What a great love story.
When I say love story, I don't just mean romantic love, although there is certainly a wonderful romantic love story in this book. The best part, is there is not just one. It is a love story of the love and a pride a mother feels for her daughter, a love that lifts her up and carries her through hard times and gives her the wings to fly and become a world famous ballet dancer.
It is a love story of a married couple whose marriage is forever altered after a terrible accident, forever altered, but not over. Their story is a story of faith, commitment and the hurdle that seemed perhaps insurmountable but when handled with love and prayer, wasn't.
It is a love story of young lovers who found something in each other that they were missing, who were able to see each other as they were and eventually realized that the feeling of love often doesn't fix everything. And that even when it is for the best, the end of a relationship is so very painful.
It is a love story of a family that acts as an umbrella when the storms come, a safe haven, even when someone is doing their best to push away. It is learning that you can grow up but the comfort of your parents and grandparents arms and unconditional love will be there waiting whenever you need it.
It is a love story of friendship. It is the story of feeling so broken and unlikable and then suddenly realizing that someone you never expected is there by your side, walking along a dark path with you, sharing their light.
It is also a love story of self, learning to stand on your own two feet while looking to heaven to keep you balanced.
I really loved this book, I think you will too! Click here and happy reading.
**I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review, by WaterBrook Press. My opinions about this book are totally my own.**
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Lazarus Awakening - Joanna Weaver
Books have played a huge part in my life; because of this I treat them reverently. It is difficult for me to even highlight in a textbook so most of the time I painstakingly rewrite whatever material I want to remember into a notebook. A notebook that always gets lost in the shuffle after the course ends.
When I received the book I was a little worried because I have not read Joanna’s previous book Having a Mary heart in a Martha World, and I thought I would miss something. I was wrong, so, so wrong. From the start I was hooked, and immediately had to smile and thank God for once again, sending me what I needed because I am often too stubborn to do the work on my own.
The book tells the story of Jesus and Lazarus, a story of love and friendship, faith and strength. It also tells the story of our importance, how much God loves us and why we are so important to Him.
What hooked me in the first chapter? It was actually in the second paragraph of the first chapter. Joanna tells the story of a woman who asked to speak to her after Bible study, the woman says “ I don’t know what’s wrong with me, I could go to the worst criminal or a drug addict living on the street, and I could look him in the eye and tell him “Jesus loves you!” and meant it from the bottom of my heart” “But, Joanna, she said, I can’t seem to look in the mirror and convince myself.”
That brief conversation brought me to tears, because I could be the person talking to her, and I am sure that there are a lot of other people who feel the same way.
The book includes a 10-week study guide and TONS of information that is so incredibly useful. I was not out of the first chapter before I went to find a highlighter to mark what I felt was important and what I needed to work on. I was highlighting like crazy and then it dawned on me, WHAT was I doing?!?! I was marking up a book, and in doing so I was feeling such a huge sense of peace, this is not information that is going in a notebook to be lost. I can refer to this information any time that I need to do so, and for that I am thankful.
Don't miss out, grab a highlighter, click here and happy reading!
I received a copy of this book from Waterbrook Multnomah press in exchange for this review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
When I received the book I was a little worried because I have not read Joanna’s previous book Having a Mary heart in a Martha World, and I thought I would miss something. I was wrong, so, so wrong. From the start I was hooked, and immediately had to smile and thank God for once again, sending me what I needed because I am often too stubborn to do the work on my own.
The book tells the story of Jesus and Lazarus, a story of love and friendship, faith and strength. It also tells the story of our importance, how much God loves us and why we are so important to Him.
What hooked me in the first chapter? It was actually in the second paragraph of the first chapter. Joanna tells the story of a woman who asked to speak to her after Bible study, the woman says “ I don’t know what’s wrong with me, I could go to the worst criminal or a drug addict living on the street, and I could look him in the eye and tell him “Jesus loves you!” and meant it from the bottom of my heart” “But, Joanna, she said, I can’t seem to look in the mirror and convince myself.”
That brief conversation brought me to tears, because I could be the person talking to her, and I am sure that there are a lot of other people who feel the same way.
