneath a stack of blankets. The story is easy enough to read that from the first page the reader is drawn in and hooked.

The Christmas Shoppe at first glance is a store filled with worthless odds and ends. The owner is an odd old woman that has captured the thoughts and imagination of the towns people. Every one has their own opinions of her and her odd dress and mannerisms. However, no one that steps into the little shop comes out the same. One can not help but be changed when they encounter the power of forgiveness - the facing of the brokenness in each person. This shoppe's power is in the facing of one's past, the acknowledgment of brokenness - and the shedding of truth on lies.
In a matter of weeks this small sleepy village ruled by tradition and steeped in silent pain held by each person is changed by the power of truth unleashed with love and compassion.

This book is so sweet. If you are a Secret Santa this year put it in your basket for your person with a mug, some cocoa and marshmallows and a small fleece blanket. Everyone needs to face something in our past and be released from a bondage of some sort. Though the book is not intrusive personally it will be one that makes the reader wonder what worthless piece of "junk" still has a hold on their life and is holding them back from the very best that God has for them.

Thank you so much Revell for this review copy. I am already recommending it for others to purchase.

This

Praying the Names of God, Ann Spangler

2011-11-05T06:24:00.000-07:00

Last year I received "Praying the Names of Jesus" by this same author and enjoyed it greatly. This is no less enjoyable! This is a book that seems so simple upon first look but it delves deeply into the richness of God's Word exposing the beauty and depth of the original language and the importance of the different names given to God. We are taught the words Lord, God, Almighty, the I Am - yet rarely do we truly understand the depth and meaning of these words or how they reveal the rich and wonderful character of God.

Upon reading a book like this it is hard to view the scriptures in the same context. For all of the sudden you have a more complete knowledge of what the author, under the divine inspiration of God, was trying to convey. It is like stumbling upon a treasure in the midst of what you already thought was good and unearthing more than you expected at each turn. It is like finding a well in the midst of a desert, then discovering it is actually a spring that runs eternally deep and will never run dry.

I really enjoy that only one Name is explored for the entire week. This gives the reader time to absorb the meaning - to make it personal and to experience the true character of who God is. The questions cause the reader to dig deeper and apply the knowledge that has been taught.

Absolutely worth the read - more than once!

Thank you Zondervan for this review copy.

Identifying Gifted Students A Practical Guide, edited by Susan K. Johnsen, Ph.D.

2011-10-29T18:51:00.000-07:00

This book is a little dry because of the nature of the topic. It is very information oriented and thus reads exactly that way. So if you are looking for a book that explores this topic that is worded in common phraseology this is not for you. However, if you are willing to wade through the book it is an excellent resource. I do think that all school teachers ought to have this on their required reading list.

I see the benefit in such a book because I can see where "gifted" students could be missed. Though I have at times questioned the methodology and reasoning behind creating a Gifted and Talented Program at schools. My reason being that I home school my children and though each of the four struggle in certain areas they excel beyond their age and grade level in other areas. The problem with the "gifted" tag being attached to a student is that many others sit in classrooms, overlooked, because the public school setting is not conducive to their learning style. I have one such child - the public school would have written him off as having attention or focus problems and labeling him a problem in the classroom. He lacks motivation at school work yet can build complex things and has an analytical skills that far outreach his age. Upon having him tested at a speech therapy office and later for dyslexia it was found that his IQ is higher than most adults yet getting that displayed in worksheets and standardized testing is almost impossible. His schooling is therefor structured around his particular learning style and in such brings forth great results.

I am located in a state (Texas) that follows the "No Child Left Behind" mantra and so the schools teach to pass a test not to acquire and apply knowledge. Though children master concepts and testing strategies they are ill-equipped to apply the things they are taught nor do they truly understand them. Therefor a "gifted" program serves to only place the school into a higher achievement rating based on testing scores while truly leaving behind numerous students who in fact may be "gifted" but over-looked.

This book does an excellent job at looking at cases such as these and exploring possible ways to correct them. However, I find that this may be a difficult thing to fix as schools have become in essence an impersonal way to pass of knowledge in order to score an appropriate test level. I call this teaching to the test. My children, I believe have an advantage because through individualized testing by professionals we can identify their weak spots and supplement them while also identifying their "gifted" areas and enhancing them. Each one has a school curriculum that targets their specific learning styles and preferences giving them the ability to further develop the areas they are gifted in while bringing up the areas they struggle in. Unfortunately it would be unfair to ask this of public school teachers who are in a classroom with many children from different home environments, social classes, and so forth so on. It is a sad fact that a gifted child from a poor social economic class might be overlooked as gifted because of the lack of focus at school due to the poor home environment.

The writer of this book has presented her information well. It is a useful tool for those that are seeking to better understand the testing methods used and how to more accurately test and access possibly "gifted" students to place in special programs.

Highly recommended to the public schools. Home school parents - most of us agree that all children are gifted in some way - it is just a matter of tapping into that area and exposing it and teaching the child to develop and use it while not neglecting the areas in which they struggle. (This being done by creatively tying the two areas together).

I received this free review copy from LibraryThing.com

What Do You Think of Me? Why Do I Care?, Edward T. Welch

2011-10-29T15:27:00.000-07:00

Edward T. Welch demonstrates a great talent at connecting with young people while holding firmly to biblical doctrine and theology. His teaching is sound and is easily applicable for teens.

I was very impressed with his handling of the very popular view of living life as a "love cup". This view has been so grossly misapplied that people live in a constant state of depending on others for fulfillment and acceptance thus further creating a gap between God's sufficient love and grace and the person. Once this myth of having a love cup that is continually filled then emptied is dispelled Welch moves the reader into a greater understanding of who God really is, who they truly are in the sight of God and who other people are in respect to the person and God. Welch skillfully shows through sound teaching that the true story is one of redemption and fulfillment through Christ Jesus the maker of all by continually redirecting the reader to the Creator instead of self.

As we currently live in a "me-centered" world that preaches the doctrine that we should have the things we desire this book is needed. Welch drives home the point that our focus must become less me-centered and more others-centered and Christ centered. For in serving and loving others fulfillment is found and we are drawn more into the likeness of Christ our savior.

This book is an excellent resource for those who work with teens. It would also make a good gift for the teen in your life.

Special thanks to B&B Communications for this review copy.

The Most Important thing You'll Ever Study, Starr Meade

2011-10-28T17:43:00.000-07:00

This is the first book or curriculum of Starr Meade that I have had the chance to review. To say the least I am so very impressed. As a home school mom I am always on the look out for new bible curriculum that is affordable and will benefit my children in spiritual growth. Though I want my children to gain knowledge my ultimate goal in their schooling is spiritual stature and growth then knowledge. So when I begin to search out biblical curriculum I look for something that will cause them to dig deeper into the scriptures and seek the wisdom of God and the application of this to their lives so that they will begin to reflect His light in their life.

This is exactly what Starr Meade has done. Although I am sure that some will get this just to have the bible knowledge the bible study has the potential to be so much deeper. The way that Meade has set this study up causes the student to search scripture and really begin to understand the implications and applications of it. My children are a little young to begin this as they are only in 5th, 3rd, Kinder and Pre-K. However, I am going to work through the entire series on my own for my own personal benefit and make it my 6th grade required curriculum and maybe again in Junior High or High School.

Thanks to Crossway for this review copy.

The Barber, R.C. Sproul

2011-10-28T17:27:00.000-07:00

This is one of those rare books that you get and you begin to wonder where it has been all this time. Why has it taken so long for someone to write something this dynamic and life changing in the form of a children's book.

Struggling with family devotion time? Needing inspiration to continue? Wondering if you are making a difference? Why spend this time every night doing this? If you have any of these questions this is a great book for you to read with your children. Suddenly your family will find within its pages the inspiration and encouragement to continue.

This engaging story about Martin Luther and the book he wrote, "Simple Prayer", and the story of Master Peter the Barber is an encouragement to any Christian to seek a deeper prayer life and a more meaningful walk with Christ.

Thank you Crossway for this book in exchange for a book review.

Sunrise on the Battery, Beth Webb Hart

2011-10-28T10:18:00.000-07:00

Mary Lynn Scoville and her husband Jackson has achieved the climb up the social ladder in Charleston. Everything seems to be going just the way she wants - the perfect, successful husband, beautiful and talented children, wealth a large house and invitations to the elite parties. Then it all begins to change. As Mary Lynn begins to go to church she has an encounter with Christ and begins to live the typical "good Christian-girl" life. Knowing Christ, but not completely sold out, she asks for prayer that her husband Jackson, who long ago wrote God off, would come to a saving knowledge and a change of life. Little did she realize that this prayer would turn her perfectly perfect worldly life upside down - as is the case a lot of the time when there is a true experience with Jesus.

This is the novel "In His Steps" modernized with the principles of the book Radical combined. It is truly an inspiration to those who are asked to give up everything in the face of a radical change. What is it that you are holding on to that you don't think you could give up? Mary Lynn is about to discover that abundant life has nothing to due with what she has come to value, but will she discover it before it is too late?

Thank you B&B Communications for this review copy.

Triple Dog Dare, Jeremy V. Jones

2011-10-26T11:54:00.000-07:00

It looks all boy on the outside - a robot, dogs, slig-shot. The pages, much like it's girl counter part Truth & Dare, is filled with great graphics and is journal quality pages with plenty of room for jotting down thoughts or doodles.

My 8 year old was excited about this one just as his 10 year old sister was excited about the girl's version of this devotional. What surprised me though is that my 4 year old was also instantly drawn to it because of the cover and inside art work. I am glad to have something that grabs their attention and makes them look forward to personal devotional time!

Each day has a scripture then a section called "Truth" that explores through a short devotional the truth of the scripture. Then comes the "Triple Dare" that challenges young boys to put into action what they have learned. As with the girl's version this one also has a journal section. It is labeled "Mission Accomplished" - and what boy doesn't aspire to action, adventure and secret missions??? So this section allows them to answer the questions "What did you do?" and "What did you learn?" after they have applied the Triple Dare to their life. This is a way for them to look back over what they have done during year.

This would be a great stocking stuffer!

Thank you B&B Communications for this review copy.

Truth & Dare, devotions for girls, Ann-Margret Hovsepian

2011-10-26T11:40:00.000-07:00

The cover is glittery and pink, filled with all things teen. I love it! The pages are journal quality black and white with great graphics - making it ideal for teens and pre-teens who love to doodle and draw.

