Life is hard...

Romans 5:3

The Message (MSG)

 ^3-5There's more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we're hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we're never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can't round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!

Smitten by By Colleen Coble, Kristin Billerbeck, Denise Hunter, & Diann Hunt

Smitten is a fictional story about four women on a mission to revamp their hometown, Smitten, Vermont.  The town's life-sustaining mill closes, and they realize that they can capitalize on tourism with an idea to turn Smitten into a romance capital.  Throughout this journey they each find their own hearts unexpectedly opened to love.


This was an interesting book.  It had a good premise, broken up into 4 parts, one part per main character.  The book had a nice flow even though the individual stories kept changing.  The characters were well developed, full of life and quirkiness.


Honestly, it was an easy read, not too stressful or challenging to experience. It is an original idea, fun and fresh. Some might be a little bored with the plot line, but I will remind you, it is named Smitten.  The fact this is a Christian romance novel should be a no brainer.


If you are looking for a book that is not too heavy in nature, inspiring, and maybe even a little escapist, this is the book for you.


4 stars out of 5

This book was provided to me for free by Book Sneeze, contingent on a non-biased review.

Real Marriage - The Truth About Sex, Friendship, and Life Together by Mark and Grace Driscoll

Real Marriage is a blueprint book for Christian marriages written for both men and woman. It addresses many issues that need a new perspective and an escape from religiosity. It is a book about freedom in marriage, and biblical boundaries within that freedom. The Driscolls speak candidly about topics that you won't find in other marriage books. Seriously.

One thing I really liked about this book was how Mark and Grace intertwine their own marriage story throughout the book. Their willingness to be vulnerable and share intimate details of their lives should command serious respect to the content. Many are offended by this book, and while I do not agree with every single word written, I commend Mark and Grace in their fore-running and courage to put these topics out there.
 
Real Marriage doesn't mince words. There will be things as you read it that convict you of your sinful attitudes and actions towards your spouse. There is also a solid biblical teaching on how to deal with these things, and better yet, Holy Spirit is also there, teaching and bringing wisdom for restoration. If you are ready to work, your marriage will change for the better.

I could literally write forever about these topics, but some of my favorite were: What is the standard of beauty?, friendship, how to fight with your spouse, forgiveness-its true meaning and definition, and what sex could look like in a healthy marriage.



Having read many marriage, relationship, and family dynamics books both personally and professionally, this puts everything together.

5 out of 5 Stars.
This book was provided to me for free by Book Sneeze for an unbiased review.

The Lucado Inspirational Reader Hope and Encouragement for Your Everyday Life By Max Lucado

 

The Lucado Inspirational Reader - Hope and Encouragement for Your Everyday Life is a beautiful 450 page hardcover gift book, filled with the best of the best from Max Lucado.  It is a compilation of his 25 years of writing, filled with words of encouragement and wisdom.  His stories, quotes and teaching reaches to the very heart of what it is to be a Christian and gives hope to each paragraph.

 

I was immediately drawn to this book because I (if you couldn't tell already) am a big Max Lucado fan.  Actually, I am a big Holy Spirit fan, and Max's teachings pour out from the heart of God to his children.  They speak, "keep going, I am with you."  

 

The format of this book is also quite handy.  You can choose to read it cover to cover, look at the topics in the table of contents or even just open it up and see what's there.  Many of the topics are traditional Christian topics such as the cross, evangelism, faith and salvation.  Max puts perspective on these things, especially for people who are struggling under the weight of guilt, rules and tradition. 

 

"Just when he was about to give up hope, someone told him about a healer in Galilee."  Max Lucado referring the hope of Jesus healing in the account of the foreign official. (Gospel of John.)

 

This book is like a breathe of fresh air, and I definitely recommended it.  

 

This book was provided to me for free from Book Sneeze, contingent on an unbiased review.

Heaven is For Real By Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent

Heaven is For Real is a true story of a four-year-old's account of heaven in which he encountered a near death experience during surgery. 


