"Mommy Time" by Sarah Arthur is a collection of 90 devotions written for new moms. I thought that these devotions were absolutely wonderful. First, each one starts off with a Bible verse, relevant to the short reading the follows. Some of the devotions are humorous, some are serious, and some are just thought-provoking. Sarah Arthur uses the viewpoint of being a new mother, as well as her own personal stories to weave together thoughtful, interesting, and well-written devotions.
One of the things that I really liked about these devotions is that they are the perfect length. Not too long that they become hard to read through but just long enough to get to the heart of the matter, and give you some food for thought. As a mother of a newborn, myself, I found that these were easy to read - the perfect thing to pick up while nursing or during baby's naptime. A great pick me up with each devotion themed around motherhood makes it a great way to recharge your spirit during a busy day with a baby.
I would highly recommend this devotional to any mother to be - I think this would make an awesome baby shower gift. I would give this book a 5/5 - Sarah Arthur did a wonderful job speaking to a mother's heart. Love it!
FTC DISCLOSURE: I received this book for free from Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for an honest review. I was not obligated to write a positive review.
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Monday, March 25, 2013
The Woman's Study Bible
"The Woman's Study Bible" is a NIV version of the Bible, with specific features designed for the female reader. The translation is the traditional NIV version, both Old and New Testaments. This Bible has tons of footnotes, which I personally love. At times it's easy to feel like what you are reading isn't really absorbing, so these footnotes help the reader to grasp some things that they might not have otherwise.
The beginning of each book of this Bible offers some background information on what is going on historically, as well as who authored the book, and when it was written. This Bible also features short articles that tie our daily lives with Biblical principles, such as step-parenting, battered wives, and dysfunctional families.
Another neat feature of this Bible is the numerous character profiles of women that appear in the Bible. I really enjoyed this part of the Bible, because I feel like it really shows Christian women the legacy they are following. This Bible also features maps of Biblical times, as well as an extensive index to help you find anything you are looking for.
Overall I would give this Bible a 5/5. I thought it was really an awesome tool for the female audience, and really will be a study tool for me from here on out. Wonderful!
FTC DISCLOSURE: I received this book for free from BookSneeze.com's Blogger program in exchange for an honest review. I was not obligated to write a positive review.
The beginning of each book of this Bible offers some background information on what is going on historically, as well as who authored the book, and when it was written. This Bible also features short articles that tie our daily lives with Biblical principles, such as step-parenting, battered wives, and dysfunctional families.
Another neat feature of this Bible is the numerous character profiles of women that appear in the Bible. I really enjoyed this part of the Bible, because I feel like it really shows Christian women the legacy they are following. This Bible also features maps of Biblical times, as well as an extensive index to help you find anything you are looking for.
Overall I would give this Bible a 5/5. I thought it was really an awesome tool for the female audience, and really will be a study tool for me from here on out. Wonderful!
FTC DISCLOSURE: I received this book for free from BookSneeze.com's Blogger program in exchange for an honest review. I was not obligated to write a positive review.
Saturday, March 16, 2013
The Gospel of Yes
"The Gospel of Yes" by Mike Glenn is an interesting book that poses the question, "Do you believe that God limits you or liberates you?" Many people tend to view God as one that is always telling us "no", and setting rules and limiting what we can do. But this book challenges the reader to start seeing the "Yes" that God gives us in a relationship with him.
I thought that this book did a good job of really pointing out some of the most important "yes" answers that we can get from God. Some of the areas that this book touches on are the "yes" of the cross, the "yes" of creation, and the "yes" of forgiving others.
I would recommend this book to anyone who desires to strengthen their relationship with God, and learn to fully embrace God's "yes" rather than resent what we might see as a "no". I would give this book 4.5/5 - great information for even the most seasoned Christian.
FTC DISCLOSURE: I received this book for free from BloggingforBooks.org in exchange for an honest review. I was not obligated to write a positive review.
I thought that this book did a good job of really pointing out some of the most important "yes" answers that we can get from God. Some of the areas that this book touches on are the "yes" of the cross, the "yes" of creation, and the "yes" of forgiving others.
I would recommend this book to anyone who desires to strengthen their relationship with God, and learn to fully embrace God's "yes" rather than resent what we might see as a "no". I would give this book 4.5/5 - great information for even the most seasoned Christian.
FTC DISCLOSURE: I received this book for free from BloggingforBooks.org in exchange for an honest review. I was not obligated to write a positive review.
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Gods At War
Kyle Idleman's newest book, "Gods at War: Defeating the Idols that Battle for Your Heart" is an honest look at the 21st century idols that battle for control of our hearts. In a busy, success-driven world, it is too easy to lose your spiritual focus, and allow a myriad of other distractions to take over the throne of your heart. Kyle Idleman follows the stories of others who have struggled with modern day idolatry in such forms as money, success, romance, food, and sex.
I thought that this book really hits at the heart of this issue - we can only have a close, spiritual relationship with our Lord if our focus is on Him. The distractions of our 21st century society make it too easy to put our focus on the wrong things, detracting from the relationship we are having with God.
"Gods at War" is a thought provoking book that really challenges the reader to evaluate their own priorities - where we place the focus of our heart. I think that it's so important to make sure that our hearts and our energy is being spend on things that are important, so this book gives an honest wake up call about the state of our hearts, and I would highly recommend it. Great read!
