Living Well Spending Less

From the publisher's website: "
Ruth Soukup knows what it is like to want what you can’t afford. And she knows the downward spiral of out-of-control spending and how it can consume your life, eat up your time, and destroy your relationships. When she finally hit bottom with her finances and her marriage was on the brink of divorce, she had to learn a totally different way to think about money...and discovered true happiness along the way.

In Living Well, Spending Less Ruth shares her secrets with warmth, total honesty, and practical help in every chapter. Following her wildly successful blog of the same name, Ruth gives her readers even more of what they love: lots of creative, helpful ideas and advice for families on a budget along with stories from her own journey to discovering what the good life is really all about.

With personal and creative challenges in each chapter, Living Well, Spending Less is perfect for small group study or discussion. As readers change the desires of their hearts and shift their priorities toward treasures that last, they will find a life rich in faith, family, friends, and creativity—and a budget that balances."

First of all, I really really enjoyed reading this book. Ruth does an amazing job of explaining these 12 secrets of the good life that she has implemented in her own life. The book is set up in two parts, Living Well and Spending Less. One of my favorite aspects of this book, is that she starts with your heart and mindset first. She talks about being content first. How important it is to be happy where you are. Yes change the things that need to change, but be happy where you are and with what you have.

She goes on to discuss using your time wisely and setting goals before going on to the more practical items of saving money at the grocery store, decluttering and cleaning routines. I enjoyed reading her personal stories and examples and encouraging words to help others make needed changes in their lives. I highly recommend reading this book. It is truly one of the best books of its kind that I have read in a long time.

NIV Real-Life Devotional Bible for Women Review

This is a lovely compact Bible. The cover is beautiful and attractive with its two tone coloring. I enjoyed the ease of reading it. It actually helped me to be more accountable with my Bible reading. I could easily carry it to church, Bible study or just with me throughout the day. It has an attached bookmark to keep your last reading place well at hand.


Another feature that I really liked was that the devotionals are throughout the Bible near to the scripture verses that they reference. That made it simple to find the verse as well as to have an added extra when reading one of the books of the Bible. Lysa TerKeurst  wrote the forward of this Bible as well as a few of the devotionals inside. Her sense of humor and humbleness help the scripture be easily applied to our everyday lives.


I highly recommend having this Bible as a easy to read version. It does not contain any study notes or the like and that can be difficult for an in-depth study but to regularly read and have everyday devotions.

Get to know Paul Book Review

Get to Know Apostle Paul by Nancy I. Sanders is a full color biography of Apostle Paul just for kids. It details Paul's conversion and ministry to the Christian faith. This book is easy to read and very informative of events told in the Bible as well as a few from other historians. It has facts and vocabulary words to help explain the story further.

I enjoyed reading this book. There are many colorful photos to help show the area and even some of the ruins of the places that Paul walked. Maps help show Paul's journeys and how the cities were laid out in Paul's day. While it does reference a few scriptures, it doesn't reference them as much as I'd like.

I was given this book at no cost in exchange for my honest review by Booksneeze.

Daisies are Forever Book Review

Daisies are Forever by Liz Tolsma is about Gisela Cramer's harrowing experience during World War Two. Gisela is an American of German descent whose family moved back to Germany right before the war broke out. Gisela's mother sends her to a cousin's home in East Prussia fearing that their home in Berlin is too dangerous. Well the advancement of Russian troops causes her to flee her refuge in East Prussia and make the harrowing journey back to Berlin.

This book gripped me right from the beginning. It is full of emotions, scary experiences and lots of reliance on the Lord. The author apparently based the story on the experiences of two women, Ruth Sabine Hildegard Lippert and her own aunt Lillian Tolsma. Their experiences are both fascinating and terrifying. There are incidents of murder, torture and rape although nothing is described in detail. It is just mentioned in the war atmosphere. It's an excellent book. Highly recommended.

Whatever You Grow Up To Be Book Review

This was a wonderful children's book that made me cry. She begins with her newborn son talking of his baby feet leaving footprints on his Mommy's heart. She moves up through different ages and parts of his childhood talking about playing and growing. She talks of him in college and ten getting married. The book ends with her grandson and the journey beginning again. It made me cry and my children loved the story too.

Each page had an accompanying scripture verse quoted on the bottom that relates to what is being talked about or said on that page. The illustrations are beautiful drawn and very colorful. My children enjoyed them especially all the different depictions of what he could grow up to be. I highly recommend this book. I really enjoyed it.


This book was provided to me at no cost from Booksneeze.