The beginning: as a parent myself of young children this part was honestly excruciating to read.  The moment of Colton's sickness to his emergency surgery after his appendix burst was truly harrowing.  I truly honor Todd Burpo (Colton's dad) for his honesty and forthrightness in this account and throughout the book.


Obviously, the details of heaven and Colton's visit there are truly remarkable.  I like the story of how this experience brought healing to the family (and I am sure to many others now) after Colton described how Jesus' dad adopted his sister when she died in the womb.  There are so many fascinating accounts like this and I don't want to ruin them for you!

The writing itself was very well done.  The book had great flow and all the little side stories drew a greater picture of the family and let the readers see them as real people, not fictional characters.  I appreciate how the Burpo's tried very hard to keep the integrity of Colton's story by not asking him any leading questions or offering any information. It took years to collect his story in its entirety.


My favorite part of the book was when after years, Colton identified Jesus looking like the painting that
Akiane Kramarik did when she was 8 years old.  I have always thought personally that that painting looked most like the Jesus I would imagine.  I know someday I will see that precious face, whether it is here on earth or in heaven.

It is a truly remarkable reminder to us all that Heaven is For Real.
An amazing story and a perfect gift book.


This book was provided to me for free by Book Sneeze for an unbiased review.

Babylon’s Falling by William G. Collins

Babylon’s Falling: The Story of Belteshazzar, also known as Daniel is a historical fiction novel that is biblically based.  It details the life and experiences of Daniel after Jerusalem was captured by the Babylonians. 

 

Babylon's Falling makes the book of Daniel come to life.  I appreciated the vast historical knowledge incorporated into this book.  For example, the description of the city of Babylon with it's enormous brick buildings, canals and hanging gardens was intriguing.  The cultural refernces and explanations provided an amazing backdrop to the life of Daniel that the Bible doesn't go into details about.

 

Of course, this book is historical fiction, which allowed Collins to make many allowances.  I like how he portrayed the friendship between Daniel and as they are most known in Babylonian;  Shadrack, Meshach and Abednego.  He created a character and personality for each of them that made me feel like I knew them by the end of the book. 

 

The thing that I like most about Babylon Falling was how engrossing the story was.  Even though most people know the main points, Collins turned this into a page turner!  The story flowed well and the characters were well developed.

 

I think something that I never thought about before this book was how amazing it was that Daniel actually survived the capture of Jerusalem, and then the trials of the rising and falling of two major Kings.  He had to work his way up from the bottom each time, even just to save his own life, let alone to be appointed top positions.  Obviously, the hand of God was on his life, not just as a seer but to sustain him.

 

Loved this book. 5 Stars out of 5.

 

This book was provided to me by Book Sneeze for free contingent on a non-biased review.

 

 

The Christian Zombie Killers Handbook By Jeff Kinley

The Christian Zombie Killers Handbook is a two part book; it is both fiction and non fiction intertwined.  Its premise is that deep within all of us, we inherited sin DNA from the time that Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden.  This sin DNA is akin to a Zombie, that we are dead within ourselves.  Kinley goes on to explore this notion, and brings to light what Jesus did on the cross to free us from our inner Zombie.  

Enters Ben Foreman; the fiction component of the book.  Living in a time when a virus, Z-38 is sweeping the nation, turning people into Zombies, he is forced to battle the undead.  A little thrilling, a little gory, and honestly, a little weak in the storyline and ending.

Another component of the book was the fascinating history of "Zombies."  I was really unaware of some of the real events that have occurred in our world.  Whether you believe it or not, interesting.

The thing that really makes this book great is the teaching.  Sometimes it is easy for us to think, "I'm a good person, I'm a moral person."  This book gets into the nitty-gritty why we need Jesus so much.  And it doesn't drag us down into despair either.  It is a thoughtful, authentic look at sin, and then we are brought into the light, into the promise of Jesus and what he did for us and how we can be free.

