Review of “Everything Romance – A Celebration of Love for Couples”

Want a little romance in your life? This is your “go-to book”…a wonderful compilation of recipes, quotes, prayers, trivia, gift ideas, stories, Bible verses and creative ideas for dates. Want practical ideas for how to be a better spouse? It’s in here! Teaching a lesson on marriage and need Bible verses and quotes? It’s in here! Need creative ideas for inexpensive dates? It’s in here! Need inspiration/recipes/a good cry? It’s in here! Need to know what not to do in your relationship?! It’s in here! Want some good conversation starters or church pick-up lines?! It’s in here! Want to smile, giggle or laugh out loud? Read this book! Within these pages you will find all this as well as quotes from A.A.Milne, Judy Garland, Mother Teresa, Emily Dickinson, C.S.Lewis and Mark Twain- and even Estee Lauder, Dr. Seuss and Miss Piggy! From Love Boosters and Love Busters to little known facts and trivia- this book is a wealth of information on the subject of romance! Priced at $14.99, it is worth every penny, but I received it for free for review from Waterbrook- Multnomah Publishing.

 

Review of “The Perfect Love” by Ruth Myers

As  the song says, “WHat the world needs now is love, sweet love”. We all have a need and deep desire to be loved. We can find the love we need and it can be found in God. God’s Love is the only love big enough to meet the God-sized needs of your life and mine. Blaise Pascal describes this as a “God-shaped vacuum” within us.

In “The Perfect Love”, Ruth Myers answers the questions, ” what is God’s love like?”, “what can it mean personally to me?”, and “how can I enjoy it more?”.  The author shares verses that will become precious to you in your search for love. By sharing life experiences that caused her to seek God more desperately and know Him more deeply, the reader is motivated to let the Lord enfold you in His love.

This book is not to be hurried through, but rather savored slowly with thoughtful meditation over the life-changing truths within it’s pages. Let those truths meet your need and let God’s love fill your ” God shaped vacuum”.

http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?isbn=9781578562558

I was given this book free for review by Waterbook- Multnomah Publishers.

Review of “Fierce Beauty” by Kim Meeder

At first glance, I thought this book was going to be too deep and too heavy to enjoy. And the first chapter is deep- as we are introduced to the author and the tragedy that occurred in her life at age nine. But as you read on, you begin to discover Kim’s intense desire to share the stories on these pages and what has happened in her life since that fateful day. And as I read, I was glad I chose this book.

As Kim shares her stories, you are encouraged to evaluate who/what you are living for, you are invited to discover the God who offers you His eternal love, hope and purpose and you are offered the opportunity to answer God’s call to live the life you were uniquely created for.

I love how the author so beautifully paints pictures of her life experiences and applies them to our lives. As a wonderful storyteller, she poignantly proves her point. Due to the tragedy she has faced and the trials she has worked through with God’s help, she has earned the right to be heard and I personally loved reading how God worked in her life and repeatedly brought triumph, healing and mercy through tragedy. Her stories inspire us and point us to the One who offers forgiveness, transformation and genuine purpose.

I received this book for free for review from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing.

Review of “Espresso for your Spirit” by Pam Vredevelt

How do you begin your day? Mine begins with a daily dose of Max Lucado, more recently Sarah Young’s “Jesus Calling” and the occasional Holley Gerth! If you are a tired parent in need of an “espresso for your spirit”- a jolt of Scripture and encouragement to begin your day, this book is for you! If you are trying to love your kids, “drink in” these pages- which chapter-by chapter includes Bible verses, words of encouragement, stories from other parents in the trenches, culminating in a “cup” of hope and humor in alternating chapters. It’s a wonderful way to jumpstart your day, provide a 15 minute break to reconnect with your Creator, or just encourage you in your parenting journey! And…an added “perk”- at the end of the book are “Koffee Klatch Questions” so you can gather round the coffee pot with other parents for discussion and interaction!

I loved Pam’s openness and honesty in her joys and challenges of parenting. Being a quote lover, I enjoyed her compilation of quotes, stories and Bible verses that open and close each chapter. So grab a cup of coffee-or tea, and this book and enjoy a great start  or end of your day!

“I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review”

Review of “When God Created My Toes”

I decided to take a break from the genre I had been reading and switch to a children’s book for review! Usually a fan of children’s books, this particular title did not win me over. From the beginning, I was confused because it is written as if the child was present and fully cognizant at her creation. I felt that the rhymes, while at times are cute, were a bit of a stretch. The illustrations, while well done, reveal a child who seems to be- how can I say this nicely- a bit challenging! And although it goes against my nature to be anything but encouraging, I have to be honest that I was a bit bothered by these points as well as the theology presented here… because God knows everything. He created us and knows every detail about us…and praise God that He does! I am sorry I cannot give a more positive review of this book, especially because I received it for free for review from Waterbrook-Multnomah Publishing Group!

 

“When God Created My Toes”

written by Dandi Daley Mackall

illustrated by David Hohn

Review of “Desiring God” DVD and Study Guide

When I was able to choose this for review, I was so excited! Already a fan of John Piper and his insights from Scripture, and a fan of books/DVD’s that allow me to put into practice what I have learned, I knew this would become a treasured possession!

John Piper’s desire in this DVD and companion study guide is for the reader to “embrace the truth that God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.”

Although it could be used alone, the 10 session DVD is more effective when used with the 12 part study guide, which also includes a leader’s guide as well as an option to complete the study in 6 sessions. This set is a cross between a Beth Moore Bible Study complete with 5 days of assignments of preparatory work that precedes the viewing of the DVD segment, and a study by Chris and Kerry Shook with the accompanying website, offering additional encouragement, verses, stories, challenges, etc.

I love how John Piper clearly lays out the objectives at the start of each chapter and how the assignments, DVD segments, and follow-up discussion is thought-provoking and practical. “Desiring God” should come with a disclaimer, “Contents of this package can change you”!!

 

“I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review”

Review of Praying For Your Future Husband

I am already married, but when I saw this title and the names of the authors, I knew it would make a wonderful addition to my library of books! As someone whose parents played an active role in her dating, and who played an active role in her children’s dating, this book really appealed to me. But I feel this book should makes it’s way into the hands of every girl possible!

Co-written by Robin Jones Gunn and Tricia Goyer, this 207 page book is packed with practical ideas to implement as you pray for the one God will bring into your life to marry- whether you know him now or not! Sprinkled with real-life experiences from the authors and other contributors, each chapter points out what specifically to pray for, supported by Bible verses. Then they offer prayers to pray , followed by questions to make this real to the reader, which also makes this a wonderful resource for one-on-one or small group study!

I highly recommend this book- I so enjoyed reading it! In fact, I plan to pray the 52 Scriptures listed at the end of the book for my husband of 27 years! There is one Scripture to pray for each week…and I plan to start immediately- because as Robin says in the first chapter, “God desires the best for us. God always gives His best to those who leave the outcomes with Him.”

“I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review”