Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Take Flight



What an amazing devotional. I read it in a day. Once I started I had a hard time putting it down. I loved all the stories, quotes, & bible versus. They talk about God's Grace. They also give you a lot of great ideas & things to do to help out friends. They also talked about Hospitality. The quote I liked on that subject was "Do Not Forget To Entertain Strangers, For By So Doing Some People Have Entertained Angels Without Knowing It." Wow! There are places you can write "A Peep or Two from You!" Everything that they talk about they give you bible versus to look up. I would recommend this book to anyone. This book is a great uplifting book. Very happy that I read it.

Dig In, Soar Up! Spread your wings and really go places with Take Flight , the first devotional/ponder/prayer/make-it-what-you-need book in the Sisterchicks in the Word series! Robin Jones Gunn and her Sisterchick, Cindy Hannan, offer a collection of fresh, insightful devotions that will rejuvenate the quiet time gone dry. Along with key Scripture verses, they kick in travel tips, wisdom (such as, when a woman knows she’s loved, she can do anything ), Sisterchick locators (find me the best scone in the world!), and more. Complete with ideas for Sisterchickin’ (slang for Sisterchicking; activities for Sisterchicks to do together, as in, “Don’t bother us now; we’re Sisterchickin’!” Not to be confused with Sisterchicken). New. Deep. Different. Fun! Open the Door and Soar! SISTERCHICK® n.: a friend who shares the deepest wonders of your heart, loves you like a sister, and provides a reality check when you’re being a brat. Ready to spread your wings and really go places? No more flitting. No more dawdling. It’s time to dig deep into God’s boundless grace and take flight! Maybe you’re stuck in a quiet time gone dry. Or perhaps you’re an early bird, eager to get the worm. For every Sisterchick seeking a fresh time with God, this devotional/ponder/prayer/excuse-to-gather-together book will send you soaring. Straight from Robin’s nest and Cindy’s perch, you’ll find a collection of insightful devotions, key Scripture verses, and wit ’n whimsy wisdom for the journey, along with Sisterchickin’ suggestions, space to pen a peep or two from you, and more! Grace...it bids me fly and gives me wings.

About the Author Robin Jones Gunn Robin Jones Gunn is a God-lover who has been telling stories all her life and writing them down for publication the past twenty years. A world traveler and mom of a grown son and daughter, Robin confesses she’s still crazy about her husband after twenty-nine years of doing life together. Cindy Hannan Cindy Hannan is Robin’s fellow Sisterchick and prayer partner for more than ten years. Cindy and her husband, Matt, have been married thirty-one years and have two grown children. Biography You are warmly invited to visit Robin's website at www.robingunn.com. Be sure to sign up for the Robin's Nest Newsletter and have a browse in the Online Shop. Over the past 25 years Robin has written over 80 books with over 5 million copies sold. She and her husband live in Hawaii. Her best-selling, award winning novels include the Christy Miller series for teens as well as the Sierra Jensen and Katie Weldon series. The popular Glenbrooke series features eight gentle love stories and her Sisterchicks(R)novels are a favorite among midlife readers who enjoy the emphasis on travel and friendship in the series. Robin's standalone novels include "Gardenias for Breakfast", "Under a Maui Moon", "Canary Island Song" and "Cottage by the Sea". Her newest release, "Victim of Grace" offers a personal glimpse into her life as a wife, mother and writer.


Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of this book by Waterbrook Multnomah Press, I was neither paid for this review nor was I commanded by Waterbrook Multnomah Press to write a positive review. This review is my own personal opinion. This disclaimer is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx03/16cfr25503.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

The Prayer Box



I think this is a great book! Started off a little slow, but definitely worth reading! I think a Prayer Box is really a great idea.