 Kinley has taken a present day, worldly fascination and somehow made a biblical teaching on it.  I am still unsure of what I really think of this book, because honestly, I have never read anything like it.  Cheers to Kinley for thinking outside the box.

This book was provided to me for free by Book Sneeze, pending an unbiased review.

David and the Old Man by William Zemba

David and the Old Man is a real life story centered around the Zemba family and how one family member, David, suffered with anorexia nervosa.  It is a story of family roles, generational ties, and of long suffering.  Intertwined throughout is a message of faith and God's hand of grace and restoration.

Right away I began to feel drawn into the story, narrated by William Zemba,  a son to the old man and a brother to David.  The way he describes life and his family made me feel like I was sitting across from him, listening to a deeply heartfelt and important story.  

The story of David's anorexia was heartbreaking.  The book served to also educate people on anorexia nervosa, which I feel the author did a great job on.  I have professionally worked with clients with anorexia and the family systems and dynamics around those individuals has a huge impact on their sickness.  Mr. Zemba describes this in great detail, especially David's relationship with his father (the old man.)

I was captivated by all of the side-stories, the roles and traditions throughout the generations, and the fascinating people in the Zemba family.  The story was harrowing at times and I became stressed over the sheer magnitude of problems that this family faced,  but I am glad that I kept going to experience the end.


David and the Old Man is probably twice as long as it could of been, full of details extraneous to the main story, and often a little random. I felt that the use of other narrators to collaborate the story was redundant and affected the flow of the book.  Personally, I feel that none of that took away from the main story, which is well worth reading.  I feel that Mr. Zemba did an amazing job at portraying something so complex and  personal.


My favorite aspect of the book was the teaching.  William shared so much wisdom from the bible and from his heart.  This is a man who has been through so much, and is serving others through the telling of this story.  His practical advice regarding choices, weathering storms, and hearing the voice of God was the best part of the book. 

This book was provided to me for free by Book Sneeze, contingent on providing an unbiased review.

Night Night Blessings by Amy Parker, illustrated by Marijan Ramljak

Night Night Blessings is a wonderful new children's book that is perfect for bedtime.  It is narrated by a little girl who gives thanks to God for everything that she goes through in a typical day.  This book is geared toward toddlers and young children.

Night Night Blessings is beautifully illustrated.  It's warm, cozy pictures are paired perfectly with the gentle, loving words of the book.  The styling of the book with it's font and different sized sentences also adds to the general look of the book. 

My kids liked the book.  Their only complaint: "It's too short!"  They must of really liked it if they wanted more. My daughter liked the mention of "syrupy pancakes."   A breakfast request was quickly made after that.

The thing that I appreciated most about this book was how it teaches little ones to be thankful for everything that they have and do. It also shows them that God loves them and cares about them and is "watching them from above."  At the end of the day it is good to thank God, for indeed he is the giver of all good gifts.

4 out of 5 Stars

This book was provided to me for free by Book Sneeze, contingent on a non biased review.

Ascent From Darkness by Michael Leehan

Ascent from Darkness is a true story of one man's journey into Satanism and how he found his way to the light of Jesus.  Michael Leehan recounts his 20 + years of torment living for the dark-side.  This incredible and vulnerable story is about spiritual warfare, redemption, and freedom.

Obviously many Christians have not heard of many of the things that Michael experienced.  This book is an amazing eye opener, especially for North Americans, whereby the concept of spiritual evil is often hidden and even made fun of.  So many of Micheal's experiences that lead him into Satanism stemmed from unanswered questions about God, childhood trauma and generational curses.  It is critical that the body of Christ begin to learn from Michael's story, to become equipped with God's wisdom and power for others that are struggling with torment.  Much of the modern day church does not believe in the miracles, signs, and wonders encountered in the New Testament.  Many believe that that time has passed, including demonic influence on people and society.  I have personally witnessed many times people being freed from demonic oppression and nothing in Michael's story surprised me.  We all deal with it in some way or another.


