Love Idol by Jennifer Dukes Lee

""We all want someone to think we’re sensational. We desire to be recognized, to be valued, to be respected. To be loved. Yet this natural yearning too often turns into an idol of one of God’s most precious gifts: love itself. If you, like so many of us, spend your time and energy trying to earn someone’s approval—at work, home, and church—all the while fearing that, at any moment, the facade will drop and everyone will see your hidden mess . . . then love may have become an idol in your life. In this poignant and hope-filled book, Jennifer Dukes Lee shares her own lifelong journey of learning to rely on the unconditional love of God. She gently invites us to make peace with our imperfections and to stop working overtime for a love that is already ours. Love Idol will help us dismantle what’s separating us from true connection with God and rediscover the astonishing joy of a life full of freedom in Christ.""

All too often I worry about what everyone thinks of me. I am afraid to mess up and have people look at me and think; "Wow, she is not the christian she claims to be." or "She is such a hypocrite.". Even now I struggle with my desire for the world's approval, the church's approval and my family's approval. I have become so consumed with the fear of losing that approval that I have become miserable.

I often saw other christians and thought: "I wish I had it as together as they do." I now realize I am the only one holding myself back. I am starting to truly long for God's approval because in the scope of eternity, His approval is all that matters. It is not an easy task. I still struggle with wanting approval from others and often wonder what is wrong with me. After reading Jennifer Dukes Lee's book, I realized I wasn't the only one struggling. I had thought I might give this book away after I was done reading it but I started underlining so many sentences and paragraphs in the book that I decided I might need this for future reference, like next week or tomorrow.

I will gladly lend this to anyone who desires to read it and we can pray for each other in this lifelong battle. Once I decided that I wasn't going to worry about what the world had to say I physically felt a weight lift off of me. There are moments when I feel it start to press down on me again and I have to immediately pray for God's help. Thank God! He is there when I need Him. I need only live for Him and not for anyone else. It is so freeing.

I have often thought of idols as physical things, like a person, tv, money, homes, or cars. But now I realize it can be anything we set our hearts on. Anything we desire more than God. Such as love. What's wrong with love? Nothing as long as it is a Godly love, a pure unconditional love not a worldly love which is conditional and based on our performance. We will never live up to human standards. Yes, God has higher standards but He is also much more forgiving. He loved us before we were us. Before He created the world. Before He sent His Son to die for us. In spite of all the sin in our lives, He loves us! Praise God He loves us. Regardless of our performance, He will always love us. Now isn't that the approval you would rather strive for?

Tyndale House Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for my honest review.

Twists and Turns: Short Stories About Strange Situations [Kindle Edition] Stephen Altrogge

""This collection of stories is entitled Twists and Turns: Short Stories About Strange Situations. These short stories are not Christian stories. In fact, they don’t even deal with Christian themes. Rather, these are short stories about strange situations, the kind of strange situations only my strange brain could come up with. What sorts of strange situations?

- The Marlboro Man gets a modern, updated image makeover.
- The real story of what happened to Edmund Pevensie.
- The woman who discovered that you can’t recall a hitman.
- The kid with the unstoppable karate move…which turned out not to be unstoppable.
- Martin Luther King Jr.’s other dream.
- And many more.

The book officially releases on Friday, May 9th.""

This is the first time that I have reviewed a Kindle release book written by a friend of a friend. I have read many of his devotional blogs and find them thought provoking and I am curious to get his other Kindle releases and check them out as they are Christian in topic. So when the chance came to read his newest, albeit fictional, release; I thought:  "Why not :)".  Given that I read books and give reviews on them, I figured I could help out here. Maybe encourage a few to check his stuff out.

As his descriptions states, these are short stories about strange situations. I enjoyed a few of them. I found the stories about subjects I could relate to, like Edmund Pevensie's story and the unstoppable karate move, amusing. I think The Poker Game was my favorite. About halfway through the story I figured out who the characters were and just started chuckling and looked forward to reading the outcome. Some, most of the sports based ones, I found a little dull. But I don't get sports, so that is on me. He definitely has a unique sense of humor and puts a twist on stories that I would never think of. 

