Transported right into the story of Ruth

The Girl's Still Got It: Take a Walk with Ruth and the God Who Rocked Her World

by Liz Curtis Higgs


Most have read the book of Ruth.  I have read it, several times.  I have even seen the movie and completed an in-depth Bible study on the book of Ruth.  However, there is something about the way Liz Curtis Higgs writes that takes you right into the story, deeper than all the other resources. 

Each verse of Ruth is taken apart and broken down as if the screenplay is being written and we are transported right into the story.   With this style of writing supported with the authors detailed and extensive research we are seeing the events as if we were standing right there. 

Combining the study guide at the back of the book with the DVD that is also available would make a wonderful group Bible study.


Did you know that many new books have preview trailers now.  What a great concept!
Go here to see the book trailer and to buy the book.

Disclosure: WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group provided me with a complimentary copy of this book as part of their BloggingForBooks.org book review program.

Disappointed

1000 Days - The Ministry of Christ
By Jonathan Falwell

Based on the description of the book I expected an in-depth chronological study of the three year ministry of Jesus.  I was disappointed. 

This book instead provides simple topical Christian lessons with a disjointed attempt to connect them to the "1000 days" ministry of Christ.  I might recommend this book for a new believer (which is the only reason why I gave it two stars).  However, for a not so new Christian the overall feel of the book is simplistic and rather dull.

The end of each chapter contains several questions that are titled "Questions for individual reflection or small group discussion".  I found many of these questions to be useful but often wanted there to be more.  Well, at the end of the book there is more, titled as "Bible Study Guide (with Leader's Helps).  I have no idea why the author or publisher choose to separate these two sections. I found that the section at the back of the book would be far more useful to an individual or a small group as a way to take the topical study deeper and be able to have relevant application.

The final section of the book provides the final disappointment.  It contains a list of the "100 Main Events In Jesus' Life".  It is in this list that we are provided with the chronological ministry of Christ.  Unfortunately it is a simply a basic list with scripture references.  I have the pretty much the exact same list in my Bible called "The Harmony of the Gospels".

Disclosure: Thomas Nelson Publishers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program.

We need to first be great parents!

There is a section on page 23 that sets the tone for this book...after quoting Luke 6:40 it states "If we want to have great kids, we need to first be great parents.  Our kids cannot rise above our level, so seeing where we need to grow is essential."

Part 1 of the book discusses 5 types of parents and it was painfully obvious which category I fall into.  I found myself wanting more practical application from the book but I kept coming back to the tone for the book.  It is up to me to figure out the areas I need to grow.  The book goes on to other sections that are more specific to individual children, but there are so many categories that most of them did not fit our kids.

There were many family stories told throughout the book and I could have read many more.  In these stories I found some of the practical application I was looking for.  Through these stories is how this book truly shines.

I primarily review books on this blog for material to use in our women's Bible study.  I did not find that this book would translate well into a Bible study.  This is a book that is better used in the home to encourage conversation between parents and to enable parents to view each other in their own styles.  My next purchase will be the "How We Love" book that focuses on marriage.  There is more to these love styles that I want to learn about so that I can grow to be a better person, better wife and of course a better parent!

Disclosure: WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group provided me with a complimentary copy of this book as part of their BloggingForBooks.org book review program.

Sunrise on the Battery

...yawn... It was difficult to get through this book because it was so slow moving.  The story was rather dull - even a miraculous healing and dealing with a teenage drug issue were never fully developed to be a page turner.   It seems that the front and end of the book are just filler around the big event that changes all their lives.

I was even surprised that the book went where it did - such as seeming to promote The Message translation (why can't she just be reading the Bible?) and how quickly and easily one of the characters considered a certain path. Sorry, I can't get into to that storyline further, would hate to spoil it for you in case you ever decide to read this book.  Although, I was disappointed with the book and wouldn't recommend it - perhaps you will have a different opinion...


Disclosure: Thomas Nelson Publishers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program.

Everyone can learn from this book

This book is very easy to read and translates well into a study guide because it is broken into small manageable sections.  It is perfectly designed for individual or small group study with an 8-session study guide. 

Each chapter has critical insights into deepening your understanding of the Holy Spirit, and all of it is based on scripture...a lot of scripture references.  But that is a good thing because if you are going to use this book to guide you through an in-depth study of the Holy Spirit, you will be able to test the author against the truth of the Bible.

