"Adventures in Saying Yes" Book Review

Okay you know how hard I can be on books. If I don't like it, I say it as it is.

"Adventures in Saying Yes" by Carl Medearis was AMAZING!!!

It's rare that a book can so perfectly combine inspiration, truth and humor. I found myself falling in love with the people of Lebanon while praising God while honest-to-goodness laughing out loud. Some of Mr. Medearis' stories had me wanting to clap for God's goodness and sometimes I was blown away by His beautiful weaving of people and events.

I can't say I'm an adventurous soul. I didn't learn to ride a bike or swim until after ALL of my friends and younger sister did. What can I say? I don't like pain. So I thoroughly enjoyed the encouragement to trust instead of fear, especially since, life rarely sees us having to deal with the worst outcome possible. It's more likely that we will get to the end of our days and question why in the world we played it so safe.

I could not put this book down. Unfortunately, bedtime came and I was only halfway through. Such an inconvenience! I may or may not have rushed my morning devotions the next day to quickly get back to it. And, I did so much out loud chuckling that my teen son quickly snatched it to read after I was done. (He too agreed that it was an incredible book.)

Oh, and I'm very pleased to admit that I've already implemented some changes because of this book. We've lived in our house for 10 years and not once have we had a neighbor over for supper. Not once! Talk about being sub-urbanized. So embarrassing. Well, I've invited some neighbors over for supper in a week and a half. They were delighted by the invitation and I'm delighted because they are lovely people. Remind me again why I've lived such a safe life.

I really don't know how to express this any other way but to say READ THIS BOOK!!! I guarantee you will not be disappointed.

BTW, I got a free copy of this book from Bethany House in exchange for an honest review.

"Freedom Tools" Book Review

God is so good! He's shown me love and mercy so many times and yet I still find myself amazed. I wonder if I'll ever get to the point where I just take it as normal. (since...it...is!)

The day "Freedom Tools, Revised and Expanded Edition For Overcoming Life’s Tough Problems" by Andy Reese and Jennifer Barnett, arrived in the mail, was the very same day I was going out of town to meet with a few others and have a prayer/healing meeting for someone dear to me. The same day! I've read about inner healing ministry before so I was familiar with what they're about and what can be accomplished through them but come on, the same day? Too awesome. So, as I waited outside of McDonald's while my son was being interviewed, I started reading.

Okay, admittedly, since I only had a few hours before the meeting, I was reading the headlines and trying to cram in what I could in a very short amount of time. All golden. Then following that meeting, because, you know, there are a few paragraphs in between said headlines, I went back and read the entire book. And here is my thought:

You know how when you surf Pinterest you feel empowered and insecure all at once? Same feeling. YES - God can mightily use me to help bring healing. NO - this is a massive topic and I'm just, well, I'm me. Not so grand. But of course the missing ingredient is God. Without the Holy Spirit guiding, Jesus wooing and the Father smiling, why bother? But, WITH this Divine trinity, anything can happen.

Taking a risk for the Kingdom is always nerve wrecking but what a high comes from it. "Freedom Tools" is a very practical book that gives you the guidelines as to how to be a "first responder" to those who suffer from spiritual, emotional and mental pain. It gave a lot of sound advice and it's a book that I'll definitely keep for reference.

If you are open to being led by the Holy Spirit and believe that God talks to His children, and if you want to help others be free from whatever it is that holds them back, you should read this book.

BTW, I got a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

"Love Inspired" Series Book Review and Big Giveaway

Any romance lovers out there? Have I got a giveaway for you!

(Admittedly, I totally stole this photo off the internet. Don't know who it belongs to but kudos to you.)

The Love Inspired product line puts out 6 new books every month and the ones in the photo above will be for sale in May 2015 - just in time for Mother's Day. What I appreciate about this line is that it is smut free. It's big on gentle kisses, touches on the goodness of God, and heavy on the heart swoons.