When Iola Anne Poole, an old-timer on Hatteras Island, passes away in her bed at ninety-one, the struggling young mother in her rental cottage, Tandi Jo Reese, finds herself charged with the task of cleaning out Iola's rambling Victorian house. Running from a messy, dangerous past, Tandi never expects to find more than a temporary hiding place within Iola's walls, but everything changes with the discovery of eighty-one carefully decorated prayer boxes, one for each year, spanning from Iola's youth to her last days. Hidden in the boxes is the story of a lifetime, written on random bits of paper--the hopes and wishes, fears and thoughts of an unassuming but complex woman passing through the seasons of an extraordinary, unsung life filled with journeys of faith, observations on love, and one final lesson that could change everything.

 Biography Selected among BOOKLIST'S Top 10 of 2012, Lisa Wingate skillfully weaves lyrical writing and unforgettable Southern settings with elements of women's fiction, history, and mystery to create stories that Publisher's Weekly calls "Masterful" and Library Journal refers to as "A good option for fans of Nicholas Sparks and Mary Alice Monroe." Debbie Macomber says, "I am in awe of Lisa Wingate's talent. The Prayer Box is a masterpiece of storytelling and skill." THE OFFICIAL BIO: Lisa Wingate is a former journalist, inspirational speaker, and the author of twenty mainstream fiction novels, including the national bestseller, Tending Roses, now in its nineteenth printing. She is a seven-time ACFW Carol award nominee, a Christy Award nominee, an Oklahoma Book Award finalist, and a two-time Carol Award winner. Her novel, Blue Moon Bay, was a Booklist Top Ten of 2012 pick. Recently, the group Americans for More Civility, a kindness watchdog organization, selected Lisa along with Bill Ford, Camille Cosby, and six others, as recipients of the National Civies Award, which celebrates public figures who work to promote greater kindness and civility in American life. More information about Lisa's novels can be found at www.Lisawingate.com or on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/LisaWingateAuthorPage?fref=ts IN THE WRITER'S OWN WORDS: A special first grade teacher, Mrs. Krackhardt, made a writer out of me. That may sound unlikely, but it's true. It's possible to find a calling when you're still in pigtails and Mary Jane shoes, and to know it's your calling. I was halfway through the first grade when I landed in Mrs. Krackhardt's classroom. I was fairly convinced there wasn't anything all that special about me... and then, Mrs. Krackhardt stood over my desk and read a story I was writing. She said things like, "This is a great story! I wonder what happens next?" It isn't every day a shy new kid gets that kind of attention. I rushed to finish the story, and when I wrote the last word, the teacher took the pages, straightened them on the desk, looked at me over the top, and said, "You are a wonderful writer!" A dream was born. Over the years, other dreams bloomed and died tragic, untimely deaths. I planned to become an Olympic gymnast or win the National Finals Rodeo, but there was this matter of back flips on the balance beam and these parents who stubbornly refused to buy me a pony. Yet the writer dream remained. I always believed I could do it because... well... my first grade teacher told me so, and first grade teachers don't lie. So, that is my story, and if you are a teacher, or know a teacher, or ever loved a special teacher, I salute you from afar and wish you days be filled with stories worth telling and stories worth reading.

Tyndale House Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book or ARC.

Monday, October 28, 2013

Redeeming Love

Redeeming Love By: Francine Rivers

I really like this book, even though it had me in tears. This is a book that is hard to put down once you start reading. It is a romance novel & I would definitely recommend this book. Once my girls get a little older I would like them to read it.  A powerful retelling of the story of Gomer and Hosea, Redeeming Love is a life-changing story of God’s unconditional, redemptive, all-consuming love.


A Story of Love That Won't Let Go - No Matter What! California’s gold country, 1850. A time when men sold their souls for a bag of gold and women sold their bodies for a place to sleep. Angel expects nothing from men but betrayal. Sold into prostitution as a child, she survives by keeping her hatred alive. And what she hates most are the men who use her, leaving her empty and dead inside. Then she meets Michael Hosea, a man who seeks his Father’s heart in everything. Michael obeys God’s call to marry Angel and to love her unconditionally. Slowly, day by day, he defies Angel’s every bitter expectation, until despite her resistance, her frozen heart begins to thaw. But with her unexpected softening comes overwhelming feelings of unworthiness and fear. And so Angel runs. Back to the darkness, away from her husband’s pursuing love, terrified of the truth she no longer can deny: Her final healing must come from the One who loves her even more than Michael does…the One who will never let her go. A powerful retelling of the story of Gomer and Hosea, Redeeming Love is a life-changing story of God’s unconditional, redemptive, all-consuming love.