When God sent the Holy Spirit to us we were given the incredible ability to speak directly to God.  We don't have to make sacrifices to atone for sins, we don't have to climb to the top of mountains, none of that!  Everything changed when the Holy Spirit came.  Through the Holy Spirit I have a personal relationship with God. I can talk to Him anytime I want to, anywhere and everywhere!!!   Everyone can learn from this book, because we can all be closer to God.

Go here to read an excerpt.

Disclosure: WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group provided me with a complimentary copy of this book as part of their BloggingForBooks.org book review program.

A good starter book...

Spiritual Warfare for Women: Winning the Battle for your Home, Family, and Friends
by Leighann McCoy

The author is upfront with the fact that the book took a different path than her original plan due to the circumstances she was facing as she wrote it.  Although I do believe that these circumstances provided some strong material for the book I think in the end it caused it to be distracting.  I was often left wondering if the book was supposed to be a book to provide tips for others to combat spiritual warfare or if it was biography of her life.  It ended up being a bit of both but would have been better had she focused on one or the other.

This is a book that would be suitable for those new to the Christian faith or for those who are wondering what exactly "Spiritual Warfare" is.  Under the context of being useful for beginners I think this book is wonderful and it would provide a good foundation for the understanding of spiritual warfare. 

And so, even though I do not give the book a rave review, it is certainly a book that I will keep on my bookshelf.  I will use it as a resource for those times when I need a devotional, a refresher on combating spiritual warfare or a quick reference for where to find particular scriptures for certain situations.  The scripture referencing is the blessing of this book, because being in God's Word is what will ultimately combat any spiritual warfare that you encounter.

Disclosure: Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group provided me with a complimentary copy of this book as part of their book reviewers program.

A strong lesson in forgiveness

A Place Called Blessing - Where Hurting Ends and Love Begins
by John Trent, PhD with Annette Smith

This story has an incredible message of forgiveness, which is the obvious lesson of this story.  However, I also saw many more lessons such as humbleness, not being judgemental, kindness, overcoming hopelessness and of course unconditional love.  It is amazing that so many lessons can be drawn from such a short story.  This is an easy reading book, I picked it up one evening after the kids went to bed and finished it in about three hours.  A very well-spent, emotional three hours!

The book ends with a few questions for each chapter.  This would be a great outline for a small group and could provide the basis for starting some healing discussions for those in the group.

The book is a fictional story that fits together with the book by the same author called The Blessing, which i described as "Every child needs the blessing - the gift of unconditional love and approval that comes from one's parents. You'll see your child thrive as you learn about and give the five biblical elements of the blessing."   I think I will add that book to my wish list!


Disclosure: Thomas Nelson Publishers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program.

Imagine is still in my imagination

I was invited to attend the Imagine event in Washington, DC that took place last weekend. I am incredibly disappointed that I was not able to attend. I knew I would not be able to attend Friday evening because that was the first day of preschool for Ben & Carlee so I couldn't miss that!

However, I was considering driving up to Washington Friday night so that I could attend the event on Saturday. Only those plans were disrupted by Mean Irene! I chose to stay home with my family during the hurricane that was headed straight for us. 

Although I was not able to attend I know that there are still many other locatons still to come and I encourage you to attend one of them.  Here is a link to see the many other locations



Thanks to Women of Faith and Booksneeze for providing this opportunity! And all praise goes to God for sparing our family and community.

Women of Faith

Check out this exciting event!!



I have been invited to attend the Imagine event in Washington, DC!


   Here is a link to see the many other locations

Thanks to Women of Faith and Booksneeze for this opportunity!

Must be a great book!

The Fight of Our Lives
Knowing the Enemy, Speaking the Truth, and Choosing to Win the War Against Radical Islam
By William Bennett with Seth Leibsohn

 

I chose this book to review for two reasons. First because I do not know as much as I should about Radical Islam.  I enjoyed another book by William Bennett and thought this would be another well written and informative book. Secondly I thought that my hubby could read the book and give me an opinion about the topic, giving me further insight into these issues.

So that was the plan and he took the book with him on a short trip. It must be a really, really good book because it was stolen from his hotel room!!!


Disclosure: Thomas Nelson Publishers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program.

Bad Girls of the Bible

Bad Girls of the Bible
by Liz Curtis Higgs


The design of the book was interesting and in many cases enlightening.  I love to be able to better visualize situations in the Bible and this book helped to do that.  The author uses a women from the Bible and first retells the basic story in a fictional present day scenario.  These fictional stories were by far the best part of the book.  Each story was then followed with a detailed commentary of the actual Bible story.  