The biggest thing that I took away from this book was how the love of God through his people is what opened doors for Michael's freedom.  There are many examples of strategies that Satan gave Michael of how to infiltrate the church and wreak havoc among the believers there.  What astounded me was how in so many of these stories God sent Michael Christians who truly showed him the supernatural love of God, and how often times that stopped the plan of the enemy from being fulfilled.


What a gut wrenching story to hear, I was on the edge of my seat many times.  This is not entertainment for entertainment's sake.  The message of this story will deeply affect anyone who reads this book.  Michael, I commend you for writing this.  Your humility and willingness to bear it all so that others can understand is an act of love in itself.  I think you should write a part B to better equip the body of Christ to know what to do when they encounter people who are under Satanic pacts and influences.  


5 out of 5.

This book was provided to me by Book Sneeze for free contingent on providing an unbiased review. 

Hermie A Common Caterpillar by Max Lucado

Hermie A Common Caterpillar is a book by Max Lucado, illustrating to young readers that in the eyes of God, they are special.  Hermie is a plain green caterpillar, not beautiful or particularly useful.  He meets other insects he desires to be like and asks God why he is so plain.  The story ends well when a magical transformation happens...

Hermie is written in an early reader format with a few illustrations. For kids who can't read (my kids) I read it out loud.  My kids loved it!  I put it on my e reader which was especially exciting for them.

 

My favorite part of Hermie was when Hermie kept asking God, "Why have you made me so common?"  and God answers, "because I am not done with you yet!"  Isn't it wonderful that no matter where we are in life, that God always has a plan for our transformation?  Max Lucado relayed so many truths in this book in a way that little ones can understand.

Max Lucado continually wins my praise.  He has become one of my favorite authors.  I honor him for being so dedicated to sharing God's truths with kids too:

 Matthew 19:14

¹⁴ Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”


5 STARS OUT OF 5

This book was provided to me for free by Book Sneeze for an unbiased review.

Gabby God's Little Angel by Sheila Walsh, Illustrated by Marina Fedotova

 

Gabby God's Little Angel is about a little angel in training, Gabby, and how she is assigned to a sweet, accident prone little girl.  This book teaches young children that God loves them so much that he has sent helpers in the form of angels to watch out and protect them.

To begin with, this was a huge hit with my four year old.  She loved the story and laughed every time Gabby would have some mishap.   She took the book to bed with her, and then had it out again first thing in the morning.  I rarely see her get attached to a book so quickly.  5 out of 5 stars from her!

The illustrations, done by Marina Fedotova were warm and bright and accompanied the story well.  They remind me of some of the books that I had in the 80's, almost  a "Precious Moments"  kind of styling and  painting.

The story was well written and perfectly cute and funny.  Words like "Woo-hoo and Ta-Da"  make the story fun to read.  It is a little cliche, like how Gabby the angel trips over her harp (because we all know angels play harps.)  I like the usage of Psalm 91 as a center point to the story.

As a mom, the most important part of the story for me was, "Did they get the message?"  For that, I  give Shelia Walsh an A+!  The two biggest ideas, God loves you and he has sent angels to protect you;  my four year old could recite immedietly after reading just once.  Whenever my kids fall and don't get hurt like they could of I always tell them to say, "Thank you Jesus for protecting me!"  This book brings that message to life.  Loved it.

This book was provided to me free from Book Sneeze for an unbiased review.

Smack-Dab in the Middle of God's Love by Brennan Manning and John Blase/Illustrated by Nicole Tadgell

Smack-Dab in the Middle of God's Love is a wonderful book about an older couple who look after the neighborhood children in a little Mexican village.  They feed the children sopapillas with honey and talk to them about the love of Abba God.


The thing that I loved most about this book was the illustrations.  I was taken in by the sunny, colourful paintings that graced every page.  The depiction of  Willie Juan and Ana (the older couple) made their characters come to life.  I loved the background scenery and landscapes as well.

