Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Seasons of Tomorrow By Cindy Woodsmall


As love restores Rhoda, a sudden tragedy is the test of faith she never saw coming.
More settled in her heart than ever before, Rhoda Byler feels a newfound confidence living in the Old Order Amish settlement she helped establish in Orchard Bend, Maine. Time has helped to heal the wounds of Rhoda’s recent severed relationship, and she finds that even her unusual gift of profound intuition is less of a burden as she continues to seek God’s wisdom for her future. She is happy to be working alongside the King family and the love of her life as they tend and nurture the settlement’s orchard.
Yet when Leah King’s involvement with Englischer Landon Olson becomes known outside of the Maine community, her disregard of the Ordnung could threaten all the Orchard Bend Amish are building. In the midst of addressing the discord, a shocking tragedy challenges the young settlement like never before, threatening to uproot Rhoda’s peace and the future of everything she holds dear.
When several members of Orchard Bend Farms are displaced, the estranged King brother is called upon to return. Can those who founded the new Amish community in Maine unite Or will the lingering pain of past hurts and present struggles result in the end of their dreams?

Pick up your copy






Cindy Woodsmall is a New York Times, CBA, ECPA, and USA Today best-selling author who has written a dozen (and counting!) works of fiction and one of nonfiction. She and her dearest Old Order Amish friend, Miriam Flaud, coauthored the nonfiction, Plain Wisdom: An Invitation into an Amish Home and the Hearts of Two Women. Cindy has been featured on ABC Nightline and on the front page of the Wall Street Journal,and has worked with National Geographic on a documentary concerning Amish life. In June of 2013, the Wall Street Journal listed Cindy as the second most popular author of Amish fiction, following Beverly Lewis.

She's a veteran homeschool mom who no longer holds that position. As her children progressed in age, her desire to write grew stronger. After working through reservations whether this desire was something she should pursue, she began her writing journey. Her husband was her staunchest supporter as she aimed for what seemed impossible.

She's won Fiction Book of the Year, Reviewer's Choice Awards, Inspirational Reader's Choice Contest, as well as one of Crossings' Best Books of the Year. She's been a finalist for the prestigious Christy, Rita, and Carol Awards, Christian Book of the Year, and Christian Retailers Choice Awards.

Her real-life connections with Amish Mennonite and Old Order Amish families enrich her novels with authenticity. Though she didn't realize it at the time, seeds were sown years ago that began preparing Cindy to write these books. At the age of ten, while living in the dairy country of Maryland, she became best friends with Luann, a Plain Mennonite girl. Luann, like all the females in her family, wore the prayer Kapp and cape dresses. Her parents didn't allow television or radios, and many other modern conveniences were frowned upon. During the numerous times Luann came to Cindy's house to spend the night, her rules came with her and the two were careful to obey them--afraid that if they didn't, the adults would end their friendship. Although the rules were much easier to keep when they spent the night at Luann's because her family didn't own any of the forbidden items, both sets of parents were uncomfortable with the relationship and a small infraction of any kind would have been enough reason for the parents to end the relationship. While navigating around the adults' disapproval and the obstacles in each other's lifestyle, the two girls bonded in true friendship that lasted into their teen years, until Cindy's family moved to another region of the US.

As an adult, Cindy became friends with a wonderful Old Order Amish family who opened their home to her. Although the two women, Miriam and Cindy, live seven hundred miles apart geographically, and a century apart by customs, when they come together they never lack for commonality, laughter, and dreams of what only God can accomplish through His children. Over the years Cindy has continued to make wonderful friendships with those inside the Amish and Mennonite communities--from the most conservative ones to the most liberal.

Cindy and her husband reside near the foothills of the North Georgia Mountains in their now empty nest.
 
I was a little disappointed with Book 4 in the Amish Vines and Orchards series. I hated to write this review, I am a fan of Woodsmall.
The story moved to fast and fell very short in my opinion. For some reason this book was not like the first three in the series, I just had to fight to read the book until the end.  It was very predictable.
Not the conclusion to the series that I had hoped it would be.
I gave this book 3.5 stars.
I was given a copy of this book by the publisher for my honest review.

Monday, April 28, 2014

Wildwood Creek By Lisa Wingate


Allie Kirkland has always heard the call of her father's unfinished destiny. When she's offered a production assistant's job on a docudrama filming in the hills near Moses Lake, Texas, the dream of following in her director-father's footsteps suddenly seems within reach. The reenactment of the legendary frontier settlement of Wildwood is a first step into the film industry. A summer on set in the wilderness is a small price to pay for a dream.But in 1861, the real Wildwood held dangerous realities. Town founder Harland Delavan held helpless residents, including young Irish schoolteacher Bonnie Rose, in an iron grip. Mysterious disappearances led to myths and legends still retold in the region's folk songs. Eventually, the entire site was found abandoned. When filming begins, strange connections surface between Allie and the teacher who disappeared over a century ago, and everyone in Wildwood--including Blake Fulton, Allie's handsome neighbor on the film set--seems to be hiding secrets. Allie doesn't know whom she can trust. If she can't find the answers in time, history may repeat itself...with the most unthinkable results.




