Praying God's Word for Your Husband by Kathi Lipp

We, as wives, often forget to pray for our husbands.  We tend to say our quick prayers for their safety, for guidance over the family, and for their stress relief.  However, I can't honestly say that I've interceded on behalf of my husband for an entire time of prayer.  I get excited when I think about just the difference it would make in our marriage and in our lives if I just spent a lot of time praying over the head of our household, my husband.

This book showed me some areas that I need to really concentrate my prayers in for my husband.  The chapters of the prayers for specific purposes are: When he feels overwhelmed, employment, work issues, when he feels inadequate, his finances, his health and safety, his relationship with God, when he is overcome with worry, his past mistakes, understanding God's plan for his life and dreams, his relationships with others, his relationship with you, his parenting, and his mind.  That's a lot of things to pray for and it seems overwhelming at first.  However, I love that she broke it down into several different ways that you can approach this.  You can use this book if you need certain things at a certain time, if you're in an emergency and need something quick to guide you, or if you just simply want to incorporate this book into your prayer time each day.

For me, I am doing the 2 week part.  I am simply taking a chapter prayer each day and am praying for my husband over the issue brought up for that day.  I feel like he needs prayer, focused prayer, from me and I don't want to skip out on being a blessing to him by not praying for all aspects of his life.  It's always hard to know how to pray for guys because they don't always want to share things.  This book is a great help to guide women in the ways to pray for the man they love most.  I honestly think this would be a great book for a struggling marriage, a marriage just starting out, or even a marriage that is a few years in.  We all can begin to take our husband for granted and this book reminds you that we can't do that.  Not only that, but the more you pray for them, the more you end up loving them.  What kind of marriage can't stand just a little more love?!

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I received this book free from Revell Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

Finding Our Way Home by Charlene Ann Baumbich

 

I had seen this book on the "available to review" list, but I kept putting it off because of one reason....the cover.  For some reason, it didn't appeal to me at all.  The synopsis sounded good, but the cover made me think that I might not like the book.  I guess you could says that I "judged this book by the cover."  I'm guilty! 

I'm glad that I gave this book a chance.  I really enjoyed the story.  I liked how the story centered around being a ballerina, something of which I know nothing about.  Sasha is a dancer who has had a terrible fall and can no longer dance.  Instead of playing lead roles in the ballets, she is now doing therapy to regain her ability to walk.  Not only that, but she's also trying to overcome her deep depression that has settled in and made her not herself.  She pushes everyone away who loves her and cares for her and wants to help her.  Even when she pays a lady to help her, she can't treat her nicely.  Through a set of circumstances, and grace, Sasha comes to realize that perhaps she needs to take her depression medications and the fog begins to lift. 

Evelyn is a woman who can do it all.  If you have an odd job, she can fix it.  She is engaged to be married at a young age, and against her parents' objections, so as a first step to independence, she accepts a job at Sasha's house to help her in exchange for room and board.  Evelyn too often says what she thinks and gets in trouble for it, especially since Sasha is so focused on herself, her injury, and the death of her mother.  As life changes for Evelyn, will she begin to see that perhaps giving up college wouldn't be in her best interest?  Evelyn is the one person who can talk some sense into Sasha.  Can Evelyn make Sasha see that turning her husband away from her because of her injury wasn't something that would profit either one of them?  Will Donald, Sasha's husband, be able to see his wife again and make her understand that he loves her, even more than dance?

This is a nice and relaxing read.  I read it on the beach and I'll say it was a great beach read!  So the lesson for you?  Don't judge this book by the cover!

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I received this book free from Waterbrook Multnomah's Blogging for Books program in exchange for my honest review of this book.

Mary Magdalene by Diana Wallis Taylor

I had read and reviewed Mrs. Taylor's book on Martha and really enjoyed that book.  That was really one of the first biblical fiction books that I had ever read.  It was different for me to stop and put myself in a well-known lady's shoes and add thoughts to her story.

