Dream Big, My Precious One by Jill Roman Lord with illustrations by Brittany E. Lakin

Fantastic book for young children. I think it is so important to let children know they can be anything they want to be. God will give them the tools they need. They just have to work hard but they can do and be anything. I love the illustrations. The book is very colorful and attractive. "Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you." 1 Chronicles 28:20

I think it is great to encourage children to dream and dream big. You just never know where those dreams will take them. But it starts with the power to dream. 

Quote from the back of the book - "When you reach your dreams and soar, ask God to help you dream up more!" 

#Sponsored by FaithWords and Hachette Book Group. 

@FaithWords on Twitter and @FaithWordsBooks on Instagram.

The Confident Woman Journal by Joyce Meyer

I love journaling and after all I have gone thru lately - this one really speaks to my heart. I've had to gain the confidence that I can do this on my own. And gain the confidence that even if I fail, God loves me, will be there for me and will help to pick me up. I love the quotes and encouragements on each page of the journal. Great inspiration to write on that topic. I do wish she would have added a few actual bible passages. I love the layout and the colors of this journal. It's a great book and I'm anxious to begin journaling! 

I would like to share one of my favorite quotes from the journal: "When fear comes knocking on your door, let faith answer."

Here is a link to purchase the journal:

https://www.christianbook.com/the-confident-woman-journal/joyce-meyer/9781546015253/pd/015253

#Sponsored by FaithWords and Hachette Book Group

@FaithWords on Twitter and @FaithWordsBooks on Instagram

Daily Mindfulness Journal

I absolutely love this journal. It is amazing. I have been journaling quite a bit lately. I love the colors and little bits of encouragement sprinkled throughout. I also love that there is lots of room for my own thoughts and prayers. I find it has been very helpful to journal my way through a bible study, to write down specific prayers, and to write my thoughts as it helps me to work through sticky situations. I have a wonderful and exciting purpose that I plan to save this special journal for -- and I can't wait to be able to use it! 

#Sponsored by FaithWords and Hachette Book Group

@FaithWords on Twitter and @FaithWordsBooks on Instagram

The Return by Nicholas Sparks

 

Another homerun for Nicholas Sparks. This one wasn't sad as so many of his books are. Yet, this was an amazing story. I read it in a couple of days, just couldn't put it down. The story is about Trevor who moves back to his hometown after a career ending injury. He suffers from PTSD and is working thru those issues. Additionally, he now finds himself alone as his parents died when he was younger and his only living relative, his grandfather, just died. Trevor goes on a journey to figure out why his grandfather was so far from home when he died. It was just out of character for him to go so far away. In trying to figure out his grandfather's motives, Trevor also helps to solve Callie's health issues. This book is a love story but also a story of healing. Trevor is on a journey that will ultimately lead him to heal from his injuries. 

This is a true story of Kimberly Schlapman's family's adoption of a baby girl. Her daughter, Daisy really wanted a sister. Kimberly and her husband really wanted that also but were struggling with infertility issues. This is such an inspirational story of hope and the power of prayer. It is also a story illustrating God answers prayers but sometimes not exactly in the manner we first asked. Yet, His way is always best. The pictures in this book are beautiful. At the end she includes a personal note explaining the book and pictures of her family. I highly recommend this book. It is fantastic. 

Grand Central Publishing

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Nicholas Sparks

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A Dolly For Christmas by Kimberly Schlapman of Little Big Town

 

This is a true story of Kimberly Schlapman's family's adoption of a baby girl. Her daughter, Daisy really wanted a sister. Kimberly and her husband really wanted that also but were struggling with infertility issues. This is such an inspirational story of hope and the power of prayer. It is also a story illustrating God answers prayers but sometimes not exactly in the manner we first asked. Yet, His way is always best. The pictures in this book are beautiful. At the end she includes a personal note explaining the book and pictures of her family. I highly recommend this book. It is fantastic. 

#Sponsored by FaithWords and Hachette Book Group

@FaithWords on Twitter and @FaithWordsBooks on Instagram

Seven Words of Christmas by Robert Morris

 

         

 The author states that "throughout the Bible, the number seven appears repeatedly to signify completeness or perfection. From the seven days of creation to the seven colors of the rainbow, it's no wonder God heralded the entry of His Son into the world with seven unique prophetic words that still speak to us today. Salvation, favor, blessed, guidance, joy, redemption and peace are the words the King of heaven and earth used to usher in the greatest gift ever given. His Son! And all of these words are gifts He wants to give each of us as we celebrate the birth of Jesus."