I am so impressed with this little devotional and so was my ten year old daughter. She was so excited when she saw it on my "To Be Read" shelf that she came running to see if it was hers when I finished looking through it. Well - as a mom that is exactly what I am looking for in a devotional - one that will spark excitement. Each day has a scripture, then a section called "Truth". In this section is a short and to the point devotional dealing with the truth of the scripture. Then comes the Dare - a challenge to apply the scripture to life with applicable things to be done. What I like most is the journaling section that asks the questions "How did it go?" and "What did you learn?" By doing this the girl is challenged to follow through with the dare and see what happens because of it.

I think it is just the right size for early morning or late evening devotionals for girls to do on their own.

Thanks B&B Communications for this review copy.

The Diary of a Teenage Girl: Becoming Me, Melody Carlson

2011-10-23T16:12:00.000-07:00

Melody Carlson has tackled a generation of readers that is undeniably difficult to reach and understand. Life moves at such a fast, hectic pace, with so many decisions weighing teens down that we often become disconnected with our teens and they with us even in this technology driven society. However, when teens are seeking sound christian reading this series as well as Carlson's other teen series are just that. Melody Carslon directly addresses the issues of teenage years without apology or excuse and without adding fluff. She simply calls it what it is - good, bad or otherwise.

This book is no different. In it she addresses the issues that teens face as they wade through all the junk of teens years. Trying to make decisions that are good while sorting out all the stuff that this hectic life throws at you. It is written in a language that is sometimes difficult for adult readers to follow but is exactly what teens read. It amazes me that Carlson is so in touch with this age group that as I read it I felt like I was dealing with a teen caught in the angst of teen years. I had to really slow down at times and re-read things because the jargon or thought process seemed jumpy. However, teens read this as fluidly as all else in their lives because this is just how they are thinking. I appreciate how Carlson handles issues of faith and religion and how she acknowledges the struggles teens face in this very area while presenting the truth for them to grasp hold of.

An excellent book and series! If you have a teen this is a worthy investment. Even non-readers will pick this up just to see if they can relate. After all this is one of a teen's greatest searches - wanting to know they are not alone in these struggles and questions, these trials and doubts, these dark days.

Thank you Glass Roads Publications for this review copy.

Letters to a Young Pastor, Calvin Miller

2011-10-23T15:49:00.000-07:00

Calvin Miller has tackled a much needed subject that will be an encouragement to those young men entering the ministry field as well as older men in ministry that need encouragement and a good laugh.

Too often when men surrender to ministry they do so with open and somewhat naive hearts. They want to serve God so badly and they want to serve the flock that they often find themselves quickly overwhelmed by all that goes into this field. It is after all unlike any other field of work on this planet.

I remember when my husband entered this very field part time 14 years ago then full time 7 years ago. He poured over books by the greats. He labored through seminary with great excitement and endurance. He sought out mentors - that he soon found were not readily available. He drank in the wisdom and teachings of older pastors. In all this he would have loved to have had this book. When I saw that this was for review I immediately thought back to those days and requested the book for he and I to review together. My husband has a heart to help young men entering the ministry and currently mentors 3 young men at different levels. However, he is always looking for good resources to recommend to them.

This book was it. My husband became so excited in reading it that he came to me more than once talking to me about it. As I read it I loved the easy and personable style of Calvin Miller. He broaches all subjects with truth and love and an easy comical style that makes the book an enjoyable read. A young man in ministry can't help but find the wisdom that they thirst for and the encouragement they will desperately need when they become parched and overwhelmed by the work load of the pastorate. Also I have a great appreciation for Miller's approach to explaining the dangers and pitfalls that ministers will face. This is a treacherous field - and our enemy is on the prowl within the church walls to deceive those in service and cause them to fall. Miller seeks to give council and guidance with a great amount of tack and humor.

If you know of a young man who has surrendered to the call of ministry, is currently in seminary, is serving in the ministry - Buy this for them!

Thank You B&B Communications for this review copy.

I am in Here, Elizabeth M. Bonker & Virginia G. Breen

2011-10-23T15:28:00.000-07:00

Autism - the diagnosis no mother wants to hear for her child. Yet this very diagnosis has been on the rise more over the past years as people are learning more about it. I have been around children with autism, known parents with autistic children of varying levels. I haven't ever fully understood the dynamics or impact of this diagnosis or the impact on a person's life.

This book is one that moves a person to a deeper understanding and compassion for those suffering from autism. I can not imagine living my life in this type of personal prison. Though Elizabeth has never spoken she has found her voice in the written word - and with that voice she has informed this generation of the struggle of autism in a heroic way just as Helen Keller did for deaf and blind of her age.

I believe that this could be a great resource for those with autism as well as those raising an autistic child or those wishing to learn more about autism.

I found myself troubled in my heart at my misunderstanding of these kids. I believe that this book should find itself on the must read list for public school workers who work with children with special needs. If they understood in depth how these children operate and what they truly feel like I believe compassion would begin to override some of their decisions and directions in the education of such children. Workers might find a little more patience with these children if they understood the frustration they feel is also felt by the children who desperately want a normal life and control over their body and actions.

Absolutely inspiring, mind opening and heartbreaking. A book that will take you to all extremes of emotion as you begin to understand these children.

Thank you Revell for the opportunity to review this book.

Available October 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group

Gotchyaa, Steven Stiles

2011-10-16T15:14:00.000-07:00

This is one of the neatest books I have read about the con artist of today. The cover art is menacing and a little evil looking - but then aren't wolves by their very depiction in the bible just that. In fact to slip into the fold of the sheep of the church they have to assume the mannerism and characteristics (clothing) of sheep to pull of their scheme.

The terrible thing is that I could relate totally to this book. In fact in my first year as a Pastor's wife I was conned big time - and took my share of ribbing afterward. New to the community I was out with my 2 little ones when approached by a couple. They presented a sad, but believable story. I handed them money then told them where our church was and that we had an operational clothing closet and food pantry. As well as facilities for showering and cleaning up. They took me up on this offer and were at the church before I made it back across town. Much to the dismay of my husband and the youth minister they were there to "help" these people find clothing and then left to clean the showers after they left (with masks to cover their noses and lysol to cover the stench left behind and gloves to pick up the nasty clothes they had left piled in a heap instead of placing in the trash). That night the Fire Chief - a member of our church heard the retelling of the story and began to laugh uncontrollably. When asked what he was laughing at he replied with tears rolling down his eyes, "You did not just get played by them did you? They live just up the road - it's all a con. Their kids go to the elementary school at the corner! They've been at this for a while."

Hmmm....so what do you do with that? You learn. This book is a practical look at the con artist of America. I appreciate deeply that this author took such time to expose in great detail the thought process and common cons. I also appreciated the self-evaluation questions, scriptures, and other questions at the end of each chapter. In no way does this book say not to help others. However, it does give a church and people the necessary basis to help avoid being conned or becoming the "mark".

As I read this many things came to mind including some that have visited our very own church. While concluding this book I was sharing some of the information with my husband. Today a lady showed up sporting a story that so closely resembled one in the book that my husband gently told the lady - "there is an application process that requires photo id and and check with the local police station. Our office is open Monday through Friday feel free to come to the church and fill out the paperwork then." We do not give hand-outs from the parsonage. The woman left without too much else to say. Needless to say this book has given us new perspective on how we offer benevolence and how often and to whom and how much.

I recommend this book to anyone. Especially believers as they seem to be a favorite "mark" of the con.

Thanks to the author for this free review copy.

Hope Underground, Carlos Parra Diaz as told to Mario Veloso and Jeanette Windle

2011-10-15T13:18:00.000-07:00

I received this book on Friday and am posting the review on Saturday afternoon. This is to let you know how easily read this book is and how absolutely captivating it is from the first page.

This is the story of the Chilean miners as told by Carlos Parra Diaz, the "Chaplain of Camp Hope". This Seventh Day Adventist Pastor gives his riveting testimony of how God broke his heart for a hurting people and moved him to give unselfishly.

The book is told with the use of metric measurements - which indicate the lack of our conformity with the rest of the worlds measurement system. I had to look at conversion tables to get an accurate picture in my head of the temperature and depth, and distance being spoken of. There are times when there is much description and it seems to drag a little slow. However, all this is worth trudging through as Carlos unfolds a story that changed the world.

In one part he recounts the story of one of the miner's wives. She says to him as he is handing out bibles to each family that she believes God has a purpose and that one of the purposes is that they should turn back to God with their whole hearts - not just in times of trouble. How true this statement is as it is echoed here in America as well. Too often tragedy unites a country or a people instead of peace. For in peace and plenty too often we become over taken with selfish thought and a business that drives a wedge between people and God who has provided the very blessings being enjoyed.

This book ends with powerful testimonies of the miners and the families that lived through this ordeal clinging daily to the one thing that brings about survival of tragedy - Faith in God - faith is a God who works miracles.

Absolutely heart stirring and eye-opening. I am amazed at the faith in which these people acted in the very eye of the storm in which they found themselves. It is stated in this book that though grief was a constant emotion there was an underlying peace that was anchored in a hope in God's provision and ability to answer prayer. In our own storms is this our anchor - will this be said about us in our storms of life when crushing odds are against us and the world and man would have us extinguish the small flickering flame of hope? Or will we be like these Chilean miners and their families desperately clinging to hope, guarding that flickering flame with a ferocity that drives away desperation and unleashes the power of God?

Thank you B&B Media for this review copy.

