BookSneeze Review: Overextended ...and loving most of it!

  My latest review is of the book, "Overextended... and loving most of it!" by Lisa Harper.  Lisa is a featured speaker with the Women of Faith organization, as well as an author of ten books.  Lisa has a masters of theological studies from Covenant Seminary and is a gifted communicator.  Personally, I think Lisa has the gift of making people laugh, you cannot help but love her.  I had recently attended a Women of Faith conference and heard Lisa speak, so I wanted to review her latest book.

   This review is going to be short because I don't have a lot to say about Lisa's book except that it was wonderful.  I absolutely love the way Lisa writes, and I felt so connected to all of her stories.  She invites her readers to enter her joy and pain, and she isn't afraid to let you see that she is a real person with real emotions, struggles and sins.

  Lisa shares personal stories about her adoption journey, relationships with family and about how it is to live a very busy life on the road.  My favorite story is about an older lady named Agnes that Lisa met on a flight.  If the story of Agnes was the only story in the book, it would have been worth it for me to buy the book.

     I would definitely recommend this book to all of my friends.  Lisa is down to earth and I have a feeling that many women reading this book will relate to one of more of her stories.   I think I need to go back and read Lisa's other books now.

 I received this book complimentary from BookSneeze, and I in turn agreed to write this review.

Book Sneeze Review (God in my Everything)

 I was very curious to read Ken Shigematsu's new book, God in my Everything (How an Ancient Rhythm Helps Busy People Enjoy God).  I love that title and honestly that is my heart cry.   I want to learn how to live in a way that God is in every part of my life.  I received this book from Book Sneeze and I in turn agreed to write this review.

  Ken Shigematsu is the Senior Pastor of Tenth Church in Vancouver, BC.  Ken's main purpose of this book is to show the reader that the time-tested spiritual practice of the "rule of life" can enrich their relationship with God.  Ken writes about how as Christians we long to have a deeper relationship with God, but the busyness of life makes is difficult.  I totally agree with him.

  For this review I am not going to try to explain the "rule of life" practice, but encourage you to read the book and find out the full meaning of this practice.  However, in the book Ken writes this about the rule of life, "It serves as a pattern for life that enables us to experience the presence of Jesus in each moment of our lives, empowering us to become people who embody his love to others".  I like that statement.  Ken talks about how the "rule of life" can be applied in all areas of life from your personal time with God, your own health, finances, and to your relationship with your family and friends.

 I recommend this book to anyone who is feeling like life is getting too busy and your time with God is suffering as a result. There are several great takeaways from this book that I will try to implement in my own life.  It is an easy read and you will probably be finished reading the book in a few days.
Thank you Book Sneeze for another great read, and of course a thanks to Ken Shigematsu.  

BookSneeze Review: Resurrection Year

   My most recent review is "Resurrection Year" by Sheridan Voysey.  I received a complimentary copy of the book from BookSneeze and in return I am writing this review.  I had never heard of Sheridan Voysey,  although he is a popular author and radio personality from Australia.  He now resides in the UK with his wife.  

  I probably would not have picked this book to review, but I had just heard an interview with Sheridan on the Chris Fabry Live radio show.   Chris Fabry was sent Sheridan's book to review and he must have liked it because he was interviewing Sheridan about his book :)

  (Taken from back cover) "Resurrection Year is a hope filled story about starting again after a dream has died-an emotive, poetic, and at times humorous discovery of the healing qualities of beauty, play, friendship, and love."

   I really enjoyed reading this book, and I had read it completely in just a few days.  Sheridan opens up candidly, and shares the journey he and his wife have been on...a painfully long journey of 15 years of infertility.  Sheridan shares many of his own personal journal entries during the struggle with infertility.  The reader gets a glimpse of Sheridan's (and his wife) wrestling with God through questions, pain and rejoicing.