Brennan Manning beautifully describes the love of Abba Father in a way that children can understand and connect to.  I believe that children's ideas of God come from those they are most close to.  These surrogate parents generously live their life and their love of God before those who need their love and care. 


I love the continued use of the phrase, "Smack-Dab in the Middle" throughout the book.  It allows children who can't yet read take a part by memorizing the big red words, "SMACK-DAB IN THE MIDDLE!"  I am sure most kids will shout it out with enthusiasm. 

Honestly, to me the only drawback to the book was the font.  I found it a little crowded and hard to read.  It does however, line up with the Mexican theme of the book.


All in all, a very beautiful way to teach little ones about the love of the Father.  I am now off to look up online how to make sopapillas, because Manning makes them sound irresistible!

This book was provided to me free by Book Sneeze for an unbiased review.

It Just Couldn't Happen-Knowing the Truth About God's Awesome Creation by Lawrence O. Richards

It Just Couldn't Happen is a book that explains to older children the differences between Evolution and Creation. It outlines and answers questions about the Big Bang Theory, the scientific and historical accuracy of the bible, Darwinism, the earth in our universe and the unique design of the human being.  This book also functions as a text book, with a list of questions and experiments at the end of each chapter.

This book is so full of knowledge and scientific evidence that even as an adult I found it to be a compelling read.  Lawrence  O. Richards is more than qualified to speak on such an explosive issue.  Pardon the pun.  I appreciated how thorough his arguments were, and how he personally evokes the reader to become involved in his thought processes.  He speaks at a level that older children can appreciate and understand.  His exercises (although I am sure any child would grown at if assigned as homework) carries his message from thought to action.


One thing I also liked about It Just Couldn't Happen is the personal pride of being a Christian that is contagious to the reader.  This is a subject that has often left Christians both children and adults alike feeling helpless and ashamed when arguing for creation.  Although most of the world scoffs and holds true to Darwinism and to Evolution, Richards debunks these theories' main arguments at the core.

 This book is much too extensive to detail in a book review, but I do not believe that the readers will be disappointed with the content.  As a side note, I appreciated Richards clarification on the difference between The theory of Evolution and evolution with a small e. 

In the end, I like how Richards brought Jesus into his arguments, bringing further glory to God for his divine plan and design for creation.  I would definitely recommend this book not just for children, but for adults of influence that desire further examination on the theory of Creation.

5 stars out of 5.

This book was provided to me for free from Book Sneeze for an unbiased review.

Sweet Sanctuary by Sheila Walsh & Cindy Martinusen Coloma

Sweet Sanctuary centers around fictional character Wren; a single mom who suddenly finds her life turned upside down with the arrival of her elderly grandmother.  Wren is forced to face a very painful past, dysfunctional family relationships, and uncertainty in her future.  Through these trials, Wren explores what God's role is in her life and finds answers to some difficult questions.

The thing that I loved most about this book was its character development.  The authors really dig deep into the inner workings of the mind and human heart.  Throughout the book, as the main character Wren transforms we see the value of our thoughts, and how they affect our feelings and circumstances.  Sweet Sanctuary does not shy away from really portraying a believer's struggles, and the messiness of life.

This book has many universal truths and many of the circumstances are relevant to the body of Christ today.  Although I feel the book could of connected a little deeper with some of those truths, the authors did an amazing job melding together the message, the characters and the storyline.  The book flowed well, and it was difficult to put down!


I also really loved the ending, and although I won't give anything away, you can walk away from this book feeling uplifted and not taken from.  In general, I liked this book and am giving it a 4 stars out of 5.  

This book was provided to me free from Book Sneeze, pending an unbiased review.

It's Not About Me by Max Lucado

It's Not About Me-Rescue From the Life We Thought Would Make Us Happy is a book that shakes us out of self-centered living, and finds the beauty in walking with God through life, reflecting his glory. This book is an easy read, elegantly written, and thought provoking!