FTC DISCLOSURE: I received this book for free from BookSneeze.com's Blogger program in exchange for an honest review. I was not obligated to write a positive review.
I thought that this book really hits at the heart of this issue - we can only have a close, spiritual relationship with our Lord if our focus is on Him. The distractions of our 21st century society make it too easy to put our focus on the wrong things, detracting from the relationship we are having with God.
"Gods at War" is a thought provoking book that really challenges the reader to evaluate their own priorities - where we place the focus of our heart. I think that it's so important to make sure that our hearts and our energy is being spend on things that are important, so this book gives an honest wake up call about the state of our hearts, and I would highly recommend it. Great read!
FTC DISCLOSURE: I received this book for free from BookSneeze.com's Blogger program in exchange for an honest review. I was not obligated to write a positive review.
Monday, February 25, 2013
Intentional Parenting
"Intentional Parenting: Autopilot is for Planes" by Sissy Goff, LPC, David Thomas, LMSW, and Melissa Trevathan, MRE is an in-depth look at some of the most common parenting myths, and how to make your life as a parent more satisfying and less stressful. This book tackles principles such as patience with your child, being consistent, and staying connected with your child.
I thought this book offered some wonderful, real-world answers to some very common parenting issues. For example, my favorite tidbit of wisdom was in the chapter on patience - so much of our irritability at times can come from running late. This book recommends starting your day 15 minutes earlier to avoid the extra tension of running late to an already busy parenting schedule.
Some of the points that are made are common sense, but there are some really valuable nuggets in this book, and I would highly recommend it to any parent who wishes to be a better parent to their child(ren). After all, raising good children starts with being a good parent! I would give this book a 4/5, and definitely will be attempting to apply some of the ideas from this book to my own parenting adventure.
FTC DISCLOSURE: I received this book for free from BookSneeze.com's Blogging program in exchange for an honest review. I was not obligated to write a positive review.
I thought this book offered some wonderful, real-world answers to some very common parenting issues. For example, my favorite tidbit of wisdom was in the chapter on patience - so much of our irritability at times can come from running late. This book recommends starting your day 15 minutes earlier to avoid the extra tension of running late to an already busy parenting schedule.
Some of the points that are made are common sense, but there are some really valuable nuggets in this book, and I would highly recommend it to any parent who wishes to be a better parent to their child(ren). After all, raising good children starts with being a good parent! I would give this book a 4/5, and definitely will be attempting to apply some of the ideas from this book to my own parenting adventure.
FTC DISCLOSURE: I received this book for free from BookSneeze.com's Blogging program in exchange for an honest review. I was not obligated to write a positive review.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Lord, I Give You This Day
"Lord, I Give You This Day" by Kay Arthur is a year long devotional that is meant to inspire, uplift, and bring you closer in your walk with Christ. Kay Arthur does a wonderful job of incorporating Biblical truths with our busy everyday lives and challenging us to take pause and really evaluate our hearts. What I loved about this devotional was that each day's devotional is one page long, so it is extremely easy to find the time to read it every day, no matter how busy you might be. Whether you're a stay at home mom, or a busy student, or building a career, this daily devotional can easily fit into your schedule. Kay Arthur so wonderfully writes about things we all need to hear, such as grace, faith, relying on God, righteousness, meekness, and forgiveness. Arthur has a genuine talent for connecting with her readers and creating an inspiring devotional. The only thing that I would change about this book is that the days are labeled. Instead of just going from "day 1" to "day 365", each devotional is dated from "January 1" through "December 31". This makes it feel like I am missing out on something if I do skip a day. Other than that, I love it and would highly recommend it to anyone - I think that there is something in this for everyone, whether you are a mom, dad, student, or business professional. Wonderful Biblical references, great ties to daily life, and very well written. Love it.
FTC DISCLOSURE: I received this book for free from BloggingforBooks.org as part of their blogger program in exchange for an honest review. I was NOT obligated to write a positive review.
FTC DISCLOSURE: I received this book for free from BloggingforBooks.org as part of their blogger program in exchange for an honest review. I was NOT obligated to write a positive review.
Humble Heart
"Humble Bumbles Humble Heart : A Book of Virtues" by Amy Meyer Allen is an adorable children's book that features Biblical virtues through an adorable story featuring animal friends. This book teaches young children the importance of the virtues: humility, love, thoughtfulness, faithfulness, mercy, encouragement, comfort, courage, and joy. Each virtue has its own short story featuring a different animal character - for example, the story that explains mercy features Percie Pig. The stories themselves use easy to understand words, perfect for young children, and they really break down the virtue to its most basic form so that a young child can truly get a grasp of what each virtue is about. The last page of each story asks a simple question, designed for young children, to help them tie in how this virtue can be present in their own life. It also features a Bible verse that reinforces that particular virtue. The illustrations in this book are vivid and inviting. This is a wonderfully written, thoughtfully designed book that is ideal for children ages 3 and up. I would highly recommend it for parents or grandparents of any young child. I loved it, and so did my 4 year old!
FTC DISCLOSURE: I received this book for free from Tyndale House Publishers as part of their blogger program in exchange for an honest review. I was NOT obligated to write a positive review.
FTC DISCLOSURE: I received this book for free from Tyndale House Publishers as part of their blogger program in exchange for an honest review. I was NOT obligated to write a positive review.
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