You can purchase this book at http://www.amazon.com/Whatever-You-Grow-Up-Be/dp/0310716462/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

Smitten Book Club

From the publisher's website:
"Consider that your beau is like a coveted novel whose compelling first lines you’ve just begun to read.” —A Gentlewoman's Guide to Love and Courtship
At a rummage sale, Heather, a member of the Fireside Book Club, discovers a turn-of-the-century romantic advice book written by a once-famous Smitten, Vermont, resident. When she shares the precious volume with her friends in the club, they find clues about a hidden treasure rumored to be buried in their tiny town.
As Heather, Abby, Lia, and Molly take turns reading the book, each projects onto it her own literary tastes. Heather sees it as a mystery. Abby discovers delicious dashes of Jane Austen. Lia sees in it the idealism of a bygone day. And Molly just wishes they'd made the book into a movie!
One by one, each of the women finds romantic love—often in spite of the historic book’s advice. And in searching for the legendary gold, the friends discover the best kind of treasure. The kind that brings hope and healing to each of their hearts."


I had no idea that this book was the third in a series about the fictional town of Smitten, Vermont. I was very surprised by this book. I didn't expect to like it as much as I did, especially being written by four different authors. It is one cohesive story, but the four main characters are each written by one of the authors and have their own sections. I'm not a big fan of romance novels, but this was really a treat. I had a hard time putting the book down. The characters are delightful and it is written very well. I highly recommend it. I recommend it so much that I'm giving away two copies of the books!! Enter the giveaway below!!


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Unglued Review.

Unglued Making Wise Choices in the Midst of Raw Emotions

By Lysa TerKeurst

From Booksneeze.com "Why is it that those we love the most often receive the brunt of our worst moods? In Unglued, New York Times bestselling author Lysa TerKeurst offers words of hope and healing for women struggling to make wise choices in the midst of their raw emotions. She shows how to positively process reactive emotions that come from situations all women face daily.
Raw emotions are those feelings we hide from others but take out on those we love most. We may exhibit patience and kindness when talking with the grocery clerk, a co-worker, even the difficult person at the returns counter; but, at home, sometimes the smallest, most trivial things set women off, sparking an angry word, cruel comment behind someone’s back, or a flood of tears. All women experience these ‘unglued feelings’ at times, often when they least expect it. These emotions are not wrong, in fact they are God-given. However, our emotions should be indicators not dictators. Each experience is an opportunity to either fall back into patterns that make us wallow in guilt or chose more wisely and make progress. TerKeurst equips women with spiritual strategies to help them manage their reactions. It’s one thing to tell a woman to control her feelings but a whole new kind of help to show her step by step how to let this situation work for her rather than against her."

Unglued has been a very convicting read for me. I struggle with losing my temper a lot. She does a great job of really sharing her struggles and how she worked and continued to work to overcome them. She helps with practical tips and advice. I recommend this read for any Mom, especially those who struggle with anger issues.
 


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com® <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers 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 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Women Living Well Review

I wanted to repost my review in a post without a giveaway.

I've had the immense pleasure and privilege of being on the launch team for Courtney Joseph's new book, Women Living Well. It is a wonderful book, filled with encouragement and practical tips and ideas on how to live a God centered life. She talks about how to take pleasure in the roles that God has give you to fill.One part that really spoke to me, in particular, was how she talked about praying while she did regular, ordinary tasks. 

She talked about using those moments to pray for her family and/or to thank God for those things. For instance, when she was making her husband's side of the bed, she would pray for him and thank God for giving her a husband. When she washed the laundry, she would thank God for having clothes to wash. This really struck me. I recently had my fifth child only a little over a year after having my fourth so we were still technically adjusting to four children when the fifth came along. I had been struggling with so much to pick up and do with a year and half old son and an infant son. After reading this in her book, it opened my eyes. I was walking from our dining room into our family room and noticed a toy train on the floor. At first, I immediately had a bad attitude and thought about the five other people that had stepped over this train without picking it up. Then I thought about how my son loved playing with that train, and how if he wasn't around I wouldn't have a train to pick up. I picked up the train and thanked God for giving me that son who left trains and other toys all over my house. I thanked God for giving me him to love and to teach me how to love. I noticed that my attitude towards my household tasks changed after that. I still had times where I was tired and frustrated but they were less and less. I enjoyed taking care of my family in this way because I enjoy my family and I'm so thankful God gave them to me.Courtney's book comes out on Tuesday, October 1st.

Simply Delicious Amish Cooking

Do these blueberry muffins look good or what? They sure were!! I baked them with a recipe from a new cookbook that I was given to review.

Simply Delicious Amish Cooking is a cookbook with wonderful Amish/Mennonite recipes and anecdotes as well as stories of the Pinecraft Amish/Mennonite Community in Pinecraft, Florida. This book has lots of wonderful recipes with little to no processed ingredients. And most of the recipes have a small amount of ingredients too, hence the title. This is a wonderful ebook that I highly recommend. I enjoyed reading about the start of their community in Pinecraft and learning about different aspects of their lives as well. So many recipes to try, they all sound so yummy! I can't wait to cook another!

