DVD Review - Buck Denver Asks.... *AND GIVEAWAY!*

I have been given an opportunity to watch and review a DVD of Buck Denver asks... What's in the Bible? Jesus is the Good News! (Vol. 10) My children have all been big fans of Veggie Tales, and while I've never watched this volume of videos, I determined that it surely would be every bit as good as Veggie Tales. I was right.

What I love about these videos is that it's relevant for children but also fun for adults. There are little comical bits that made me chuckle, and the video was educational yet fun for children.

Episode 1 covers the 400 years between the Old Testament and the New, and is entitled "God's Perfect Timing". Episode 2 teaches about Jesus and is entitled "The Messiah Has Come!" I felt that each video was appropriately timed to hold children's interest and seemed to present the story completely and with an entertaining quality.

The use of puppets, an adult actor (Phil Vischer himself) answering questions, and music was all very well intertwined. The mesh of them didn't seem corny, which is a problem that I sometimes find with children's Bible videos.

I plan on using this in my home and will recommend it to my church youth ministries!

DVD Description: In the Gospels, we get up close and personal with the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus, learning about our place in the kingdom of God along the way. Jesus is the Good News! [Matthew, Mark, Luke & John] covers the 400 years between the Old Testament and the New Testament before digging in to the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. We walk with Jesus and his closest friends as he delivers the Sermon on the Mount, feeds 5,000, breaks bread at the Last Supper, and gives His life for our sins before God raises Him from the dead. Jesus shows us firsthand what life in the kingdom of God is like – and invites us all to be a part of it!
ASIN: B00BBJ63IM

Run time: Approximately 60 minutes

GIVEAWAY!!

About the movie:

Volume 10: Jesus Is the Good News! / Run time: Approx 66 min

Let VeggieTales creator Phil Vischer and a bunch of hilarious new friends explain the entire Bible to your kids in this groundbreaking fast-paced and fun-filled DVD series. Includes TWO 25 minute episodes: God’s Perfect Timing - Buck Denver and crew learn about the 400 years between the Old and New Testaments and how Jesus arrives at just the perfect time & The Messiah Has Come! - Learn about the life and ministry of Jesus-how He died for us and rose again to launch the kingdom of God in the world and in us!

Check out the official website here!

Check out and share the trailer here!

a Rafflecopter giveaway "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.”

Blood Moons Rising - A Tyndale Blog Review

Blood Moons Rising: Bible Prophecy, Israel, and the Four Blood Moons is a book written by Mark Hitchcock.

Mark Hitchcock has, like many other end-times writers lately, taken a stance on how he feels about the four blood moons looming.

Book Description
Has the final countdown to the end days begun? Are the heavens telling us we are nearing the end? Astronomers have noticed it is coming. Historians have noted its significance. In 2014 and 2015, there will be a phenomenon in the skies of four blood moons falling during Jewish feasts. This has only happened three times in recorded history: 1493-94, 1949-50 and 1967-68. Each time these dates have had extraordinary significance for the Israelites. From the discovery of the New World to the creation of modern-day Israel, these years of the four blood moons have truly been turning points in history. Bible prophecy describes the moon being darkened and turned to blood. What is the significance of these signs in the skies? What will the future bring? Prophecy expert Mark Hitchcock guides you through the relevant Bible passages so you can understand the times in which you live.

My Thoughts
I love a good look at prophecy, especially when it correlates with current events. I think most people are interested in the four blood moons that are taking place this year and next. This is the last blood moon tetrad that is to occur during this century. Hitchcock shares in his book how previous tetrads have occurred during Jewish feast days and how significant things happened to the Jewish state of Israel during those blood moon years.

Specifically of interest, Hitchcock lists ten signs that are the biblical framework that serve as true signs of the times.

Hitchcock devotes a lot of his book to talking about John Hagee's book Four Blood Moons. He believes, unlike Hagee, that the 2014-15 tetrad is not a sign of the Lord's soon return but instead, like previous tetrads, will earmark important events that will take place in Israel's history. Hitchcock defends his stance with scripture, showing how Hagee's theory holds no water and is sensationalist at best. It is obvious that Hitchcock has spent a lot of time doing his own research and comparing his findings to Hagee's theory. Hitchcock's findings are quite convincing, and his proof that Hagee and others like him have taken scripture out of context in order to support their theories on the blood moons.

Basically, to sum up, Hitchcock's book is revolved around explaining the blood moons, looking at the history of the previous tetrads, sharing scripture about the tetrads, and debunking sensationalist theories regarding the 2014-15 tetrad. It was a very fascinating read, and I appreciated the effort he put forth in explaining and his common sense approach to pointing folks to scripture instead of to theory!