The book includes a 10-week study guide and TONS of information that is so incredibly useful. I was not out of the first chapter before I went to find a highlighter to mark what I felt was important and what I needed to work on. I was highlighting like crazy and then it dawned on me, WHAT was I doing?!?! I was marking up a book, and in doing so I was feeling such a huge sense of peace, this is not information that is going in a notebook to be lost. I can refer to this information any time that I need to do so, and for that I am thankful.
Don't miss out, grab a highlighter, click here and happy reading!
I received a copy of this book from Waterbrook Multnomah press in exchange for this review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Man Alive by Patrick Morley
I am going to be totally honest, I choose this book to review because it was the only one I could get in print.
I also know that God works in mysterious ways, and that this is actually the book I was meant to read. As a divorced woman I have had my share of bad relationships with the wrong men and I have been wondering lately if maybe I am just meant to be alone because maybe, there really are no more “good” men left. As a mom raising boys, I want more than anything to raise good men but I often feel like the odds are stacked against me, and them.
The media and society bombard us daily with images and idea’s of what a “good” man looks like, what a man wants, and needs and often those ideals are not in line with what I want or need.
This book is written by a man, not just for men, but to men. I felt sort of like I was doing something sneaky by reading it, that the information within was not for my knowledge, which of course made me even more curious!
I was hooked from the beginning “Over the last four decades, I’ve met one-on-one with thousands of men. Most of them know that Jesus promised a “rich and satisfying life” (John 10:10). But most men are confused about what this looks lie. In fact, I’d estimate that 90% of Christian men lead lukewarm, stagnant, defeated lives – and they hate it.”
Then, he shared some interesting statistics:
80% of men are so emotionally impaired that not only are they unable to express their feelings, but they are unable to identify their feelings.
55% percent of marriages experience financial dishonesty and it's usually the husband.
50% of men who attend church actively seek out pornography.
40% of men get divorced, affecting one million children each year.
1/3 of America's 72 million children will go to bed in a home without their biological dad. My children are included in that statistic.
And then: "the greatest cost to the physical absence of father's is the practical absence of mother. Essentially, one person must now do the work of two..."
Wow. If that is not powerful, not sure what is. Another thing Patrick Morley pointed out was that “these inner aches and pains correspond to seven primal God-given needs that all men feel deeply”
I realized while reading this that there ARE still good men out there, maybe the problem is I have been looking based on the media’s interpretation of a good man, and not God’s. Patrick states that his first book The Man in the Mirror has helped well over 3,000,000 take a deeper look at their lives. Not to shabby! So, yes, there are good men out there and this book helps all men realize their potential and gives direction on how to lead a fully alive life, which is really all we want both women and men.
I recommend this book for both men and women! Click here and happy reading!
I was given a free copy of this book from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group, my opinion is totally my own.
I also know that God works in mysterious ways, and that this is actually the book I was meant to read. As a divorced woman I have had my share of bad relationships with the wrong men and I have been wondering lately if maybe I am just meant to be alone because maybe, there really are no more “good” men left. As a mom raising boys, I want more than anything to raise good men but I often feel like the odds are stacked against me, and them.
The media and society bombard us daily with images and idea’s of what a “good” man looks like, what a man wants, and needs and often those ideals are not in line with what I want or need.
This book is written by a man, not just for men, but to men. I felt sort of like I was doing something sneaky by reading it, that the information within was not for my knowledge, which of course made me even more curious!
I was hooked from the beginning “Over the last four decades, I’ve met one-on-one with thousands of men. Most of them know that Jesus promised a “rich and satisfying life” (John 10:10). But most men are confused about what this looks lie. In fact, I’d estimate that 90% of Christian men lead lukewarm, stagnant, defeated lives – and they hate it.”
Then, he shared some interesting statistics:
80% of men are so emotionally impaired that not only are they unable to express their feelings, but they are unable to identify their feelings.
55% percent of marriages experience financial dishonesty and it's usually the husband.
50% of men who attend church actively seek out pornography.
40% of men get divorced, affecting one million children each year.
1/3 of America's 72 million children will go to bed in a home without their biological dad. My children are included in that statistic.
And then: "the greatest cost to the physical absence of father's is the practical absence of mother. Essentially, one person must now do the work of two..."