To be honest, there were a few that made no sense to me whatsoever but I am sure others would enjoy them. This book has a good mix of stories for all reading tastes. I recieved this book from Stephen Altrogge for my unbiased review. Check out his devotionals here:    http://www.theblazingcenter.com/

Heart Wide Open

I haven't blogged in awhile, nor have I read very many books. I have let life consume me even though mine is slow and drab compared to many of my friends. I have been feeling overwhelmed by my lackluster walk with God. Feeling empty and wanting more. So I took a look at the  Blogging for Books website to see if there was a book that would catch my interest and maybe inspire me. I believe God led me there purposely. (It has been well over a year since I had visited there.) He led me to this book by Shellie Rushing Tomlinson called Heart Wide Open, Trading Mundane Faith For An Exuberant Life With Jesus.

Once I read the description of this book I knew I had to get it, if for no other reason but to jumpstart my flailing spirituality. Now I am hoping to inspire you to get it for yourself. Here is part of that description: As a Bible-believing churchgoer, author Shellie Tomlinson harbored a secret in her good-girl heart. She longed for something more than routine faith; she wanted to love God with a genuine, all-consuming passion. So she got honest with Him: “I admit it. I don’t love you like I should, but I want to love you. Help me!”  

It is exactly how I had been feeling lately. "God, I love you, but I don't love you like I should. And I want to want to. " The title of her first chapter;  "When All You Can Bring Him Is a Broken Want-To" is so fitting for me. (You can read the first chapter here: Read Chapter One) I know that this is a book I will read over and over again. I related to the author  a lot in this book. She gave examples of her own failures and also her victory in falling more in love with God. 

She also pointed out that this is NOT a one and done kind of "fix-it" book.  It is a present tense, ongoing adventure for life. "The more He answers these prayers, the more earnestly I petition Him for more. I ask God to give me more love for Jesus, more courage to go further, higher, and deeper. I want more hunger for His Word, more awareness of Him in my days, more faith through a growing obedience born out of gratitude, more of Him and less of me, and more love for those with me on the journey."

It is written in a "girlfriend to girlfriend" point of view, which was only a tad off-putting because I could think of a few men who might enjoy this book but might be a little wary of being called "Girlfriend". But if you can get past that I think everyone and any age can enjoy it. It would be a great book for new converts too. Especially since many might find a "fading" of joy after their initial conversion. But only because they don't know how to seek more of God, and how to get past the lies of the flesh telling us of our unworthiness to approach God.

In her final sub-section of the book, which is called "Chase Him Until He Catches You" she describes how she chased her husband while letting him think he was doing the chasing. She points out that we may have been acting on a whim when we picked out this book, but that it was no accident. "Whatever stimulated your interest, the yearning didn't originate with you. You're in God's cross hairs....What you're feeling is the Holy Spirit wooing you to the Father." I agree...it was no accident that I happened to go to that book blogging website and that this book happened to be available for reading. I was in God's cross hairs.

Thank you, Father :) I am ready to fall more in love with You,with Your help, of course.


I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this review. I did not have to post a positive review.

Draw the Circle by Mark Batterson

The 40 Day Prayer Challenge...This book was inspirational and convicting. I read through it quickly so that I could post a review on it but I know I need to read it again. I may even share this with my church's small group.

Last year my pastor had a short sermon on drawing circles. He even passed out a piece of chalk which I still have in my Bible. He talked about Mark Batterson's book The Circle Maker, which I have not read.  When I saw this book I felt drawn to read it and I am so glad I did.

My prayer life is lacking and I wasn't even sure how to go about it nor did I have the conviction to follow through with it. This book has inspired me to pray more, to pray more specifically, to pray better and to expect God's work.

The key words there are "God's work". I have to learn to discern what God wants to happen not what I want to happen. If it isn't God's will the answers will almost always be no.