About the Author
Attorney Mark Hitchcock thought his career was set after graduating from law school in 1984 and getting a job working with a judge at the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. But after what Mark calls a "clear call to full-time ministry," he changed course and went to Dallas Theological Seminary, completing a master's degree in 1991 and a doctoral degree in 2006. Since 1991 Mark has served as senior pastor of Faith Bible Church in Edmond, Oklahoma. He has authored 15 books related to end-time Bible prophecy and was the contributing editor for the Internet-based Left Behind Prophecy Club for four years. Mark and his wife, Cheryl, live in Edmond with their two sons, Justin and Samuel.

I am a member of Tyndale Blog Network, a fabulous website that sends free books to read and keep if you write a review for your blog and for a major retailer (such as Amazon or Barnes & Noble). Tyndale Blog Network is through Tyndale House Publishers.

Giveaway!!

UPDATE!! Congratulations to Joy H. in winning the giveaway!! You'll be receiving an email from me shortly about getting your copy of The Blessed Church. Congratulations!!

I'm giving away a free, hardcover copy of The Blessed Church by Robert Morris. If you're interested in winning a copy of this book, you can enter below on a daily basis. This giveaway will end on 11/27, so enter quickly!

Whether you are a pastor, a volunteer, or a church member, you want your church to grow well. After all, there’s no better place to experience God than in the loving, healthy community of a church. But what does an effective church look like? Is it possible to grow and be healthy at the same time? 

Pastor Robert Morris has experienced firsthand the spiritual and relational excitement of a growing, dynamic church. In The Blessed Church, Pastor Morris brings you practical wisdom for cultivating real growth by nurturing true and Biblical health in your spiritual community. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Blessed Church - a Waterbrook Multnomah Review

Everyone is curious to know the secrets for church growth. All churches go through valleys and peaks, and Robert Morris' book The Blessed Church: The Simple Secret to Growing the Church You Love gives some tips for church growth--not just in the numbers sense but in the wisdom, knowledge, and experience sense.

As I read the book, I felt like it could greatly benefit those who are newly called to preach and for those who are newly pastoring. It also would be beneficial for pastors who have found themselves in a funk or who are discouraged by a stagnated fellowship or a drop in membership and/or attendance.

At first I felt a little skepticism, because Morris' own church is a large church. We're talking thousands of attendees and members, multiple church services, and church BRANCHES. Yes, I said BRANCHES. That, to me, is remarkable. In a day where we find that some large churches tote the prosperity gospel line, I found myself starting out this book a little biased and definitely looking for signs that this church might be one of them. I'm ashamed to say that, but I also believe that we also have to be cautious in what we read.

Upon further reading of this book, I found several nuggets of great advice and truth. I'm a big staunch supporter of those in leadership positions being leaders. Notice I said leaders--not kowtowing slaves or hard-nosed dictators. There's a middle ground there that is hard to stand on, yet a pastor (or Sunday school teacher, or prayer warrior, or choir leader, etc.) should try to maintain that. Anyone in church leadership should be willing to listen, to delegate authority when needed, and jump in there when work needs to be done.

Some things that I wrote down that I found relevant to me and to those I know were these:

• What frustrates you is probably what God has ordained your ministry to be. Aha!! Brilliant! I definitely could see that possibility. (this from Chapter 6)
• Write a vision for your church so that the body knows what the goals of the church are. (chapter 10) I think a lot of times, we just are focused on having church: worshiping, listening to the preaching, going to Bible study, that we fail to think about a vision of where we're hoping to head in the future.
• Pastors need to delegate. Exodus 18:13-23 was shared, in which Jethro gave Moses advice on delegating authority to other men so that Moses was not spending from daylight till dark in hearing the needs of the people. "Otherwise, you and your associates will all fall prey to burnout, which, in turn, eventually leads to what I call the prayer of the burned-out pastor." WOW!! How many times have you seen the same people doing everything? Often, this is a situation where there's not enough delegation happening. (Though sometimes it's as a result of there not being enough willing to do the work!) Too often there's an individual who doesn't trust someone (or "someones") to help do the job because they think it won't get done properly. This, like Morris iterated, causes burnout and oftentimes bitterness on the part of the person doing it all, and sometimes on those who would like to help but who are turned down.

I really enjoyed this book, and I found a lot of good suggestions for growing the church. I think that God doesn't necessarily want every church to be a thousand-plus church membership, but He wants us to remain busy and excited and goal-oriented.

 
I received The Blessed Church as a complimentary gift in exchange for review from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers. My comments and opinions are my own.

Israel at War - a Tyndale review

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a history fan. I also have, in the last few years, developed an interest in world events centered around the Middle East and how it relates to Biblical history. So when I had the opportunity to read and review Joel C. Rosenberg's Israel at War: Inside the Nuclear Showdown with Iran, I snagged the opportunity. This book was a play-by-play account of what is now happening.