The stories were great and I did gain some new insight into the actual women in the related Bible story.  However, I found myself rather bored with the rest of the chapter.  I suppose I simply wanted to get to the next story!  However, near the end of the chapters was a "Lessons Learned" section that was very well done.
As for a Women's Bible study it could certainly be used in many ways. It would be interesting to have conversations related to the fictional stories and see if the group could come up with other scenarios.  The Lessons Learned and questions sections could also be used for some interesting topic starters. I did see that there is a workbook available and would probably use it if I were to lead a Bible study from this book.

Disclosure: WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group provided me with a complimentary copy of this book as part of their BloggingForBooks.org book review program.

Plain Wisdom

After briefly living near some Amish families and hearing a bit about how they live their lives I have often thought that we could learn alot from the Amish.  When I saw this book I thought it would be a fascinating read.  And it was, different than I excepted, but in the end probably better than if it had been what I was expecting.  I thought it would be a nonfiction story of how a friendship developed and has grown between an Amish women and an Englischer - which is what the Amish call us.  I got the book thinking that at some point I could use it in our Women's Bible Study group for a lesson on godly friendship.

Instead, I found a devotional with beautiful life lessons. The book is divided into about 50 short devotionals that are written by both women from their own perspectives and their own life experiences. I could instantly see that this book would be a great group Bible study resource. It would be a fantastic way to open the paths of communication in a weekly women's study. Every woman can relate to most of these topics and can come together to share their own experiences based on that particular topic.  Even if their experiences are vastly different it is fascinating to see how the same lesson is learned and how we are all guided by a loving and gracious God!

Oh, and I cannot forget to mention the incredible recipes that are included throughout the book.  I can hardly wait to make an authentic Shoofly Pie or try the Overnight Blueberry French Toast.  YUM!!!

Here is the link to a sneak peek to the book.

Disclosure: WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group provided me with a complimentary copy of this book as part of their BloggingForBooks.org book review program.

A Study for Healing

I have read a couple Kay Arthur books and you don't read a Kay Arthur book you work through it.  She brings you directly to the Bible and you grow.  This book is no exception and it can easily be adapted for small group Bible study.  There are several approaches a Bible study leader could take to lead a group through this book, some of the ideas include:

1. throughout the book are "Healing Truths" that could be used as talking points for small groups or as general topics for the leader's sermon to open each study.

2. each chapter has a Bible study within it that could be used as the basis for the study.

3. at the back of the book there is a list of questions for each chapter that could be used to guide discussions.

4. The book ends with 7 "Practical Helps" that could each be a study topic.

This book has great potential for a group Bible study, but what I love the most is that every step through the book brings you back to the Word and back to God.  Rather than trying to make our own way through pain and suffering or learning to cope we can turn to God for genuine healing.

Here is the link to the first two chapters.

Disclosure: WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group provided me with a complimentary copy of this book as part of their BloggingForBooks.org book review program.

Sabbath

Sabbath by Dan B. Allender
It is difficult to decide how to review this book. Was is good or was it not that great? It is both…


The good part, no - the great part of this book is the subject. It covers a concept of the Sabbath that sadly has been lost in our culture. Observing the Sabbath is one of the Ten Commandments – and it is “the longest and most expansive of all ten”. As Christians we are not bound by the laws of the Old Testament, but are we to continue to observe the Ten Commandments? If we are, then we are to observe the Sabbath; just as we are not to lie, steal, or murder.

The author has a fascinating way of viewing the Sabbath. He says on page 4 of the book that “The Sabbath is an invitation to enter delight. The Sabbath, when experienced as God intended, is the best day of our lives.” The sounds delightful and I want that for both myself and my family.

However, that’s about where the book lost me. I found it hard to get through, it did not engage me and certainly did not keep my attention. Perhaps part of the problem was that I started to become annoyed with all the quotes from other authors and sources (the bibliography has 5 pages of references). It read more like an essay trying to convince me to view the Sabbath in this manner, but I was already convinced of the concept by page 4. I would have rather had more real life examples of how his family and others are successfully observing the Sabbath in this way. I could then take those ideas and apply them to the development of our family beginning to observe the Sabbath to experience that joy.

Disclosure: Thomas Nelson Publishers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program.

