Book Review: Jesus Calling - My First Bible Storybook

I decided to change things up and review a children's book this time around. There seems to be a lot of babies in my extended family at this time, so I figured this book will make a great gift for the next little one who arrives!

 Jesus Calling- My First Bible Storybook  is a board book, meaning each page is hard,  won't bend or rip (important for little hands), and is wipeable. It's about 5x7", which makes it pretty easy to hold, and the book easily lays flat and stays open. Each of the 20 stories covers a 2 page spread and includes a very brief story, a "Jesus Calling" reflection speaking directly to the child, and a related Bible verse. The stories begin with Creation and move through to the promise that Jesus will be returning again.The colored pictures are engaging for little ones.

The stories in this book don't include a lot of details, so I think it's great for a review of stories a preschooler may have already heard. Some content may be a little above the understanding a toddler might have. I'm not sure it would hold the child's attention or interest, unless the reader was very intentional about pointing out pictures, asking questions about them, and adding relevant details.

This book will be of interest mainly to preschoolers as they look at pictures or if it's used as part of a bedtime devotional.

Thanks to BookLookBloggers for this free copy sent to me in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Running on Red Dog Road

Looks like all I do is review books on here lately. Waiting to be inspired to blog again.. but it's coming up pretty empty these days.

But, wait! I do want to tell you about my latest book I read for review.

Running on Red Dog Road by Drema Hall Berkheimer was such a great memoir! If I ever decide to write mine, I would like it to be as entertaining and inspiring as this one. Simple stories, yet written so well and so authentically, with humour, from the point of view of a child.

Drema was born in a coal camp in Appalachia, the child of a West Virginia coal miner who died when Drema was just a child. Drema's mother worked in another city during WW2, working in a factory like many women in those days, to help the cause. So, Drema and her siblings were loved and cared for by their devout Pentecostal grandparents. These coming of age stories include gypsies, carnivals, faith healers, revivals, hardships, family drama, adventures, and more.

I loved watching The Waltons when I was a teenager, and this story reminds me a bit of that style of family life and community. You never know who you might meet living in the hills or down the road. And life lessons are everywhere.

Running on Red Dog Road was an easy, light read, but yet full of meaning... perfect for a weekend away. I heartily recommend you read it!

Thanks to BookLookBloggers for this free book given to me in exchange for an honest review. 

Book Review: This Is Awkward

I really enjoy authors who  spread a little humour throughout the pages of their books.. the kind of humour that really does make me chuckle and say "Oh, that is so true! I can relate!" Sammy Rhodes, a campus minister,  IS funny. His book This Is Awkward - How Life's Uncomfortable Moments Open the Door to Intimacy and Connection -  is honest and yes, even a little awkward. He lets the reader see his own insecurities, which does make reading it feel a little awkward, but I think in a good way. 

Awkward can mean different things, and Rhodes explains it as "the gap between what we should be and what we actually are. Life is awkward because it doesn't go the way that it should go. People are awkward because they don't do and say and think what they should do and say and think. All of us are awkward because all of us experience this gap in some way." We tend to want to hide our awkwardness (shame), which makes it even more awkward when it shows up. But it is both necessary and freeing to talk about this; this is where we can find connection with others and God.  

Awkward (and sometimes heavy) topics covered in this book include: parent wounds, divorce, porn, depression, marriage expectations, true friendship vs online fame, introversion, and Jesus' love for us (right theology). 

I appreciated Sammy Rhode's transparency about his own life experiences as he wrote this book, including his insecurities about writing a book, journal type entries dispersed throughout.  

This book is relevant for any age, but its target audience is probably primarily young adults. I am going to offer it to my kids and hopefully they will find it worth the read, too.

I received this book for free from BookLook Bloggers in exchange for an honest review. 

Book Review: Breaking Busy

Author, speaker, blogger, wife,  mom of five boys, and the executive director of Propel Women,  Alli Worthington probably has something to say about breaking busy--how to find peace & purpose in a world of crazy!

My list of 'how I spend my time' is nothing like hers, but still I figured I could  glean some helpful hints here. Even in my relatively quiet life, I could learn a thing or two about peace and purpose.
Breaking Busy contains practical advice on how to get one's life back under control, how to find out what really gives you purpose, help with decision making, how to determine best ways to communicate with others (there are so many options these days!), how to fight the tyranny of the urgent, and much more.