Benjamin Netanyahu the current Prime Minister of Israel as reported in Joel's book, has increasingly felt the burden to protect his people from threats from those who see Israel as a threat. Joel has had opportunity to work with and interview Netanyahu, and he reports the state of the issue with Israel and its future. Joel also reminds his readers of previous history and how that history affects the current day and the future.

I really enjoyed reading this account. I also appreciated Joel's reflection on a portion of the Netanyahu family that I did not know--the fact that they have personal Bible studies on the Sabbath.

About Joel

Joel C. Rosenberg is the New York Times best-selling author of six novels – The Last Jihad, The Last Days, The Ezekiel Option, The Copper Scroll, Dead Heat, The Twelfth Imam, The Tehran Initiative – and three non-fiction books, Epicenter ,Inside the Revolution, and Implosion with more than two million total copies in print. The Ezekiel Option was named by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association as the Gold Medallion winner of the "Best Novel of 2006." Joel is the producer of two documentary films based on his non-fiction books. He is also the founder of The Joshua Fund, a non-profit educational and charitable organization to mobilize Christians to "bless Israel and her neighbors in the name of Jesus" with food, clothing, medical supplies and other humanitarian relief.

I am a member of Tyndale Blog Network, a fabulous website that sends free books to read and keep if you write a review for your blog and for a major retailer (such as Amazon or Barnes & Noble). Tyndale Blog Network is through Tyndale House Publishers.

When to Speak Up & When to Shut Up - a Baker Publishing Group Review

How often have we had something to say and realllllly wanted to say it but worried that it might not be the right thing to say? In When To Speak Up and When to Shut Up, author Dr. Michael D. Sedler addresses this type of problem and others.

The Bible says in Proverbs 21:23, "Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles." It's easy to say that until we get into a situation at work, among difficult family members, when someone cuts you off in traffic. It's easy to spout something off when we're in that emotional moment. 

More appropriate verses from the Bible (just a few of my favorites):
Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.

Proverbs 34:13 Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.
Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.
Titus 3:2 To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men. 
Matthew 15:11 Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.
James 1:19-20 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

In his book, Dr. Sedler covers the cost and purpose of silence, asking good questions (because we can all do this in a bad way at times), dealing with anger and resentment, and taking a stand when it's appropriate. He weaves in Bible examples and personal examples of situations to illustrate his points.

I found this book helpful in many ways. For myself, I have a problem with wanting to rise to defense when my silence would be the best way to go. Facebook is one place where I often want to speak up, and I have learned that many times, it's best to shut up and pray.

Some of my favorite quotes from Dr. Sedler's book:

•  "Silence may allow the truth to come forth on its own. . . . When you are in a situation . . . take a deep breath, pray an extra prayer and make sure you are not 'bullied' to speak out. Your silence will probably be of greater impact that an emotional outburst."
• When coming into contact with someone who is angry at us: "1) Listen. Be sure to hear what your antagonist is saying. 2) Clarify. Ask the person to clarify any areas that are unclear. 3)Exhaust the list of complaints or concerns. . . . ask if there are other issues. Do not begin to defend yourself at this point. 4) Ask for suggestions. Allow the person to give as much input as possible about solutions to the problem presented. DON'T: 1) Don't become self-protective. 2) Don't own problems that belong to others. 3) Don't argue."
• "Instead of attacking one another, we need to attack the problem."
• "Silence. Speaking up. Both change destinies. When we use these tools inappropriately, we can do great harm. And when we use them as God intended, we can change our world for the better."

I think anyone who is alive should read this book! It has some great suggestions for speaking up and remaining silent at the appropriate times. 

I received When to Speak Up & When to Shut Up, a book published by Chosen Books, from Baker Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review. I was not paid for my review.

Praying With the Grain - a Kregel Review

Praying With the Grain by Pablo Martinez is a fascinating read! As you can see, the subtitle says, "How your personality affects the way you pray". It uses Carl Jung's psychological types to show how individuals with those typologies tend to pray. As a psychology junky, this greatly snagged my attention, and it was a book I just had to read. If you're familiar with the Myers Briggs personality test, then you know what I'm talking about. If you're not familiar with what this is but you've seen or heard people say, "I'm a ESFP" or "I'm an INTJ" (or something similar), then you're one step closer to knowing how this book relates.

This book is a short read--at 175 pages, including Notes--and was so interesting to me that it was read in just a little over an hour. Prayer is the focus of this book, and more specifically, how our personalities define how and where and with what frequency we pray. If we're more interested in being alone to pray, whether we are encouraged by praying in groups, etc.