Biography "New York Times" best-selling author Francine Rivers began her literary career at the University of Nevada, Reno, where she graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in English and journalism. From 1976 to 1985, she had a successful writing career in the general market, and her books were highly acclaimed by readers and reviewers. Although raised in a religious home, Francine did not truly encounter Christ until later in life, when she was already a wife, a mother of three, and an established romance novelist. Shortly after becoming a born-again Christian in 1986, Francine wrote "Redeeming Love" as her statement of faith. First published by Bantam Books and then rereleased by Multnomah Publishers in the mid-1990s, this retelling of the biblical story of Gomer and Hosea, set during the time of the California Gold Rush, is now considered by many to be a classic work of Christian fiction. Redeeming Love continues to be one of the CBA's top-selling titles, and it has held a spot on the Christian best-seller list for nearly a decade. Since "Redeeming Love," Francine has published numerous novels with Christian themes--all best sellers--and she has continued to win both industry acclaim and reader loyalty around the globe. Her Christian novels have been awarded or nominated for numerous honors, including the RITA Award, the Christy Award, the ECPA Gold Medallion, and the Holt Medallion in Honor of Outstanding Literary Talent. In 1997, after winning her third RITA Award for inspirational fiction, Francine was inducted into the Romance Writers of America's Hall of Fame. Francine's novels have been translated into over 20 different languages, and she enjoys best-seller status in many foreign countries, including Germany, the Netherlands, and South Africa. Francine and her husband, Rick, live in northern California and enjoy time spent with their three grown children and taking every opportunity to spoil their grandchildren. Francine uses her writing to draw closer to the Lord, and she desires that through her work she might worship and praise Jesus for all He has done and is doing in her life.


Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of this book by Waterbrook Multnomah Press, I was neither paid for this review nor was I commanded by Waterbrook Multnomah Press to write a positive review. This review is my own personal opinion. This disclaimer is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx03/16cfr25503.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” 

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

The Blessed Woman

As women, the demands and expectations of others, and those we place on ourselves, can be overwhelming. While trying to navigate this thing called "life," have you ever longed for a close friend, confidant, or mentor to walk alongside you and encourage you?

 Life can be overwhelming at times. Sometimes when you don't have a close friend or a mentor having a book like The Blessed Woman can help you see things in a different perspective. I am an Air Force Wife, Stay @ Home Mom, & I Home School my Three Kiddos. So, with all the moving & leaving good friends/mentors behind having a book can make a difference. Debbie Morris covers overcoming insecurity, finding purpose, establishing priorities, letting go & waiting. The Blessed Woman reminds us how God longs for every woman to experience His tenderness-and know the true meaning of being blessed!

 Book Description Release date: March 19, 2013 Discover the True Meaning of Being Blessed It’s not easy being a woman. The demands and expectations of us, and those we place on ourselves, can be overwhelming. While trying to navigate this thing called “life,” have you ever longed for a close friend, confidant, or mentor to walk alongside you and encourage you in Biblical womanhood? Debbie Morris did. And yet even as a young minister’s wife, she found herself without someone to fill this all-important role. So she turned to the Bible. Biblical women such as Eve, Sarah, and Miriam had always fascinated her. But now they also became her friends, sisters, and teachers. Through their stories, the Holy Spirit revealed how their lives—both joys and struggles weren't that much different from ours today and how they can teach women today to be a grace-filled, life-giving woman of God. In The Blessed Woman, Debbie invites you to learn from these women as well. As she shares her own stories and the stories of discerning women in the Bible, she addresses topics such as overcoming insecurity, finding purpose, establishing priorities, letting go, and waiting. The Blessed Woman reminds us how God longs for every woman to experience His tenderness—and to know the true meaning of being blessed.