Wow. If that is not powerful, not sure what is. Another thing Patrick Morley pointed out was that “these inner aches and pains correspond to seven primal God-given needs that all men feel deeply”
I realized while reading this that there ARE still good men out there, maybe the problem is I have been looking based on the media’s interpretation of a good man, and not God’s. Patrick states that his first book The Man in the Mirror has helped well over 3,000,000 take a deeper look at their lives. Not to shabby! So, yes, there are good men out there and this book helps all men realize their potential and gives direction on how to lead a fully alive life, which is really all we want both women and men.
I recommend this book for both men and women! Click here and happy reading!
I was given a free copy of this book from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group, my opinion is totally my own.
Friday, December 9, 2011
To Be Perfectly Honest: One Man's Year of Almost Living Truthfully Could Change Your Life. No Lie by Phil Callaway
Would you be able to go a whole year being totally honest? Answering the "Do these jeans make my butt look big" honestly? Because, yes, they kinda do.
That was the challenge Phil Calloway accepted and the results are pretty darn funny. He writes the book as a journal letting us know how each day went but he doesn't just talk about how he told the truth, he just talks and he is funny and it is like getting a really great letter from a friend.
He has a wonderful, playful sense of humor which I really appreciated, and I will never look at a spam email requesting my help in large dollar amounts the same!
There were some serious topics broached in the book, infidelity, death to name a couple, but overall it was a pretty light, easy, and fun read.
The only thing I would say I didn't love about the book is that it seemed like the questions he was asked were pretty easy to answer without lying or even feeling the need to, I am not sure if he left some of that out or if he is just blessed with a pretty clean background!
Either way I would recommend this book, it made me wonder if I could take on that challenge and also think about all the little white lies we all tell from time to time.
Click here and happy reading, you will love it! HONEST!
I received this book free of charge from Waterbrook Multnomah publishers for my honest review.
That was the challenge Phil Calloway accepted and the results are pretty darn funny. He writes the book as a journal letting us know how each day went but he doesn't just talk about how he told the truth, he just talks and he is funny and it is like getting a really great letter from a friend.
He has a wonderful, playful sense of humor which I really appreciated, and I will never look at a spam email requesting my help in large dollar amounts the same!
There were some serious topics broached in the book, infidelity, death to name a couple, but overall it was a pretty light, easy, and fun read.
The only thing I would say I didn't love about the book is that it seemed like the questions he was asked were pretty easy to answer without lying or even feeling the need to, I am not sure if he left some of that out or if he is just blessed with a pretty clean background!
Either way I would recommend this book, it made me wonder if I could take on that challenge and also think about all the little white lies we all tell from time to time.
Click here and happy reading, you will love it! HONEST!
I received this book free of charge from Waterbrook Multnomah publishers for my honest review.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Out of a Far Country: A Gay Son's Journey to God. A Broken Mother's Search For Hope
I was not sure what to expect when I started reading this book, and quite honestly I was a little leery to get started. Why? Because I am well aware of all the stances on homosexuality most specifically in the conservative Christian churches and I was fully prepared for something different than what I got.
I am fairly new on my own walk in faith, my faith most days is shaky at best and I have a lot of questions one of which specifically deals with the love and forgiveness of God. I have had a very hard time wrapping my head around the fact that people who do far, far worse things than love someone of their own sex are forgiven and not put through the same emotional turmoil it seems that homosexuals are. I have several very close friends who are homosexual and the thought that they are not loved by God as fully as anyone else is heartbreaking. So, my expectation of this book was that Christopher came out to his family, everyone was angry but quickly rallied and they prayed him to straightness, because gay is not acceptable to God and they all lived happily ever after.
This book was REAL and honest and the pain that the family dealt with is laid out for all to see, I can only imagine the difficulty of that. The Yuan's marriage was shattered and I felt there was no possible way it could be repaired, Christopher was shattered and again, seemed without repair. The family did rally but it was not immediate and it was not pain free, the fact that they survived, not only intact but stronger is proof positive to me of God's love and patience. Seeing how the faith of each of them was transformed was in and of itself a sort of miracle, how the story ends and how the story begins are complete polar opposites, you can not read this and not also feel lighter and a little more transformed. This book was a labor of love and the honesty of Angela and Christopher Yuan is remarkable.