The first portion of the book (Part I) talks about the eight groups of personalities (based on Sensation, Intuition, Thinking, and Feeling) and what their good points and bad points are. The author also mentions several famous people (including some Biblical familiars) who may have endowed those personality types.

The second portion of the book discusses overcoming problems with praying. We all have our hangups when it comes to praying; sometimes even getting started can be a problem for some. Maybe it's hard to pray aloud, maybe during prayer it's easy to get distracted, or maybe God seems far away. No matter what the problem, the author gives some suggestions for overcoming individual difficulties with prayer.

The last section deals with the value of prayer to the individual--a way to develop a strong relationship to God so that prayer life can be rich and fulfilling. Here's a portion of that section that particularly drew me in and made me think of scripture:

We cannot limit the concept of prayer to words, no matter how important the words may seem. Talking with God is only one of the dimensions of this dialogue. . . . There exists an unspoken language: the language of intention, of desire, of the heart. We see this very thing in daily life. The husband - or vice versa - can transmit much to his wife even if he speaks very little, because there is a type of dialogue that is non-verbal, that involves gestures of tenderness, a loving look, positive attitudes, a dialogue whose rich shades and dimensions escape the realm of words. So we cannot impoverish prayer, limiting it exclusively to verbal communication.

That portion brought to my mind the verse in Romans 8:26 that says, "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered." Sometimes there are times in prayer when we just can't find the words to speak what's in our hearts. When grief assaults or there's a need so large that you just can't find the words to accurately portray what we really need God to hear, the Holy Spirit takes charge and reveals to God the essence of our need.

At the end of Part I is a Question and Answer section. Part II covers two chapters: Is prayer a psychological illusion and are all prayers alike--comparing Christian prayer to Eastern prayer.

Now, I know you might wonder what my own personality type is. Well, from what I can gather, my closest guess is ISFJ, which stands for Introverted, Sensing, Feeling, Judging (or Introverted-Sensing in Jung's way of analysis). While I'm definitely Introverted, I am barely "Sensing"--the difference between my Sensing and Intuitive scores only vary by 3%, and my score difference between Feeling and Thinking was only 5%. I'm glad that I'm able to have a pretty close balance with those two portions of the personality types.

And how does my personality type affect my prayer life? Well, I'll let you figure that out. :D I love this book!

I received Praying With the Grain as a complimentary gift in exchange for review from Kregel Blog Tours. My comments and opinions are my own.

Heaven in Her Arms - a BookSneeze review

Heaven in Her Arms: Why God Chose Mary to Raise His Son and What it Means for You is a new non-fiction book by Catherine Hickem, who (from her website) is a "speaker, author, coach, and relationship expert." I've reviewed another of her books--Regret Free Parenting--so when I saw she had another one out with emphasis on Mary, my curiosity was piqued.

Heaven in Her Arms uses Mary as an example for all of the fears and emotions that we as mothers go through. Chapter focuses include (but are not limited to): God looks at the heart, embracing fears, coming to God during times of need, reaching out for help and encouragement, having faith, praise, letting go, and trusting.

Catherine states in the prologue that God could have chosen anyone to carry and give birth to His Son, but He chose Mary. Why Mary? She was from the contemptible Galilean town called Nazareth, you know. God saw something uniquely special about her. Her faith must have been strong, she obviously must have trusted the Lord with her heart and leaned on Him for understanding. And just as God chose Mary to carry and nurture His Son, He also chooses us to carry our own and love them into His kingdom.

We as mothers struggle with a lot during our parenting years. Catherine reaches out to mothers who face insecurities, fears, and trust issues.

The book concludes with a study guide that you can use with your church women's group or in a book discussion setting.

If you're a mom, or striving to be a mom someday, this book will encourage your heart.

This book is due for release on April 17.

I am a member of BookSneeze, a fabulous program through Thomas Nelson. BookSneeze sends members free books to read and keep in exchange for written reviews on a blog and on a major retailer's website (such as Amazon or Barnes & Noble).

Unveiling the Kings of Israel - a Creation Conversations Review

If you love the Bible or have a fascination with archaeological history, this is the book for you. Young or old, this book will be sure to please. Unveiling the Kings of Israel by David Down is a hardback book with 170 pages filled with colorful pictures and chock full of information. Published by Master Books, this book will give you a correct recorded history of Biblical records.

I was anxious to get this book because my husband and I are both fascinated by history and Biblical history. My children enjoy learning about the Bible, and what better way to teach history and Bible knowledge at the same time? This is an excellent resource for a homeschool, a Sunday school, a church library or simply to have at your home.

