More than Happy: The Wisdom of Amish Parenting by Serena B. Miller and Paul Stutzman

This is probably one of my favorite parenting books that I have read in a long time. I get the chance to read quite a few, but I just loved the ideas in this book.

I like learning about the Amish anyway and enjoy Amish fiction, so it was no question as to whether I would be reading this book. I wasn't certain what to expect about this book, though, considering some people think Amish parenting is bad and others thing it is good. I loved the approach that Serena B. Miller and Paul Stutzman took in this book. They focused on the things the Amish did in parenting that led to happy, content children. Of course, you may not agree with everything, but I had a hard time disagreeing on the topics they chose to discuss.

I was impressed with how they taught their children from such an early age about work ethic. I also liked how their children weren't expected to be praised for helping the family. It was an expectation to give back to the family by helping. I will definitely be using their ideas on hanging up coats; however, I will be using it with shoes! And I can already foresee cleaning becoming much more fun with the quarter idea.

I could relate to taking my children almost everywhere I go and making them learn appropriate behavior in each setting. They work some with me and have learned to be quiet and helpful. The part that I think made me stop and ponder the most was about technology. Our kids are just coming into the age where they like iPads and all. We do restrict television a lot, as in we don't use it much, but I appreciated their reasoning on why they don't allow iPads, iPhones, or things like that. I can see how it takes me away from my children at times. I appreciated the awareness that it brought to me on that subject. I have also become more aware on working more together as a family so we have more time to play and spend together later in the day. I also appreciated the honesty of the Amish in this book. There is no question that they raise some of the most respectful, hard-working, and obedient children. I want that for my children, too.

This book was full of so much information that I will have to read it and re-read it. It's a book that will stay in my possession for many years to come and I can see it already as a great gift for other moms.

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

The Berenstain Bears and the Biggest Brag by Mike Berenstein

Our family likes to read the Berenstain Bears. It reminds me of the days when I was their age and looked forward to reading them myself. They have also been wonderful books to help teach different character traits in a fun way.

The Biggest Brag was a good read for me and my kids. They could relate to Brother and Sister because they, too, have found themselves bragging and competing against each other at even a young age. We had already been talking about not bragging, so it was a wonderful way to continue our conversation.

After they heard the story, they could tell very quickly that Brother and Sister weren't being nice to each other. We used the questions at the end of the book to further our conversation about bragging and how we are to love.

The questions are very helpful to lead your child into a meaningful conversation about those character qualities that most parents feel are important for them to learn. It helps that this is your classic Berenstain Bears book that draws kids in and makes it easy for them to remember the lessons.

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

At Home in Last Chance by Cathleen Armstrong

I just can't help but love Last Chance. It's a quaint little town where everyone knows everyone and the town goes to bed by 8:00. Doesn't that sound marvelous?! The downside to Last Chance is that the town folk are so close to each other that it's hard for an outsider to come into the town. They have to decide to love it and become a part of the town or leave.

Kaitlyn doesn't necessarily love the town, but because of her choices that she's made, she has no choice but to stay at Last Chance. It takes her awhile to realize it, but she is being given a chance to put her past behind her and start new. The same thing happens for Steven. His reputation isn't necessarily one that his family is proud of, but no one's past is so bad that they can't change with a little help from God.

I couldn't help but like Steven... even when he was a little annoying at the beginning. There was something about his story that broke my heart. Really, it broke for both Kaitlin and Steven. I hated to see their past thrown up in their face or to have looks of disapproval. I couldn't stand Juanita at first, but then I came to like her a little more by the end.

It was wonderful to be updated about Chris and Sarah and Ray and Lainie. After reading the first two books, I liked having them all tied back into this book. I like it when authors do this in a series. With that said, though, you definitely wouldn't be lost in the series if you started with this one. It only adds to the book to have read the first two.\

I hope this isn't my last visit to Last Chance. Elisabeth still has more people she needs to help.... and I want to hear all about all three couples!

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

Beyond All Dreams by Elizabeth Camden

I have been so excited to read more by Elizabeth Camden ever since I read my first book authored by her. She packs so much into her stories and pulls the reader in from the very first page of the book. I enjoy the history that fills the pages and even the suspense that is a bit unexpected. To be honest, I didn't think there could be much suspense to a missing ship. Don't worry....I was wrong. There was a lot that could happen.