I don't want to get into a lot of detail because I really think that everyone would benefit from reading this book, but I will say again that often when things seem the most broken and bleak, God can and will step in if you ask Him too. Not only did He step in but He enabled the Yuan's to transform their lives, their relationships with one another and wrestle their demons. Christopher Yuan is gay, his parents love and support him and so does God and that makes me very, very happy.
Please go check it out here and let me know what you think!
* I received a free review copy of this book from WaterBrook Multnomah for my honest opinion. *
I am fairly new on my own walk in faith, my faith most days is shaky at best and I have a lot of questions one of which specifically deals with the love and forgiveness of God. I have had a very hard time wrapping my head around the fact that people who do far, far worse things than love someone of their own sex are forgiven and not put through the same emotional turmoil it seems that homosexuals are. I have several very close friends who are homosexual and the thought that they are not loved by God as fully as anyone else is heartbreaking. So, my expectation of this book was that Christopher came out to his family, everyone was angry but quickly rallied and they prayed him to straightness, because gay is not acceptable to God and they all lived happily ever after.
This book was REAL and honest and the pain that the family dealt with is laid out for all to see, I can only imagine the difficulty of that. The Yuan's marriage was shattered and I felt there was no possible way it could be repaired, Christopher was shattered and again, seemed without repair. The family did rally but it was not immediate and it was not pain free, the fact that they survived, not only intact but stronger is proof positive to me of God's love and patience. Seeing how the faith of each of them was transformed was in and of itself a sort of miracle, how the story ends and how the story begins are complete polar opposites, you can not read this and not also feel lighter and a little more transformed. This book was a labor of love and the honesty of Angela and Christopher Yuan is remarkable.
I don't want to get into a lot of detail because I really think that everyone would benefit from reading this book, but I will say again that often when things seem the most broken and bleak, God can and will step in if you ask Him too. Not only did He step in but He enabled the Yuan's to transform their lives, their relationships with one another and wrestle their demons. Christopher Yuan is gay, his parents love and support him and so does God and that makes me very, very happy.
Please go check it out here and let me know what you think!
* I received a free review copy of this book from WaterBrook Multnomah for my honest opinion. *
Saturday, October 8, 2011
The Crossing - Serita Jakes
I love books that make me wonder what is going to happen next... during the day when I am not reading them! This is one of those books! This story is written around a High School teacher who was murdered on a school bus after a football game in front of her students. The impact of this is still haunting many of them after 10 years, not just because of the horror of it but because the murder has never been solved.
When the case is re opened by the husband of one of the women that was with her when she died, it creates more turmoil than he expected and shakes their family to the core.
I was impressed by how well the story was woven together and how much detail was given to each character in such a short amount of time, I was able to get a clear picture of who these people were and they were very real. The story deals with several difficult topics such as adultery, domestic violence and mental health struggles and does so in a very real way that enables you to see the root of the issues.
The thing I most loved about the story is that it was real, there was no pretense and no love conquers all and everyone lives happily ever after all wrapped in a pink bow. Sometimes in life things are hard, people make bad choices, people go astray and some people don't find their way back, and some don't even try. That is real life and this book captures that. I loved it!
I think there is something in this for everyone, and I think you will like it as well. Go check it out, and happy reading!
Waterbrook Multnomah press provided me with a free copy of this book, for my honest review.
When the case is re opened by the husband of one of the women that was with her when she died, it creates more turmoil than he expected and shakes their family to the core.
I was impressed by how well the story was woven together and how much detail was given to each character in such a short amount of time, I was able to get a clear picture of who these people were and they were very real. The story deals with several difficult topics such as adultery, domestic violence and mental health struggles and does so in a very real way that enables you to see the root of the issues.
The thing I most loved about the story is that it was real, there was no pretense and no love conquers all and everyone lives happily ever after all wrapped in a pink bow. Sometimes in life things are hard, people make bad choices, people go astray and some people don't find their way back, and some don't even try. That is real life and this book captures that. I loved it!
I think there is something in this for everyone, and I think you will like it as well. Go check it out, and happy reading!