You can purchase Simply Delicious Amish Cooking at ChristianBook.com or Amazon.com




Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com® <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers 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 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Unveiling Grace Book Review



From the book's back cover: "From a rare insider's point of view, Unveiling Grace looks at how Latter-day Saints are 'wooing our country' with their religion, lifestyle, and culture. It is also a gripping story of how and entire family, deeply enmeshed in Mormonism, found their way out and what they can tell others about their lives as faithful Mormons.

I really enjoyed this book. When I saw this available for review, I immediately requested it. I was eager to learn more about Mormonism and this book did not disappoint. Sometimes nonfiction reads tend to be dry and difficult to finish, but Lynn Wilder has a wonderful writing style that is very easy to read. She describes everything and sets the scenes well. Her journey is a very interesting one at that. Her entire family was very dedicated to being a good Mormon family until her third child was on his Mormon mission and encountered a pastor that encouraged him to read the New Testament. Lynn takes us through her conversion to Mormonism, her "callings" in the Mormon church, employment at Brigham Young University, and her gradual conversion to Biblical Christianity. It is a well written, easy to understand book. My only criticism is her referral of the Holy Spirit as the Dancer of Grace. That is more of a personal dislike and nothing more. I highly recommend this read.


I received an advanced copy of Unveiling Grace from Booksneeze in exchange for my honest review.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com® <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers 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 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

God's Not Dead Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty Book Review

A Review by Clark Bates

 

            In his book God's not Dead, author and pastor Rice Broocks steps away from his many years in the pulpit as a minister and church planter and into the realm of theology and apologetics.  Interspersing his work with anecdotes from his many travels, Broocks seeks to take the reader on a whirlwind tour through the major apologetic challenges facing the modern church and provide concise, yet informed, responses to each. 

            The positive facets of this book are many.  The author provides the audience with thorough summaries of the most common arguments leveled by unbelievers, giving them a starting point from which to better prepare themselves.  In addition to covering these talking points, Broocks delivers simple but educated responses to each.  Further, the author's many citations of both skeptics and theologians provides the reader with an ample index to draw from if they should desire to further their learning on each issue.  Broocks' writing tackles difficult subject matters like the “reality of good and evil”, “The origin of the universe”, “The life and resurrection of Jesus” and “the authenticity of Scripture”.  All things considered, a reader new to the world of defending their faith will come away from this work with a stable footing and a clear understanding of the most common doubts and detractions facing Christians today.

            That being said, there are also negative facets to this work.  As one might ascertain, the subject matter that Broocks attempts to cover is far too broad to be given due diligence in only 242 pages.  Simply put, each objection presented in this book has been covered by thousands of pages delivered by other authors.  The consequence of trying to condense such voluminous information into each chapter, is that the reader can come away feeling overwhelmed and under prepared.  Also, as is common with writings such as this, the chapters read as essays on each topic prepared separately, and therefore, while the overall flow of the book points to a decided end, the content of each chapter is often repetitious.  The book as a whole points the reader to the cross, recognizing the stability and reliability of the Christian faith as it's stepping stones, but this overall feel can be lost in the overload of information contained within the text.

            In the end, this book will serve to hopefully wet the appetite of those seeking to start learning apologetics.  It will deliver plenteous amounts of information and resources from which the seeker may access more detailed discussions on each topic.  For those already actively educated and involved in defending their faith amidst the current culture wars this book will not present anything new nor provide resources or information with which they are not already familiar.  This book is most useful as an appetizer for the uninitiated, wetting their appetites for a deeper understanding of the modern objections to the faith, and prayerfully it will do just that.

Unexpected Love Book Review

Unexpected Love: God's Heart Revealed in His Conversations with Women by Julie Zine Coleman.

This books is about several different interactions between God and women. Each chapter deals with a different scripture reference and what we can learn from God's Word. The introduction to the book was written very well and got me very excited to read the rest of the book. However, some of the chapters seemed very long-winded and tedious. I did overall enjoy reading the book, but was a little disappointed after the introduction.

I was given this book for review by Booksneeze. 


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To buy Unexpected Love: God's Heart revealed in His conversations with women. at Amazon click here.

The Truth About Forgiveness Book Review

The Truth About Forgiveness by John MacArthur is a wonderful book. I think forgiveness is something that all of deal with in different ways. Some of us have a difficult time believing that we need to be forgiven while others have a difficult time allowing themselves to be forgiven. He does a wonderful job exploring and explaining all of the many different facets of forgiveness. I recommend this book.


This book was give to me to review by Booksneeze.