Unveiling the Kings of Israel proves that there is Biblical evidence to support the Holy scriptures. We have proof that the Exodus occurred, proof of Kings David and Solomon, and many other proofs are displayed in this book. Inside you will find a map of modern-day Israel; pictures of Biblical landmarks such as the River Jabbok where Jacob prayed, Petra ruins and tombs carved into the stone walls, and Mount Sinai, to name a few; a diagram of Solomon's Temple; and information from Jewish historian Flavius Josephus.

At this link, you'll find a preview of the book with index included.





I received Unveiling the Kings of Israel as a complimentary gift in exchange for review from New Leaf Publishing Group. My opinions are my own.

Not My Decision

I sat down to write a blog for the ChristianWriters.com September blog, but this came out instead. I'm not a poet by any stretch, but it encapsulates my inner battle while dealing with costochondritis for the last (almost) seven months. These are my thoughts just put down--they're not meant for publishing.

Not My Decision

I sit alone in a prison
Not made by me
It was not my decision.

Aching body, jaw clenched

I wait alone in a prison
Not made by me
It was not my decision.

In a crowd, with smile pasted

I walk alone in a prison
Not made by me
It was not my decision.

Holding His Book, the tears flow

I read alone in a prison
Not made by me
It was not my decision.

Before the throne, I make my plea
To make my leave

To never be alone in a prison
Not made by me, for
It was not my decision.

His eyes gaze into mine
He takes my hand

To guide me from my prison
Not made by me, and
It was His decision.

Lazarus Awakening - a LitFuse review

Lazarus Awakening, written by Joanna Weaver, is an amazing book. The premise of the book centers around Lazarus' resurrection, but weaves tidbits here and there about OUR awakening. Lazarus Awakening includes a 10-week Bible study that would be good for the individual or for a group.

The thoughts that Joanna has put into this book is profound. She makes some excellent points that really moved me. In particular, this quote from page 81 was one that spoke to me:

"Where have you laid him?" Jesus asked Martha and Mary through His tears (John 11:34).
"Come and see, Lord," they replied. Then together they went to Lazarus's tomb.
Oh how I wish we could grasp the immensity and emotion of this tender exchange and what it means for us today.
Where have you laid your pain? Jesus asks us tenderly. Where do you keep all your shattered hopes and dreams? Where have you laid the part of you that died when you failed or were abandoned, forgotten, betrayed? Where are you entombed and enslaved, hemmed in, shut down, and closed off?
Come and see, Lord.
That's the only response we need to give. Come and see.

I highly recommend this book for women who are in need of some "awakening". I imagine we all could use some of that whether we realize it or not! I deem this book....

If you're interested in reading more reviews about this book, click {here}!

About Joanna:
Joanna Weaver is known the world over for her transparent and life-changing books, Having A Mary Heart in a Martha World and Having a Mary Spirit. These two books have sold over a million copies and have been translated into several languages including Spanish, French, Dutch, Chinese, German, Korean and more. Joanna has appeared on a wide variety of nationally syndicated radio and television broadcasts. Past appearances include: The Harvest Show, At Home Live With Chuck & Jenni, Midday Connection, HomeWord, and Janet Parschall’s America . She is also a highly sought after speaker and shares her message at intimate gatherings and several high profile events each year. But Joanna's greatest joy is found in being a wife and mother and her role as a pastor’s wife. For more information about Joanna, please visit her website. www.joannaweaverbooks.com.

Link to buy the book: http://www.amazon.com/Lazarus-Awakening-Finding-Place-Heart/dp/0307444961/ref=sprightly-20

About the giveaway:

Joanna is celebrating the release of Lazarus Awakening with the Heart of God KINDLE Giveaway!

In Lazarus Awakening Joanna writes about getting God’s love from our heads to our hearts. We all know Jesus loved Mary – look how she worshiped. And we can understand why He loved Martha – after all, look how she served. But what about those of us who don’t know where we fit in the heart of God? Lazarus Awakening explores the tale of the third follower – Mary and Martha’s brother, Lazarus. We never hear him speak, we never see him serve. The only thing of any significance that Lazarus did was to die. And yet, the Bible is clear. Jesus loved Lazarus. And He loves you and me as well. Lazarus Awakening looks at different aspects of the story we find in John 11. We learn what it means to be a friend of God and begin recognizing the tombs we spend far too much time in. Find out more here.

One grand prize winner will receive:

• * A Brand New KINDLE with Wi-Fi
• * Having A Mary Heart in a Martha World
• * Having A Mary Spirit
• * Lazarus Awakening

Joanna will also select two additional contest entrants to receive copies of her trilogy. Enter soon by clicking the icons below (you’ll find these in the attached html code document) and then tell your friends. Hurry the contest ends April 16th. The winner will be announced on Joanna's blog on April 18th.