The section on determining time wasters was one of my favorite parts of this book. Social media alone can sap hours of your day, leaving you asking 'what did I really accomplish? ' Do you really know how many hours of your day are frittered away without you even realizing it? Worthington suggests keeping a time diary. She offers several free downloadable resources at her website. Once you have that information, follow her advice to make some changes, if necessary.

I'm not a huge social media person, but I was a little shocked at how much time I spend looking at my phone or being distracted on my computer. Ouch.

There is really nothing earth shattering here in this book, but it's honest, upbeat, positive, encouraging, and will even make you chuckle. It will encourage you to pursue God's best in a world that sends other messages! And it's a quick read. Recommended to share with someone who might need a little balance and direction in her life.

Thanks to BookLookBloggers for this free book sent to me in exchange for an honest review.

The NIV Bible for Women - a review

How does one write  a review of the Bible? In this case, I am going to focus on what makes this recently published hardcover copy of NIV Bible For Women unique.

First of all, the cover. It's very attractive in both the color and the print style. I'd call it a robin's egg blue - soft, clean, and peaceful - which makes it a great color for a Bible jacket.

The subtitle for this version is "Fresh Insights For Thriving in Today's World', and it includes 260 relevant devotionals (one for each weekday)  tied to particular passages throughout the Bible. Each comes with a reflection and prayer.

 As well, there are 52 "Myths" that our culture  might have us believe is true, and these are described, explored, and exposed. All stories are actual events that have taken place in the writers' lives, and they are honest and relatable, especially for women. Quotes by well know authors are also included. These topics would be great conversation starters over a cup of coffee with girlfriends, too!

 If you read Christian women's blogs or are an avid reader of Christian nonfiction, you might be familiar with some of the writers featured in this Bible- Annie F. Downs, Shauna Niequist, Katie Davis, Laura Ortberg Turner, Tsh Oxenreider, and Margaret Feinberg, and Sarah Bessey, and many more (all with biographies at the back of the Bible). Topics range from social justice, social media addiction, economic inequality to  prayer, relationships, faith & doubt,  career, calling, and so much more. Definitely something for women in their 20's and up.

A few little quibbles with the NIV Bible For Women would be the font size. It's a little small for aging eyes! And not very dark. As well, the pages are thin, but then, I think most Bibles are printed on thin paper. I also might have preferred the Myths as an appendix, so they'd be easier to skim through. They have been strategically placed, along with the devotionals, throughout the Bible, with directions to the 'next' one.

If you are looking for a new updated copy of your New International Version Bible, or you are looking for a readable version of the Bible, this one would be great! It's full of encouragement to dig into the Bible to hear God's voice and grow deeper in your relationship with Him, and the extras remind us how relevant the Bible really is for us today!

I received this free Bible in exchange for an honest review. Thanks,   BookLookBloggers!

The Good, The Bad, and the Grace of God

I remember hearing about the Duck Dynasty TV Show a few years before I was even remotely interested in watching it. I thought it must be the dumbest show ever and left it at that. But  a year or so ago when we had 6 months of free cable, Dave and I sat down regularly in the evening to watch a few episodes of this show. And surprisingly, it gave me what I needed... a good laugh. I mean, it's such a crazy show. Just watching that family interact and listening to some of the hilarious, silly conversations was just good medicine for one who often thinks too much about serious stuff. Who doesn't need a good belly laugh now and then?

When The Good, the Bad, and the Grace of God by the youngest Robertson son Jep and his wife Jessica, came available for review, I snapped it up. It was a quick, interesting read. It gave me some good insights into the Robertson family, and I have gained respect for this clan and their fierce loyalty to each other. As I began this book,  I thought it might be very simplistic and 'surfacey' and I thought I'd have a difficult time empathizing with what I thought of as wealthy reality TV stars and their first world problems, but it really was a transparent and honest read, which included sharing some very difficult experiences. The Robertson's strong faith in the grace of God and the power of forgiveness shines through. This family is not a religious family as much as one which truly loves God and people and shows it by their actions.

It's worth the few hours it took to read this book. And you may become a Duck Dynasty fan after reading! I hear there's a new season starting!

Thanks to BookLookBloggers for this free book in exchange for an honest review.

Simply Open

"Lord, open me to release, that I may receive, become, and do..."

Are you looking for a simple, but transformative prayer that can be used everyday to help you become more aware of how God is working in your life? Author Greg Paul shows you how in Simply Open by introducing an intentional exercise of opening yourself up to God through a prayer that can be used no matter where you are or what you are doing.

Paul explains that a contemplative path is open to us even in the busyness of our everyday lives. As much as we might like to go on a quiet spiritual retreat to help us focus and hear from God, he says it can be done using our senses in our everyday life. "This path is so simple that you can integrate it into the most complex schedule and pick it up again immediately if you forget about it for weeks at a time."