Intoducing Melody Carlson

2011-10-13T13:27:00.001-07:00

Teens and Their Supernatural Pursuits

By Melody Carlson

Have you even wondered why some teens are drawn toward things like Ouija boards or psychics? Or why séances are still popular at sleepovers? Does it just have to do with Halloween and that spine-chilling need for a good scare? Or could it be something more? And, as a Christian, should you be concerned?
Those questions, as well as some confused reader letters, prompted me to tackle the “supernatural” in one of my teen novels (Moon White, TrueColors, Nav Press). And whenever I write an issues-based novel, I’m forced to research—and often in some dark places. So I began scouring websites, learning more about Wicca and the occult, trying to grasp what was really going on with today’s teens—and how I could write about it in a helpful and relevant way.
But, as usual, when I write a teen book, I go back to my own adolescence...trying to connect with my inner teen...and I suddenly remembered a short era when a friend and I got very interested in witchcraft. I had honestly forgotten about this time and was fascinated to recall how we scoured some witchcraft stores on a local campus—I think we even purchased a few things. Fortunately, this interest was short-lived and I became a Christian not long afterward.
However, as I reconnected with my inner teen, I had to ask myself—why had I looked into witchcraft back then? Why do teens dabble with it now? Suddenly the answer became crystal clear. I was searching. I’d been calling myself an atheist for several years by then, but I was spiritually hungry—starving in fact. Consequently I was looking for spiritual answers—something that would fill that empty void within me. I wanted a supernatural force in my life and I didn’t even care where it came from. I needed something bigger than me, more powerful than me, something to hold onto. I had no idea at the time that I was really searching for God.
This realization changed the way I viewed my research. Instead of feeling disgusted and dismayed by the witchcraft/Wicca sites (which are not particularly enjoyable) I began to recognize that these people (mostly girls) were simply searching too. They wanted a power source in their lives just like I wanted one in mine. They just hadn’t found God yet.
This led to another discovery. A girl who’s attracted to a religion like Wicca is usually seeking to gain some control over her life. Something is wrong and she wants to change it. To do so, she’s often enticed to purchase something—like “magical herbs”—to create a potion that will give her some control over her situation. Unfortunately, she doesn’t even realize she’s being tricked.
But think about it, wouldn’t you love to have control over a bad situation sometimes? Wouldn’t you love to be able to change the circumstances that make your life unpleasant? So what if someone offered you the “power” to do just that? Perhaps if you’re fifteen, you wouldn’t see that person as a charlatan and you would fall for it.
Which brings me to another important factor in understanding this generation’s attraction to the supernatural. Follow the money. The more I researched, the more it became painfully obvious that Wicca and witchcraft and the occult are money-making enterprises. Thanks to the internet, these savvy distributors sell anything imaginable—and many things you can’t. That leads to some serious motivation—these marketers want to hook their unsuspecting young customers and reel them in. Of course, these potions and trinkets and how-to books don’t come with a money back guaranty. Nor are they approved by the FDA. Yet they are a multi-million dollar industry.
So, in a way, it’s a perfect storm. Teens that are insecure, lost, unhappy, and searching...meet up with an unregulated industry that offers supernatural answers and power and control...for a price. And, oh yeah, I never even mentioned how this opens a door for Satan to slip in and wreak havoc. For that...you’ll have to read the book.

The Jesus Experiment, Bill Perkins

2011-10-13T05:03:00.000-07:00

Ready for a change in pace? Familiar with the WWJD? (What would Jesus Do Movement) based on a classical piece of christian fiction? Want something fresh and challenging? Are you willing to step out of the boat and out of your comfort zone and into something utterly amazing - a place where it is all about the Author of Creation?

This is the book for you. This 12 week study guides the participant through a series of questions that causes the reader to look at their own life in reference to the life of Jesus. In essence you are going to be challenged to become more aware of who Jesus truly was and how that should relate to your own life and what impact this knowledge ought to have. It will drive the reader to evaluate his/her life and change thought process to conform to the one in who's image we are made.

I believe this would be a great couples study in that it would challenge a married couple to dive more deeply into God's word and discover together what it means to follow Jesus. I believe it would create a closer spiritual relationship within the marriage because it will promote talking about what God is writing on the other one's heart and as you each individually look at your own lives and discuss the ramifications of the information presented you will also begin a journey together that will reshape your lives.

I think this too would be good for small groups or even a teen or youth study. Challenges are best met when we are accountable to others. If you go back and read the classical fiction piece "In His Steps" upon which the WWJD? movement was loosely based you will find that it is accountability to the challenge presented to live as Jesus that often was the final shove to do what should be done.

Exceptional book! Thanks to Bill Perkins for having the courage to walk the road then write a book.

Thanks to Tyndale for this review copy.

50 Things Every Young Lady Should Know, Kay West

2011-10-11T18:15:00.000-07:00

The chic modern pink and white zig-zag cover with grey writing makes this book attractive to the eye. I was so excited to find a book on etiquette and manners that was both modern and timeless at the same time. It seems that there are many books that have been written on this subject but to bring them out is to bring out a huge book with depictions of the 1950's and seemingly old-fashioned, out of date ideas.

This book however, is the best I have seen. Instead of being a lengthy book of how-to's each section is short and to the point. I loved the fact that with each manner over and over the author repeats the phrase "A lady always..." or "A lady should.." or "A lady never/ought not to...." This hammers in the fact that we must reach for the goal of being a lady at all times. This simple art of being a lady was lost some where between the 1950's and the present time. However, in today's society is is what is needed.

Each section has what the manner is, why we should practice it, how we should practice and what we should not do/say and why. This makes it very simple. It ends each section with three or four statements of A lady always...., A lady should..., etc.

I think this would be an excellent book for any preteen girls birthday gift. One could include some small accessories such as ear-rings, perfume, lotion, nail care kits, etc. This would make a young girl aspire to become a great lady.

Thank you Kay West for undertaking this project! I appreciate your time and talent! As I have two daughters I can't wait to start going through this with my daughters - maybe by reading this book they will see that I am not alone in my expectations of what a lady ought to be.

I received this book from Thomas Nelson as a free review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Evangelism By Fire, Reinhard Bonnke, DD

2011-10-11T15:59:00.001-07:00

This is not a book for those that seek a how to manual of "proven" tried and true methods for sharing the gospel. It is however, just the book if you are tired of the same old things. It is evident from the first page that Bonnke has a passion for reaching the world with the gospel. His heart is evident in every page and much of the writing stirs the fire within believers to begin to move the way the Lord would have us to move.

His statement "... an unpreached Gospel is no gospel at all." stuck with me throughout the book. Too often we see ministry outreach through the structure of denominational views and man-made rules. In this we limit God's amazing power to set the captives free and to take back that which the enemy has stolen. We get comfortable with methods that are supposedly tried and true and afraid of trying something bold and new on our own for fear of failure.

I for one am tired of being a boat sitter. I would much rather test the limits of water walking faith and see the power of God unleashed. Bold Christianity is needed in this day and age.

I encourage readers to pick up this book and be inspired to live beyond the box that you have become used to. Baptists in general may view this book as too charismatic - but is not that exactly what God is - a radical, world-changing, life up-turning, power un-leashing, miracle working God? Don't be satisfied in the luke-warm comfort zone of religious exercise instead run head long after the Lord and see His mighty works in the lives of many. Don't be satisfied sitting on the side-lines, find your place on the front lines. Don't be afraid of failure instead embrace the opportunity to experience God in all His richness.

Be inspired, be refreshed, be renewed in your evangelistic efforts - reach the world.

Thank you Charisma House for this review copy!

Seven Days in Utopia, Dr. David Cook

2011-10-08T10:29:00.000-07:00

Let me start off by saying I am not a golf fan...In fact I am not a sports fan at all. I actually chose this book for review with my husband in mind. So when I received it I let him read it first. It had been some time since my husband had picked up a piece of fiction to read. Over and over he told me that I needed to pick up the book and read it. So when he finished it that is just what I did.

Amazing!! Absolutely amazing!! I was blown away. This is one of the best books that I have ever read - honestly. I think my facebook page was over loaded with quotes as I read it. In fact one of my friends posted: "I see your reading a new book". I could not help but pass along the nuggets of wisdom woven throughout this book!

At one point Johnny asks, "Is it tradition you seek, or truth? Is it excellence, or acceptance? These are the questions of greatness. These are the questions that must be answered if a man is going to lead a revolution." On the face of the statement and in context with the book the reader may think this simply applies to golf - However, upon deeper contemplation and the fact that Johnny's faith is silently woven, like a scarlet thread, throughout his golf instruction - the reader discovers the depth of the statement. In fact - these are the very questions all Christians need to ask themselves. And if it is truth and excellence we seek then we must be prepared to be different.

I will say this story ends with the most powerful presentations of the gospel that I have ever read in a fictional work! I cried my eyes out and even suggested to my husband that we ought to have a cemetery of lies near our church. A physical reminder that we are dead to the old life and risen to a new life in Christ. Absolutely stunning!! Seriously makes you think.

This is a must read!! Don't just settle for the movie, though I have heard it was great - and I am anxious to see it. If you only see the movie you may miss some of the things that this author was trying to get across that won't come through in the movie. Plus there is something about the written word that soaks into a persons self and causes one to look more closely, to contemplate the truths upon the page.

Thank you Zondervan for this review copy!!

The 52 Greatest Stories of the Bible, Kenneth Boa and John Alan Turner

2011-10-08T10:20:00.000-07:00

If you are a home school family looking for a great book for bible time during school this is it. If you are a family looking for a way to initiate bible study in your family or to continue this tradition - this is the book for you!

I absolutely love this book. I am so glad to have it in my library and am enjoying it each week. 52 weeks in the year - 52 bible stories that explore many aspects of life all ultimately pointing to the biblical truth that nothing that happens in without purpose according to the plan God has. I love it because one story is kept all week long Monday - Friday. This makes it excellent for the home school setting as you are studying one story at different levels all week long. So children get the idea of the scriptures securely cemented in their minds. They are divided as such:

Monday - a retelling of the story, adding the historical background to help make the story more understandable and real - even more applicable to the student and present day.
Tuesday - a short discussion about how this story has impacted our present-day beliefs.
Wednesday - A great day of how the story influences and shapes our values. I used this to ask my children how they could change their lives to line up more with what the scripture is teaching.
Thursday - this section talks about how our lives (actions) ought to change. Also a great conversation starter for you and your children to discuss certain behaviors or actions in your own lives that need to be changed to conform to scripture.
Friday - the conclusion and time for serious prayer about the impact of the story on the life of the individual.

A must have!

Thank you Gospel Light for this review copy.

Moments with You, Dennis and Barbar Rainey

2011-10-08T10:14:00.000-07:00

Okay...After reading this book for only a few days I opened my email to find one from my husband. I read it and it seemed so familiar. So as I set trying to remember where I'd read that particular devotional I opened this book. The devotional a few days before had been the very one my husband had sent me via email with the message - "thought of you when I read this". Hmmm....loved it! This devotional book is excellent! Each devotional is short enough to read in just a few minutes but thought provoking enough to stay with you all day long and cause you to research God's Word and pray about your own life. I have really enjoyed it thus far. I am reading each days devotion as the year progresses. I often talk to my husband about them - though he subscribes to the emails from Dennis and Barbara Rainey I have seen him pick this book up as well.

Thank you Gospel Light for this review copy.

