"Rasmus and the Vagabond" Book Review and Giveaway

Have you ever read a book that was so delightful you turned around and read it again? "Rasmus and the Vagabond" did that for me.

I average two books a week. I don't have time to reread anything. But for "Rasmus and the Vagabond", I made an exception. This book is intended for perhaps 8 to 14 year olds but the writing is so lovely that as soon as I finished reading it, I called my family together and said, "I'm going to read this to you." We've only made it to chapter 3 so far but already they're hooked too.

The author, Astrid Linden, also wrote the well known story of Pippi Longstocking. (Don't you now feel so well-informed) To be truthful, I never read that one but now, seeing as how I liked this one so much, I might just have to pick up a copy of it.

The only caution I have about "Rasmus and the Vagabond", which is a tale about an orphan who runs away from the orphanage in search of parents, is that it romanticizes running away. I recognize that this is a fictious book intended for youngsters and therefore tales of abuse and drugs is hardly appropriate, but all the same, I couldn't help but wonder if this book might in fact encourage running away. I suppose it could serve as a springboard for conversation between you and your child.

There is one spot where the runaway and the vagabond talk about ghosts but it only lasts for a few lines and there is some mild violence as they come into contact with robbers. On the whole, I would feel comfortable putting this into the hands of any child since the violence is not glorified and the ghosts aren't made a big deal of.

If you have an 8 to 14 year old, "Rasmus and the Vagabond" would make a lovely read aloud. The first three chapters have already made my kids laugh and wanting more. (They are aged 12, 13 and 15)

So if you want a free copy - as in TOTALLY FREE, leave a comment below. The winner will have a copy mailed to them at no charge straight from the publisher. Good luck. Draw will be made February 19th, 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. Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”

"Blindsided By God"

Author Peter Chin knocked it out of the park with this one. "Blindsided By God" gets my enthusiastic two thumbs up. I wish I had a couple dozen copies of to give to any and every person who is struggling through any sort of difficulty.

Mr. Chin tells of the many trials he and his family went through and the lessons God taught him through it. As the saying goes: when it rains, it pours. And this was the case in his life. By trial after fiery trial, life seemed to pound away at his faith and patience. In the end, with God's grace and strength, he and his family got through it and are now more capable of helping others through their own difficulties.

"Blindsided By God" was at once readable, touching and teaching. Even though, in this season, I'm not facing a difficult situation, I know that I'm better prepared for whatever tomorrow holds because I read this book. It also helped me to know how to help others.

This review might be short and sweet but I mean every word of it. GREAT BOOK!

BTW, I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Anyone who has read any of my other reviews knows that I can be a bit on the harsh side so when I say I loved it, you can know it's a special book.

"Nourished: A Search for Health, Happiness and a Full Night's Sleep" Review and Giveaway

•Cluttered Surroundings
•Exhaustion of parenting
•Time-starved marriages
•Feeling like a spiritual slacker
•Crowded Schedules
•Negative Body Image

Do you have issues with any of the above? Don't answer "No" because I'd hate to have to call you out on your lying tendencies.

Okay, question number 2:
Have you ever noticed that,like Pinterest, self-help books can be inspiring and deflating all at once? Because with the same words that are meant to encourage us to, say, overcome the fear of someone seeing our flabby thighs, they deflate us by pointing out we have flabby thighs that need overcoming!

By the end of the first chapter of "Nourished: A Search for Health, Happiness and a Full Night's Sleep", by mother/daughter team Becky Johnson and Rachel Randolph, I felt so upset with my life and house and children and husband and, and, and... that I didn't know what was stronger - anger or despair. But slowly, as the chapters went on, I came to love these two gals who were reminding me to relax and that I'm beautiful.

Of the two, it would seem I am a great deal more like the daughter of the duo than the mother. (which might be why I enjoyed the mother's stories more - they didn't hit so close to home) A number of times while reading "Nourished", I thought, these women have read my diary! Maybe I should write a book. However, I don't think I could write it in nearly the charming way they did. This really is a charming book but I would caution against some of the advice they give - not so much because it's bad advice per se but because anything can be taken to the extreme. For example: they recommend pairing up an unpleasant task with something you enjoy - like having a glass of wine while you make dinner. But if I had a glass of wine with every task I disliked, I might be drunk all day sometimes. And I've tried to "get the whole family involved with making supper", like the book suggests, before. Disaster. Instead of the kids just complaining about what was before them at the supper table, they now got to complain about the making of supper.

