I just got a new book in the mail “Thank You, God, for blessing me”, a new children’s book from Max Lucado with illustrations by Frank Endersby. And all I can say is that it’s just adorable! I had seen and heard a few of the Hermie stories over the years, and this past year have become more familiar with them.
Of course it’s one thing to say that I have enjoyed them, but the true test is what the kids think of them. Well, I have a granddaughter and quite a few nephews and nieces that I’ve read them with and they are quite a hit! I have a little book shelf we refer to when they come over for a visit, and they have come to love each of the stories, the pictures and illustrations and all they contain. This new one is no different.
It’s a “Read to Me – Little Hermie” book, a small board book made for little ones. And while I haven’t had a chance to read it with my little ones yet, I think the way it introduces them to prayer, counting our blessings and giving thanks for them is great. I really enjoy anything along these lines that makes it simple, fun and easy to pass on some of these things to our little ones.
Disclosure: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Close Enough to Hear God Breathe
I just finished reading “Close Enough to Hear God Breathe”, a new book by author Greg Paul and the first book I’ve read by him.
The book is quite well written, as he recounts and retells stories throughout, Bible stories as well as his own personal life stories and from his family. I felt the age old Bible stories I know by heart and am familiar with were not only brought to life, but I felt I was able to see and apply them in new and different ways than I have before. Through the stories, Bible verses and accounts, one of the main messages Greg Paul is bringing out is the great love God has for each of us personally and individually and how He longs for that close communion with us, for us to be close enough to hear His whispers. I deeply appreciate this in this day and age when there is so much going on around us and it can be easy for me to “forget” and to get caught up in the day to day.
I have enjoyed this book as an addition to my times of daily devotional and have been strengthen and encouraged by it.
Disclosure: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
The book is quite well written, as he recounts and retells stories throughout, Bible stories as well as his own personal life stories and from his family. I felt the age old Bible stories I know by heart and am familiar with were not only brought to life, but I felt I was able to see and apply them in new and different ways than I have before. Through the stories, Bible verses and accounts, one of the main messages Greg Paul is bringing out is the great love God has for each of us personally and individually and how He longs for that close communion with us, for us to be close enough to hear His whispers. I deeply appreciate this in this day and age when there is so much going on around us and it can be easy for me to “forget” and to get caught up in the day to day.
I have enjoyed this book as an addition to my times of daily devotional and have been strengthen and encouraged by it.
Disclosure: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Your 100 Day Prayer
In today’s world that goes so fast, it’s more and more a challenge to find a quiet time and place to come aside a while to spend with the Lord in prayer and communion. So whenever I find a book that stands out to me and speaks to me, helping to strengthen those precious moments, I jump at the chance of reading it. This is why, when I saw “Your 100 Day Prayer – The Transforming power of Actively Waiting on God” by John Snyde available from Thomas Nelson’s Book Sneeze program, I grabbed the chance at reviewing it.
In his book, John Snyde starts off with a short introduction on prayer and suggests the reader choose a specific prayer request that you are given space to write out in the book. The idea is to pray for that request every day for 100 days. The book comes with 100 short sections, one for each day. Starting with a Bible verse, it is followed by a short lesson from that scripture which all in all brings out beautiful truths and beauties. Then a short prayer assignment that goes along with the theme, and a few lines to jot down your progress for the day. All in all, a wonderful aid to boost anyone’s prayer life!
I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. But I should say from the start, this is not just a book to read through. As it says, it’s a 100 day journey – though of course the reader can choose to adapt and adjust accordingly. But I see the beauty of taking in a little at a time, a little each day as I feel in that way you get so much more out of it. Would I recommend it? Certainly!
Disclosure: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
In his book, John Snyde starts off with a short introduction on prayer and suggests the reader choose a specific prayer request that you are given space to write out in the book. The idea is to pray for that request every day for 100 days. The book comes with 100 short sections, one for each day. Starting with a Bible verse, it is followed by a short lesson from that scripture which all in all brings out beautiful truths and beauties. Then a short prayer assignment that goes along with the theme, and a few lines to jot down your progress for the day. All in all, a wonderful aid to boost anyone’s prayer life!