Mary Magdalene is probably one of the most well-known ladies in the Bible and she has quite a range of views when people try to portray her.  That's not what's important, though.  The fact is that Mary Magdalene was a woman who followed after Jesus and followed Him to the foot of the cross.  She wasn't perfect by any means.  Throughout this book, Mrs. Taylor shares a nickname of hers, an ailment that she lived with and needed healing from, and shares her devotion to Jesus.

As with all biblical fiction, I feel like I need to say that this is not the exact Bible story, but it definitely follows the biblical text.  However, as I'm sure you would figure out, since it is a fiction book, liberties are taken when it comes to the thoughts of the characters.  I would suggest you read the biblical account first as a background and then grab this book along with it. 

Mrs. Taylor did a wonderful job, in my opinion, of making her reader want to go back and read the biblical account of Mary Magdalene and her role in history.  Another great book of biblical fiction, in my view.

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I received this book free from Revell Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

Choose Joy by Kay Warren

Joy and happiness are two different things.  Happiness usually depends on circumstances, while joy isn't swayed by circumstances.  I tend to link joy with peace.  No matter what is happening, you can still have joy because of what Christ has done for us on the cross.  I think this book is quite timely because our society is focused more on happiness and doing things that will make us momentarily happy.  

Kay focuses her reader on the fact that joy is not an emotion, is not based on circumstance, and Jesus was a joyful person.  I really hadn't stopped to think about Jesus being joyful before.  I guess I always knew it, but never used that word to describe Him for some reason.  I'm so thankful for her pointing that out to me!

I was a little nervous about this book when she talked about how we control how much joy we have.  I really believe that we surrender it all and as we surrender, the Holy Spirit fills us with more joy.  Ultimately joy is a soul issue and not something we can physically attain on our own.  I'm not for sure if that's how she meant it or not, but the rest of the book tends to lean towards that belief, which made me think that perhaps I interpreted her statement wrong.

Overall, this book is great for someone who is trying to grasp the difference between joy and happiness.  She writes very clearly and is able to distinctly differentiate between the two so that the reader experiences clarity on the two words.

This book can be used as a study for women.  It comes with a leader's guide and the book for the participants.

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I received this book free from Revell Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion.

Glamorous Illusions by Lisa T. Bergren

Glamorous Illusions is the first book in the new series entitled Grand Tour Series.  I am anxiously awaiting the rest of the series after reading this book.  I absolutely love the cover of this book and I wanted to read it from the moment I opened it in the mail!  

Set in 1913, Cora Kensington discovers that her life isn't what she once thought it was.  She always thought she was a farmer's daughter.  However, she has learned from a series of events that she is really the daughter of a copper king.  Her biological father now wants to have Cora in his life.  Through a new twist of events, Cora is given the opportunity to get to know her siblings on a trip around Europe.  

I wouldn't necessarily call this an extremely pleasant trip at first.  Her siblings dislike her and scorn her, even though it wasn't her fault that her parents had her out of wedlock.  

While trying to accept this new life and new family, she has to learn on the one constant ....God.  She has to find her self-worth in Him and rely on Him to make sense of this for her.  She comes to realize things about herself that she never would have learned had she not walked through what some people might call, a mess.

I love how this book is written some in the first person and some in the third.  It always makes me feel like I know the character more personally because I'm inside their head.  I also get the "big picture" look to give me an overview look.  Can't wait to see what is revealed in the rest of the series!

To read more reviews about this book, visit http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/13465876/glamorousillusions.

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I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

Lucy Come Home by Dave and Neta Jackson

I am a huge fan of Dave and Neta Jackson.  I own all of the Yada Yada Prayer Group books, and all of the books that followed after that.  I was really excited to read this book because I've yet to read anything by them that I didn't like.

This is the first book in their new series, A Yada Yada Journey of Hope.  This book includes many of the old favorites in past series and introduces the reader to Lucy Tucker, a resident of Manna House Shelter.  The book goes back and forth between the present time and the 1940s to better give the reader a sense of Lucy's history and past.

