With Love, Wherever You Are

This is a wonderful novel based on a true story of the author's parents who met, fell in love and were married during WWII times.  I felt like the characters were very well portrayed and they were easy to get to know while reading the book.  I loved the fact that part of the novel was including actual letters written to each other. 
The emotions of being apart during war times, the worries, the fears not only gave insight into what couples felt at that time but are emotions couples deal with today as they face living apart due to jobs, or military life. 
It was a wonderful book.  I ended up letting my sister borrow the book because she is a real WWII history buff and I knew she would like it.  She did!

In A Different Key -- The Story of Autism by John Donvan and Caren Zucker

I have not had much experience with autistic individuals but in the past five years I have had three friends who have autistic children.  This book was very informative in a captivating way. It is written in a chronological format and documents the history of autism.
The beginning years in the 1930s and 1940s were difficult to read about because there was not a diagnosis other than "lunatic".  Usually these individuals were placed in insane asylums and stayed there for most of their lives.
There were a couple of families who sensed that this was not the answer and tried to work with their children with autism, seeing bits of success as far as small changes.  But this was enough hope for these parents to look harder for understanding and help and cure.
For many years mothers were made to feel that they were to blame for their child's diagnosis by not being a good mother.  Yet several mothers again were able to rationalize that if the diagnosis was caused by the mother then why did ALL of her children not have autism?
The story of how these parents fought for answers and help is inspiring for other parents with children with "incurable, hopeless" conditions today.  Nothing is hopeless.  The answer just has not been found yet.
I found the history fascinating, sad, exciting and inspiring.
Other topics covered include the difficulties in getting autistic children any education at all.  Today this has all changed due to the efforts of parents and doctors and scientists who continued to fight for the rights of children to education. Also, the question of how to communicate which was originally seen as impossible but many improvements have occurred over the last few decades.
In addition to a history of the disorder, its battles and victories, there are also success stories of those who are living a so called "normal" life with this diagnosis.
The bibliography is impressive and full.  Also included is a timeline of autism which puts the highlights into a shortened version easy to refer too.   Throughout the later chapters resources are listed that would be valuable today for families and individuals with the condition.
I found it a fascinating history and reference book regarding this disability.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

A Fun Family Devotional Book - Kingdom Family Devotional- 52 Weeks of Growing Together by Tony Evans and Jonathan Evans

Kingdom Family Devotional

by Tony Evans and Jonathan Evans

This is a nice hardcover book with that would make a great family gift.  There are 52 topics, one for each week of the year.  For five days, the devotionals are "devoted" to that topic. :)

The devotions are worded for the parent to read to the family.  Within the devotional are italicized words, which are instructions to follow for an activity that goes along with the devotion.  I liked this because it makes the information for that day stay with you and your children longer.  

Each day's devotion is only one page so it does not take that long to do.  Of course, the devotion is supposed to just be a started to get good conversations going within your family as well regarding the topics.  

There is a Scripture reading at the beginning of each day and sometimes other Scriptures to read are referenced in the actual devotion.  

I think this would be a great devotional for families with children that are a variety of ages because it works for discussion with all ages.  I also think it would be good for parents who may never have had family devotional time before or for parents who are new Christians themselves.

One thing I liked is that for each Wednesday of the week the devotion is very focuses on Scripture.  The other days may have one to two verses but Wednesdays have many verses in Scripture to read and discuss.  Also on Fridays there is a focus on "fun" as a family and activities are suggested that are fun as well as help to bring home the point of the devotional.

Some of the topics included are love, purity, salvation, spiritual warfare, faith, money, friends, family, manhood, womanhood, forgiveness, peace, perseverance, teamwork, communication, church, fear, obedience, humility, temptation, and many more.

There are some really great activities in this family devotional.  If you are looking for something to start spiritual discussions in your home with your children, this would be a great book.  If you are looking for something that delves deeply into Scripture, this is not that book but you are free to do that part on your own and use this book as a guide, then share what God showed you through study to add to what is given here.