I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. But I should say from the start, this is not just a book to read through. As it says, it’s a 100 day journey – though of course the reader can choose to adapt and adjust accordingly. But I see the beauty of taking in a little at a time, a little each day as I feel in that way you get so much more out of it. Would I recommend it? Certainly!
Disclosure: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Stained Glass Hearts: Seeing Life from a Broken Perspective
I just had a chance to read “Stained Glass Hearts: Seeing Life from a Broken Perspective”, a new book by Patsy Clairmont which I have really enjoyed and it has touched me deeply.
The book’s product description says the following:
Much like stained glass, life's broken pieces become the prism through which God's grace shines most brightly and beautifully.
"Life is no doubt full of difficulties, but it is also filled with promise and possibility," says best-selling author and WOF speaker Patsy Clairmont. In Stained Glass Hearts Clairmont guides readers to view the difficult experiences of life through the lens of God's grace. Using art as a theme, and likening people to stained glass windows, she shares that it's when we're surrounded by darkness that His healing light shines most brightly within us. Encouraging women to step back and see life from this new perspective, Patsy offers help and hope for the dark places of life.
Along with character studies of women in Scripture, and modern-day, relatable stories, each chapter includes:
• Chalice-memorable quotes
• Mosaic-recommended music
• Spires-scriptures and readings
• Litany-sample prayers
Some of my thoughts:
We all live them. Difficult times, the ups and downs in life when we find it hard to see what side is up and what is down, or what good could ever come from it. But it from times such as these that God can take the broken pieces of our lives and make it into something wonderful, a masterpiece. As the beautiful hymn puts it so beautifully,
Something beautiful, something good
All my confusion He understood
All I had to offer Him was brokeness and stife
But he made something beautiful of my life
Through stories and personal illustrations, Patsy Clairmont helps to remind of this, how God takes what seem like broken pieces of our shattered hopes and dreams and can make them into something beautiful – like a stained glass window!
Disclosure: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
The book’s product description says the following:
Much like stained glass, life's broken pieces become the prism through which God's grace shines most brightly and beautifully.
"Life is no doubt full of difficulties, but it is also filled with promise and possibility," says best-selling author and WOF speaker Patsy Clairmont. In Stained Glass Hearts Clairmont guides readers to view the difficult experiences of life through the lens of God's grace. Using art as a theme, and likening people to stained glass windows, she shares that it's when we're surrounded by darkness that His healing light shines most brightly within us. Encouraging women to step back and see life from this new perspective, Patsy offers help and hope for the dark places of life.
Along with character studies of women in Scripture, and modern-day, relatable stories, each chapter includes:
• Chalice-memorable quotes
• Mosaic-recommended music
• Spires-scriptures and readings
• Litany-sample prayers
Some of my thoughts:
We all live them. Difficult times, the ups and downs in life when we find it hard to see what side is up and what is down, or what good could ever come from it. But it from times such as these that God can take the broken pieces of our lives and make it into something wonderful, a masterpiece. As the beautiful hymn puts it so beautifully,
Something beautiful, something good
All my confusion He understood
All I had to offer Him was brokeness and stife
But he made something beautiful of my life
Through stories and personal illustrations, Patsy Clairmont helps to remind of this, how God takes what seem like broken pieces of our shattered hopes and dreams and can make them into something beautiful – like a stained glass window!
Disclosure: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Fresh-Brewed Life
I’ve just been reading Nicole Johnson’s welcoming book, “Fresh Brewed Life”. With heart and soul opening thoughts and truths, it wakes us to the wonderful, beauty, joy and love in and around us. Here are a few lines that have stood out to me:
“To take pleasure in coffee and benefit from all it has to offer, it must be savored, not merely consumed.” (And may I add, so it is with life, and this is what I feel she is trying to help each of us do.)
“Because the life part is not quite as simple as the coffee part, we’ll spend the rest of the book exploring how our lives can become fresh brewed. You’re invited to begin stirring your soul to wake up the slumbering parts and throw out the two-day-old, stale stuff in the bottom of the glass carafe.”
“Fresh-Brewed Life is a journey of awakenings: to God, as we learn to respond to his compelling love for us; to ourselves, as we recognize our true identity and it illuminates us from the inside out; to others, as we relate in new and healthy ways that bring joy and peace.”