This book is so easy to read and enjoyable. This is set up to be read over 40 days. Each day is meant to challenge the way we pray, what we pray for and how long we should pray. Which is, by the way,  for as long as it takes to get an answer. The back of the book asks:   " Do you pray as often and as boldly as you want to? There is a way to experience a deeper, more passionate, persistent, and intimate prayer life. "

This book contains many testimonies from faithful prayer warriors. It is meant to encourage us and give us a desire to become bolder in our prayers and experience growth in our faith. The prayers we are to pray are for God's glory not ours. They are to further His kingdom and to draw us and others closer to Him.

I definitely recommend this book. I wish I had read this book years ago.

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Reclaiming Your Heart by Denise Hildreth Jones

It was the description of this book that caught my eye. "Have you ever wondered where the abundant life Scripture promises is, and how you seem to have missed it? Do you ever catch yourself saying, “Those were the best years of my life?” A failed relationship, a health crisis, a job loss, the death of a loved one—all can cause us to hide out, go numb, give up. Before we even know it, we’re simply coping with life instead of living it to the fullest."

After reading the book I realized that I have been through periods in my life where I have  allowed my heart to shut down. Denise talks about 8 different types of hearts. I think I related to almost all of them. I realized that the reason I can't seem to get closer to God is because I have allowed anger, shame, disappointment and critical thinking close up my heart. I also realize that I will be on a life long process of reopening my heart. It will be a daily battle to keep emotion from shutting my heart up again.

There were times I felt a little bogged down in this book. Maybe it was a spiritual attack from the enemy, after all why would he want me to open up and get closer to God. I did enjoy reading the examples she provided. It's nice to know I am not alone in my struggles. I also feltl she used scripture from "the Message"  or "Amplified" versions a little too liberally although they fit nicely with the points she was making. I am old fashion and prefer NKJV or NIV.

Otherwise this book is a good read. There is a free 10 week downloadable study guide and it could make for a good small group discussion.

I received a complimentary copy through the Tyndale Blog Network in exchange for a review. I was not required to provide a positive review and all opinions are my own.

Homemade jewelry cleaner

A while back I was looking for a sterling silver cleaner for a few pieces of my jewelry. The store stuff reeks and is just nasty in general. Silver paste was just too much work for my tiny jewelry and for big pieces as well. So I searched the internet and found baking soda, aluminum foil and boiling water. It seemed too simple. I was doubtful but it was cheap, I had the ingredients and well, why not.

WOW!! It takes like 30 seconds, although you can leave it in for longer. My silver charms were so bright and silvery again.

So here I am months later and my gold jewelry cleaner is a bit watered down and not cleaning my wedding ring as well as it used to. I have gone to the store to price the cleaners and I just don't want to pay $5 or more. I wanted to make my own, less toxic cleaner.

Many recipes I saw had ammonia in it and dish detergent. I do not have ammonia on hand. I do remember it smelling awfully strong and "toxic".  Dish detergent worked ok but it still had some tarnish in the stone settings.

Other recipes I saw had a few extra ingredients to the homemade silver cleaner I found a few months back. In addition to the foil and baking soda and boiling water, they also called for salt and dish detergent. Well being lazy, I thought, why not just try the same recipe I used on my silver minus the salt and dish soap.

It works really well. My ring is so bright and sparkly and that tarnish in the setting is gone. Apparently it's silver but don't tell my hubby, he thinks silver is cheap. *eyeroll*

So from now on I will be using baking soda, foil and hot water to clean my jewelry. Everything I have read says it is safe on all metals and most jewelry. Obviously anything glued may come undone due to the boiled water. It says it is safe on pearls although I would think it would dry them out. So I would just continue to clean those with a barely damp cloth and buff them dry.

I love cheap and natural and I know some of my friends do as well. I just had to share my experience with this in case you have heard of it but doubted it. All you have to do is :

place a piece of aluminum foil in a bowl
place your jewelry on it
cover the jewelry with baking soda (enough to cover it, but I had shaky hands and dumped alot, oops)
pour boiling water over all that (enough to cover all of the jewelry)
wait 2 to 3 minutes
rinse and dry with a soft dry cloth

Try it..it's cheap and easy.

