Books

I really enjoyed reading Heaven in Her Arms: Why God chose Mary to Raise His Son and What it Means for You. It was light enough that I could read it after a long day homeschooling my three kids and yet deep enough to get something out of each chapter. I think that the author has a nice balance between trying to reveal to us how Mary may have felt, and the Godly characteristic that her Heavenly Father would have seen in Mary. Sometimes parenting books can feel like a to do list, this didn't feel that way to me. It was simply inspiring. It made me want to take a closer look at some aspects of my life and parenting- but not to beat myself up about falling short of the ideals I have. It drew me closer to God- so it gets 4 stars. There were a few chapters that felt a little weak- like they were there just to give to the book some bulk, and that is the only reason I didn't give it 5 stars. Definitely worth the quick read that it is.

The "husband - friendly" devotional book for married couples, The Love & Respect Experience by Emerson Eggerichs is a nice and easy read. I found that it had the right amount of depth into most of the topics he wrote about. Not too shallow, not to overwhelmingly deep- just the right amount to inspire and challenge you. He does cover a great range of applicable topics for a married couple to discuss such as the main theme of his book, that women desire most to be loved by their husbands, and that men desire most to be respected by the wives.

My only complaint would be that the book felt more like a study, than a devotional, which in itself, isn't necessarily a bad thing. Studying the scriptures, and the marriage relationship with your spouse is a great thing to do. I guess the scripture verses sometimes felt like they were thrown in there, not exactly matching with topic of the week. I very much appreciate that the book is laid out, as 52 different, "devotionals", as I feel that a week is a good amount of time to allow each person to read the chapter independently and then also time enough to discuss as a couple and work on some of the suggestions. I would recommend this book.

A copy of the book was provided to me by the publisher as part of the booksneeze.com blogger program in return for an unbiased review. The thoughts in this review are all mine.

 

Love You More- by Jennifer Grant, was a nice and easy read. I have always had a heart for adoption. Ever since I was young, I have been drawn to and very curious about Africa, and have secretly always wanted to adopt a child from there. Anyways, this book is about the story and journey through the adoption process of a mother of three, who adopts a fourth child from Guatemala. Her story is touching, honest, and detailed. I would definitely recommend this book as a light read, to anyone considering or curious about adoption. The most poignant insight I gleamed from this book, was that the main reason driving the force of an adoption should be that you want a(nother) child in your family, not that you want to do a good thing or make a difference.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.





I really enjoyed exploring the topic of money through a Christian lens. Other than sermons on tithing, I had never really heard or read anything about finances and how to handle them in a Godly way. I mean, I know that we are to be good stewards of what we are given, but she takes it to a much deeper level. She draws a direct correlation between your finances and your relationship with God. It is an easy read in that she is a personable writer; but it was also a tough read, in that she makes some pretty meaningful statements that aren’t always easy to digest.
The book is very well laid out. She brings to light seven myths about money. For example: in order to be a true and sacrificial lover of God you should be broke. Then she uses scripture verses to dispel that myth. She uses real life examples of different people’s financial situations to help the reader relate. There is a review at the end of each chapter, of the main points to remember. There is a pray in each chapter reflecting what was taught. And best of all, there is a “solution steps” section at the end of each chapter too. I found this book to be very meaningful.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own

Out Live Your Life- You Were Made to Make a Difference is Max Lucado's newest book. I was given a copy of it for free from Booksneeze. In return I am to post a review of it on my blog. I am not forced into writing a positive review.

Out Live Your Life is about making a difference in this world. It is a very easy read. Light, sometimes convicting, definitely interesting enough to keep your attention. The book takes you through several passages of the book of Acts, and retells the trials of Paul as fought to bring Christ's message to people. Lucado writes sixteen chapters, each with it's own topic of how one can make a difference in today's society. He starts out with an inspiring chapter on our once in a lifetime opportunity, followed by a call to the ordinary everyone. Then he gets into the meat of the book by taking up topics such as hospitality, working together, identifying the poor and not ignoring them, giving generously quietly, and breaking down cultural walls.

Personally, I found this book to be somewhat inspiring, a nice reminder of the potential I have to make a difference. It was not a life changing book. It seemed to be a bit shallow. I suppose I feel that anyone who sat down with this topic in mind could have come up with a book as impactful as this. I don't mean to discredit Max Lucado at all. His personal stories are great, and his message true. It just isn't a book that I would rave about to my friends as a must read.