I received Lazarus Awakening as a complimentary gift in exchange for review from Litfuse Publicity Group.

Made to Crave - a Litfuse review

Made to Crave, written by Lysa TerKeurst, hit me in the gut (pun intended). The very things that she talked about in her book left me nodding my head quite a bit. It was almost as if she were writing her book about ME!

In essence, this book is not a how-to for weight loss. You won't find a weight loss program here, so if that's what you're looking for, go somewhere else. What you WILL find here is Lysa's opinion on why many people have problem with being overweight. We're "made to crave" God, not food. Instead of eating to survive, we survive to eat. And that was not God's desire for us--His will for us is that we'd crave him, that we get our deepest desires and our satisfaction from fellowship with Him instead of turning to a candy bar for that "ahhh" moment.

It didn't take me long to relate to this book. I think it was Chapter 2 that the tears began to start, because I could relate to what she was saying. I highly recommend this book to any "Jesus girl" who fights to stay thin (or lose weight). If you're like me and you've tried every diet known to man, you know what you SHOULD eat, try reading this book. Ultimately, your will to do better will be what eventually motivates you to eat healthier, but this may be the catalyst to get you moving that direction. As the book's subtitle says, "Satisfying your deepest desire with God, not food"--that's what this book is about.

Win a brand new KINDLE from Lysa Terkeurst during the Made To Crave KINDLE Giveaway!

To celebrate the release of Made to Crave and the MTC Small Group DVD Study Set, Lysa is giving away a KINDLE prize package worth over $175.00! To enter just click on the image on the right side of my blog! One winner will receive:

• A brand new Kindle with Wi-Fi & the New E Ink Pearl Screen
• KINDLE editions of Lysa’s Made to Crave and Becoming More Than A Good Girl

But, wait there is more!

Lysa will be announcing the winner of the Made to Crave KINDLE Giveaway on February 8th during the Made To Crave Party on Facebook!

During the party Lysa will chat with guests, host a trivia contest or two, and give away lots of other fun prizes (copies of Lysa’s other books and Amazon.com, iTunes & Starbucks gift certificates) – including a live Author Chat with Lysa for your small group!

Don’t miss the fun! Lysa is looking forward to learning more about you – so be sure to stop by Lysa's Facebook Author Page on February 8th at 5:00 PM PST (6 PM MST, 7 PM CST, & 8 PM EST).

The giveaway has now ended. About Lysa: Lysa TerKeurst is an author and speaker who helps everyday women live an adventure of faith through following Jesus Christ. As president of Proverbs 31 Ministries, Lysa has led thousands to make their walk with God an invigorating journey.

Lysa wrote the book Made to Crave from the perspective of a woman who has never craved a carrot stick in her whole life. Having struggled with her weight her whole adult life, Lysa knows what it feels like to be in the vicious cycle of gaining and losing, but never feeling at peace in her struggle. Everything changed when Lysa decided to have her deepest desire met by God not food. Now, armed with the spiritual motivation she gained in her own journey, she is inspiring others to find lasting victory.

As a nationally known speaker, Lysa has been passionately teaching women God’s truths for years. Lysa’s personal adventures of following God led to appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Good Morning America, The 700 Club, USA Today newspaper, Woman’s Day magazine, and Focus on the Family radio.

Today, Lysa and her ministry team at Proverbs 31 Ministries encourage more than 375,000 women through their daily online devotional. In addition, she co-hosts a 1-minute inspirational radio program aired on more than 1,200 stations around the world. Plus, she touches hearts through their monthly magazine, P31 Woman. Lysa’s blog averages over 70,000 avid readers per month. She is the award-winning author of 14 books, including her newest releases, Made to Crave and Becoming More Than a Good Bible Study Girl. Other noteworthy books include What Happens When Woman Say Yes to God, What Happens When Women Walk in Faith, Capture His Heart, and Capture Her Heart. Visit Lysa's website for more info and to visit her blog! http://lysaterkeurst.com


I received Made to Crave as a complimentary gift in exchange for review from Litfuse Publicity Group

Fasting: The Ancient Practices - a BookSneeze Review

Fasting: The Ancient Practices is written by Scot McKnight and Phyllis Tickle. At 185 pages, this book is pretty easy to read.

This book encompasses many questions that many believers deal with. Is the body evil and keep us from God or can it be used in pursuit of God's blessing? McKnight firmly presses that fasting should not be used to manipulate God, nor should it be used solely to get a result. Instead, fasting is a response to a grief, sin, etc.

Also included in this book are scriptural accounts of fasting and accounts of individuals throughout the centuries who've had lots of experience with fasting. McKnight makes suggestions for how to fast appropriately (and healthily). He discourages the casual faster, and sets straight the pitfalls of fasting like cheating and manipulating and those looking for merit.