Beyond All Dreams was a wonderful story of a Anna O'Brien. Anna has been alone her whole life due to many circumstances. She has had to learn to stand up to bullies, prove people wrong, and to face her fears. Luke Callahan has a family that doesn't know how to handle anger or alcohol. In order to get out of that situation, he turns to politics. He quickly learns that it's hard to run from something engraved inside of you and it takes God to overcome such things as anger.

I'll admit that I went back and forth with Luke. One minute I'd like the guy and the next, I couldn't stand him. However, I was pleasantly surprised by him in the end and impressed with what he was willing to do for those he so clearly loved.

I am looking forward to seeing what's next in Elizabeth Camden's next novel. They just keep getting better and better!

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

A Donkey's Little Tale by R. Mitchell Scott

This is such a cute book full of stanzas that rhyme. The story flows perfectly because of that, I think. The story is the Christmas story, but its is from the perspective of the donkey that Mary rode. It wasn't a weird perspective at all because it simply told how the donkey saw Mary was about to be a mother and could see the tender way in which Joseph cared for Mary. Then he tells of the journey to the stable and the birth of Jesus.

The illustrations in this book are very cute. Apparently they based it off of clay creatures, which really made this story come alive visually. The colors are soft and they look like clay people and animals. I really enjoyed looking at the pictures, and so did my children.

Even though Christmas is over, this is a book that would be perfect to get and save for next year, or to read anytime to remember Jesus' birth.

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I received this book free from Ambassador International in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

Women's Devotional Bible (ESV) from Crossway

I saw this Bible several times in the store, but never opened it because I'm not a big fan of the devotional Bibles. It's good for some people, but I tend to like Bibles without a lot of clutter, lots of note-taking room, and not many study notes. I like digging and finding the background myself.

With that said, I received this Bible in the mail and thrilled for several reasons. One of the reasons is because I knew that several godly women, whom I enjoy reading their books, had written devotions in here. I also was excited because it looked pretty and was well-laid out. It was very aesthetically pleasing for someone who is studying God's Word. There wasn't a lot of "clutter" on the page. The down-side is that there isn't a lot of white space to take notes, but I have my other Bibles that I use that for.

This is the perfect size to carry places. It's the typical size of the Bible, but is crammed full of helpful things. I love the dictionary in the back that explains Bible terms in a simple way. I really liked the devotional that are tailored to women and really encourage women straight from the text. It's not as if the devotional takes a Scripture verse then turns it into a lesson to fix yourself. The devotional focus on God, and through that, the woman is challenged and encouraged. I greatly appreciated that difference in this Bible vs. other devotional Bibles I've seen. It keeps the focus on God, not on me.

After using it for several months, one thing I think would be extremely helpful is a concordance or some sort of system to find other scriptures related to the individual verses. There are some, but not many. There's not really a concordance, and I find there are times when that is actually helpful. I'm sure that would greatly increase the number of pages in the Bible, but that was one thing I found lacking.

Other than that, I have used this Bible non-stop. I like the layout, the neutral colors, and it is so easy to find what you need. There is so much packed into this Bible that has greatly set it apart from other devotional Bibles. I plan to use this Bible for many years to come. Once again, Crossway has put out another helpful resource that is biblically sound and God-centered (as a Bible should be).

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I received this Bible free from Crossway Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion of this Bible.

A New Season by Al & Lisa Robertson

I, like probably many other Duck Dynasty fans, didn't know much about Al and Lisa. I can't say that now after reading this book. They hold nothing back in these pages and aren't afraid to share the good times, but also the dirty, rotten, bad times. They share their good choices and their bad choices. This is their life and although it's rough, it's beautiful. You can clearly see God's hand guiding them even at a young age and taking what was bad and turning it into something beautiful.

I appreciate their honesty. Most people try to hide things and like to give people the persona that their marriages/lives are perfect. However, because Al and Lisa didn't do that, I strongly believe this book will be used to help heal many marriages and to guide many young people back to Christ. Many others have a similar story, but are too afraid to share. I think this will empower others to know that Christ forgives and uses what's bad for good.

This book isn't "preachy." God and faith is so entwined in their lives that it's obviously a huge factor and mentioned, but at no point does the reader feel hopeless. In fact, I think that by their honesty sharing, you feel a big sense of hope for any situation. When they say most people think they can't relate to others, I must admit I had thought the same. They then follow that up with, as soon as they hear our story, they realize theirs isn't as bad! These are two people who know what forgiveness is and how to offer it. It's so neat to see how God has redeemed the time they lost on bad choices and given them a second, third, fourth, fifth, etc. chance to help others.

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