While I wholeheartedly agree with the you-have-to-put-your-own-oxygen-mask-on-yourself-first rule, it's also wise to remember that Jesus never put Himself first and He is our ultimate role model. Mind you, He did steal away by Himself to pray.






I'm having a draw on February 12th, 2015 for a copy of this book. Leave a comment below to get your name in the draw. Good luck!

"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. Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”

"Team Us" book review

I have 5 siblings all brothers except 4 of them. According to birth order I'm number 4. But because my husband and I got married a few days after I was out of high school, I got married before any of them. It also means I got married before all of my friends. What I didn't realize at the time was that handing out marriage advice based on your own union is a bad idea because no other couple out there just like the two of you.

Now don't get me wrong, "Team Us" by Ashleigh Slater is not all advice based on her marriage but at times it come across that way. And I can't say I loved the blurps by her husband Ted either because hearing a man talk about what he wants his wife to do doesn't help me to know what's going on in MY husband's head. It doesn't always translate in real life. In fact, my husband often jokes about women's magazines and says, "Well, I guess I'd better read some of these to find out what I'm really thinking."

Most of the advice given in "Team Us" was the usual: communicate, give, surrender... I can't say as that a single page inspired me to change in the least. (Maybe I'm just that great of a wife already ha ha) Nothing the author said was wrong; it was just sort of, well, pithy. I was on vacation when I read it and as I started into it, my mother, who was sitting beside me, said, "Let me know if you come across anything good." My reply a few moments later was, "I'm skimming." Not a good sign.

I have been married 18 years and can honestly say it's getting better and better all the time. And truth be told, I bet this book would have been far more valuable to me in the beginning - before I learned the hard way simple yet life changing truths like - don't say anything bad about your husband and be kind. And in fact, if someone who was in the first few years of marriage wanted to read it, I'd be encouraging because there are lots of things that are new to me that seem like old news to others. But if I hadn't learned it, I STILL wouldn't know it. "Team US" just isn't for those who have been married for any length of time. (I almost didn't be past the first few pages because the author said we were supposed to read it as a couple. Right there she proved she doesn't understand the dynamic of most couples.)

I'm having a draw for a free copy of this book on February 12th so leave a comment if you want in. Good luck!

"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 the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”

"Roadmap Genesis" Movie Review and Giveaway

Okay, so maybe this is cheating but, I'm going to start by giving you the official description of this film because, to be honest, it wasn't what I was expecting. And it wasn't what I was expecting solely because I didn't thoroughly read the description.

Roadmap Genesis is a film documentary that makes the case that the Book of Genesis is a roadmap containing guideposts on how to live a productive, fruitful, and fulfilling life that will help our society lift itself out of its current decline and return it to prosperity, promise, and accomplishment.
When Filmmaker Nolan Leibovitz found himself at a crossroads in his life, he knew he had to choose between continuing to make the Hollywood suspense thrillers that were his livelihood and trying to make the world a better place for his new young family. After much struggle, he found his answer in the Book of Genesis.
He decided to combine his love of the Book of Genesis with his passion for filmmaking and set out to travel the United States, interviewing clergy and public figures in order to build an undeniable argument about the continued importance of the Book of Genesis as guiding force in our Judeo-Christian country.

Roadmap Genesis invites Americans of all faiths to engage in a dialogue about the relevance of the Bible in the modern age. Through interviews ranging from Gov. Mike Huckabee of Fox News Channel to Rabbi David Wolpe, from Alan Dershowitz to the Archbishop of Chicago Cardinal Francis George, from Erick Stakelbeck of the Christian Broadcasting Network to Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis and the Creation Museum, and many, many more, Nolan explores the rules that God has set forth to help us maintain a successful and working society.

See, when I read the title "Roadmap Genesis", what my brain read was "Roadmap TO Genesis" so I was expecting a historical documentary about artifacts or something. Yay me.