Lucy is 80 years old and still lives on the streets of Chicago.  Why?  That's any one's guess until now.  The story goes back to the wars, the migrant workers, the carnival workers, and even the homeless.  Times were tougher then and she saw and experienced things that she shouldn't have had to at her age.

If you're a fan of the Yada Yada books, be sure to get this start of the new series.  I'm so glad they are continuing with some of the same characters.  I'm not ready to say goodbye to them yet so I'm very thankful they are being included in this book, as well. 

For more reviews on this book, go to: http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/13501702/lucycomehome

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I received this ebook free from Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

No Greater Love by Levi Benkert

To say that I liked this book would be a little tough.  This book left me heartbroken and sad and wanting to do something to help.  It was a book that did not have a happy ending, which Levi tried telling me but I just didn't understand how it couldn't until I came to the end and looked back.  This book has left me changed.

Levi and his family left all they had and knew and flew to Ethiopia to work with a tribe that was killing their children because they were "mingi."  They could be declared "mingi" if a child's top teeth came in before their bottom teeth, if the parents were unmarried, or if the married couple didn't  have a ceremony saying that they were going to try to conceive.  They would then kill the the baby upon birth or after they realized their child was "mingi."  One child was a bit older and ran away.  He knew his parents were going to kill him and had no doubt seen it done to his friends. 

The stories of the killings were heartbreaking.  I honestly had no idea that tribes were doing this today.  I knew some were forcing abortions, etc, but didn't know that they were outright killing them because they were afraid of evil spirits.  My eyes were opened to the fact that a mother could hurt for her child, but still allow her child to be harmed.

When I finished this book, which I don't think any review could ever do this book justice, I hopped online to find out more about this organization and how to help save these children.  They need Jesus and the only way they will know about Him is if we help Levi and his family. 

Levi and his family willingly went to Ethiopia, set up an orphanage and ran it, fought through difficulties, adopted a few children out, said goodbye to that orphanage for certain reasons talked about in the book, and began a new orphanage and ministry.  All of this while balancing work, marriage, and 4 kids.

This book is small, a fast read, and is a book that everyone should read.  You won't feel the same about Ethiopia after you've read this book.  I guarantee you will want to be a part of this ministry.  Take a chance and open your eyes to the world beyond America. 

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I received this book free from Tyndale Publishers in exchange for my honest review.

After All by Deborah Raney

This was a different kind of book for me.  It was very good and I had a hard time putting this book down.  It's hard to describe why the book felt different and was so enjoyable.  Maybe it was because the plot was more complex or perhaps it was the layout of the book.

Starting with the front cover, it made me want to pick it up.  As I was reading it, I loved the layout!  It was different than most books because it had quotes on one side at the beginning of each chapter.  Then it had a cute decoration on top of the chapter page.  It was very appealing to me as I was reading and it was something I had never stopped to really think about until I picked up this book.  The chapters were short, so it was easy to stop and start without losing my place or feeling like I needed to go back a few pages to remind myself of what had happened.

The story focuses on three people.  The first is Susan Marlowe.  Her husband was a firefighter and died fighting a fire at a homeless shelter that she had started.  It wasn't her fault but her husband and several other men and one woman never made it out of the fire.  They had problems in their marriage like the typical marriage, and had hardly seen each other, but Susan was convinced they still loved each other.  That changes when she receives some news about a secret that David, her husband, never told her.  Just as she was moving forward, the news makes her go back to the beginning of the grieving process again.

Andrea Morley is the second character.  She also lost someone in the fire, but she can't really express her sorrow about him.  After all, she's not really supposed to talk about him to anyone else.  Why is that?  Apparently she's attracted to people that she can't have...people like missionaries and military people or pretty much anyone who can't give her what she wants.  Oh, and married men should have been included on that list.  She wants to be married and have children, but she doubts that will ever happen now.  Will she come clean about her affairs or will she continue pursuing men that need to be left alone?