Here is a link for pearl care:  http://www.pearloasis.com/care.html

Grace by Max Lucado

Grace : More Than We Deserve  Greater Than We Imagine by Max Lucado


I don't think we really understand the word grace. I know I didn't. I thought of it as something you say before you eat, a pretty girl's name, an adjective describing someone's personality or ability to do something. What is grace? What can it do for us? Max goes into great detail in his book with typical Max style.

Grace happens in big and small ways everyday. Max's book is full of examples. He describes biblical examples such as Zacchaeus, the woman caught in adultery, and the ungrateful servant who went and threw a man into debtor's prison for a small debt owed right after the king forgave his enormous one. He also gives examples of modern day people. People like you and me going through things that we may be going through too. People like Victoria Ruvolo, the Amish in Pennsylvania whose daughters were killed by gunman Charles Carl Roberts, and Max Lucado himself who describes times when he was given grace by those around him and God.

On the back cover of this book several questions are asked: Have you been changed by grace? Shaped by grace? Strengthened by grace? Emboldened by grace? Softened by grace? and my favorite: Snatched by the nape of your neck and shaken to your senses by grace? Grace is God given and it never ends. It is abundant and overflowing according to several versions of 1 Timothy 1:14. It is sufficient for us, for in our weakness He is strong (2 Corinthians 12:9).

I really enjoyed this book and as an added bonus it has a discussion guide in back so that you can use it as a personal devotional or a group study. I always enjoy Max Lucado's books because he brings a unique God-given perspective to godly subjects. But the point in all of his books is this: God wants us. He is so desperate to have us in his family, to be with Him and fellowship with Him. He went to the extreme to give us a way to overcome the sin that separates us. To cleanse us from that sin, He sacrificed His son. Because of this cleansing, He floods us with love and grace. We only have to accept Him and He will fill us to overflowing until we are drenched in His love and mercy and grace.

One more point to make and it is this: If God is so very gracious to us, should we not be gracious to those around us? Whether they are deserving or not, because we certainly are not.

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

The Breakthrough by Jerry B. Jenkins

When I got this book I expected a good story and I got one. I had only intended to read a page or three a day so that I wouldn't finish it too early since I was instructed to wait to post my review until September 19th. Well, that didn't work. Once I started reading it I devoured it in 2 days. I could not put it down and was constantly on the edge of my seat.

So here I sit 3 weeks after finishing the book, finally posting my review.  It was good. It is part of a series and I felt a tad lost when it would reference his past stories but, that did not detract from the story.

Boone Drake is the main character and a newly appointed bureau chief.  After a series of unfortunate accidents (may have to read the first books to get the background and for more reading enjoyment) he is finally getting his life back on track. He is newly married to Haeley, adopted her son and most importantly rediscovered his faith.

But as in all good stories the poor hero must go through more trials. A kidnapping brings Boone to Beijing and into the world of human trafficking at a time when Haeley needs him the most. Boone relies on his skills and those of his fellow officers to remedy this situation before it's too late for the child.

Jerry B. Jenkins is a good story teller. He keeps you rivited from page to page. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys action stories. 

I received a complimentary copy through the Tyndale Blog Network in exchange for a review. I was not required to provide a positive review and all opinions are my own.

Bringing Up Girls by Dr. James Dobson

Girls have many challenges facing them these days. They are facing them at younger ages than generations before them. As parents how are we guiding them, equipping them to make wise choices. This is the ultimate guide to raising our daughters - written by a trusted family counselor, Dr. James Dobson.

I picked this book because I wanted to see what specific things  he would say about girls. I have read Dare to Discipline and The Strong Willed Child. I read those two books at a time when I felt that my 3 older children were handfuls. Let me just say now that years later my fourth makes her three older siblings look like easy and laid back children.

I was definitely impressed with the way he wrote this book and has current information which is relevant to the issues I am and will be dealing with. I should say "we", as I read many passages to my husband, who is not a reader, so that we could both implement Dr. Dobson's suggestions into our teachings.