There was definitely a let's-make-the-world-a-better-place feel to this film. Which is needed. If everyone would help just one person, everyone would be helped right. It was nice that all the people who were featured agreed that Genesis pointed to major themes of humanity like:

-You matter because you were created

-The inability to communicate with others is a huge issue

-Family is of great importance

-We need to take care of our 'Garden'

-Yes, we ARE our brother's keeper

While I agreed with the themes of film, I didn't agree with everything that was said. For example, one man said that he figures Sodom and Gomorrah weren't destroyed because of the sins of the wicked but because the righteous in the city didn't stand up against it. Umm, chapter and verse please. The Bible is quite clear as to why they were destroyed.

Ezekiel 16:49-50
Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen.

I find it frustrating to listen to people who are making correct points using incorrect arguments. Therefore, I was frustrated a few times in this film.

However, near the end, there was a piece on a group of people who serve the poor in the San Francisco area which moved me to tears. I watched "Roadmap Genesis" with my father and mother and after it was over, my mother suddenly said, "I know what I need to do. I KNOW God wants me to get some blankets and food together and go hand them out."

Now you must understand something; my mother is afraid to speak to anyone new - especially strangers living on the streets! I'm once again in awe at God's transforming power! I love that God used this movie to move her to action.

Would you like to see "Roadmap Genesis"? Leave a comment and have your name entered for a chance to win a free copy. Good luck.






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. Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”

"Race for Freedom"

I thought this time I'd choose a juvenile fiction to review so that my children could enjoy it too once I was done. "Race for Freedom" by Loise Walfrid Johnson is a story about a young girl who wants to help with the Underground Railroad, a young boy who does help with it, and a young black boy who is fleeing from his captor. The main character, the young girl, is the daughter of a steamboat captain which is why most of the story takes place on a steamboat.

"Race for Freedom" is book two in the series and, unfortunately, I didn't realize that when I ordered this book. While I managed to piece together what was going on in the storyline, it quickly became obvious that I wasn't part and partial to the entire plot. Therefore, if you're going to read this book, be sure to read number one in the "Freedom Series" first. It's titled "Escape into the Night". The other thing to keep in mind is that there are 6 books in the series. On the final page of "Race for Freedom", I actually felt like there was a mistake because it felt very unfinished. I found myself thinking, "What? That's it?" But I suppose that's to make you want to buy the next book.

But are you going to want to buy it? I enjoyed that virtues like honor and standing up for what's right no matter the cost where praised. This is sorely lacking in a lot of juvenile fiction. I also liked the side story about the immigrant family on board the boat. What I didn't care for were the descriptions of where on the steamboat the kids were. I couldn't picture it in my head.

One thing I didn't expect was that out of 249 pages, 40 are not part of the story at all. Instead they include a study guide, and chapter 1 of the next book. If you homeschool, this could definitely be easily used as part of your Language Arts curriculum - especially if you like to combine Lang. Arts with History.

I got a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. If you want to get a copy, you can go to http://mpnewsroom.com/books/race-freedom.

Authority in Prayer

If there is one area in my life that needs improving, it's prayer. I'm very intrigued by people who can stay focused and connected with God for hours on end. This is why I was pleased to review "Authority in Prayer" by Dutch Sheets. (Yes, that's the author's name)I'm not sure what I thought this book would be or how it would catapult me into a prayer warrior mindset but I was open to whatever the Lord wanted me to see.

I certainly didn't read this book in an afternoon. It was at times humorous, at other times plodding. Occasionally I had to stop and look something up in my Bible and other times had to mark my Bible because I learned something profound. Mr. Sheets did a good job of clarifying the roles of power and authority as laid out in Scripture as well as what prevents us from having powerful prayers. (I won't go into it now - you can read the book)

One yellow flag, not a red flag - just yellow, that I have with this book stems from the portions of the book that deal with prayers of declaration. If the Holy Spirit is leading you to declare - awesome! But I have seen this abused. We do not order God!!! It is blasphemy and must never be done. So it isn't the book that I find fault with but rather people's tendencies to go to far; to make gods out of themselves.

No doubt, if I read this book again in a year, I'd get a lot out of it all over again. At times I knew I wasn't grasping what was being said but on a whole I feel blessed for having read it.

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