Peter Brennan is the last main character.  He is the fire chief who works almost all of the time.  He was responsible for the firefighters who died the night of the big fire.  He was also friends with Susan Marlowe and had heard of the rumor that Susan has just been informed of.  He has befriended Susan since her husband had died and is constantly trying to get over his guilt that something else could have been done to save the men.  He also just might fall in love with a woman who is passionate about something he is not.

This book is third book in the series.  I have never heard of or read any of the other books, but I plan to download the other two now.  I wasn't lost at all when it came to the characters but I'm curious to know who was carried over from previous books.  Deborah Raney is definitely an author that I'm adding to my favorites list.

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I received this book free from Howard Books, a division of Simon and Schuster in exchange for my honest opinion.

Growing Up Ziglar by Julie Ziglar Norman

I've heard of Zig Ziglar but have never really read anything by him.  I know he's a motivational speaker but that's about the extent of my knowledge about him.  I like reading about people and learning about others, so I figured who better to learn about Zig than from his daughter. 

I enjoyed his perspective from his daughter.  She was honest and risked everything to tell the truth to others about her past.  She admits her failures and her shortcomings.  But that's not all she talks about.  There is a redemptive side, as well.  She shares how she came back to Christ and realized that her guilt was gone, her chains were broken, and she was set free. 

It wasn't the most well-written book I've read, but it was interesting to read and I gained some insight into their lives as a family.  If you like Zig Ziglar, then you'd like this book.  She mentions him a lot and shares many of her memories of her family with the reader.

For more reviews about this book, you can go to: http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/13500888/growingupziglar

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I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Explicit Gospel by Matt Chandler

In an age where many people call themselves "Christians" but don't necessarily know what the Bible teaches, this book is a very well laid out book that explains why we need to understand the true Gospel...not the one that we've warped it to be.  The explicit Gospel is a Gospel that tells us that we must live out our lives as an example of Christ and we need strong Bible teachers who aren't afraid to stand up on the hard issues and teach what the Bible says about the issues.  This isn't a book about being spineless or about narrow-mindedness, which many people say Christians are.  This is a book that challenges you to live out the Gospel.

I love listening to Matt Chandler on his podcast, so I was thrilled and anxiously awaiting his book to come out.  It did not disappoint me at all!  In fact, I highlighted this book so much and know that I'll be reading it several times just to make sure I didn't miss anything.  I appreciated how he shared his story of being diagnosed with cancer (which he still has) and how instead of letting it stop him from sharing the Gospel, he is using it to continue in his mission.  I think of it as his thorn in the flesh. 

This book hits on the hard things that many people have formed an unbiblical view about.  It varies from women in the ministry, hell, the prosperity gospel, and the social gospel.  There are many  more things he touches on, but I think these are the most heard about recently.  When Christians are moving so far away from the Gospel itself and into a more of a man-made, no sacrifice, God will give me what I ask for and make me rich for following Him belief, this book is bound to convict and bring you back to the Truth.  You won't be able to read it without realizing that you need to change some things in your life and you need to stop compromising what God says.

The Explicit Gospel is a book that will be passed down through the ages as both an encouragement to those who are followers of Christ and will serve as a reminder about what the true Gospel is about in the midst of so many false and man-made gospels.

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I received this e-book free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Raising Your Kids to Love the Lord by Dave Stone

I absolutely love books that deal with parenting. I think that's partly due to the fact that I'm right there just starting out in this parenting thing with a 3 year old and a 1 year old. I'm a studier and like to be prepared and have as many ideas as possible. The title of this book attracted me to it over the other choices to review. I desperately want my children to grow to love the Lord above all. I know that I can't make them believe in Him or follow in His ways, but I do shape their opinion of who He is and if my life isn't lived in submission to Him, then theirs won't be either. Filled within these pages, Dave doesn't soften the blow of the truth at all. He shouldn't have to. He reminds us to be intentional as parents. How can we have kids who love the Lord if we spend our days full of wasting time in front of a television or doing things that we enjoy instead of shaping the hearts of our children? Not only that, but boundaries come into play in parenthood. Not all things are beneficial for you, your child, or your family. "No" is an okay word to use and must be used. Dave encourages you in this and it was nice to know that I wasn't, in fact, a mean mom that I sometimes guilt myself into thinking. This book is full of advice, encouragement and warnings, but all written out of both love and experience. All parents needs to read this book....if not for a reminder of how important our job as a parent is and how it shouldn't be taken lightly. This book was a great reminder to me as I read it in the start of summer, where I tend to be less intentional and more relaxed. Thanks for the insight, Dave.           