They're light, they're fluffy, and they're small enough to fit in your purse - perfect waiting room material. Admittedly, if you're looking for a plot twists, existential-mind-blowing dialog or even a surprise, you might want to keep looking. These are your run of the mill paperback romance novels. The guy and gal dislike each other for some reason but all is overcome with a simple kiss that takes them to a level of passion they've never felt before.

I read "The Rancher Takes a Bride" by Brenda Minton and "The Single Dad finds a Wife" by Felicia Manson so I can only tell you what I think about those two. Let's start with "The Rancher Takes a Bride".

This is quite possibly one of the lamest romances novels ever written. Both of the main characters have things they want to hide (par for the romance novel course) but it felt like every single page was saying the same thing. You can skip a couple pages at a time and still know what's going on because there's zero plot. There's the dialog off of half the pages.

He says, "We need to talk."

She says, "I can't handle what's happening."

He says, "We'll figure it out together."

She says, "We can't be together." (because of aforementioned hidden secrets)

Somewhere in the exchange a gentle kiss is given and then they both go away frustrated.

Repeat ad nauseum.


"The Single Dad Finds a Wife" was better. While the plot wasn't exactly believable, not that we care about that sort of thing in a romance novel, at least there was a quasi-plot. Don't let the less than creative title scare you away. This book was sweet and held a few slight surprises. Alright, 'surprises' might be too big of a word. But for this genre, the author made "The Single Dad Finds a Wife" as intriguing as it comes.

Are you a fan of fluffy reading? Then have I got a giveaway for you. I am giving away all 6 books in the series to one lucky winner. Just leave a comment below and you're name will be entered into a draw.

If you don't win, copy and past this link to your address bar to order your own copy.
http://www.harlequin.com/store.html


Good Luck in the Giveaway! Draw will be held April 25th, 2015.


"Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”

"Wrecked" Book Review

I was so excited to get this book. Recently God called me out of my comfortable suburban lifestyle and into the realm of downtown street ministry so I thought "Wrecked" by Jeff Goins would be the perfect book to encourage my new passion.

Wrong.

I hate writing negative book reviews because I know that when someone writes a book, an entire BOOK!, they've put their heart out there for all the world to see and potential crush but...

I couldn't even bare to finish 2/3 of it.

It makes sense when you think about it. Like Jeff Goins says, you can't read about having your life changed by breaking out of the usual. You have to do it in order to experience it. It's funny that he would write that for...us...to...read. Anyone else seeing the problem here? He then continues on to talk about his heart being changed through his interactions with homeless people. (a sentiment I can completely relate to) and then about the need for committing. (again, I agree)

Perhaps the problem is that I grew up too fast. I had my eye on being an adult asap. Got married barely out of high school and immediately had kids and a mortgage - because that was the responsible thing to do. So when someone says, commitment is a lost art, sounds like the same old, "They don't make 'em like they used to." story. But I didn't need to go across the world to be "wrecked". Nor did I need to go wondering around, following my restless heart. Quite frankly, nor do you. You want to know what to do with the stirrings of your heart?

ASK GOD!

He put that in you for a reason. And while, yes, He might be calling you to go to Zambia, or Siberia or, or, or... maybe He just wants you to quit thinking about yourself so much and start thinking about how amazing He is and how much love He wants to show the people around you through you. It was God who filled me with the desire to serve the outcasts and it was in a nice safe living room where that desire manifested.

Definitely, Mr. Goins has some extremely valid points, like previously stated. But it would have been nice to hear Him quote Jesus a bit because at the end of the day, if you're looking to serve God, maybe you should ask Him what He has in mind.

In conclusion, instead of spending 4-5 hours reading this book, spend some time in prayer and then follow where the Holy Spirit leads.

THAT'S IT!

That's what's missing from "Wrecked". There wasn't really any, that I can recall, talk of the Holy Spirit - you know, the One who is given to us to guide us. Oh, yeah, that one. The same one that comforts us and teaches us. Why write a book about trying to find your place in the world without talking about the One who will bring you there?