   I think I had expected that at the end of the book Sheridan and his wife would have children, but this book is actually about how a Christ follower lives in spite of an unfulfilled dream...this is real life for so many of us.  Living in a broken world, we all will live with some unfulfilled dream.  This book is about how Sheridan and his wife chose to focus in on the beauty of the life that God has given them without children of their own.

    I would recommend this book to anyone, not just those who share the same story as Sheridan and his wife.  As stated before, everyone will face some unfulfilled longing, and this book shows how one couple chose to find life after a "death" of a dream.

Blogging For Books Review (Clear Winter Nights)

  My most recent review is Trevin Wax's,  Clear Winter Nights .  I received a complimentary copy of this book from Blogging For Books and I in turn am writing this review.  Trevin Wax is the managing editor of The Gospel Project which was developed by Lifeway Christian Resources.  He is a former missionary and pastor, and writes on his blog, Kingdom People.  

  Clear Winter Nights is a fictional book, but Trevin weaves theology into the story.  The book's main character is Chris Walker, and he ends up questioning everything he has come to believe about his faith in God.  Chris spends a weekend with his grandfather, Gil, a retired pastor who has recently lost his wife and has suffered a stroke.  The rest of the story is really a dialogue between Chris and Gil.

  What I love about the book is that the reader gets to take a journey with the main character, Chris as he questions his faith and wrestles with some very tough questions.  The dialogue between Chris and  his grandfather engages the reader from the very beginning of the story.  I found myself loving the "grandfather" character by the time the book was over.

  "Clear Winter Nights is a story about faith, forgiveness, and the distinctiveness of Christianity" (taken from back cover).  After reading this book, you may actually come away learning something from the Bible that you did not know before.  I really liked how this book was a fictional story, but was biblically based.  I would recommend this book, and definitely would like to see more books written in this style.

Blogging For Books Review: humble ORTHODOXY

I received a complimentary copy of the book "humble ORTHODOXY" from the Blogging for Books program, and I in turn promised to write this review.

 I have come to really enjoy the writings of Joshua Harris.  He is the pastor of a church in MD, as well as an author of several books.  I loved his book, "Dug Down Deep" so was I delighted to find that this book (feels more like a booklet with 79 pages), humble ORTHODOXY was written because people that read "Dug Down Deep" wanted him to expand more on his chapter, "humble Orthodoxy" and so he wrote this little book.

   The book stresses that is so vitally important that we have a commitment to biblical sound doctrine.  We must know the truth of Scripture, but as we share that truth with others we must be humble.  Boy is that hard to do!  I realize in my own life that way too many times I knew the truth of God's Word, but I did not share it in love and humility.  There is a balance and Joshua Harris unpacks how we can go about this approach.  Actually, Harris explains what it means, but as Christians we need the help of the Holy Spirit to accomplish this goal.

 I really did enjoy the book and the very last chapter (number 4) was wonderful.  I wanted to quote the whole chapter on my blog.  Harris paints a vision of what it might be like in Heaven when the body of Christ realizes that we got it wrong about so many things (not the core belief of our Salvation).  Of course this is Harris' idea about what might be, but just the way he told the story made me want to live with a spirit of humility now.  The book also challenged me to make sure that I know the truth of Scripture, and that it is my responsibility to study the Bible and seek God for His truth.  I definitely recommend this book!

BookSneeze Review: Love No Matter What

   BookSneeze gave me the book, "Love No Matter What (When Your Kids Make Decisions You Don't Agree With) complimentary and I in turn am writing this review.  

  I remember hearing Brenda Garrison, the author of the book, "Love No Matter What" on a Christian radio program.  That day she was talking about this book and she was sharing details about her journey with her daughter, Katie.  The basic premise of this books deals with how to love and support your children when they make decisions that you strongly disagree with. Those decisions can range from personal ones all the way up to illegal decisions, but Brenda reminds the reader to keep love at the center of the relationship with your children.