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I received this book free from Booksneeze (Thomas Nelson Publishers) in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

Son of the Underground by Isaac Liu with Albrecht Kaul

I was really excited to read this book because my mother-in-law had let me borrow The Heavenly Man two years ago and I loved it.  I recommended it to so many people because I don't think many Americans have a clue about what life is like for Christians in other countries.  Not only that, I think many Americans think that God is believed in half-heartily in other countries, as many "Christians" do so in America.  With that said, that book left some questions for me.  I had questions, such as, what do his children think about him being gone all the time and putting Christ first?  How could he have influenced them in their lives if he was gone?  How did his wife handle all of the persecution (which the book touched on a little, but I wanted to know more)?  At any point, did they ever want to throw up their hands and say "this just isn't worth it?"

When I saw this book come up as a review choice, I immediately filled out the form and awaited its arrival.  I was curious to know, from his son's perspective, how his dad influenced his life.  Did he ever face persecution and did he love Jesus as much as his dad?  Enough to give it all?

This book is short and can easily be read in a day (probably even a half of a day, with no distractions).  That was refreshing in itself.  Sometimes the best books say what needs to be said and then they end it.  Throughout the pages, Isaac talks about the persecution he faces on behalf of his dad's name, how they had to change their names, their homes, and ultimately their lives to escape a sure death.  He shares with the readers that yes, at times, he didn't want to believe in God.  He didn't want to accept what God was calling him to do for the rest of his life, either.  He talks about how he didn't want to be known as Brother Yun's son...he had his own life and wanted his own name. 

Towards the end, he discusses their escape from China, the miracles God worked for them to get out of China, and finally ends with his deep love and deep desire to one day return to China and reach many Chinese communities for Christ.  This is a book that all Christians need to read.  Not only so they can become more aware of what is happening in China (and many other countries), but also so we know how to better pray for them.  What a wonderful testimony of God's hand working in their lives!

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I received this book free from Kregel Publications in exchange for my honest review.

A Love Forbidden by Kathleen Morgan

I love this series!  I haven't read the first book, but I had not problem following along with the characters and I don't feel like I've missed anything by not reading the first book.  However, I did download the first book because I wanted to see how the series started.

This was a refreshing book for me.  It focused on a topic that isn't normally covered but set in the time period of the 1800s.  However, when we think of the 1800s, we think big dresses, the proper ways, etc.  This book focused on how the Ute Indians were being driven away from their land and how the government was not holding up their end of the treaty and basically lied to the Utes.  In order to help the Utes understand the white man and to know how to deal with them and not be duped, Shiloh follows God's leading and goes to the Utes to try to teach their children how to read and be educated.  The Utes aren't too fond of sending their children to school because they feel that it would mean adopting the ways of the white man and losing their own culture.  Shiloh is passionate about teaching and passionate about protecting the Utes.  And if that doesn't sound complicated enough to do, there's also a man, Jesse, that used to work for her father who is now with the Utes.   As they attempt to continue their friendship, it begins to blossom into romance.  However, you can imagine that this won't do....a Ute (who is half white, by the way) and a white well-to-do woman.  So how they can move forward in their relationship when one helps the government and one helps the Utes?  How can the possibly make people see and understand and possibly accept their love?

This book was different for me from what I normally get to read, but it hooked me from the beginning.  I didn't want to put it down!  Definitely a book that won't disappoint.

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I received this book free from Revell Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.  You can buy this book from Revell or from any bookstore.