Heavy Rain, Kris Vallotton

2011-10-08T10:03:00.000-07:00

This is the first book by this author that I have gotten. I have to say I now want to read more by him. I would caution the most conservative Christians that want to stick to their idealistic, ritualistic, legalistic views to keep from this book unless they want a true revival to take place in their lives. Books like this are the type that challenge all Christians to live out side the box that we get so used to. I am ready to see the world be changed radically. This book is a great read - get ready for a challenge and change. It is one that I will most certainly be re-reading!

Thank you Gospel Light for this review copy.

Passion to Action (p2A), Jay and Beth Loecken

2011-10-08T06:32:00.000-07:00

Beware this book will stir in you the desire to step out of the boat and not look back. Not everyone is called to give up everything and travel across America, however, we are all called to live with a "passion to action" in our faith. We are all called to a higher purpose, to be driven by our faith to act, to step out of the boat of our comfort zone into the greater purpose. Truly a fascinating story about a family who has done just that - and who has seen God work amazing things in their lives. So many modern Christians see missionaries as those who step outside the borders and confines of the United States. Yet this very nation, who has a high population of so-called Christians is the are that is in dire need of evangelism in its truest form. There are lost and dying souls scattered across this country that have never heard the gospel. So - the challenge - step out.

Thank you B&B Communications for this review copy.

Still More Stories From Grandma's Attic, Arleta Richardson

2011-10-08T06:22:00.000-07:00

In the rich story telling that Arleta Richardson is known for the stories of her grandmother unfold like a beautiful hand made quilt, spreading out to display a richness and depth of wisdom and knowledge that is timeless and entertaining. These stories captivate young and old alike because they are like sitting on the knee of an a grandmother and taking in the scents and sights of a time long ago forgotten. They transport readers to a time free of modern devices and distractions and into the turn of the century. I would love to say this was a less complicated time, with less stressful decisions. However, the fact remains that there is nothing new under the sun it is just the way it is done.

These stories are timeless in their moral application to ones character development. If you are seeking stories that will captivate your children while conveying godly character development this is it - look no further. I highly recommend these to home school families that are seeking to add richness and depth to their library while complimenting a biblical world view education.

I was first told of this series by a fellow home school mom when I was first looking for an appropriate library for my children. A few months later I received, much to my delight, the first two in the series from B&B Communications as review copies. And now I have the book 3 and 4 as well under the same circumstances.

When I open these books my children know they are in for a delightful read that will lead to discussions on how they can apply the story to their own lives as well as a search in the bible for applicable scripture that matches the stories they have just read. I have even had them try to recreate stories with the same moral lessons in their own words.

Thank you B&B Communications for offering this book as well as the others to me as review copies. They have been a welcomed addition to my library.

Treasures from Grandma's Attic Book Four, Arleta Richardson

2011-10-08T06:15:00.000-07:00

I was so excited to receive this book in the mail as a review copy as I had the ones previous to it. It is one of those timeless series that will never grow outdated. In fact I highly recommend it to home school families looking to create a library filled with reading material that teaches solid Christian morals to round out a biblical world view education.

The simple and delightful stories are appropriate for the youngest reader (when read out loud) up to a the oldest (though the reader level is probably at highest 6th grade). I found it easy to make the lessons and moral applications understandable for my youngest who is 3 while still keeping my 10 year old engaged in the story as well. The story are great springboards for discussions about making good decisions and even into study of the scriptures.

I highly recommend this series of books to all.

Thank you B&B Communications for this review copy.

Cherished, Kim Cash Tate

2011-10-08T06:08:00.000-07:00

Cherished - this very word sums up this book - for in the pages of this story the true story of God's love and how much we are each cherished unfolds in a beautiful story of love, redemption, restoration and forgiveness.

Kelli London and Heather Anderson are both haunted with decisions that have left their dreams and lives in shattered remains. Yet, the two form an unlikely friendship that sets the two on a path that will reveal to them their true worth in the Father's eyes. With each others help and encouragement these women face their past mistakes and deal with the devastating pain that has sent rippling shock waves through their lives. In this time of friendship and this journey to healing they discover the depth of God's love and the power that self-forgiveness and forgiveness of others bring. In this they experience true restoration.

Truly a great and easy read. Kim Cash Tate's writing style draws the reader into the story and lives of the characters. The story quickly unfolds in the readers head as the characters and situations unfold.

Thanks to B&B Communications for this review copy.

God Girl Bible, God's Word Translation

2011-10-01T03:19:00.000-07:00

My daughter was excited when I told her that we would be receiving this bible as a review copy. In fact each day for several weeks she would eagerly await the mail to see if the package containing this bible was in the bundle of mail for the day. I don't think she could get it opened fast enough when it finally came.

I was unfamiliar with the God's Word Translation and so I was anxious to read it and see how it flowed. However, Anna beat me to it. She loved the ease of the language because she said it made it very easy to understand. She, in fact, said she thought it was close to her ESV. She also said on more than one occasion that this was her new favorite bible because of this very thing. Last year she had received an iShine bible that is printed by Tyndale, though she liked it she quickly shelved it because she did not care as much for the translation or notes. This is quite the opposite reaction to the God Girl bible. She devours the scriptures with this translation often stopping to make comments about certain scriptures as she is understanding the meaning easier with this particular translation.

I have enjoyed her conversation about the devotionals that are included, and the "Ask Yourself" sections. These have served as great conversation starters (and most moms would agree that this part of the mother/daughter relationship sometimes suffers during the pre-teen/teen years). She is eager to discuss these and her own personal thoughts. This has often opened the door to teaching moments but more so has allowed me to see into her heart and hear what God is writing on it. Another section that Anna has really enjoyed is the "Spiritual Self-Check" - in this section a girl is challenged to look at their life and see if there are things they need to change. She has shown significant spiritual growth and personal change by applying these things in her life. She is always excited to talk about the things that she is learning and the things she is working on changing. As a mom this is so great to see but it also serves as a challenge to myself to look at these same areas in my own life. In addition Anna has enjoyed the God Girl Stories about other girls like herself that are striving to serve God. In this world I think that often Christian girls feel like the odd man out - even in church settings. This has given her a new confidence in her Christian walk in knowing she is truly not the only one out there with these views and desires to serve God.

It has been a long time since my daughter was so excited about a bible. Though she has always done personal bible study and scripture memorization the tools in this bible are helping her to develop a new spiritual depth and understanding. I am glad to see her recommend this bible to others - simply because she loves the bible translation and wants other girls her age to have the same enjoyment when they read the bible.

In my daughter's own words - "This bible ROCKS! And it's even more awesome because you get to decorate it yourself!"

Thank you Revell for this review copy

Your People Shall Be My People, Don Finto

2011-09-28T08:30:00.000-07:00

An eye-opening book into the true identity and importance of Israel and her place in the Christianity of today. Truly more American Christians need to be taught about Israel and her place in history and future events in the plan of God that has been lain out in the scriptures.

This is one of those profoundly thought provoking books that makes a person reevaluate what we have been taught all our lives. It further causes the reader to explore the Jewish foundation of the Christian faith and become more passionate about Ruth's statement and the implications of this statement found in the book of Ruth. Truly she was a Gentile adopted into the chosen children of God - and we are no less.

This is a book that the reader needs to take time to read and not just rush through. It will cause the reader to look more closely at what we call Christianity.

Thank you Gospel Light for this review copy.

A Mother's Guide to Praying for Your Children, Quin Sherrer

2011-09-28T08:25:00.000-07:00

I absolutely loved this book. I could not put it down. In fact it became a central part in our Monday Night Moms prayer meeting. This book is filled with helpful advice as you begin to pray the scriptures over your children. I found it to be more than just a book of prefabricated prayers to follow but an instruction guide and encouragement for mothers to pray about and seek out specific scriptures for their individual children. Sherrer addresses the importance of praying the Word over your children for specific things stating that God likes to hear the power of His word released into the believers life.

This book is a powerful addition to the Christian mother's library and is one that will be revisited time and time again.

Forgiving Our Parents, Forgiving Ourselves; David Stoop

2011-09-28T08:15:00.000-07:00

Forgiveness is central in the Christian life and walk, yet it is one of the most complex things for us to grasp and come to terms with. Often we believe that we have readily confronted our past and pain and that we have forgiven ourselves and others only to find that somehow we are still carrying it around. In fact many of us live in a sort of self-induced denial, trying to deal with life the best we can yet not fully understanding why we are prone to bad decisions or thought processes.

This book deals with just that. It helps the reader to look objectively at their life and line it up with the scriptures to reveal the areas of work needed. It is difficult at times as the reader must dig up things they would rather not deal with and confront these issues head on in light of the scriptures. However the end result is one of true healing as the power of forgiveness is fully revealed and lived.

An excellent read for all people.

Thank you Gospel Light for this review copy.

Raising a Soulsurfer

2011-09-28T08:08:00.000-07:00

This is a great book about this family's journey of faith and the enduring love of Christ. Bethany Hamilton has a book written in her words, however this is written by the mother. This makes a great read for all ages, but is especially appreciated by mothers. Written with a transparent heart the reader is invited into the Hamilton family to walk this valley of fear and hope. My daughter enjoyed this book very much and it has become a welcomed addition to our library.

Thank you Gospel Light for this review copy.

Missiolife

2011-09-28T06:28:00.000-07:00

This is an excellent curriculum for small groups our Sunday School settings. I would even venture out to say it would be good for home school situations. I really appreciated the vision of this because it focuses on learning about trusting God so , that you can help others and spread the gospel. This is a very mission minded, outreach program that helps people discover their place in Christianity and to use the talents given to them by God. The format is easy to use and understand. The cd is packed with resources - this makes it great for the one preparing the lesson. Over all this is an excellent program. I hope to see it in use in our church in the future and will be recommending it.

Thanks to B&B for this review copy.

Deeply Devoted, Maggie Brendan

2011-09-25T06:15:00.000-07:00

Maggie Brendan has done it again. This is the first book in a new series that promises to be just as engaging as the last series she wrote. It will draws readers in to the story and leaves them wanting to see more of the story unfold.

Catherine Olsen is a beautiful lady touched by tragedy and heartache living in Holland. She has struggled to hang on to her life as it is turned upside down. However, after the sudden and unexpected loss of her parents the finally tragedy shatters Catherine's heart. Left with the charge of her two sisters Anna and Greta, and longing for a new start in life Catherine answers an add for a mail-order bride. Through the correspondence with Peter Anderson Catherine falls in love with the caring and tender Peter Anderson.