 About the Author Debbie Morris is the executive pastor of women’s ministry at Gateway Church, a multi-campus church in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex. Since it began in 2000, the church has grown to more than 24,000 active members. Debbie has been married for more than thirty years to Gateway’s founding senior pastor, Robert Morris, and they have three grown children.

 Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of this book by Waterbrook Multnomah Press, I was neither paid for this review nor was I commanded by Waterbrook Multnomah Press to write a positive review. This review is my own personal opinion. This disclaimer is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx03/16cfr25503.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Five Conversations You Must Have with Your Daughter



I read this book, it was a wonderful well written honest book. I have two daughters and they mean the world to me. There were somethings that she mentioned in this book that I had not really thought about. I would suggest this book to anyone that has daughters. I am very glad I read it, and one day when my girls get older I would like them to read it. Great book! I read someones review and they mentioned this book she be handed out to new mom's when they are leaving the hospital & I definitely agree. My sister has a little girl and I am going to tell her about this book. Vicki has also written one about Five conversations you must have with your son, and I am reading that one next.

Vicki Courtney has written a wonderful resource for mothers. 5 Conversations You Must Have With Your Daughter is full of encouraging advice about how to approach the tough topics with your daughter at each stage of her growing up years. Topics like: * Your are more than the sum of your body parts. * Don't be in such a hurry to grow up. * Sex is great and worth the wait. * It's OK to dream about marriage and motherhood. * Girls' gone wild are a dime a dozen - dare to be virtuous. Book Description Publication Date: November 1, 2008 "For mothers with girls ages zero to eighteen, Five Conversations You Must Have with Your Daughter is indeed a must-have book. In it, bestselling author and youth culture expert Vicki Courtney helps moms pinpoint and prepare the discussions that need to be ongoing from cradle to college so their daughters will know the truth about life before they believe the culture’s lies. To fully address the dynamic issues and influencers at hand, several chapters are written for each of the conversations, which are: 1. You are more than the sum of your parts 2. Don’t be in such a hurry to grow up 3. Sex is great . . . and worth the wait 4. It’s OK to dream about marriage and motherhood 5. Girls gone wild are a dime a dozen—dare to be virtuous The book also includes invaluable tips on having each conversation across the various stages of development: five and under, six to eleven, twelve and up."

About the Author Vicki Courtney is a speaker and the best-selling author of many books and Bible studies. Among her popular writings are the ECPA Christian Book Award winners TeenVirtue and TeenVirtue Confidential. Vicki and her husband have three grown children, a son-in-love, a daughter-in-love, and a grandchild. They live in Austin, Texas where they are blessed to have all of their children living nearby. More information can be found at VickiCourtney.com.

Biography Vicki Courtney is an author and speaker with a ministry that reaches over 150,000 girls and mothers a year through speaking, books, and online resources. A mother herself to three children (one teen and two grown), she seeks to provide both teens and their parents with the tools necessary to navigate today's promiscuous culture. She has done hundreds of radio and newspaper interviews and appeared on CNN, Fox News, and CNN Headline News to discuss issues impacting teens. She is the creator of VirtuousReality.com, an online magazine for teen girls, which has attracted visitors from all 50 states and over 30 countries. She is a national speaker to women of all ages and the best-selling author of numerous books including, "5 Conversations You Must Have With Your Daughter,"(winner of a Mom's Choice award); "Your Girl;" "Your Boy;" and the best-selling "TeenVirtue" magabook series for teen girls and the "Between" magabook series for tween girls. "TeenVirtue" and "TeenVirtue Confidential" are ECPA Christian Book Award recipients in the Children and Youth category.