I probably underlined half of the book. I needed to have places I could go back to, so that I could remember what was suggested for each situation I encounter with my youngest daughter. I would strongly suggest to anyone with a daughter to get this book and take his advice to heart. I know that with prayer and Dr. Dobson, I may just survive raising this last daughter and she may actually survive childhood and become an admirable and beautiful young lady.

Miracle for Jen by Linda Barrick

Miracle for Jen is an amazing true story about a family whose lives are changed when they are hit head on by a drunk driver. It is a story about their road to recovery and a deeper faith in God. Especially for 15 year old Jennifer who has a severe brain injury and the family is told she may not live through the night.

Her mother wants her daughter to be healed and whole again and begs God to make her normal. But God has another plan, one that involves answering Jen's journal prayers in a way that no one would ever imagine or ask for. When Jen finally wakes she can not remember anything or anyone but knows the words to many worship songs and scriptures. She can hardly form words except when she sings worship songs and prays to God.

This story is inspiring. It made me long for a deeper relationship with God. I was jealous for what Jen had even though I would never wish for the way it happened. Jen desired to be a bold witness for God before the accident but she was terribly shy. She often wrote in prayer journals asking God to give her a boldness and the words to say. She asked Him to change her life, to give her a testimony. God answered.

Sometimes we may not like the way things happen in life but God's ways are so much higher than ours. We don't see the future and what influence our struggles may have on someone else. We have the choice to gripe and complain or to praise and worship. We go through seemingly impossible and unfair things because He sees the greater purpose for us down the road. He loves the weak because His glory will be all the greater for that weakness.

God was able to use Jen to spread the gospel even if by our standards He didn't heal her completely. Jen often said in this story that God heals her everyday. He never stops healing. I want to say so much more about this story but that would give the whole book away. It is a must read.  It is a life changer if you allow it to be.

I received a complimentary copy through the Tyndale Blog Network in exchange for a review. I was not required to provide a positive review and all opinions are my own.

A really cute book.

A young polar bear asks her grandpa why we must love others, even the unlovable, when some otters disturb their quiet fishing trip. Grandpa tells her; "Anytime we show love, Little Cub, we're sharing a bit of His love."

This little book was cute. My daughter really liked it. It tells a story and demonstrates how we are a treasured gift from God. It also lets us know that we are to share the love that God gave us with others even if we don't think they deserve it.

There is not much else to say about this book without writing down the whole story for you.  The story was written so that the young can understand it. the illustrations are colorful and attractive.

One part I found hit home for me was when little cub tells her grandpa; "I love the otters. I just don't like them right now." There are many times we all feel that same way with the people in our lives.

We are to love everyone all the time. Even when it is difficult for us to do so. God gave us all kinds of love, such as the love between friends, spouses and siblings. But the greatest love He gave was from Himself. He gave us the sacrifice of His son, Jesus, so that we will never be separated from His love once we chose His gift to us.

I received this book for review from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishers and was not required to write a positive review.

Healing Is a Choice: 10 Decisions That Will Transform Your Life and 10 Lies That Can Prevent You From Making Them by Stephen Arterburn

"The power to heal-physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually-is in God's hands. But the choice to be healed is ours. Everyone, at some level, needs healing. In this book, Stephen Arterburn outlines ten choices crucial to receiving healing and ten lies that can prevent us from making them. Readers will find the wholeness God desires for them in a practical and prayerful way through this book."

I struggled to get through this book. Not that it wasn't good or relevant for so many people. I just didn't feel it was relevant for me.  He made many good points in this book through pointing out the truths and lies of healing. It did make me rethink many things, for example: the ninth big lie.. Until I am completely healed and strong, there is no place for me to serve God. We have a choice to serve regardless of what we are going through. We can let our "illness" work for God's glory or bring us down into misery.

Many of us go through life struggling with emotional and physical pain thinking God and I will work it out and when we really need to connect with someone to help us through it. We can connect with professional counselors, pastors, others who have gone through the same problems and have overcome them or a trusted friend or spouse. We need to avoid disconnecting ourselves and from relying solely on prayer and our own faith.

Galatians 6:2 " Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." (NIV) There are many out there gifted by God to help each individual with his or her problem. We need to connect with these people. God does not want us to struggle alone.