Across the world in Wyoming Peter Anderson is the only son of a doting and controlling mother. Clara, Peter's mother, has his life planned. She has given him the farm that was once her and her husband and she has chosen the "perfect" bride for him. Dorothy is a Cheyenne socialite and is deemed a perfect match despite the fact that Peter has no feelings past friendship for the beautiful lady. Wishing to find someone to share love with Peter places an add for a mail-order bride and begins correspondence with Catherine Olsen. In her letters he finds a woman that truly is his answers to prayers. Not telling his mother his plans, Peter brings Catherine to Wyoming to be his bride.

Thus begins the tale that will bring the reader to the edge of their seats. Brendan has done an excellent job at making her characters real and believable. Will the things left unsaid by Peter and the secret heartache that Catherine has hidden tear the two apart. Or will their individual faith and their united love be enough to overcome these things and begin a healing process for Catherine. Is love really enough?

This story is written so well that it is an easy and quick read. I found myself in tears when the fullness of Catherine's heartbreak is revealed. I then found myself angry at those who dared to meddle in the matters of the heart. I wanted more than anything for the truth to come out before it was too late. Truly this is one story that does keep the reader guessing until the end what the ultimate outcome will be.

Excellent job Maggie Brendan! I can't wait to read the following stories in this series.

Thank you Revell for this review copy.

Available September 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Sifted, Rick Lawrence

2011-09-24T16:11:00.000-07:00

"People who have been sifted and revealed see God's heart
more clearly, and therefore understand His goodness
more deeply, and therefore give what they have
more freely."

Have you experienced deep pain that has left your world in shattered pieces around you? Have you looked up to find that some cataclysmic event in life, some unexpected storm has left your world turned upside down? Or are you the one who looks up one morning and feel as if the weight of the daily grind has pulled so much from you that you just don't know if you can handle one more of life's "little aggravations" because if your honest you've just had too many of these little events to juggle with lately. Your broken, your empty, your all poured out, your exhausted and the road you are walking is suffocating darkness. You look up and wonder what your faith has really done for you - who is this Jesus that you've loved and served - where is He now - and if He loved you so much why isn't He helping you?

This is one of those rare books that you pick up that has the power to cause you to stop and reevaluate your life and your beliefs. It is one of those books that on the outside seems absolutely harmless, maybe even interesting - then you crack the cover and what you begin to realize is this is a book that reflects some of your deepest questions about God - that known thing that you are too "religious" to admit out loud; the thought that God seems filled with contradiction - deep a passionate love, and then a "brutal" terrible side that conditions us and allows sifting that will shatter us so that we better understand Him.

My copy of this book is already separating from it's binding, it is dog-eared, tabbed, underlined and has thoughts and revelations written in the margins. It has been re-opened time and time again to certain passages and cross-referenced with scriptures. It is in a sad shape for a book, but it bears the evidence of one that has already been well read - as I am sure every copy sold will.

Dealing mainly with the topic of Simon Peter's sifting experience this book explores what on the surface is the contradiction of God's loving side. This is eventually exposed as our misinterpretation of God's deep, intense, personal love for His creation; and His driving desire to have His creation conformed to His image.

I am adding this book (a new copy of course) to my shelf to recommend to those going through a sifting process. Almost a year ago we lost an infant son at 4 months of pregnancy due to a Subchorionic hemorrhage. This condition is usually resolved, however just when we got the confirmation that it was resolved just a few days later it reappeared. I will say that of all the sifting experiences in my life this was by far the most devastating and most life-changing. I can personally relate to this book. As in the middle my only hold to life when my faith became thread-bear and I began to wonder how much more can I bear. In the midst of the darkness I cried out for God to just show me the cross - I knew if I could just focus on that I would somehow survive this great ordeal. Continually I prayed for the survival of Caleb Levi - but on the other end of this prayer was a mother's heart broken plea, "Father, please give me the courage, the strength to accept Your will no matter what it is. Please give me spiritual eyesight to see past this numbing pain and recognize Your glory". Needless to say we lost our child - but in an essay labeled "The Sacrifice of Praise" I explained how this very experience brought to me a deeper more intimate knowledge of Christ and my identity in Him. In the wake of this loss my husband and I learned of the need for a new ministry, our raw hearts longed to comfort those who did not have the same tie to Jesus - to introduce them to the calm waters of His land even in the midst of a crashing world and shattered dreams. I remember telling my when he said he did not know if he could go through this again, "Who are we to say what we can or can not go through - these things are in God's hands and are for our good. I must believe and hold to the fact that He said He has good thoughts toward me - even in the bad. Therefore He will sustain me again and again...I must trust that He will not crush me completely".

Page 97... " God has not promised that He's going to stop [the bad from happening], but He'll show up in the middle of it, and there is nothing so dead that He can't grow something out of it. There's nothing so broken that He can't heal it. And there's not anything so lost He can't find it."

Special thanks to B&B Media Group, Inc for this review copy.

The Virgen Mary in Light of the Word of God, Dr. Labib Mikhail

2011-09-22T11:49:00.000-07:00

Far too long Mary has been put above her actual standing as an ordinary girl used my an Extraordinary God to accomplish an Amazing task - bringing into this world the Son of God. In fact before reading this my husband and I sat discussing the very fact that so many hold Mary in such high esteem, often taking her out of her actual roll and placing her in an exalted status. To still be a virgin this woman had only to become the bearer of the child of God (or in modern terms the surrogate mother). No part of Mary was in the Christ for if it were so then it would be against scripture as Mary herself was of the fallen creation and thus born into sin itself. Therefor she was the vessel God chose to use to accomplish a feat that had to be done in order to save this wretched state of mankind.

Dr. Labib Mikhail does an excellent job bringing out relevant scriptures to counter the current views of Mary and to set her in the correct place of mankind. There is nothing extraordinary about her except her willingness to be a part of something greater than herself. I found the book extremely informative and enjoyable to read. I look forward to more books by this author.

Thanks to the publisher Nordskog for this review copy.

Tales of Little Bear and Little Buffalo, Roy Naquin

2011-09-22T11:33:00.000-07:00

This book is a treasure to have. Native American tales are quickly becoming scarce as newer generations are failing to pass along the oral traditions of these great people that shaped this continent. In this book the author recounts the tales told to him by his grandfather and father. In it children are immersed into a world that many people try to write about from the outside looking in but few of the insiders actually put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard as is the case today).

This book follows Little Bear and Little Buffalo on their adventures. It seems these to little Indians have no trouble finding mischief to get into, adventures are just around the river bend or over the next hill. I absolutely loved the simplicity and creativity of this book. It is easy for children to read and will spark their childish imaginations as they begin to wonder what adventure they can find in their own backyards.

I received this review copy from the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this delightful book I would encourage you to write another. My boys loved these daring tales of boyhood fun!

How To Talk So Your Kids Will Listen, H. Norman Wright

2011-09-22T11:24:00.000-07:00

I am a fan of H. Norman Wright and was excited to finally get this book. I am a mother of four children - and as all parents know each child is drastically different. My first was a difficult baby and toddler but by far exceeds maturity and grace at the age of ten. My next to youngest however was a "perfect" baby that turned into a difficult 3 and now four year old. His quick temper and angry outburst make it difficult to talk him through things. In fact both of my boys are somewhat this way. I become so used to being able to reason with my oldest, to explain consequences and know she would choose the right path that I was, and am still to a certain extent, thrown off balance with my boys and youngest feisty girl. Being thrown off balance I began to yell or slam my hand down on a surface to get attention - then I would threaten, threaten, threaten. Over and over my husband said to follow through - but honestly I stayed worn out as a stay at home mom and home school teacher. Seemed my whole day revolved around upheaval.

This book was excellent at bringing out solid points on communicating with each child on their terms while showing respect and getting getting respect for your authority. I enjoyed this book very much and have found it helpful - Though to be honest I am having to keep it handy for review and not shelved just yet.

Thank you Gospel Light for this review copy.

Nowhere Hair, Sue Glader

2011-09-22T11:04:00.000-07:00

Cancer changes everything in a family's life. Often children have so many unanswered questions so quietly they struggle with secret doubts and worries. This book is by far the sweetest book on this subject written by a woman that has gone through this valley. Her thoughtful poetic style presents the truth that cancer is no ones fault, it does not change the love between the parent and child, it does not change the inside of a person. This book shows that truly it is that inward beauty that counts the most and makes the biggest difference. The deep love between the characters reassures small children that even this thing can be faced with security and love. I applaud this author for taking the time to write this children's book. I think it should be one that is recommended at support groups and in doctor's offices that treat cancer patients. It should be on stand-by at cancer treatment facilities to help children understand just what is going on - to help quiet their fears and set their little hearts at ease.

Thank you Sue Glader for this work of your heart! I received this review copy directly from the author free of charge in exchange for an unbiased review of the work.

Race Against Time, Kimberley and Kayla Woodhouse

2011-09-22T10:54:00.000-07:00

I would love to say I enjoy the books that the Woodhouse duo write but I just can't. This book is the same book as the last, only set in a different area with different characters - and still the missing or dead father. The writing is very elementary and hard to follow. I think this duo would be better served writing a non-fiction piece of work based on their life experience rather than fiction. It seems they are kind of stuck in a funk and spin the same story over and over - Kind of like the 100 different themes of Cinderella stories and movies out on the market right now. Please restrain yourselves from writing yet another book like this one.

I would most certainly not recommend this book to anyone under any circumstances.

Thank you B&H Publishing for this review copy.

Pirate of My Heart, Jamie Carie

2011-09-22T10:22:00.001-07:00

This story began sadly and heartbreaking with the death of Lady Kendra's mother after her birth. On her deathbed she made her husband promise to love and protect Kendra and to allow her to choose her own husband. The story unfolds with a beautiful bond of faith and love between father and daughter but quickly turns tragic at the introduction of her long gone uncle and the death of her father. Truly heart-wrenching.

As Lady Kendra's world is turned upside down her faith is pushed to the limit. The loving and caring environment she was used to is ripped from her hands. The freedom of love and choice of a husband is taken from her and her uncle arranges a marriage to someone Kendra just does not love.

Choosing to try out her own wings and explore what the world has to offer Lady Kendra begins a journey that will alter her life and change her faith. Though I expected something quite different from the cover alone the story of love and redemption is still sweet. However, there is only a brief mention of pirates.

I did not care for the cover at all. In fact to be very honest the cover art kept me from picking up this book for a long time - it is just not the most attractive or alluring cover I have seen.

Thank you to B&H Publishing for this review copy.