Waterbrook Multnomah press provided me with a free copy of this book, for my honest review.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
A Sound Among the Trees / Susan Meissner
This story takes place in Virginia, in an antebellum mansion named Holly Oak that survived the Civil War and has been the home of generations of family. Holly Oak is also, according to folklore, haunted. It is currently the home of Adelaide who had raised her daughter Caroline in this home as well as her granddaughter Sara. Adelaide's daughter Caroline struggled with addiction she left home as a teen and didn't come back for years, and when she left again her daughter Sara was left behind. Sara was raised by her Grandmother at Holly Oak, it was there she fell in love, married Carson had two children, and lived the story of happily ever after in her childhood home with her Grandmother and her family.
The story opens with a wedding, a wedding on a perfect day in the garden of Holly Oak. The wedding of Carson to Marielle, a beautiful yet bittersweet day for the family. Four years prior, Sara had passed away, leaving Carson a widower and her children without a mother. Because the children were young and grieving the decision was made for them to remain at Holly Oak. At the wedding we learn that Marielle will also be living at Holly Oak which concerns her family and friends, rightfully so. There are also concerns about the ghost that if rumors are true, also resides at Holly Oak, the ghost of Adelaide's great-grandmother Susannah Page who was thought to be a Civil War spy for the North.
The story develops using multiple stories woven into one. I have read other books with this arrangement that become cumbersome and hard to follow, this was not one of them. The characters are very real and when I was not reading I often would catch myself wondering exactly how long Marielle was going to be ok living in a home belonging not just to another family, but the family of her husband's deceased first wife. I couldn't wait to find out exactly what was written in the letters given to Marielle by Caroline to read and better understand the history of Holly Oak, wondering why was Caroline back now after all of these years and where had she been and what does she want now? I also really wanted to know if Susannah was indeed the one haunting the house or was it another family member who in reality had more reason to do so?
I also wondered, how the story was going to play out, how all these stories would be tied up together. I can say, they were tied together wonderfully, there were still surprises up until the end which I greatly enjoyed and there was a content feeling of satisfaction when the story ended, no questions were left unanswered and what you thought you knew you never really knew at all.
And that, is the moral of the entire story, what you think you know often takes over everything and when you realize it isn't what you thought you knew it is often even better!
I highly recommend A Sound Among the Trees, check it out, and happy reading!
WaterBrook Multnomah Publishers provided this book to be at no cost in exchange for my honest review.
The story opens with a wedding, a wedding on a perfect day in the garden of Holly Oak. The wedding of Carson to Marielle, a beautiful yet bittersweet day for the family. Four years prior, Sara had passed away, leaving Carson a widower and her children without a mother. Because the children were young and grieving the decision was made for them to remain at Holly Oak. At the wedding we learn that Marielle will also be living at Holly Oak which concerns her family and friends, rightfully so. There are also concerns about the ghost that if rumors are true, also resides at Holly Oak, the ghost of Adelaide's great-grandmother Susannah Page who was thought to be a Civil War spy for the North.
The story develops using multiple stories woven into one. I have read other books with this arrangement that become cumbersome and hard to follow, this was not one of them. The characters are very real and when I was not reading I often would catch myself wondering exactly how long Marielle was going to be ok living in a home belonging not just to another family, but the family of her husband's deceased first wife. I couldn't wait to find out exactly what was written in the letters given to Marielle by Caroline to read and better understand the history of Holly Oak, wondering why was Caroline back now after all of these years and where had she been and what does she want now? I also really wanted to know if Susannah was indeed the one haunting the house or was it another family member who in reality had more reason to do so?
I also wondered, how the story was going to play out, how all these stories would be tied up together. I can say, they were tied together wonderfully, there were still surprises up until the end which I greatly enjoyed and there was a content feeling of satisfaction when the story ended, no questions were left unanswered and what you thought you knew you never really knew at all.
And that, is the moral of the entire story, what you think you know often takes over everything and when you realize it isn't what you thought you knew it is often even better!
I highly recommend A Sound Among the Trees, check it out, and happy reading!
WaterBrook Multnomah Publishers provided this book to be at no cost in exchange for my honest review.
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