I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Eye of the Sword by Karyn Henley

Book overview:  Where angels walk the ground and the future is told in song, does a man of low rank have a chance at love with a princess?

In Camrithia, a land of shadows and mystical secrets, Trevin lives to serve King Laetham. But his heart belongs to the princess, Melaia. When the King sends Trevin on on a dangerous quest to find the missing comains—captains in the king’s army—he must leave Melaia to the advances of a swaggering Dregmoorian prince.

Challenged to prove his worth, Trevin throws himself into his quest. Striving to prove his love, Trevin undertakes a second mission—find the harps Melaia seeks in order to restore the stairway to heaven. Through fire caves, rogue winds, and murderous threats, Trevin remains steadfastly dedicated to his quest—even when he is falsely accused of a heinous crime. As Trevin’s time runs out, he realizes he must face the shame and horror of his own past and the nightmare that has come to life. Will he have the courage to finish what he has started?

I ordered this book because it sounded good, I lean toward fantasy genres because I find then fascinating. It is a second in a series and I was hesitant about that because, as often happens in these genres they expect you to pick this up having already read the first and anxious to find out what happens next. I didn't want to be "lost" not understanding the background of the previous book. Well, as I started to read it I thought to myself that the characters seem familiar and the towns sound like towns I had read about before, then by chapter 2, I realized that I did read the first book Breath of Angel back in April. http://ejamsmama.blogspot.com/2011/04/breath-of-angel-by-karyn-henley.html

So I dove in with an excitement to find out what happens next.  As to whether it would stand alone, ehh I'm not sure, I didn't remember all of the details of the first book and since my daughter spirited away my copy of it and I didn't feel like searching for my blog on that book at that time, I struggled to remember what had happened and had many "Oh yeah, that's right" moments.

It was a very good book and I finished it rather quickly and now I will be hanging on till the next book. I can't wait to find out what happens. Hopefully I will remember to be on the lookout for it. But then again if it's close to another year before that happens, I will probably forget...which reminds me I think there are a few other book series that I need to follow up on. :)

I received this book for review from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishers and was not required to write a positive review.

Heart of Ice by Lis Wiehl

In this third book of The Triple Threat Club series, crime reporter Cassidy Shaw, Federal prosecutor Allison Pierce and FBI agent Nicole Hedges meet Elizabeth Avery She seems to be a stunningly beautiful woman but under the surface lies an ice cold heart. She pretends to be Cassidy's newest  best friend all the while manipulating all those around her. She persuades an old classmate to commit a crime for her and even convinces a shy young man to kill for her.

As she quickly leaves behind a trail of dead bodies, the authorities struggle to put the clues together and solve the seemingly unrelated crimes. Will she be caught before she finishes her selfish crime spree?

I have mixed feelings about this book. As a crime novel it was good, but being a third in the series I felt a little lost with the 3 main characters. Their pasts were hinted at and it left me a little confused and therefore I could not relate to them as much as I would have liked to.  It did give great detail into the antagonist of the story.

It was lacking in a "godly" aspect, but crime isn't godly at all. The only character that had a presumed Christan belief was Allison, she is portrayed as having an avid prayer life. Cassidy is into holistic and "higher power" beliefs while Nicole had no such reliance on either beliefs. I was somewhat disappointed with that aspect although in "real life" that would probably be the case amongst any random group of friends.

All in all the book was interesting and was a fast read. If you are into crime novels this is a book I would recommend. I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Princess Stories by Carolyn Larsen

I picked this book for obvious reasons. One my 4 year old is obsessed with princesses and two I thought it would be a great book or her. I have not read it to her yet as she is visiting family at this time.

I enjoyed the way they told the stories of God's princesses from their point of view. The stories are not just about the good women of the Bible but also of the women on whom God and Jesus made a great impact and changed their lives. The ones who made wrong decisions until they met "the King" and turned their lives around.