Overall this was a really good family devotional book. 

No Fear by Tony Perkins

No Fear  by Tony Perkins


First, the purely aesthetic parts of the book that I like are :

• The font chosen for the table of contents...easy to read, as is the font for the actual chapters
• The preface that gives information about the author that truly relates to the content of the book
• The use of pull quotes within the chapters 
• The "Making It Real" question section at the end of most chapters

Secondly, the book itself is a wonderful collection of stories about real young men and women who are standing up for God's truth.  I like how he uses a modern day example of a young person who has been called by the Lord to do something and boldly does it, no matter the cost.  The title of the book No Fear shows that these young people know in whom they trust and they know who to fear (God) and who not to fear (mankind).  In the face of adversities and persecution, the people Mr. Perkins writes about have received the strength and courage of the Holy Spirit and mighty things have happened in their lives.

I also like that not only does the author share these current stories, but also he compares each story with a historical account from the Bible of someone in similar situation.  So the reader comes away with a Biblical role model, a modern day role model and a desire to become a role model themselves.

I believe this book to be not only an excellent read for high school and college students but for adults as well.  We can be encouraged to continue on in the work God gives us by the passion and zeal for the Lord that these young people today have been given.  

I think many Christians share a bit of fear when it comes to sharing their faith with others.  I like what Mr. Perkins says, "The only way to counter the fear of man is with faith in God."

There are plenty of Scriptures scattered throughout this book.  One of my favorite sums up the lives of the men and women, both ancient and present, who put their faith in God.

"Be strong and of good courage;  do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."  (Joshua 1:9)

The issues dealt with in the book include the sanctity of life, our passions and dreams for life, prayer in schools, seeing that we can make a difference in this world, playing it safe rather than playing to win for the Lord, the false gods that can distract us in today's world, our motives, and how to handle fears of being rejected, made fun of, bullies or persecuted.

I thought it was an excellent book and would make a great study for a youth group or a family with middle school or high school age children.  

Hope Crossing by Cindy Woodsmall

I usually enjoy Cindy Woodsmall's books and this collection of three did not disappoint me at all. Each one was captivating, keeping me reading and in my own little world of the Amish until I completed the story. A sure sign of a good writer is when you pick up the book and are immediately in a world not your own totally. That's the way Cindy Woodsmall writes. The three books included in this trilogy are Hope of Refuge, The Harvest of Grace and The Bridge of Peace. I love the way she develops the characters! Some you love and some you wish would just leave everyone else alone! I like the style of her writing as well, very descriptive and with lots of conversation. These are wholesome yet exciting books...yes, a book can be both!!! If you have an interest in the Amish culture, this will be a book you enjoy!

Blades of Valor

I feel if I had read other books in this series I may have been able to follow it better. Even though I was unfamiliar with the characters, there were some characters in this story that seemed familiar to me :) The action was great and the story was well-written. I really enjoyed this book and would like to read others by this author.

Martyr's Fire

As I started reading this ebook on my Kindle I was not sure what to expect.  The characters pulled me in immediately.  The writer has developed realistic characters and set them in familiar settings with exciting  action and plots.
To me, the book seemed to join several different parts of stories I have heard in my life in a way I never thought of.  It took a bit of thought to get used to the different plots in my head...but the writing made it much easier.  Very talented writer.
Definitely made me want to read more of this author.
I received a free copy of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.

Clear Winter Nights

I enjoyed reading this book.  From what I understand the author usually does not write fiction but he has done a wonderful job with this book.  The characters are believable and the situations and thoughts are very true to what many believers who have grown up in the church and beginning to decide for themselves what they believe would be going through.
There is a lot of dialogue in this book more so than an exciting plot...just so you know.  But I loved the characters and there is romance too!

Bedtime Prayers That End With A Hug

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

This wonderfully illustrated book contains 52 short devotionals appropriate for children ages 2-6.  This is right on the level of keeping the attention of your little one during devotion time and has Scripture, application and time for hugs!  I love the layout of this darling book.  It is big enough to make an impression on a little one and the devotions are pint-sized but with all the truth packed in :)   Loved it!