  The book was very informative and had a lot of helpful parental advice, especially for those parents that are walking a tough road with their children.  Brenda Garrison shares openly with vulnerability about her struggles with her daughter, Katie and in turn Katie has written several sections throughout the book titled, "What Was Katie Thinking?"  I think having Katie share what she was thinking adds an element to the book that makes it more authentic.   With permission, Brenda has also included the stories of 12 other families walking through difficult situations with their children.  At the end of the book, Brenda gives an update on how all the families are fairing, including her own.  

  I did like this book and I think it would be helpful for any parent to read, especially those going through difficult circumstances.  I too love that Brenda shared stories from the Bible and she also guides the readers to turn to God to help them in their time of struggle.  Thank you BookSneeze!

Book Sneeze Review: Tough Guys and Drama Queens

   My latest book to review was Mark Gregston's, "Tough Guys and Drama Queens (How Not To Get Blindsided by Your Child's Teen Years)".   Well I have 3 children ages, 14, 12, and 10 so you can probably guess why I wanted to review this book :).  Plus, the fact I hear the author of this book on Talk Radio on Saturday mornings on my drive to the Grocery Store.  Mark Gregston is the founder and executive director of Heartlight, a residential counseling center for troubled teens.  The center houses up to 60 teens, so I would say that Mark Gregston probably knows a thing or two about raising and disciplining children, teens in particular.

  I think this book was wonderful as it had so much helpful information.  Actually, I am really glad I read it because the author is used to working with teens that are in crisis, so he definitely has experience and has seen what has worked in parenting and what has not (to put it nicely).  I on the other hand am just beginning my experience with parenting teens, and when I read this book I realized that I may have some wrong thinking when it comes to parenting and disciplining my teens to be.

 I am glad that Mark Gregston opened my eyes by sharing  from his experience of how teens actually do think.  Plus, the fact that today's teens are experiencing things that generations past have never even dreamed about (or had nightmares about).  Styles of parenting that worked in the past have to be tweaked to reach the generation of teens today.

     So my review for the book is one hundred percent positive, and I think every parent that has a child that is 10 years or over would benefit from the information in this book. I know every child is different and this book won't solve all of your parenting issues, but you will be really glad that you took the time to read it.  I am now passing it onto my husband to read :)

  BookSneeze gave me this complimentary copy of this book, and in return I wrote this review.  Thanks BookSneeze!!!

VeggieTales Review (The Little House That Stood)

My generous friends at Grace Hill Media gave me a complimentary copy of the new VeggieTales DVD, "The Little House That Stood" to review, and they are giving me another one to give away :)  

All of my children are over the age of ten, and so the days of hearing and watching VeggieTales has passed for me.  My children loved the VeggieTales movies and to be honest so did I.  I did jump at the opportunity to review the new VeggieTales when offered by Grace Hill Media.   The new movie, "The Little House That Stood" was well done and reminded me of the many VeggieTales movies I have watched over the years with my children.  The quality of this movie was exactly what you would expect to see from the makers of VeggieTales.  

"The Little House That Stood" DVD's main lesson is about "making good choices".  The movie's main VeggieTale characters play the roles of some of the most beloved NURSERY RHYME characters.  The lessons are taken from parables in the Bible, with the main tale focusing in on "building our house on a solid foundation".  The other story, "The Good Egg of Gooseville" emphasis is on being a good neighbor, which made me tear up a little at the end.  Oh, and for those that love a little "Silly Song" from Larry you will not be disappointed :)

I would definitely recommend this movie for the family, and Grace Hill Media is giving me a copy to give away.  All you have to do is leave a comment telling me what your favorite VeggieTales movie is,  If you have never watched a VeggieTales movie, let me know that as well.  The contest will end on March 6th at Noon CST.

Blessings

Little Red Wagon DVD Giveaway

The Wonderful Staff of Grace Hill Media have provided me 1 complimentary copy of the new DVD,  "Little Red Wagon" based on an extraordinary TRUE Story of one young man.  

All you have to do is leave your name in the comment section of this post letting me know you would like to win.  I will choose a winner on  Friday, January 18th.   