I felt it was a great way for young girls to know that God loves them despite the choices they make and how He only wants for them to be His princess. It also showed how each woman was known for a particular strength given to them by God and used for His glory. For example:Rebekah is the helpful princess, Ruth is the loyal princess, Esther is the daring princess, and Mary(Martha's sister) is the listening princess. Those are just a few examples.

So this book teaches a lesson about each characteristic through the example of each "princess" in the Bible. Not just the Disney version of princesses. I cannot wait to read these stories to my daughter and wish I had this book when my older girls were younger.

I received a complimentary copy of Princess Stories by Carolyn Larsen through the Tyndale Blog Network in exchange for a review. I was not required to provide a positive review and all opinions are my own.

The Fourth Fisherman by Joe Kissack

This is an inspirational story of how three Mexican fishermen survived nine months at sea and ended up over 5000 miles from home. How they were sustained on rainwater, raw fish and the Bible. It is also a story of how Joe Kissack, a wealthy Hollywood executive, found God after depression and addictions bring his life crashing down around him and puts his career on hold.

But it doesn't just stop with Joe finding God. He embarks on a journey to discover what God wants him to do with his life and the story of the Mexican fishermen. Even though his wife has always prayed for a godly man, his pursuit of this story nearly bankrupts them and ruins their marriage. But as Joe prays more for God's direction he realizes that God wants him to be just as responsible for his marriage and family.

This story is about faith and hope. It is about a journey that we all take in one way or another. How we are just as lost, adrift in life, as those fishermen were. We are all in peril and we can all find our lifeline in God and His word, just as Joe and the fishermen did.

I really enjoyed this story told by Joe Kissack. It is his true story as well as the true story of the fishermen. It made me realize that although we may see those in Hollywood and think: "Look at them, they have it all", he was actually worse off than the poor fishermen from Mexico. We think that we need to have "just a little bit more". The more we pursue that "something more", the more lost we become. We start to fear losing what we do have and sometimes we need to so that we can rely on God more. He has promised to take care of all our needs. What more should we ask for?

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

Nativity

I was looking for an image of the Nativity to use as a background on my desktop today. There was a lot to choose from. But I am very picky about my pictures. And I read an interesting blog on someone else's opinion of the Nativity's portrayal. I had to agree.

Many artists, well intentioned to be sure, show Christ's birthplace as glamorous and holy, with beams of light, glow in the dark infants and halos over Mary's serene face. But I think maybe someone should paint a more realistic representation.

After all it was essentially a barn in a very busy town. I am sure, as one blogger pointed out, that there was poo everywhere. Just a tad dirty. Now maybe Mary swept up a small area for them to sleep in and for her to give birth in. But more on that later. Maybe the animals were attentive, maybe not. I am sure they were aware that their Creator was there but I doubt they were sitting around in awe and reverence. I am sure the Bible would have mentioned that, since God made it a point to tell us that the rocks and trees would praise Him if we ceased to. And He tells us of when Balaam's donkey talked.

The paintings often have chubby cherubs floating overhead, in beams of light. The Bible says that the angels appeared to the shepherds in the fields. It also points out the these men were afraid. I'm sorry but floating babies would not scare me, concern me yes, but not scare me. Could you imagine seeing a short, chubby, baby in the air saying "do not be afraid..."? I might start laughing at that point hearing a baby voice speak to me. I imagine that the angels were fierce looking warriors, hence the reason for the "do not be afraid..".

As for the star, I do not think it was a big bright light shining down on Jesus like a spot light or some tractor beam. And it doesn't even really show up until the wise men are led by it. And they didn't show up for possibly two years after the birth. And Jesus may have been a pale baby, as most are after birth, but I doubt He was lit up like a lite brite toy. And any responsible mother, no matter how young, would have had him wrapped up(as the scriptures say he was) and not laying naked and exposed to whatever the weather may have been at that time.

Now to Mary; she was young, as young as 15 or 16. This was her first baby. She had to have been terrified. She had no family other than Joseph. They were in a strange city and she is due. And now they have to sleep in a barn with smelly animals. I don't know if Mary was obsessive compulsive or not, but every new mother wants a nice, clean place to have a baby. So I think she may have had some time to clean a spot but not much bigger and definitely not the whole place(like I would have wanted to do). She may have been happy after the birth but I am sure she was exhausted and still a little frightened. I was at the birth of my first. I can't imagine it was easy for her and I doubt she glowed as she is often portrayed. She was probably laying down too.