Secretly Smitten


I love this book! I read Smitten & I just knew I had to read this book! I am definitely a Romantic.... This book is sweet, cute, & funny. I would read this book more than once. Once I started reading I had a hard time putting it down. If you want a sweet romantic book, this book is definitely for you! This book has four stories by the four authors & the stories flow really well. #1 LOVE BETWEEN THE LINES, #2 MAKE ME A MATCH, #3 KNIT ONE, LOVE TWO #4 LOVE BLOOMS.
 I can't wait for the next book!

 Book Description Publication Date: January 8, 2013 Summer, fall, winter, spring—Smitten, Vermont, is the place for love . . . and mystery! There’s a secret in Grandma Rose’s attic—a forgotten set of dog tags belonging to her first love. But David Hutchins was killed in action and never returned to Smitten. How did the dog tags end up in the attic? The mystery intrigues Rose’s three granddaughters—Tess, Clare, and Zoe—and they decide to investigate, though their mother, Anna, warns against meddling. But as the seasons turn and the mystery unravels, the three young women and their mother encounter some intriguing mystery men of their own. Has a sixty-year-old puzzle sparked something new for this close-knit family of women? Join popular romance novelists—and real-life BFFs—Colleen Coble, Kristin Billerbeck, Diann Hunt, and Denise Hunter for four delightful intertwined tales of mystery and sweet intrigue.

About the Author RITA-finalist Colleen Coble is the author of several best-selling romantic suspense novels, including Tidewater Inn and the Mercy Falls, Lonestar, and Rock Harbor series. Christy Award finalist and two-time winner of the ACFW Book of the Year award, Kristin Billerbeck has appeared on The Today Show and has been featured in the New York Times. Her books include A Billion Reasons Why and What a Girl Wants. Denise Hunter is the award-winning and best-selling author of several novels, including A Cowboy's Touch and Sweetwater Gap. She and her husband are raising three boys in Indiana. Diann Hunt has lived in Indiana forever, been happily married forever, loves her family, chocolate, her friends, her dog, and, well, chocolate.

*I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review Books for Blogging program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255. Positive or negative, this is my honest opinion of the product.

Friday, April 19, 2013

You Can't Make Me, But.......



 I read this book, and it has a lot of great tips and ideas on how to deal with a Strong Willed Children(even husbands). Cynthia Ulrich Tobias writes a great book, well written and easy to read. This book helps you to learn to talk to your children and how to persuade them. I have three children and all three are very strong willed. I don't think being strong willed is necessarily a bad thing. Strong willed children are not easily persuaded and that can be good for when they get older. I definitely would rather have my child be the boss of themselves then have someone else be telling them what to do, but I'm the mom so they do have to listen to me.... This book is a really good book and I recommend it to all parents.


From the Inside Flap It's easy to recognize a strong-willed child. Difficult to discipline, at times impossible to motivate, strong-willed children present unique, frustrating, and often exhausting challenges to those who care for them. But now, the miracle parents long for can happen. Offering new hope, achievable goals, and a breath of fresh air to families and teachers, Cynthia Tobias explains how the mind of a strong-willed child works - and how to use that information to the child's best advantage.

About the Author Cynthia Ulrich Tobias is the founder, manager, and CEO of Apple St. L.L.C. (Applied Learning Styles) and president of Learning Styles Unlimited, Inc. She coordinates the Apple St. education and commerce programs and administers various learning styles projects throughout North America and internationally. Cynthia is a popular speaker at workshops, classes, and seminars for businesses, government agencies, churches, and school districts. And she's the best-selling author of The Way They Learn, They Way We Work, Every Child Can Succeed, Bringing Out the Best in Your Child, and Do You Know What I Like About You? Cynthia, her husband, and their twin boys live in the Seattle, Washington area.

Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of this book by Waterbrook Multnomah Press, I was neither paid for this review nor was I commanded by Waterbrook Multnomah Press to write a positive review. This review is my own personal opinion. This disclaimer is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx03/16cfr25503.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”