The idea of fasting is a response to a sacred moment or a yearning for God's presence in one's life.

As someone already familiar with fasting, I found this an informative reference book. One unfamiliar with fasting would greatly benefit from such a book as this.

I am a member of BookSneeze, a fabulous program through Thomas Nelson. BookSneeze sends members free books to read and keep in exchange for written reviews on a blog and on a major retailer's website (such as Amazon or Barnes & Noble).

Heaven is for Real - a BookSneeze Review

Heaven is for Real, written by Todd Burpo, was a really nice read. The book is about Burpo's son Colton, who had a near-death experience while having an emergency appendectomy.

Colton was able to describe heaven. He described God's throne and how truly BIG God was and, even more, how big God's love is for His children. He described how Jesus looked, down to what He was wearing and his facial description. He told his parents about who he saw in heaven: Jesus' cousin John who baptized Jesus, the angel Gabriel, his great-grandfather (whom he'd never met), angels, and other people.

He was able to describe in such detail that his parents simply felt that what four-year-old Colton described was indeed true.

Parts of the account drew my skepticism (such as people in heaven with wings), but overall it's a nice story. It would be fitting for those who like to read accounts of visions or near-death experiences. It is not a difficult read; I was able to read it in a 2-hour sitting. It was gripping and entertaining at the same time.

Here's the run-down of what I think of the book:

Ease of reading ..................... 5/5
Supporting Details ................ 4/5
Sufficient Length ................... 4/5
Ability to hold my interest ... 4/5
*Organization of material ..... 4/5
Overall Impression ........ 4/5

*Specific to non-fiction reviews.

I am a member of BookSneeze, a fabulous program through Thomas Nelson. BookSneeze sends members free books to read and keep in exchange for written reviews on a blog and on a major retailer's website (such as Amazon or Barnes & Noble).

The One Year Book of Discovering Jesus in the Old Testament - A Tyndale Review

I received The One Year Book of Discovering Jesus in the Old Testament as a complimentary gift from Tyndale House Publishers.

The One Year Book of Discovering Jesus in the Old Testament by Nancy Guthrie is a one-year devotional. The copy I'm reviewing is paperback and 386 pages long.

If you've seen the Bibles that take you through one year, this is just like that--but on a devotional level. One page is devoted to a day of the year. Each devotion covers an aspect of Jesus that is discovered in the Old Testament.

In the back of the devotional book is a schedule that shows what scripture you are to read for each day. I wish this was included on the devotional page itself, because the scripture index is not categorized by date, but by scripture. That means that I have to scan down each page to find the date so that I know what scripture I'd be reading for that particular day's devotion. Kind of confusing, but not horrible.

The following versions may be found being used in the devotions: NLT, NIV, NIrV, NKJV, KJV, ESV, NASB.

This would be a nice book for folks who enjoy reading devotionals.

Here's the run-down of what I think of the book:

Ease of reading ..................... 4/5
Supporting Details ................ 4/5
Sufficient Length ................... 5/5
Ability to hold my interest ... 4/5
*Organization of material ..... 4/5
Overall Impression ........ 4/5

*Specific to non-fiction reviews.

I am a member of Tyndale Blog Network, a fabulous website that sends free books to read and keep if you write a review for your blog and for a major retailer (such as Amazon or Barnes & Noble). Tyndale Blog Network is through Tyndale House Publishers.

The Gospel According to Jesus - A BookSneeze Review

I received this book as a BookSneeze member to read and review.

I'll say that when I received The Gospel According to Jesus, I expected to read accounts from Jesus' perspective, from the title of the book. When I opened the book to start reading, I felt like the title didn't seem to fit.Chris Seay, the author, right away went into the topic of righteousness. He expounds on what righteousness is NOT for several pages, and then at the end of the chapter, has a few paragraphs explaining what he feels righteousness means.

I was disappointed at this book. As I said, I feel that Seay's title doesn't quite fit with the direction of his book. At times, I felt like the direction was going a bit off. It wasn't an easy book to follow. At times, I was somewhat confused by what he was trying to say. For example, in discussion of the gospel and what it means, Seay seemed like he was going to hit the nail on the head so to speak, but there were several areas I felt he should've hit on: namely, the cross. The cross was not avoided being mentioned, nor His death and resurrection, but I felt that Seay could've expounded on this more. After all, the title of the book is "The Gospel According to Jesus".

I wish I could rate this book a bit higher, but I'm afraid that I cannot highly recommend it. I think there's a lot that is left out in "showing" the gospel of Christ. I think Seay should've focused on the gospel and have left it at that. There was too much confusing filler that left me disenchanted.