Lonnie's Loves

What a wonderful love story!  This is book 3 in the Cadence of Grace series.  I have not read the other stories so there was one bit of information I would have loved to have that was not covered in this book.  Otherwise this book is also a stand alone love story.
Lonnie has to choose between two men that she loves and that love her.  It is a story of these two men and of Lonnie and of God's love for them all.  I had no idea until the end which man she would choose.  I had no idea which one I would have chosen for that matter! :) The characters are very well developed and I enjoyed getting to know each character.  Very well written and it made me want to read more of the books in this series.
Great for young girls because the two men who are vying for the affection of Lonnie are both admirable characters.
I still wish I knew why Gideon left in the first place.  :)  Guess I will just have to go back and read the other books!

Finding God in a Bag of Groceries

Working with the poor as I do , I could relate to a lot of what Ms. Willis writes about. I appreciated her honesty in describing her feelings. I felt like the story was exactly about what it says it is about ...sharing food, discovering grace. Ms. Willis seems to have been searching for a way to follow the calling she feels the Lord has given her. I liked how she related the groceries that she gives away to the Communion and how Jesus met the physical needs of the people as well as the spiritual needs of the people. I think she grew in her own faith through providing groceries to those who were in need and it is always exciting to hear another believer's testimony. :)

Return To Me...historical fiction written to make you feel like you were there!

Historical fiction is not my favorite category of book to read. I think I either want to read fiction or true history. This book is an exception. I love reading the Bible. Honestly, there are some passages that I seem to skim over because I can't relate to how it must have been during that time period. The books of Ezra and Haggai are a couple of those. Return to Me has made reading the books of Ezra and Haggai (as well as some other passages in Kings) much easier to relate to. By placing the true historical account into modern day language with characters that are "fleshed out", Lynn Austin has helped me to truly understand the Biblical Old Testament more. This story is wonderful...a story of families divided, of slaves released, of promises of the Lord God kept, and of forsaking of the one true God. The main character I believe is Zechariah who was a prophet of God. But the story starts out with him as a child, playing with other children, growing up in a family, and discovering whether his faith was his own or his family's. I do not want to spoil the reader's enjoyment of this book by revealing too much. Let me just say...if you like love stories, you will love this book. If you like historical fiction, you will love this book. If you like reading the Bible, you will love this book. If you like reading about the Jewish people and land, you will love this book. If you like books with a lot of action, you will love this book. This is a book I will re-read again...and try to slow down a bit to read it because it is so good that I want to savor it the second time around instead of devour it like I did this time. Wonderful! First time having read any of Lynn Austin's works and now I want to read more.

The Dawn of Christmas! Sweet, sweet, sweet!

The sweetest love story...two people who have been hurt by love and afraid to try again accidentally fall for each other. Woodsmall has a wonderful way of telling a story. I love her characters and her plots and themes! I have never read anything written by Woodsmall that I did not like. This is another great book! And a wonderful book to give for Christmas too!

The Harbinger Decoded DVD

I have read the book The Harbinger by Jonathan Cahn after my dad recommended it.  The book and the message of the book was one of the most powerful I have read outside of the Bible.  The book is not only a book that is prophetic in nature but it is a wealth of history, both Jewish and American.  I learned things about my own country's history that I did not know.  

When I had the chance to review the DVD, I was excited because I know many people who I wanted to read the book...but they are not readers.  So I thought this would be a good alternative for them.

This review has 4 stars not because of content...the content is important, relevant and amazing.  

I would still suggest for you to read the book itself...not just watch the DVD.

I know that the Lord can and will use the DVD as well. 

However, I believe if a few things were done differently it would have a much greater impact on non-readers.  So here is how I would change it:

1)  The background music in the main feature is overwhelming in volume.  The message is what is important and interesting and the music is not balanced with the vocals.  Many times throughout the DVD I had to really concentrate to hear what was being said because the music was too loud.  