Fallen Angel, Major Jeff Strucker and Alton Gansky

2011-09-22T08:42:00.000-07:00

Fast-paced intense on the edge of your seat action. This story of a satellite falling to the ground is one that will keep your attention from the first page. The author has first hand military experience yet does not incorporate the sometimes filthy language found similar novels with like themes. This book is an excellent and easy read. For those looking for an action packed thriller without an intense love story this is it! Men, you will enjoy this - women will also likewise enjoy it.

Thank you to B&H Publishing for this review copy.

Moments Together for Parents, Dennis and Barbara Rainey

2011-09-22T07:04:00.000-07:00

This is a small gift book - but big in great devotions. This is excellent for parents - it would be great to put in a baby shower gift. This is a thirty day devotional for parents to work through together. They are short enough to finish in 10 minutes or less. I think that this is a great way to get conversation and prayer started between parents. It is vitally important that parents are in one accord in prayer for their children. This book offers a way for parents to get on the "same page" for the day and initiates biblical discussion concerning the raising of children and the difficulties that arise during this season of life.

Thank you Gospel Light for this review copy.

The Big Picture Bible TimeLine,

2011-09-22T06:54:00.000-07:00

Okay Sunday School Teachers and home school moms - if you are looking for a fun and interactive way to make biblical history come alive this is it! I love this book! The pages are reproducible so you can make multiple time lines. Why not turn you Sunday School room into a visual timeline? Allow children to explore history through pictures and to actually see how it all fits in together. I was expecting something a little different but was very pleasantly surprised when I opened the pages of this book. I am taking this in conjunction with our world history and adding events from secular history to the coloring pages so my children see that the biblical history is not isolated but that it is directly and intricately interwoven into all history. They can thus experience the far reaching impact of other cultures and christian cultures on the war and better understand what all was happening in the world at certain times in the bible. This is an outstanding resource for home school parents and Sunday School teachers. It could also be used in a Children's church setting as you explore the bible and it's characters.

Thanks to Gospel Light for this review copy.

Just Fine the Way They Are, Connie Nordhielm Wooldridge

2011-09-22T06:46:00.000-07:00

Although this is a non-fiction book it is extremely entertaining for elementary students. This book is all about embracing change and being ready for it when it comes. It seems there is a prevalent attitude that emerges among each generation that things are fine the way they are and that because it's always been this way (for as long they can remember) it doesn't need to change. This book explores that change can be beneficial and good if embraced and accepted. I found it very interesting to read and my children all really enjoyed it. This is an excellent book - I highly recommend it for teachers (public and home school alike).

Thank you to the author for this review copy.

Off to Class, Susan Hughes

2011-09-22T06:24:00.001-07:00

This is a wonderful book! Thank you Susan Hughes for taking the time to put together such a great children's book. I am always looking for ways to introduce my children to other "worlds" and ways of doing things so that they do not become self-absorbed thinking that every where is like here. They enjoyed all the pictures and stories of all the different types of schooling environments and techniques. I really enjoyed that the book did not have to be read from front to cover, rather you can skip around to the different schools. We spent time discussing what we like and disliked about the schools and the children noticed how the kids were dressed and the economic state of things represented in the pictures.

I highly recommend this book to teachers and parents alike.

Thank you for this review copy.

The Shooting Salvationist, David R. Stokes

2011-09-22T05:52:00.000-07:00

Even so, this book was great. I went immediately to church to speak to some of our older congregants about it. Not being a native of Texas - I was curious if any of them had any knowledge of this man. None did, but many where wanting to read the book when I started talking about what all was covered in this book.I agreed to review this book because I am intrigued with the history of the Baptist - being a Baptist myself. Living in Texas I was very interested in this story in particular.

J. Frank Norris is a character like no other. I have to say at the end of the book that I wondered how he still had any followers left - but then often dynamic speaking and an intimidating presence will draw a crowd more than sincerity. People in this world are seeking out leaders that are uncompromising - even if they are not always the best.

I was shocked at all that J. Frank Norris was accused of and even more shocked that he got off every time - especially in the murder case that this book centers around. In fact after reading this I consider this man a dark spot in the Baptist history - it seems some of our greatest leaders in the Baptist group of Texas have been somewhat shady and questionable. I wonder how the truly great leaders of integrity feel being mixed in such influential company.

The book was filled with many, many outside sources. It is obvious that this author had a great fascination of this dynamic man. However, at times I felt bogged down with the references, especially when there where quotes but no footnotes or recognition of the quoted source. Some of these could have been done a way with.

If you are looking for a piece of non-fiction that will cause you to dig into Texas church history this is probably a book for you. I personally do not know why anyone would be willing to put this man on their list of influential men of their lives. After reading this it just opened my eyes to how easily deceived people can be when a person such as J. Frank Norris has the courage and gumption to push their dynamic, manipulative personalities off on others. This man was the picture of maliciousness, evil speech, false testimony, lack of integrity, lack of honesty, murderous rage - all exact opposites of Christ's walk on this Earth.

I will be keeping this book in our section of the library that has other autobiographies and biographies of some of the religious greats and not so greats. I think at sometime this very story will be intriguing for my children to read. For even leaders that are bad serve a purpose in God's ultimate plan for this world. If only to open our eyes as to how we should be on guard and vigilant.

Thank you to the author for this review copy.

A Lancaster Christmas, Suzanne Woods Fisher

2011-09-20T15:41:00.000-07:00

In this touching tale of God's faithfulness and love two worlds are forever changed and lives are mended in unlikely ways.

Jaime Fiztpatrick doesn't realize that what she considers a chance meeting in a doctor's office is actually an action of God's mighty hand. Struggling with the loss of her mother and the insecurities of a father who left her as an infant Jaime is in constant search of who she is. She is now in a struggling marriage and is trying to involve her long absentee father into her life.

Mattie Reihl is overcome with grief. She feels the weight of being unable to have more children pulling her down. After her recent miscarriage she feels that there is no hope left and her life seems devoid of joy and peace. Struggling to maintain faith but also trying to control her life she feels her old self slipping further and further into a grey oblivion of desperate sadness.

Little did these women know that God intended for them to help each other find the answers to their deepest questions and longings and to rediscover His love for them.
When Jaime drives to the Reihl farm to return little Danny's whistle she finds herself trapped in a winter storm with her husband CJ.

There the two families are thrown into a weekend that will forever change them. This is a sweet and amazing book.

Thank you Revell for this review copy.

Available September 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group

Deliver Us From Evil, Cindy Jacobs

2011-09-13T15:40:00.000-07:00

STOP SATAN AT YOUR DOORSTEP....the heading on the back cover reads.

I will honestly say that I would not recommend this book for everyone. This is an extremely graphic book filled with many testimonies and stories of demonic activity. If read with the heart of truly wanting to understand the effects of the spirit world and wanting to break those bondage's this book is the one to read. A person can not help while reading this to become convicted in so many areas. It amazed me that I had allowed so many different demonic things to be in my house out of pure ignorance. Cindy Jacobs does an amazing job at showing just how lax we have become in today's society. Though we run a very strict home - I was still amazed at how much I had been exposed to as a child. More so this book helped me to understand some of the things that had been going on in my life.

Again - this book is not for the faint hearted. Nor is it for someone new in the faith. Before reading it a believer must begin by taking inventory of your spiritual armor and spend time studying God's word and the promises contained therein. Do not be caught off guard - if you delve into the spirit world you will experience the enemy's attack. Satan does not want you to be aware of his schemes and he certainly does not want you to develop a strong sense of faith and authority in Christ to fight against him.

Thank you Gospel Light for this review copy.

Purging your House, Pruning Your Family Tree; Perry Stone

2011-09-12T19:21:00.000-07:00

This book is long over due. Though there is much out there regarding the deliverance movement this book by far surpasses them all. I am most impressed with the fact that Perry Stone doesn’t just give a list of prayers but rather approaches this as a lesson in the spirit world. I think too often there is a great divide in believers – those who jump off deep into the spiritual realm without understanding it and those who just want to act as if there is not spiritual world. Either of these approaches is detrimental to the one doing so – One leads a person into a place of weakness, for denying that the enemy is there does not cause him to go away, while the other acts in pride and often without the full covering of Christ, taking on more that he is able.
This book explores the implications of generational curses, familiar spirits and spiritual manifestations. Although this very thing is what will cause many conservatives to put this book back on the shelf I would encourage that person to pick it up – they may be the one most in need of this very book. IF you have ever wondered why there are certain things you seem to battle more than others, or why you seem prone to certain things. IF you are looking at your family and wondering how you can change from the path set out, how you can be free from all that garbage. This is the book for you. I learned so much…In fact my FaceBook page was filled over the last few weeks with little quotes from this book. This is a wonderful, life changing book. I will be adding it to one that I recommend over and over in the ministry field and one that I will revisit often.

Thanks to Charisma House for this review copy.

Megan's Secrets, Mike Cope

2011-09-12T06:53:00.000-07:00

From the opening page you are invited into a journey of joy and heartbreak. It is one of those journeys in which those along for the walk are brought closer to the throne of God and into a deeper understanding of His grace, love and mercy.

It is often those that seem most insignificant or cumbersome to the world that in that innocence of what the world labels "disability" we see the example of child-like faith. In these rare instances we are offered a personal glimpse of what heaven must truly be like - and what the heart of God is so desperately trying to communicate to the world.

Megan was one of those children. Though she spoke only a few words her silence spoke volumes. Maybe it was that very thing the world labels as a "disability" that enabled Megan to love more freely and more deeply. Maybe it was this very thing that allowed her life to be lived free of expectations and standards, religion or traditions of men - free from worry about others thoughts - free to be herself and to touch others in a profoundly deep and lasting way.

It is in this life that we are invited to throw off the weight of our expectations and to embrace the grace and love of God. To be both blessed freely and to bless freely without giving thought to what others may or may not think.

This is one of those books that when you read it your heart can not help but to be stirred to movement for Christ. It is one that reaches into the very depths of who we are as humans to touch that one place where there is a void and to open our eyes to the longing to know and experience Christ deeper and fuller.

Mike Cope has transparently lain open his heart and his life. He is honest about the struggles of raising a disabled child. He is honest about the heartbreak of that first diagnosis and the struggle to find the balance in life to cope and adjust. But more so this man is honest about the touch of God that could only have been brought through Megan's life. He reveals the deep truths of God that can only be experienced during the times of life that we so often think are difficult.

I strongly urge you to pick up a copy of this moving book and ask that the Lord speak to you as you read the testimony of this father.

Thank you B&B Communications for this review copy.