I especially enjoyed the chapter on journaling. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, but always thought it was too late to start. The way it was present made it so inviting, it encouraged me to start and that it’s never too late. The chapters have questions scattered throughout as thoughts for jotting down in your journal to react and reflect on. Through journaling, we are encouraged to “ live life and not just let it pass us by, to think about life and the things going on around us”.
As a last note for those who may not be full aware, “Fresh Brewed Life” is written especially for women, from a Christian perspective.
Disclosure: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
“To take pleasure in coffee and benefit from all it has to offer, it must be savored, not merely consumed.” (And may I add, so it is with life, and this is what I feel she is trying to help each of us do.)
“Because the life part is not quite as simple as the coffee part, we’ll spend the rest of the book exploring how our lives can become fresh brewed. You’re invited to begin stirring your soul to wake up the slumbering parts and throw out the two-day-old, stale stuff in the bottom of the glass carafe.”
“Fresh-Brewed Life is a journey of awakenings: to God, as we learn to respond to his compelling love for us; to ourselves, as we recognize our true identity and it illuminates us from the inside out; to others, as we relate in new and healthy ways that bring joy and peace.”
I especially enjoyed the chapter on journaling. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, but always thought it was too late to start. The way it was present made it so inviting, it encouraged me to start and that it’s never too late. The chapters have questions scattered throughout as thoughts for jotting down in your journal to react and reflect on. Through journaling, we are encouraged to “ live life and not just let it pass us by, to think about life and the things going on around us”.
As a last note for those who may not be full aware, “Fresh Brewed Life” is written especially for women, from a Christian perspective.
Disclosure: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Don't Check Your Brains at the Door
I just received “Don't Check Your Brains at the Door” by Josh McDowell & Bob Hostetler to receive as a part of Thomas Nelson’s Book Sneeze Program.
The book consists of forty-two chapters in six general topics dealing with common myths of the Christian faith on the topics of:
• God
• Jesus
• The Bible
• The Resurrection
• Religion and Christianity
• Life and Happiness
The book is geared to teens and a good start for them on this topic. The chapters grab the reader's attention and relate the idea well, ending with a section called "Brain Food", encouraging us to look in our Bibles and study the ideas a bit more in-depth for ourselves.
This is a good basic apologetics book with good information about the historical evidences of Jesus and His Resurrection. I enjoyed reading it and look forward to see what my teens reaction is to it as well!
Disclosure: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
The book consists of forty-two chapters in six general topics dealing with common myths of the Christian faith on the topics of:
• God
• Jesus
• The Bible
• The Resurrection
• Religion and Christianity
• Life and Happiness
The book is geared to teens and a good start for them on this topic. The chapters grab the reader's attention and relate the idea well, ending with a section called "Brain Food", encouraging us to look in our Bibles and study the ideas a bit more in-depth for ourselves.
This is a good basic apologetics book with good information about the historical evidences of Jesus and His Resurrection. I enjoyed reading it and look forward to see what my teens reaction is to it as well!
Disclosure: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Rumors of God
I just finished reviewing “Rumors of God - Experience the Kind of Faith You´ve Only Heard About” by Darren Whitehead and Jon Tyson as a part of Thomas Nelson’s book review program.
I feel one of the things the authors are trying to help remind us of, or for those who are not fully aware of, is to help us see through Bible passages how much more God has for each one of us in every area of our lives: our faith, our dreams, our life, and more. It’s easy to fall into ruts, and that includes our thinking as well, which is one reason I enjoy reading books of this sort – on the topic of faith – coming from another angle than the way I tend to see it. Books that help me think and reflect on my life, to see things from another angle, in a different way than I tend to see them and this has helped me to do just that in an easy to read format and not too deep or hard to grasp or understand.
Disclosure: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
I feel one of the things the authors are trying to help remind us of, or for those who are not fully aware of, is to help us see through Bible passages how much more God has for each one of us in every area of our lives: our faith, our dreams, our life, and more. It’s easy to fall into ruts, and that includes our thinking as well, which is one reason I enjoy reading books of this sort – on the topic of faith – coming from another angle than the way I tend to see it. Books that help me think and reflect on my life, to see things from another angle, in a different way than I tend to see them and this has helped me to do just that in an easy to read format and not too deep or hard to grasp or understand.
Disclosure: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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