A Time to Embrace by Karen Kingsbury

A Time to Embrace by Karen Kingsbury

If you are reading reviews then you already know the storyline and you know this is Christian fiction, with characters that pray and read scripture.  I won't repeat all that..

I have never read a Karen Kingsbury book before, so this review is for all of you who also have not experienced this talented Christian author. In a few words, this is a book that you can fall into and let the world go by until you are done. And when you are done, you will be looking for more tissues and more Karen Kingsbury novels because in one book she has become one of your favorite authors.


Disclosure: Thomas Nelson Publishers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program.

Then Sings My Soul by Robert J. Morgan

Then Sings My Soul by Robert J. Morgan Special Edition

150 Christmas, Easter, and All-Time Favorite Hymn Stories

The concept of this book is so simple, yet so engaging. Print the hymn, words and music, then tell the story of how the author came to write the hymn. Brilliant!!

It is fascinating and enlightening. First of all, I love that the music is included, and is the biggest reason why I chose this book. However, the pleasant surprise was that every hymn also includes a scripture reference.

The stories are truly inspiring and certainly put a new light on the hymn. For example, the author of The Old Rugged Cross spoke of when he was writing the hymn “It was like seeing John 3:16 leave the printed page, take form, and act out the meaning of redemption.” I will now always look at this hymn with a deeper understanding of its intent.  And for me that is the common theme of the book.  Each hymn I study from this book increases the beauty of the words to hymns I already love!

I was also fascinated by the story of The Star Spangled Banner. First I was shocked to see it included in a book about hymns. Then to read the last stanza, including this line: Then conquer we must when our cause is just. And this be our motto: “In God is our trust.” It is unfortunate that this is not a common part of the national anthem to a country that was founded on Christian values.

If I had one complaint, it would be that I am not overly fond of the torn page edges. I cannot thumb through the book easily which is slightly annoying. Other than that little issue, it has blessed my worship time tremendously so I have to give it top rating!


Disclosure: Thomas Nelson Publishers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program.

Love on a Dime by Cara Lynn James

Love on a Dime – A Ladies of Summerhill Novel by Cara Lynn James

This is a fictional story set in 1899 and is about a young woman who is secretly writing popular novels. Certainly not anything like the type of historical romance I have read before. You know the trashy mind-numbing kind - well this is not one of those. Instead it is a book with a main character that feels that God has called her to write these novels that are different because they have a Christian message and she donates all the proceeds to a Christian mission. Meanwhile the man she does not want to be in love with has purchased the company that publishes her books and the threat of her secret being exposed is greater than ever.


The story itself is interesting and it is easy to get caught up in the character’s passion for writing while trying desperately to keep her secret because it will ruin her family’s reputation. This author’s writing style was refreshing in that she used faith and prayer throughout the book and that all of the decisions of the main character were centered on God’s plan for her. The storyline I appreciated the most was the dilemma of who she should marry and that she made the decision based on whose faith was more compatible with hers.

I was not disappointed with this book but didn’t find it to be a dramatic page turner. It was nice light reading and perfect book to have while I was in the airport and on the plane.




Disclosure: Thomas Nelson Publishers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program.

God’s Promises for Girls by Jack Countryman & Amy Parker

God’s Promises for Girls by Jack Countryman & Amy Parker


You have probably seen “God’s Promises” books before. This book is the same concept. There is a topic followed by three or four scripture verses related to that topic.

It is titled as God’s Promises for Girls but there is only a handful of topics that are written specifically for girls, such as “The Woman You’ll grow up to be” or “Being a Good Daughter”. I assume that most of the topics are the same as the book written for boys. The big difference would be the absolutely darling illustrations for each topic. Cute Cute Cute!!!!

The structure of the topics is organized well and makes it easy to find a topic that you might want to deal with immediately. For example, on the day that I received this book my preschooler stole some candy from the candy jar. I flipped to the topic “God’s Promises When…You are Tempted to Do the Wrong Thing”. The quick story on page 20 read as follows: The smell of fresh cookies fills the air, But you remember Mom saying, “Don’t!” So when a sneaky voice says, “Yes, you can,” Make sure your reply is, “I won’t!” It was followed with 3 verses on temptation. Fit our situation perfectly!

My kids are still talking about what to do when you hear the sneaky voice! I see this as a book we will use for a long, long time.

Disclosure: Thomas Nelson Publishers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program.