Deadly Pursuit, Irene Hannon

2011-09-09T11:54:00.000-07:00

I would love to sing rave reviews about this book, but I just can't. I did enjoy the overall theme and story line but could have done with out all the physical descriptions of how beautiful Alison was and how handsome he was. It seemed there was a lot of emphasis put on the physical attraction of these two - a little over the top for me. I found myself skipping over entire parts when they were together because I was tired of reading about the sweet scent of her silky hair as it brushed against his strong jaw and so on and so on.

That all set aside I loved the fact that the entire family was involved in the justice system in some way. I also like the suspense as the stalker advanced and they worked to discover the person behind everything. I also appreciated how this author wove in the message of God in the different characters and the message of life-sustaining faith.

Over all the plot and story are well written and developed. I think that those who love a sticky sweet romance and don't mind a little action and suspense will devour this book whole. For those who enjoy action and suspense but could leave or take the romance part this book may not be for you - as it wasn't for me. I do enjoy a good love story but not one based on the physical aspects of the other person.

Grace for the Good Girl, Emily P. Freeman

2011-09-08T11:19:00.000-07:00

Emily Freeman's new book is absolutely astounding! I think just about every woman I know could benefit from this easy to read book. I loved her writing style - it made it seem as if I were sitting with a friend having a discussion about life. So many of us struggle with being a good girl, good mother, good wife, good friend....and we don't even realize it.

In her book Emily Freeman gives the tools and suggestions to help the reader break free from this prison of "goodness" and into the freedom of a true identity and confidence in Christ. I can not think of one person I know that could not relate in some small way to this book. It seems that this author covered every angle and was transparent in her own personal struggle with being the good girl.

As a child of a broken and abusive home, to the wife of a Pastor and the mother of 4 home schooled children - I have most certainly felt the need to be every one's definition of Good. I have struggled with trying to meet every one's expectations only to be deeply frustrated at myself and angry when I could not do it.

Therefor this book was a welcomed and refreshing study. It reinforced the things I had already been applying to my life and reassured me that I am not the only one that has struggled with this very thing.

I recommend this book for every woman - I would also recommend it to teenagers. If we catch this before they are adults and give them the confidence to be who God created them to be then maybe they won't struggle with this same thing as adults.

This book was provided for review purposes only no payment was received for this review.

Available September 2011 from your favorite bookseller of Revell Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

The Queen (Patrick Bowers Files Bk 5), Steven James

2011-09-02T17:03:00.000-07:00

Fast-paced and intriguing. That is how I would describe this book. This is the first by this author that I have read so I am curious about books 1-4! I did have a little difficulty with keeping the "bad" guys straight since they were introduced with one name and then with different aliases. Other than that I loved it.

Patrick Bowers is an FBI agent who has had his share of tragedy and hardships. While on a case to find a serial killer he is pulled off to investigate what seems like a simple double murder/suicide. The local of this crime puts him near his brother and sister in-law. So not only will he be solving a crime that turns out to be deeper and more involved than first thought but he must also deal with some family issues that have been left too long buried and some secrets that threaten to rip apart the family at the seams. Add to this a love affair and a step-daughter who is dealing with her own demons after losing her father, mother and shooting a man and a mysterious villan by the name of Valkyrie and you have a nail-biting, page turning suspence that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page.

Every time I thought I had the killers figured out and the plot - I turned the page to find I really did not have it figured out at all. The one thing that stuck in my head through-out the story is Bower's constant repeating that the truth could be hiding in plain sight - and so it was at the end. The answer was there all along - but none the less it was utterly shocking.

I would have to think from the way this one ended that there will be another addition to the Patrick Bowers Files - and I am all on board for the next adventure.

Thanks to Revell for this review copy.

Safely Home, Randy Alcorn

2011-09-01T12:27:00.001-07:00

Separated by the oceans two men live very different lives. Neither could know how the world had changed the other in the twenty years since they had been college roommates. Both lived lives unaware of the other in very different worlds.

Quan - a Chinese, Ben - an American. After twenty years the men find themselves together again in desperate situations that will test their faith and resilience. These times will tell the character and integrity of both men.

I am surprised Randy Alcorn would take on such a controversial subject such as this. In fact that is one reason I chose to read this book. After checking other reviews to see if this would be one that would interest me - my interest was immediately piqued. My husband is a seminary student and he has had class with Chinese students. They have openly talked about the persecution of Christians even sharing stories of having to meet under the ground in wet, cold caves for bible study. They told of fearful night meetings. It seems that this is a travesty the Chinese would like to keep hidden or would more like to keep a blind eye turned to. I applaud Alcorn's attempt to shed some light on a difficult subject, as I am sure it is somewhat difficult to research it. People are taught to love and defend their country, even hide or disguise its dark secrets and problems. In this book Alcorn explores this sensitive subject and exposes what faith under fire truly is. For it is in the midst of persecution that our baby faith is excercised and we begin to understand the magnitude of God's sustaining power and the depth of His unwavering love. Courage, mercy, forgiveness, love - these are the themes of this great book.

Thank you Randy Alcorn for such a fine work. Thanks you Tyndale for this review copy.

Women of Faith Conference - Dallas, Texas

2011-08-31T12:31:00.000-07:00

The Women of Faith conference is one that brings women of all walks of life together in one dynamic setting. You can not walk through the doors of the building with out feeling the charge of electricity in the air, the anticipation of those around you longing to see God's presences it is a place where hearts are changed, lives made new, wounds healed and the power of the Lord is seen unleashed.

This year was no different: onstage renowned Women of Faith stood to speak God's Word and to edify those in the auditorium. Mandisa's voice and passionate faith echoed off the walls as she sang songs from the depths of her soul. Sandi Patty and Amy Grant shared from their deep wells of song and blessed anyone in the building. Songs from the deeper places of their hearts, born out of their experience with God and His loving hand in their lives poured from them - and in these songs women's hearts were broken at the rich beauty of God's love, they felt the healing streams of God's pure and refreshing mercy. In these moments of worship the veil between heaven and earth was thinned and voices were lifted unashamed and unhindered by religious rules or staunch tradition. In these times it was what author Margeret Harrell Wells would call a thin place - she might ought to have attended such an event while writing her book Pressing into Thin Places.

As for the speakers: Everyone of the Women who spoke did so with a great and evident faith in the One Mighty God. Through their words the bible and all its glory was opened and was seen for what it really is - a living, flowing stream of water. In these lessons no woman left the same. For it is impossible to sit under the anointed teaching of the Lord and not be changed or renewed in some small way. The electricity passed from one lady to the next, the Holy Spirit was completely unleashed to work the wonders of the Lord. Some women sat in tears at times, others were moved to clap and yet others sat and felt for the first time the burdens they were carrying be lifted from them and their once bowed frame was straight. In the presence of the Lord lives are changed - the Lord demands a response from the heart.

Absolutely a life changing event. I encourage all who have never attended to go. Women, a revival can take place if we all fall into line with God's will - if we all find the healing He is laying out for us - If we all find a safe place of worship to tap into the deep well of love that God has placed in each of us. This is a place where we can come together free of the hindrances of religion and tradition, a place where we can focus only on the Lord, a place of refreshment, renewal, healing - a place of life changes.

The Colonel's Lady, Laura Frantz

2011-08-29T14:04:00.001-07:00

After the death of her mother Roxanna Rowan takes a dangerous journey to see her father who is stationed at Fort Endeavor in Kentucky. Chased by indians she leads a rag tag group of women and a mute child through the wilderness to the fort.

Once there she finds only heartbreak at the arrival of the Colonel and his announcement that her father is dead. Thus begins a heartbreaking journey of love, forgiveness and ultimate restoration of broken hearts. Holding fast to her faith and the beloved memory of her father Roxanna quickly becomes the heart and backbone of a desolate forsaken place.

In the midst she finds herself in love with the Colonel. However he is bound by a promise he made her father and a guilt that is eating at his very soul. Will her love and steadfast faith be a light that will lead him to a place of healing? Or will these very secrets and torments of his soul lead to more brokenness?

I found myself crying as the two struggled with their emotions, their past, their love and forgiveness. This author has done an excellent job of creating a story that will be hard to put down and even harder to forget. I believe it will become a favorite of many a reader as they journey into the deep and dangerous wilderness into the midst of the war with the British and the Indians. They will feel their heart wrench inside them as old family bitterness plays out on the battle fields and as prayers are lifted to God for an old testament miracle.

Absolutely outstanding.

Available August 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Thanks to Revell for this review copy.

A Confident Heart, Renee Swope

2011-08-26T13:12:00.000-07:00

Renee Swope has written a book that is sure to make a difference for anyone who picks it up to read.

Have you ever struggled with feeling inadequate, fearful, and even unsure of who you really are or how you fit in as a unique part of God's plan? If we were all brutally honest most of us would say yes. There are times that fear has paralyzed us - fear of not being good enough, not being the right person for the job, fear of rejection.

In this book Renee invites you to peel back the layers and discover what is holding you back from true confidence. This confidence is in Christ and is the kind that is unshakable and life changing.

Truly a book that will cause a person to look deep into themselves. Learn to embrace your unique talents and gifts - being confident that God has a purpose for you.

Absolutely wonderful and highly recommended. I will be sharing this with ladies at my church.

Thanks you Revell for this review copy.

Blue Skies Tomorrow, Sarah Sundin

2011-08-21T14:33:00.000-07:00

I was so excited to read this book. The third in the Wings of Glory Series, it can be read alone, but will be much more enjoyable if you read the two before it.

This book is set around the eldest Novak boy - Raymond. This story opens with Ray being transferred back home for a desk job. While at home he runs into a childhood friend, Helen. From the first sight of her his heart melts and he can think of only having her as his wife. He did not know that there were secrets and demons that Helen would have to face before they could ever develop a lasting relationship.

The story is so filled with up and downs, and twists and turns that it is hard to guess the ending. As Ray signs up for a tour overseas to fly combat missions and Helen steps out to confront the demons and lies from her past will they ever be on the same page.

In one year, while Ray is overseas, both are tested and must learn to lean completely on the Lord for their strength. Each must find out what God has intended for them and who they are in Christ.

I used many tissues as the stories of the Novak boys further unfolds and the depth of their family faith is exposed. The strength of faith of these boys changes and helps the women in their lives.

Absolutely a stunning book. Sarah Sundin has out done herself. I realize that with this book the series is most likely at an end - since all the Novak boys have had their stories told. However, there is still so much to be told about their lives. I would welcome yet another book to see the depth of character, love and faith to be further revealed in the next generation of Novak's.