The only thing required is a desire to become open to God, ourselves, and others. Actually, this prayer is really seven specific prayers focused on the five senses, the mind, and the heart. Each chapter of this book is focused on one aspect. What I love about this book is that this spiritual practice encourages us to reach out to others, it's not just inward focused. Greg Paul, who is a pastor of a church which reaches out to inner city homeless people in Toronto, adeptly illustrates that we can experience God's love through all of our senses and as we do, we move towards loving others in practical ways. This theme is woven throughout the book.

 In order to actually use what's been presented in this book, I would suggest writing the prayers on notecards and have them easily accessible, until it becomes more familiar. If you are not usually one for praying prewritten prayers, you may feel a bit awkward at first. But it may surprise you how freeing it is to read a simple prayer that states exactly what your heart's desire is.

If you are looking for a new way to become more aware of how God is speaking to you in your everyday life,you might appreciate this book. It's worth reading through quickly, then going through it slowly to really help internalize it.

Thanks to BookLookBloggers who sent me this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

Still Life

Two families whose lives coincide under the worst of circumstances. Two families whose lives will never be the same again. 

Ada is a young newly married woman, a former sect member, hardly knowing how to navigate the modern world.

Katherine is in a less-than-perfect marriage and one of her decisions changes her world forever.

Their lives intersect under tragic conditions and still, life goes on.

I really enjoyed reading Still Life by Christa Parrish. The characters and dialogue were believable. I enjoy character driven stories..characters who question and try to navigate life's messiness. The beautiful, detailed, descriptive writing helped me visualize the story so well. I wondered how it was all going to work out. And the end.. was it going to be a fairy tale ending or not? You'll have to read it to find out.

Several themes here... cults, love, choices, mercy, new life.  I read recently that you often don't get over hard things, but you can get through them.

This book reminded me of that. You might want to read it.

Oh, I received this book free from Booklookbloggers in exchange for an honest review.

A Thing of Beauty by Lisa Samson

Fiona Hume, a 32 year old former child movie star with some horrendous experiences, has left the acting world as well as her parents (through divorcing them) and lives an independent life in Baltimore. She owns a dilapidated house which has a lot of potential to be beautiful once again. She is a hoarder, has trust issues, and is a little 'rough around the edges' -- an intriguing character! A Thing of Beauty by Lisa Samson tells a good story of what can happen when one dares to hope for joy and does the work of opening the door a little at a time, and risks being vulnerable. 

Although this book was not meant to be an allegory, it seemed quite obvious to me that it was. Josia comes into her life , looking for a room to rent,  and begins fixing up her house; he is never intrusive, accepts her unconditionally, allowing her to be who she is and to open her life up to change one small step at a time. He does so unselfishly and always with her best interests at heart. Who is he like, she asks herself? A father, a brother, a friend... or all of these? This is definitely a story of hope and love. 

With some humor, quirkiness, good dialogue (some strongish language, but it all makes for a more realistic story), and interesting situations and characters, this was worth the read. If you like Lisa Samson's writing, you won't be disappointed. 

I received this book free from BookLookBloggers in exchange for an honest review. Thanks, BookLook! 

small talk by amy julia becker

small talk- learning from my children about what matters most by amy julia becker was a book I was drawn to because my own experiences have shown me that God teaches us a lot about ourselves and Himself through our children.  I was interested in the revelations Becker would share. As well, I have several nieces and nephews and friends with young families and I hope to pass this book on to one of them.

 This  book includes a lot of details about the activities and conversations the author engages in with her young children, including Penny who has Down Syndrome.  The author ponders theological truths spurred on by these interactions. She writes transparently and honestly about her relationship with her children and their relationship with each other, and in doing so, reminds parents of the very important role they play in the spiritual development of their children, simply by listening to them and engaging them in discussions, not having to be 'perfect parents'.

If you have younger children you will relate to this book. If you have adult children, you will still glean much from this book. If you have never had children, you will still benefit from reading this book. Becker's thoughts remind us all that God uses simple things to teach us truth.  Some great topics for discussion include those on prayer, disability, laughter, tragedy, and baptism. This book is written honestly and simply, is easy to read, yet full of wisdom. The descriptions of family interactions may be most appreciated by those with little ones, because they are so relatable. The theological musing, however, will certainly be of interest to all readers.

I have received a free copy of small talk from BookLookBloggers in exchange for an honest review.