A better question is: why read it either?


I was given a free copy of this book by Moody Publishers in exchange for an honest review. The opinions are mine.

"Evangelical's Guide to Spiritual Warfare" Book review

I am finding it really hard to decide how to rate "The Evangelical's Guide to Spiritual Warfare" by Charles Kraft because I simply don't know if what he says is true. My experience with spiritual warfare is limited and therefore I can't exactly consider myself an expert on the subject. I suppose, then, the best place to start is with what I do know.

I do know that the North American church, by and large, has ignored the topic of spiritual warfare which has left us virtually without any knowledge on how to deal with the very real, very present issue of demonic influence in our society and possibly in our own homes. I would agree with the author that there are indeed a hierarchy of evil spirits who have different jobs, levels of power and, for lack of a better word, personalities. I also know that God has been challenging my narrow idea idea of what a "good" christian looks like lately. Some wear long black robes with big crosses, some wear long jean skirts and some have mohawks. Some also command demons, in the name of Jesus to tell the truth. Therefore, until The Holy Spirit points it out otherwise, I'm taking Mr. Kraft's word on the subject. It's encouraging to read a book written by someone God has used be beautifully in the past. And what is more beautiful than watching Jesus set prisoners free?

Truthfully, the first part of this book was hard to delve into. It felt more like reading a textbook and I nearly gave up. Fortunately, I kept with it because this book contained a lot of information that was new to me. Plus, it was like the author's passion started to shine through when he got past the first few chapters which were on changing your worldview. (Indeed, important chapters - just a little dry)

The one drawback about "The Evangelical's Guide to Spiritual Warfare" is that after I read it, I felt rather overwhelmed. Perhaps this is a good thing but helping someone with deep inner healing is far outside of my ability. I suppose if I was confident, God wouldn't be able to use me as freely though because I would be relying on my own strength instead of begging Him to work through me.

At the end of the day, I would encourage believers, especially those in leadership to read this book. It is of value and, like I said before, deals with an often overlooked topic.

BTW, I was given a free copy from Baker Publishing Group in exchange for a free copy. My opinions are my own.

"More Than Just the 'Talk'" book review

If you have kids or are thinking of having kids or ever interact with kids, read this book - especially if said kids are between the ages of 7 and 19.

"More Than Just the Talk" by Jonathan McKee is a frank book about talking to your kids about sex. Not going to lie, it really got into the nitty gritty. It talked about how to deal with masturbation, pornography addiction, and so much more. It was a real eye opener to realize how much kids know years before you think they might and how dreadful the latest TV shows and videos are in terms of damaging lies being fed to the next generation about sexual purity.

One thing I loved about this book was that instead of just trying to scare you with nightmarish statistics that might tempt you to move to the jungle, the author gives great suggestions on how to deal with every obstacle along the way. These are GREAT suggestions! Very practical and, in my humble opinion, very wise to boot.

Unfortunately, before reading this book, I would have fallen into the it'll-all-work-out-because-my-kids-don't-know-that-kind-of-stuff-yet type of parent. I couldn't have been more wrong. The beauty of reading this book while sitting in the living room was that it gave me the perfect excuse to ask my kids all kinds of questions and their answers blew my ignorance right out of the water. But, I'm so thankful that "More Than Just the Talk" came into our life when it did because since then, I've noticed that, at least some of, my kids really want to talk about a number of sex centered topics and when they saw that I wasn't afraid of this topic, it was like a flood gate opened and suddenly anything was fair game - which is great.

It also made me more proactive in helping my kids keep their minds pure. No internet while you're by yourself. No being alone with someone of the opposite gender. Nothing that leads to lust. I love how it's stated in the book. "Don't start the launch sequence." In other words, don't do anything that gets the sexual engine running outside of marriage. Very wise.

This isn't just another parenting book. This one is a must. I 100% believe I'm a better parent moving forward because I read this book. You should too!

BTW, I got a free copy of this book from Bethany House Publishing in exchange for my honest review.