US entries only.   Thanks    

View movie trailer on You Tube, click HERE

"Les Miserables (Focus on the Family Radio Theater)" Review

   I was so very excited when Tyndale offered "Les Miserables" (Focus on the Family Radio Theater) for review.  Tyndale provides me the resource complimentary and I in turn agree to write a review.  I have never officially read Victor Hugo's book, "Les Miserables", but I have seen the movie and most recently the movie musical of the book that was just released during Christmas, so I am familiar with the story of "Les Miserables".   For this review I am really not going to go into details about the story itself as I figure most people are familiar with it.  I too would let you know that this presentation was all story telling and not at all a musical (no songs).

   I know this story has appeal to a vast audience, but as a Christian the redemption of Jean Valjean's life would be enough for me to watch and listen to the story over and over again.  I am too saddened by Inspector Javert's determination not to accept and give mercy, but to die by the letter of the law.  Ok, I did say I would not go too much into detail about the story so I will stop here and continue reviewing the resource I was given by Tyndale :)

  Focus on the Family Radio Theater have several radio drama presentations, including "The Chronicles of Narnia" series.  I listened to all of the Narnia series and was impressed with the quality of the audio CDS.  So when offered the audio presentation of "Les Miserables" I didn't hesitate.  The quality of sound of "Les Miserables" was perfect.  I listened to all 3 cds in my car and I got lost in the story as I listened (don't worry not to lost that I didn't safely drive). 

   My favorite thing about the audio presentation was the acting itself.  The story and characters felt believable and as far as a radio presentation goes I thought the acting was really good.  Especially the actor that played the role of "Jean Valjean".   Overall, I loved the audio presentation and felt the actors did a fine job, but I did get a bit distracted as in my mind some of the actors sounded "older" than what I pictured the characters to be.  IE: The actress that played "Fantine" sounded like she was in her 30 to 40's and I pictured her being in her early twenties.  Again, it didn't really take away from the story, but sometimes people picture characters the way they want or know them to be from the actual story. 

   In conclusion, I highly recommend purchasing this CD set from Focus on the Family.  It would be a great resource for the family (use discretion with children because of mature subjects) to use while they are traveling in the car on vacation, or to use during a family story time as well.  It is a timeless story that can be told over and over again and never get old.

 Thank you Tyndale for giving me this resource.

Blogging for Books Review: Unstoppable

   I was really excited to read Nick Vujicic newest book, "Unstoppable (The Incredible Power of Faith in Action)".  I requested this book to review because I thought reading about Nick's experiences would be an encouragement to my children, and myself as well.  I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group and I in turn am writing this review.  I am so glad I requested this book as it was so encouraging and left me feeling challenged to grow in my faith as a Christian. 

  For those who do not know who Nick Vujicic is, he is a motivational speaker, evangelist, author and director of the nonprofit organization;" Life Without Limbs" (visit this link to learn more).  Nick was born without arms and legs with no known cause and although he had a difficult time when he was young, Nick went onto to embrace the way God made him and now he preaches the Gospel around the world to millions.  Nick physical disability has given him a platform to share the good news of Jesus and to encourage so many who are hurting around the world.  Please click on link above to see more of Nick's story.

  Nick's book "Unstoppable" was wonderful!!! It is an easy read, and not only does Nick share many of his own personal stories, but he shares those of many of the people that he knows personally and those who have been affected by Nick's ministry.  One of things I love best about Nick's book is that you can totally see Jesus working in the life of Nick and those he has come in contact with.  One story Nick shared had me thinking how wonderful our God is because He is in control of every circumstance in our life, even in the tragic events.  God is present and He loves us so much. 

   As a Christian this book encouraged and challenged me in my faith, but I believe this book would be appreciated by anyone.  Nick took time to address some challenging topics in his book such as; bullying, persecution, addictions,  and many more.  I would read this book for those topics alone. 

  This book is a definite read for everyone.  Thanks to WaterBrook Multomah for sending me this book.