I did find a picture I liked without spending all day looking at the thousands that I am sure are posted online. I am not trying to down play Jesus' birth and say it should not be honored. It was a precious gift given to us from God, who loves us very, very much. But it was more real than just a "pretty picture". I could go on and on about what it may have really been like. How can we relate if it was all glowy and serene and clean. Jesus lived life as we do and so He understands us. He was born and lived in a humble way. So that He can relate to even the poorest of us.

Now it is up to us to accept that "gift" no matter how it was wrapped. Because it truly is the greatest gift ever given to us. To all of us no matter what we have done in life.

 Merry Christmas to all and Happy Birthday Jesus.

The Future Door by Jason Lethcoe

Living next to Sherlock Holmes can be a struggle for a budding detective. But when Holmes goes into retirement someone is needed to step in. Thirteen year old Griffin Sharpe is just the person, with the help of his uncle, Rupert Snodgrass, a brilliant inventor.


When Rupert's time travel device is stolen by the Moriarty's they watch the future unravel around them. They are now in a race to recover the machine and undo the damage done by the Moriarty's. Will Griffin's faith in God and his inventive thinking be enough to save their future and London?


I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I want to describe it as cute but not in a cuddly sort of way. I really loved the characters of this book and enjoyed the way the author put God in this book through Griffin's faith. This is a good book for young readers as well as their parents. My eighteen year old wants to read it only because she loves Sherlock Holmes and anything related to him.


This book is the second in a series and I may find the first one and read it too. I want to see how Griffin's relationship developed in the beginning, how God worked on Rupert's heart to mellow him. The second book stands independently and you don't have to read the first to understand what's going on in the second.


I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

The Drgons of Chiril by Donita K. Paul

For years Tipper has been caring for her family's estate after her father's disappearance. As finances dwindle she is forced to sell off his artwork. Then she learns that three of his sculptures are an ancient foundation. She must set out on an adventurous quest to reunite the three statues before their world, as they know it, crumbles around them.

Joining her is: a young artist who wishes to learn from her father, a handsome dragon keeper prince, a wizard and his librarian and a giant parrot, who was given charge over Tipper before her father disappeared. The wizard and the librarian try to teach the others about Wulder's love and grace along the way. They encounter evil and learn to conquer it in order to reclaim the statues.

This book was a little slow at first but then as they set off for their quest the story picked up. Each of the characters were unique and lovable. I enjoyed the dragons the most. I didn't find myself relating exclusively to any of the characters as I sometimes do in books, but I still enjoyed reading this adventure.

I enjoyed the way the author portrayed God in her descriptions of "Wulder". She interpreted the scripture into poetic tomes. But I could clearly tell she was paraphrasing from scripture. In the story one o the travelers realizes he is to be Wulder's Paladin and he then must spread the good news of Wulder and teach the people of this country of Wulder's love for them.

I told my daughter about this book and she is now interested in reading it too. I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent

This is a story about Colton Burpo who went to Heaven during a life saving operation. When he came out of surgery he was screaming for his dad. When the nurses located him and took him to see his son, Colton told him that he almost died. He told him that he had seen the doctors working on him and had seen him praying in another room by himself. This blew Todd Burpo away.

Over the next few years Colton would describe visiting with Jesus and meeting his stillborn sister and his Pop. He would describe heaven and people he saw there. He would describe feelings in heaven, like Jesus' great love for the children and the beauty of His eyes.

I was impressed with the story and the fact that Colton's parents,Todd and Sonja, never pushed for descriptions. They would wait for him to say something and then question him without asking leading  questions. They never considered jumping on the story and making it a book sooner.

It definitely makes me think more of heaven and if it is really as he describes it.  It is very well written and it gives you insight into the pastor and his family as well. That no one is promised an easy road but that God will walk it with us.


I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.