This book can be used as a bible study with a group or individually - studying each word for seven weeks leading up to Christmas. Or it can be read all in one sitting or over several days. It is not overly long book but it gave me alot to think about. I've read the Christmas story every Christmas for many years but this was a unique and meaningful way to view it. I think it helps to see things from a different angle - it can help and enhance our understanding. 

#Sponsored by FaithWords

@FaithWords on Twitter and @FaithWordsBooks on Instagram.

 

 

FaithWords Mother's Day Sweepstakes

https://www.faithwords.com/landing-page/faithwords-gifts-for-mom-2020/

Becoming Us by Robin Jones Gunn

I really enjoyed this book. It spoke to the concept of allowing God to lead you in your life. Often times we want to know where the road is leading and when we allow God to lead we aren't sure exactly where we will end up. That can be very frightening if we allow it to be. If, on the other hand, we know God loves us and wants the very best for us, then wherever He leads us it can only be for our own good. 

Emily and her husband followed God's leading and it lead them from North Caroline where his family was to California where they really knew no one. Yet, they felt certain God was in control and this was where He wanted them to be at this time. Yet, there were many challenges and those challenges made them question whether they had truly heard God correctly. Was this where they were suppose to be? 

It is really easy to wonder if we are truly listening and are we really following God's will for our lives. I really enjoyed how the author explored this topic. She gave wonderful insights. The storyline follows Emily as she begins to make new friends in her new life. These new friends give her life a rich and fulfilling dimension making California a less lonely place for her and her family. 

#Sponsored by FaithWords

@FaithWords on Twitter and @FaithWordsBooks on Instagram.

Grandparents Day is September 8th

Great gift idea for the Grandparent in your life

What a Great Word Devotionals by Karen Moore

What a Great Word Devotionals

by Karen Moore

I love all of these and highly recommend them. I gave the year devotional to my son's girlfriend for Christmas and she really loved it. I enjoy Karen Moore's writing. The devotionals are similar in layout. They have a topic word at the top, then a bible verse that is on point discussing that word. Then, she has her commentary followed by a prayer at the end. Each devotion is 1 to 3 pages long. Lots of great insight. I really like the two that have targeted specific topics aimed at grads or moms.  They are right on point. I really loved these books and encourage you will buy them. Doing a daily devotional is such a great way to stay in God's Word. Yet, it is in smaller chunks and makes it do-able for those of us with extremely busy lives. These would make perfect graduation, Mother's day, birthday or Christmas gifts. 

#Sponsored by FaithWords

@FaithWords on Twitter and @FaithWordsBooks on Instagram. 

Dear GrandChild This Is Me book review

Preserving a legacy can feel like a daunting task. There are many things one would like to pass on to a grandchild. This book just makes it easy to do so. As I looked at this book I actually even thought this would be great for a child. I had a very good friend that died way too early from breast cancer and her daughter was only 8 or 9 years old at the time. There was so much wisdom, stories and advice that she would have wanted to share with her daughter as she went through various stages of her life. I hope that the authors tailor the book for a parent to share with a child also. At the point my friend knew she wasn't going to make it, she was not in a position to figure out what to share but having a book like this that provided a framework to start from would have been great. The only negative with this book is that often times, hopefully, we would have more that one grandchild. So do you create several of these books to pass along? Or do one for the family to share? Still I think it is a fantastic keepsake that one could pass along to future generations. Really loved the format! Great idea. I think I am going to start mine now. I have no grandchildren but when hopefully they come along I will have something to share. Plus, if for some reason I am not here when they arrive, this will be a nice way to share some of me with them. 

https://www.facebook.com/WaterBrookMultnomah/videos/390487758335446/

I received this book from WaterBrook & Mulnomah in exchanged for a honest review. 

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, ......... when we say the Lord's Prayer often times it is just rote, repeating or following along with what is being said in church. BUT do we really think about what we are praying. Words mean something and words are powerful. It is by His word the world was created. Now those were powerful words! So what do the words of the prayer mean? What meaning do the phrases have in my life, your life? This book explores that and gets us to really think about the words we are praying as we pray them. Additionally, the book offers us time to reflect. To think about what God is about, where is He leading you, what can you do more of and maybe somethings less of. Where have we stepped on toes and need to apologize. Throughout the book, the authors have put in images and short prayers. That was a wonderful time to pray and reflect. This would be a great book for a group bible study. It's not overly long and could be easily completed in a few sessions. 