Here's the run-down of what I think of the book:

Ease of reading ................ 2/5
Supporting Details ............. 3/5
Sufficient Length .............. 4/5
Ability to hold my interest ... 3/5
Overall Impression ............. 3/5

I am a member of BookSneeze, a fabulous program through Thomas Nelson. BookSneeze sends members free books to read and keep in exchange for written reviews on a blog and on a major retailer's website (such as Amazon or Barnes & Noble).

What in the World is Going On? - A Book Sneeze Review

I received this book as a BookSneeze member to read and review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I have never read anything by Dr. David Jeremiah (yes, I've been deprived), but I love reading about prophecy. Dr. Jeremiah touched on several different aspects regarding "end times", but his biggest focus is how what's going on in our world today stacks up against the ticking clock that will mark the end of life as we know it.

This book was published in 2008, and while much of the information is reported from the year 2007, it still remains quite meaningful. If you've paid any attention at all to world events since 2007, you would realize that we're even closer to Christ's return.

In this book, Dr. Jeremiah discusses the role that Israel has played and will play in prophecy, how he feels that the nations in Europe (and probably the US too) will unite under the emblem of the EU, the ever-present situation with terrorism, whether or not America plays a role in prophecy, the Antichrist, Armageddon, and the return of the King.

This was a very interesting read, very easy to follow. Dr. Jeremiah's thoughts and speculations are backed by scripture (not the version that I read, but hey, it gives me another opportunity to flip through my Bible, doesn't it?). I enjoyed the entire book, but especially the end where he discusses the return of the King! What believer doesn't anticipate the day when Jesus will establish Himself as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords? Faithful and True is He!

Here's the run-down of what I think of the book:

Ease of reading ................ 5/5
Supporting Details ............. 5/5
Sufficient Length .............. 5/5
Ability to hold my interest ... 5/5
Overall Impression ............. 5/5

I am a member of BookSneeze, a fabulous program through Thomas Nelson. BookSneeze sends members free books to read and keep in exchange for written reviews on a blog and on a major retailer's website (such as Amazon or Barnes & Noble).

No Girls Allowed - A Tyndale Review

I received No Girls Allowed: Devotions for Boys as a complimentary gift from Tyndale House Publishers.

No Girls Allowed: Devotions for Boys, authored by Jayce O'Neal, is a great book for young adolescent boys. At 249 pages in length, the book is divided into devotion lessons. Each lesson is four pages in length: two pages for the lesson, and two other pages with a puzzle and activities that can enrich the lesson. Topics included in the devotions: gossiping, bullying, anger, discernment, eating right, keeping the Sabbath holy. Activities include: crossword puzzles, secret codes, and word searches. There are also extender activities that can be done through the week, like helping with chores, reading specific scriptures from the Bible, being kind, etc. Also, there are quotes and verses that go along with each lesson topic to reinforce the lessons.

My two boys are ten and six, and my eldest has been reading the lesson and they've been doing the enrichment activities together. The lessons are written for boys ages 8-12, but they can definitely be used by a younger boy as well as a read-aloud. The scripture used in the book is NLT (New Living Translation). We do not use that translation, so instead I had my son read the scriptures from his Bible so that there would be no confusion.

Overall, I found this book to be a nice supplement for our family devotional time.

Here's the run-down of what I think of the book:

Ease of reading ................ 5/5
Supporting Details ............. 5/5
Sufficient Length .............. 5/5
Ability to hold my interest ... 5/5
Overall Impression ............. 5/5

I am a member of Tyndale Blog Network, a fabulous website that sends free books to read and keep if you write a review for your blog and for a major retailer (such as Amazon or Barnes & Noble). Tyndale Blog Network is through Tyndale House Publishers.

Beyond Opinion - A Book Sneeze Review

I received this book as a BookSneeze member to read and review. This book is divided into three parts: a section for challenges Christian face and suggestions for facing those challenges, a portion for understanding those questions and answers Christians face, and the last part focuses on living life with apologia.

This book is written with a beginner in mind, but I'll be honest and say that he "lost" me at points in the book. As someone who juggles several books at once, this was a book that I had trouble continuing. I love the topic of apologia, and Zacharias makes some very very good points, but at times the book lost my interest. This book would be a great supplement to a beginning Apologetics course.

All in all, this is a book that I feel is valuable. It will remain on my Bible reference shelf as a good source on Apologia.

Here's the run-down of what I think of the book:
Ease of reading ................ 3/5
Supporting Details ............. 5/5
Sufficient Length .............. 4/5
Ability to hold my interest ... 3/5
Overall Impression ............. 4/5

I am a member of BookSneeze, a fabulous website where you can read free books and keep them if you write a review for your blog and for a major retailer (such as Amazon or Barnes & Noble).