2) The music itself seemed to be overwhelming in its "drama", if that makes sense.  Again, the music was a distraction to the words, which are what need to be heard.

3)  Instead of having Jonathan doing his speaking with the moving backgrounds and photos behind him, I may have had him speaking from an actual wheat field, or speaking from actual Ground Zero, or speaking from the actual chapel where Washington prayed.  This would just make it better in my opinion and keep the attention of the viewer longer.

Now to the things that I was very pleased with. The "Special Features" section.

The music was better on most of those sections...still maybe just a little loud.  

Jonathan's testimony was an added bonus and blessing.  Also , the Guided Tour of the Harbingers made me want to tour Washington to see these.

This is a DVD to wake up America, to call America to return to God.  The Harbingers are warnings but warnings imply that a change in behavior can lead to restoration.  America needs to be restored to the Foundation she was founded upon. 

 

Little Book of Great Dates

I enjoyed reading through this book which is meant to be an idea for a date each week of the year with your spouse.  The idea of "dating" your spouse is a very sound one for maintaining a good marriage.  Life can get so busy with work, school, children, parents, church, and other things...that sometimes we do not take the time to just really spend quality time with our spouse.
This little book gives 52 ideas for great dates, great discussion topics and ideas to delve into that will keep your relationship fresh and new as you grow closer to each other.  I loved it!
I think it would make a wonderful gift for newlyweds as well as a perfect anniversary gift to those who have been married for any number of years :)

Forever Friday by Timothy Lewis

I received this book for free from Waterbrook Press in exchange for my honest review.
This is a story of true love that lasts.  It is the story of a young woman and man who fell in love at first sight, Huck and Gabe.  Gabe decides that he never wants to have their marriage lose its spark so he begins on their honeymoon sending Huck a postcard once a week with a photo relevant to some part of their life and a short poem he composed just for her.  She saves these postcards through the many, many years of their marriage.  The story switches from their relationship at its different stages to a present day man who happens upon the postcards which are hidden among photo albums at an estate sale at the couple's home.  He is intrigued and investigates the story, trying to find out more about these two people who found true love that lasted a life time.  His own marriage has failed and he is seeking the answer to how to maintain love for a lifetime.
This is one of the best love stories I have read...and it is not trashy.  It is passionate with modesty maintained throughout the telling of the story which  is a rarity.  I think it is in the similar vein of Nicholas Sparks.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.  The characters were unlike any I had "met" in any other story I have read, which was delightful because many times characters from book to book seem the same.  Huck and Gabe were characters that seemed brand new to me and thus it was exciting to get to know them throughout the book.
It touched my emotions and I thought it very well-written.  The best kind of a story in my mind is the one that you lose yourself in without even realizing that you are no longer sitting somewhere reading a book.  You are in the story.  That is the kind of book that Lewis has written.  Excellent!!

Fearless by Eric Blehm

I was given this book by Multnomah in exchange for my honest review of the book.
I have been trying to read more books that might appeal to men lately.  I have two sons and a husband and thus live around men.  I thought by reading a few books written to appeal to men I might gain more understanding.  What I did not expect was that this book does not only appeal to men...it is appealing to women as well.
The fact that the office of the Navy Seals did put their seal of approval on the book, and they do not usually endorse books about their organization, also intrigued me.
it is about a young man Adam Brown.  I learned about who he was as a child, as a teen, the difficulties he went through and overcame and how the Lord Jesus became his Strength and his Hope.
I learned how he worked his way up to becoming a Navy SEAL.  That was very interesting to me.
The title "Fearless" truly described this man and his way of living.
It is an inspiring book and I believe anyone would enjoy reading it but especially if you are military.
This is one of my favorite quotes from the book that describes Adam:
" Adam's devout Christian faith matched his toughness and fearlessness.  It was the cornerstone upon which he built his life and the compass that he turned to for guidance.  To truly live one's faith, in word and deed, is a mighty, and a daily, struggle; and Adam embraced that struggle and devoted himself to it. "
His story is one of overcoming addictions also which makes it very powerful and inspiring for others going through the same thing in life.  Highly recommend.