Thank you Revel for this review copy.
Available August 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group

Amish Values for Your Family, Suzanne Woods Fisher

2011-08-21T11:07:00.000-07:00

This is by far one of the neatest books on Amish values and beliefs. Although I have no desire to travel north and join an Amish community I do see the benefits of many of their beliefs regarding family structure. This book explores this through personal stories of the Amish. It is truly an insight to a people that are truly set apart from this world.

If you are seeking to simplify your life - to return to a seemingly easier and maybe old-fashioned lifestyle this is a great book. The Amish have managed through the years to keep their life simple by focusing on the important things in life. I appreciated the reminders to value family above earthly things. From cover to cover this story is filled with encouraging ways to embrace a simple life in this hectic world.

I especially enjoyed the Amish Proverbs at the top of each new chapter. One I particularly like is "We Pass on our convictions to our children by the things we tolerate." (page 69). In fact this was posted on my FaceBook wall. I don't think people think about how what we tolerate effects our children. I have adopted this as one of our Proverbs to counter the inevitable "Everyone else is doing it" or "So and So's mom doesn't care". I want my children to understand that we must be different and must stand for what the bible says - tolerating no iniquities in our life but being quick to repent and turn.

At the end of each chapter is a section called Road Map: Getting There From Here. This section tells more in depth why the Amish believe what they do and how we can adapt this into our own lives. There is then a section called In their Words that has quotes from different scribes from different Amish Communities. I thought these were often funny and extremely personal. One that made me giggle was I have learned to be careful how I write Oleo when I send my husband to the store or he comes back with Oreos.

I would recommend this book for anyone needing some encouragement that the simple life can be attained even in this hectic world.

I received this book from Revell as a review copy.

Available August 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group

The Colonel's Lady, Laura Frantz

2011-08-14T16:21:00.000-07:00

Anybody Got a Clue About Guys?, Susie Shellenberger

2011-08-13T14:15:00.000-07:00

Don't let the out-dated 80's cover throw you! This book has been around a while but it is packed with timeless information for young girls.

During their pre-teen and teen years girls seem to lose their confidence in who they are. They begin to doubt that they are pretty enough, smart enough, funny enough, ect. to ever be liked by boys of their age. They long to fit into the social network they are daily surrounded with. They are bombarded by television shows, ads, movies, music, media, and magazines to be and act a certain way. In these tumultuous waters it is often hard to navigate and become settled in themselves.

This book gives them the tools to do just that. It is an excellent resource for girls that are entering this age. I would even recommend that mothers and daughters take time to read this together. Navigate these waters with your daughter, remember with her the feelings you had at this time in your own life. Let her know that this is normal and workable.

Thank you Gospel Light for this review copy.

The Mother Daughter Legacy, Carol Lewis & Cara Symank

2011-08-13T14:06:00.000-07:00

A grandmother, Granddaughter team has written an amazing book about the importance of this thing called love!

As a young lady Cara Symank lost her mother to a tragic accident on the front lawn of her grandparent's house. Years later as an adult Cara begins to look back on the legacy that her mother left her. The very things that sustained her throughout the remainder of her childhood.

Together Carole and Cara have created a book that is a lasting legacy to a mother and daughter they both adored. In these pages you will discover what matters in the life of your children and how these things are passed down from generation to generation. This book explores the importance of letting your daughter know through your actions and your time how very much she is loved and how special you consider her. It is this love that will drive her to love others as she grows up.

I appreciate the sincerity and honesty of the writers in the exploration of a mother's long reaching effect. Are you leaving a legacy that will sustain your children? If you were taken today - what would your children reflect about your relationship with them? Have you instilled in them that they are loved, worthy, special and worth your time?

Thank you Gospel Light for This review coy.

When Women Worship, Amie Dockery

2011-08-13T13:52:00.000-07:00

It seems that worship has become, like so many other things, a little refined by rules and traditions. The true act of worship seems to be lost to so many.

In this book Amie Dockery and Mary Alessi help women discover the true meaning of worship: intimacy with God. This most sacred relationship is forsaken due to shame, regret, past abuse, feeling unworthy. We have built up walls and made a list of reasons we do not deserve fellowship with the Lord. Yet His deepest desire is just that - a close fellowship with us - a transparent, intimate relationship.

When you begin looking at the truth of worship you will be invited into a new relationship with Christ and discover the courage to face all the things that have kept you out of the courts of worship and praise - out of the very presence of God. Here in His presence you will experience a love like no other and healing.

I enjoyed the stories of women who had experienced just this. Not a a how to but of things you must do, but rather a testimonial of how great God's love is and what a difference He makes. I challenge you to take another look at worship - find healing, peace, love, completeness and your identity in the one who created you. Release His power into your life!

Thank you Gospel Light for this review copy.

The Naked Truth, Lakita Garth

2011-08-12T12:01:00.000-07:00

I reviewed the book, Leader's Guide, Student Guide and DVD. Although you don't need all the material I would strongly suggest that you get it all.

Lakita Garth is very open and forthright as she discusses the dangers of sex outside of marriage. I will be honest in saying that this author cuts no corners and makes no excuses when dealing with this subject. In fact some of it is very much "in your face" and to the point. However, I think that this may be a good approach to take with teens today. So many have been left on their own to decide what to do and how to do it. So many are absolutely unguided. This book is direct enough to demand a teens attention and honest enough to make them stop and listen.

Today's teens do not want a rosy picture - they want the truth. They want and need the tools to make right decisions and know that these decisions will be for the best.

Thank you Gospel Light for this review copy.

Saving My First Kiss, why I'm keeping confetti in my closet, Lisa Velthouse

2011-08-12T11:47:00.001-07:00

After reading only the first chapter I got on the phone and started calling my friends! This is a book that everyone needs. It ranks right up there with Lady In Waiting. I will be giving it as gifts to friends who have daughters.

This is one of those life-changing books. In today's society girls are pushed into the dating scene. Pressured to be what everyone is and to do what everyone else is doing. Statistics show a rise in sexual promiscuity and at a younger age. In fact I am surprised at the pressure my grade school girl has felt for not having a "boyfriend". Too often girls that go dateless are made to feel worthless - the two words have almost become alike in today's culture.

Lisa Velthouse gives us a book that is so encouraging and uplifting. She shares her personal story a journey of feeling left out to being completely satisfied. Help your young daughter become centered in God's word and in her identity in Him. In the end at the alter she will present to her spouse the most perfect gift - and she will have the satisfaction of having followed God's design.

Thank you Gospel Light for this review copy.

Eyes Wide Open, Brienne Murk

2011-08-12T11:24:00.000-07:00

Avoiding the Heartbreak of Emotional Promiscuity....

What a timely book. There are so many resources out there about sexual promiscuity and abstinence. This book however, addresses the meaning behind the verse about guarding your heart.

With all the advances in technology the scene of dating has drastically changed over the past few years. Almost every teen carries a phone with texting and internet capabilities. Most have their own membership to a social networking environment such as Facebook, MySpace or Twitter. This creates a secret and separate world that parents are often not involved in. In this environment of not seeing people face to face teens feel more at ease to share with others in more open ways than they would do otherwise.

This book deals heavily with a person's thought life and what the bible says about this subject. I think that it is sad to admit that we prepare our children for physical interaction. Making sure we talk about sexual purity and protecting ones self this way. However, we neglect to talk to our children about emotional purity. Meaning we don't teach them that getting emotionally involved is just as dangerous as physically.

The danger being that the heart is being given away a piece at a time to whomever they are investing their emotions into. What a sad problem, and so incredibly dangerous.

If you want to protect your teen so that when they marry their spouse gets their entire heart, pure and whole - this is the book for you!!!

I will be sharing this with my daughters, and my sons. I want them to walk down the aisle one day emotionally and physically pure - with the heart intact. I want them to be able to present to their spouse a perfect gift of undivided love and innocence. I think in today's society innocence has been given a bad name.

"Even if we aren't having sex, endless cycles of dating and breaking up are...promiscuous. We are casually and indiscriminately giving away our hearts, one piece at a time"

Thank you Regal for this review copy! I have so enjoyed it!

The Chair, James L. Rubart

2011-08-08T16:57:00.000-07:00

Restoration: to return something to its original condition. Isn't this the deepest desire in each of our hearts - one that has been there since the fall of Adam and Eve. We seek anything that will make us feel whole, complete, important. We strive for that feeling of the original condition - that feeling of oneness and rightness. Through Christ we find that as the layers of lies, deception, sin are stripped away and we are slowly restored through a lifetime to the original condition.

In this book Rubart explores this very theme - the need for restoration in the physical, the emotional and the spiritual.

When a strange lady appears at the door of Corin Roscoe's store he doesn't realize how drastically his life is about to change. With the gift of an antique chair Corin's life takes a drastic chair. Can this be a chair created by Christ himself? Does it really have the power to heal people? All these questions must be answered - and Corin quickly finds that he can not trust everyone in his life with this special adventure.

I really enjoyed the action of this book. I appreciate Rubart's exploration of the theme of restoration and the revelation of how precious our relationships truly are. That they are important enough to fight for.

If you enjoyed Rooms, and Book Of Days you will no doubt enjoy this one too. Rubart is becoming one of my favorite authors.

Thanks to B&H Publishing for this review copy.

Abe's Lucky Day, Jill Warren

2011-08-04T07:30:00.000-07:00

I received this book as a review copy from the author Jill Warren. I feel blessed to have it in my children's library.

The story is about a homeless man named Abe. Though he has nothing but the clothes on his back (all big and shaggy), an unraveling hat, and shoes with no laces he takes every opportunity to share any abundance he has with those around. As the wind is blowing and cold he finds mittens that could have been slipped on his hands, but seeing another in need he passes off the blessing.

If you are looking for a book that will help your children understand giving and kindness this is the book. I would recommend it for churches as well when teaching about the golden rule, giving, kindness, thinking of others. No matter how bad Abe's lot was he was always looking for ways to lighten someone else's load.

This would also be great in the classroom setting. The illustrations are great and could lead to great conversation with little ones (just talking about what is happening in them). The story is simple enough that the children can understand what is going on. The lesson taught is universal: Give and it will be given unto you; treat others as you wish to be treated. And ultimately when we are not selfish we are blessed.

This is sure to be a favorite of anyone who picks it up.

Thanks again to Jill Warren for this review copy. This book is published by outskirts press, Inc.

This is a beautifully written book! Thank you Jill Warren for creating something that will surely become a classic.