I personally love Max Lucado's style of writing and the content he so wonderfully inspires his readers with. Even though I struggle with some of his theology, I find it biblically sound. His illustrations and antidotes provide deeper insight into seemingly complicated concepts.

It's Not About Me is much more than a read that bangs you on the head with a legalistic talk down. It is actually quite the opposite. One of his basis points is that everything in life, successes, struggles, gifts and abilities, practically everything that encompasses life is for the Glory of God. By living a God centered life we are rescued from having to carry the world on our shoulders; having to be the best, the smartest, the richest. And, if we are those things, we are still just a small part in a masterpiece of a puzzle. What we do matters, and it is all to reflect others to the source, like the moon reflects the sun.

I think that most people reading this book already get the concept of "it's not all about me." I think the title is a little misleading, because although the basic premise of the book is about that, I found it expounded on many different topics directed toward just living a life with Jesus.

This book is simple and yet so complex at the same time. My explanations could never do it justice. If you want an uplifting, thought provoking read, try It's Not About Me.

I got this book for free from Book Sneeze, and this is my unbiased review. 

The Seraph Seal by Leonard Sweet and Lori Wagner

The Seraph Seal is an apocalyptic tale based in 2048. In 2012, The 8 were born, the 7 seals of the scroll written about in the bible were opened and the world began its decent into final destruction. Enter Paul Binder, a student of semiotics and history; mans last hope rests on his shoulders.

Sound confusing? It is quite an adventure into the complexities of the many possibilities that the world faces today. I first read the Alphabet of the Apocalypse, found in the back of the book. I found this study fascinating, though riddled with the authors own viewpoints.

The fiction component had an interesting premise, a variety of characters, locations, and of course, ways to destroy the world. I personally had a difficult time connecting with the characters. The theological components seemed grand but lacked a depth and reality that I would of liked to have seen. For instance, the role of the Holy Spirit seemed hidden, although the concept of God orchestrating was made clear.

And honestly, although this may say more about me than the book itself, I would have liked to of seen some more obvious romance! Paul and Angela, Angela and Paul...need I say more?

The Seraph Seal was written intelligently and very obviously well researched. I found the topics fascinating, and although they overwhelmed the storyline at times, I appreciated the learning component. The brilliance that it takes to combine scripture, a compelling work of fiction, and non-fiction components into a storyline that the average person can read is no small undertaking. If you want a book that is challenging in these aspects, I recommend this book.

This book was provided to me free by BookSneeze, for an honest, unbiased review.

The Final Summit by Andy Andrews

In The Final Summit character David Ponder is taken to another realm to answer a question that will impact the course of humanity. There he meets other "Travelers" like himself that have affected human history. With time running out, philosophical, moral, and spiritual attributes are discussed in order to surmise an answer that will give humanity another chance.

Although the themes of this novel were largely humanistic in their approach, their origins are definitely from a Christian worldview. I found the implications of these discussions (largely done through historical characters life experiences) fascinating. While at times the interchange of ideas seemed tedious to me, the historical content added some interest.

The story of Eric Erikson was intriguing to me, largely because I had never heard of him before. Andrews includes his story of how Nazi Germany was defeated with his help. Other historical characters include Winston Churchill, Lincoln, and Joan of Arc. This book allows you to think "outside of the box" although the characters are overshadowed by Andrews own subscribed values.

I personally struggled with the idea that "the creator" was far removed from the summit process and only spoke through his messenger. By the same token, I understand that the point of The Final Summit is to show us the liberty and free will that God has given us.

While not a difficult read, it was apparent that the reader could take these discussions to the level and depth that they desired. This was also demonstrated by a readers guide at the back of the book. I found the overall message inspiring.

I would recommend this book if you are looking for something that will challenge your beliefs and inspire you to do something with your life.

I got this book free from Book Sneeze and this is my unbiased review.