Every Waking Moment by Chris Fabry

Chris Fabry is one of my favorite authors so I was very excited to have the opportunity to review his book, Every Waking Moment.    Tyndale House Publishers provided me with a free copy of this book to review.

It seems that Mr. Fabry is one of those authors who writes books that speak to me personally in one way or another.  Every one of his books has touched me in a different way.  From Borders of the Heart , which spoke to me about a calling to ESL ministry, to Almost Heaven, which spoke to the musician heart in me.
Now he has written a book that has spoken to me in my calling as a social worker who works with the elderly and disabled.
I love doing book reviews but I also do not want to spoil the book for those who will read it in the future!
This book was 5 stars!!!  A nursing home is the setting with a caring lady who is preparing to leave the job she has there.  She has discovered in her time working with the elderly a very unusual worker who is somewhat disabled in her own ways but who has a gift for connecting with those who have dementia or Alzheimer's and being able to bring back the person who is "lost" inside.

Of course, there had to be a "bad guy" and the new lady who takes over the nursing home had me just aching for her to do something wrong so she could be fired from the place!  The character development in this book is excellent.

The main character Treha is an enigma from the beginning.  She has a special connection with others but seemingly an inability to express her own emotions.  She is smart and yet simple at the same time.

The residents in the nursing home love her.  I loved getting to know the residents.  Part of my job is visiting the elderly and disabled and hearing their stories of life is one of the favorite parts of my day.  Mr. Fabry is able to combine stories within a story by giving us individual stories of the residents as a part of the whole picture.  He shows how the elderly, the disabled and those who we may overlook or dismiss as "slow or simple" have their own life story as we do....if we put ourselves in the other person's shoes and listen to them share about their life, we come away from the conversation with more love, respect, and understanding.

I suggest you get this book, read it and re-read it.  An awesome book!  I know I did not talk a whole lot about the story but it is one of those that you really just need to read yourself and enjoy word by word, sentence by sentence.  At the end you will be glad that I didn't spoil any details for you :)  I tried to read it slowly, to make it last, but I just couldn't...it was that good. :)

watch on tyndale.com

Sent by Hilary Alan

 The book is entitled Sent.  This book is a special book to me because it deals with a "regular" American family who willingly gave up some hopes and dreams in order to do what God called them to do.
So many times we think , "I can't do that or I can't go there."  But it just isn't true.  We can do what God calls us to do and the Alan family in this story reminds me of just that.
It was interesting to me, being from NC, that they were from NC as well.
This book is not just the good parts of following the Lord...it covers the hard parts too.  The times when you just don't understand why He called you to a certain place or a certain activity, but you trust Him anyway.
Very inspiring story.  If you are considering the ministry, considering going on a mission trip, feeling the call of the Lord on your heart to do or go...then read this book.  It will be a blessing to you!
I provided this honest review in exchange for a free copy of this book from Blogging for Books.

Upside Down Prayers for Parents

This book was very challenging to read.  As a mother, I want to pray prayers of protection over my children.  Prayers for health, wisdom, drawing closer to the Lord, keeping safe, learning well.  I will continue to pray those prayers for my children.  However, I liked the different angle that the author approached praying for our children.
In some situations I can see praying these upside down prayers.  Hard situations.
The entire book put a different light on praying for your children.  Although some of the prayers I could never bring myself to pray for my children, the message behind each one that she shares is definitely something I could pray.
I could pray for them to know forgiveness and be able to forgive...but I do not think I could pray for them to HAVE to have done something that needed forgiving.  For one thing, I know we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God...so I don't have to pray that they will! :)
I did think the book was very different from any other parenting devotional book I read, and I think it has much value if taken in the right spirit.