#Sponsored by FaithWords

@FaithWords on Twitter and @FaithWordsBooks on Instagram. 

Book Review Get On Your Knee Replacements and Pray!

Get on Your Knee Replacements and Pray! If your not dead, your not done by the Kandel Sisters. 

A super zany, hilarious book looking at life in retirement and realizing that if you are not dead you have something to offer to further God's kingdom here on earth. I could not put this book down. It was witty, fun, and yet rang of truth - God's truth. The sisters write as one voice, yet occasionally from the information given in the introduction it may be obvious which sister is writing that particular chapter. Most of the time, the reader is not aware. I loved this book so much, I passed it on to a friend to read. I think both of us just found the title hilarious and it just made us want to pick up the book to see what it was about. 

This is a great book and I highly recommend it.

#Sponsored by FaithWords

@FaithWords on Twitter and @FaithWordsBooks on Instagram. 

Book Review 100 Inspirational Quotes by Joyce Meyer

Great book. Loved the pictures. Really beautiful. Lots of great bible verses along with a simple easy to relate to explanations. This is one of those books that I like to pick up when I am struggling with something and the verses just seem to speak to me. The truth in the verses just washes over me, comforts and calms. This would make a great gift for someone special female in your life.

#Sponsored by FaithWords

@FaithWords on Twitter and @FaithWordsBooks on Instagram. 

Writing Gloves

I fell in love with these writing gloves. Living in the north where we get lots of snow and bitter cold the idea of being able to have some warmth covering your hands but still be able to utilize your fingers to write is simply amazing. The fact they are soft cashmere is a total bonus. Give them a try! I bet you too will fall in love with them. Plus they come in 13 different colors. I think the Heather Purple would be pretty. 

https://literarybookgifts.com/products/writing-gloves

book review James and Ephesians by Joyce Meyer

New Bible Study Series.

I have not done a bible study by Joyce Meyer before and I really like her writing style and her thoughts. Her commentary is very insightful. The sections cover just a few verses of scripture and allows you to really delve deep into the word and reflect on the meaning of those verses. Often times, she will back up her points by quoting or referring to other scripture in the bible. I find to be important and meaningful as I will go look those up for myself. I like those connections. I love the layout and while its a small thing - I like the amount of words on each page and in each section - its not overwhelming yet is more than doing a daily devotion. I find I actually do a section or sometimes several section each day. It is easy to stick with it. Plus I am just getting so much out of what she has to say about the verses. 

In each of the books there is space for personal reflection and thoughts. I think this is wonderful and it is important to take the time to truly reflect on what God is saying to me in those verses. Writing also helps to cement the thoughts and ideas for me. This time though I have to confess I am not doing it in the book itself. I took a class on journalling and have a journal that I am utilizing with these studies. It has been so rewarding and I have enjoyed being creative in the journal. I add pictures, thoughts, phrases, words, bible scripture. Often I will take her personal reflection questions and speak to them in the journal. The questions are insightful and on point to the lesson covered. 

I highly recommend both of these studies. This is a link where info about both books can be found: http://bit.ly/JamesandEphesians.

#Sponsored by FaithWords

@FaithWords on Twitter and @FaithWordsBooks on Instagram. 

Book Review of Dead Sea Rising by Jerry B. Jenkins

"on her first dig in Jordan, Nicole Berman discovers what she believes to be irrefutable proof of the historical existence of a Biblical patriarch, but she soon discovers that a dangerous enemy is working to prevent the truth from being revealed."

Fast paced, easy to read, exciting story that weaves current day with biblical times. The story begins with Nicole's mom being injured and investigators trying to determine who was trying to hurt her and why. The why is tied to past events from biblical times. The story jumps back and forth from biblical times when Abram was born to the current day investigation into her mom's attack. It is fascinating how the author ties the two eras together.

I really enjoyed this story and the only disappointment is that book 2 in the series isn't out yet. As always I am grateful for the opportunity to review a book.

#Sponsored by FaithWords

Buck Denver asks What's in the Bible? book series for children

FaithWords is announcing a new children’s book imprint by the creator of VeggieTales called JellyTelly Press! This new line teaches children about the Bible in a fun and unique way. They will be publishing coloring books for preschoolers, picture books, activity books and chapter books for elementary schoolers, as well as Bibles and books for family devotionals.

The first books to come out this January are a line of board books and coloring books:

Truly, a wonderful new series for young children to help them understand Genesis 1:1 - 31. It is told in a way that would be easy for young children to relate to what is being explained. The last page of each book has a parent connection where there are ideas for parents to utilize to further engage the child and teach the concepts being explained in the book. For example in the God Made World book one of the connection points is to "take the book on a walk! Go outside and show your child God's creation. Point out shapes in the clouds, different animals and the sun or moon. Think about some fun ways you can care for God's creation together." What a great idea! These are durable board books but I do believe the concepts are good for children ages 3 to 6 or 7 years old. The books all have wonderfully attractive colors and images that would be inviting to a child. 

To go along with the books are two coloring books. These include a short easy to comprehend explanation of a chapter in the bible along with a picture to color depicting what is being talked about. Some of the pictures are more intricate and could be used for slightly older children. I think these would be great tools for Sunday School teachers to utilize. There is one covering the New Testament and one the Old Testament. Each coloring book has 60 pages in it. 

I think this is a fantastic series and highly recommend purchasing all of them. I love how they tell the story of creation. More importantly I like that they are biblically accurate and that they let the child know God loves him or her. The very last page in each book says "You are so loved by God". Not just loved but so loved. How awesome is that! And what a great message to tell a child daily. 

Always thankful for the opportunity to review a book. The books in this series were sent to me for review by the publisher.

#Sponsored by FaithWords

This is the Day by Tm Tebow - book review

RECLAIM YOUR DREAM. IGNITE YOUR PASSION. LIVE YOUR PURPOSE.

"This is the day! Leave the past behind. Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin!"

I truly needed those words yet they were especially hard for me to hear. My husband just up and walked out on me after 26 years of marriage. No word no warning. Just came home and found he was gone. So 'this became my day to leave the past behind. To live my purpose. To begin anew.' I needed to hear the words that Tim Tebow was speaking but also found it hard. I was thrust into a place I didn't chose for myself and it was especially hard. So I would read a few chapters and his words reached deep into my heart. I would have to put the book down for a bit to just let it sink in. It was too overwhelming to do more. At one point I was feeling especially down about my failed marriage and then read this "Can't let one day, one game, one play, a losing streak, or a string of home runs define anything. This is as true in life as it is in sports." I needed to not let a failed marriage define me. I also read "one of the greatest temptations is to worry instead of pray, trust God and take action. Worry won't change anything." Yes, how very true but sometimes trusting God is hard. There is that part of me that wants to blame Him for letting this happen, and therefore how can I trust Him. Yet, I realize He is there to comfort me and lead me through this. He did not cause my heartache. Sin has entered the world and therefore, we will all at times experience heartache. But He is there for us always - to provide comfort and direction. 

I have to confess I am not that in to sports but did find the sports analogies in Tim Tebow's book to be very understandable and extremely helpful. This book was launched at a perfect time for my life. It spoke right to my heart. It was a great read. I received this book from the publisher through their book launch program.

Jacob's Bell by John Snyder - Book Review

Jacob's Bell is a Christmas story that shows the benefit of the Salvation Army and how important that organization is to helping those that are living on the street, down on their luck and need a helping hand. Jacob had it all. A wonderful wife, children, a very successful career, wealth and prestige. Through a series of very bad decisions he ended up in prison. Those bad decisions continues to haunt him so that when he got out alcohol was the only escape. He couldn't forgive himself and drank more and more to forget what he had done. Eventually, a pastor sees him on the streets, drunk. That pastor encourages Jacob to come to the Salvation Army's shelter, to get food and warmth. In order to stay there though he had to stay sober. This wasn't easy for Jacob and he relapsed. Eventually, though the pastor gets Jacob to unburden himself by telling his story. The Pastor also introduces Jacob to Jesus. He teaches him about forgiveness that is offered to us by Jesus but it takes a long time for Jacob to grasp that forgiveness is for him personally. As often is the case, it takes Jacob a long time to forgive himself. This was a wonderful Christmas story about the bell ringers for the Salvation Army and through a fictional character shows how that money benefits those in our community. Plus this story is about forgiveness offered to all of us through Jesus Christ and it is about reconciliation of family. 

I received this book free from the publisher.