Pick up your copy here






 Lisa Wingate is a former journalist, inspirational speaker, and the author of over twenty mainstream fiction novels, including the national bestseller, Tending Roses, now in its nineteenth printing. She is a seven-time ACFW Carol award nominee, a Christy Award nominee, an Oklahoma Book Award finalist, and a two-time Carol Award winner. Her novels are known for taking on gritty subjects while offering redemptive and uplifting themes. Recently, the group Americans for More Civility, a kindness watchdog organization, selected Lisa along with Bill Ford, Camille Cosby, and six others, as recipients of the National Civies Award, which celebrates public figures who work to promote greater kindness and civility in American life. More information about Lisa's novels can be found at www.Lisawingate.com  or on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/LisaWingateAuthorPage?


IN THE AUTHOR'S OWN WORDS: A special first grade teacher, Mrs. Krackhardt, made a writer out of me. That may sound unlikely, but it's true. It's possible to find a calling when you're still in pigtails and Mary Jane shoes, and to know it's your calling. I was halfway through the first grade when I landed in Mrs. Krackhardt's classroom. I was fairly convinced there wasn't anything all that special about me... and then, Mrs. Krackhardt stood over my desk and read a story I was writing. She said things like, "This is a great story! I wonder what happens next?"

It isn't every day a shy new kid gets that kind of attention. I rushed to finish the story, and when I wrote the last word, the teacher took the pages, straightened them on the desk, looked at me over the top, and said, "You are a wonderful writer!"

A dream was born. Over the years, other dreams bloomed and died tragic, untimely deaths. I planned to become an Olympic gymnast or win the National Finals Rodeo, but there was this matter of back flips on the balance beam and these parents who stubbornly refused to buy me a pony. Yet the writer dream remained. I always believed I could do it because... well... my first grade teacher told me so, and first grade teachers don't lie.

So, that is my story, and if you are a teacher, or know a teacher, or ever loved a special teacher, I salute you from afar and wish you days be filled with stories worth telling and stories worth reading.


 

 

 
Romance and suspense all in one fantastic book, Are you ready?
This is a Book Binge book for sure. I could not put it down.
Allie is a character to remember, and the setting is Texas which makes it all the better.
You do not want to miss this forth book in the Moses Lake series.
Wingate has a way to suck you in and  you will not move until you have read the very last page.
I gave this book 5 stars and I recommend this book.
I was given a copy of this book by the publisher and the author for my honest review.
 

Saturday, April 26, 2014

Heaven is for Real By Todd Burpo and Lynn Vincent


“Do you remember the hospital, Colton?” Sonja said.“Yes, mommy, I remember,” he said. “That’s where the angels sang to me.”
When four-year-old Colton Burpo made it through an emergency appendectomy his family was overjoyed at his miraculous survival. What they weren't expecting, though, was the story that emerged in the following months—a story as beautiful as it was extraordinary, detailing their little boy’s trip to heaven and back.
This true story, retold by his father but using Colton’s uniquely simple words, offers a glimpse of the world that awaits us, where as Colton says, “Nobody is old and nobody wears glasses.”
Heaven is for Real will forever change the way you think of eternity, offering the chance to see, and believe like a child. 
Bonus material in this special movie edition includes:
  • Photos from the movie set
  • Updates from father, Todd, and son, Colton, on recent events including the making-of-the-movie experience
  • “From the Set” Q&A’s with the movie’s filmmakers and actors
Pick up your copy here

Todd Burpo is pastor of Crossroads Wesleyan and a volunteer fireman. He and his wife, Sonja, have four children: Colton is an active teenager; he has an older sister, Cassie; a younger brother, Colby; and a very special sister he met in heaven, yet to be named.

Lynn Vincent is the New York Times best-selling writer of Heaven Is for Real and Same Kind of Different As Me. The author or coauthor of ten books, Lynn has sold 12 million copies since 2006. She worked for eleven years as a writer and editor at the national news biweekly WORLD magazine and is a U.S. Navy veteran.
 
What a story of hope and love. God loves us and Colton got to share that with the world in his story.
This is a book of truth and love.
You do not want to miss this book.
I read the book when it first came out back in 2010 and I shared it with everyone I knew, I was so happy to see it hit the big screen.
This is a must read and it is a great book to share with loved ones.
The book will hold your attention and you will be a new person after reading this inspiring book. It is a life changing book.
I gave this book 5 stars and I recommend it.
I was given a copy of this book by the publisher for my honest review

Friday, April 25, 2014

Surprised By Grace By Elizabeth Sherrill


God intends fulfillment for us. Yet it’s easy to forget that truth in our daily life. For fifty years, Elizabeth Sherrill cowrote life-changing books: The Hiding Place, God’s Smuggler, and The Cross and the Switchblade. Now for the first time, in Surprised by Grace, she shares her personal discoveries of God’s unfathomable love and strength while battling chronic depression and self-doubt. “When God created you, do you think He meant to make someone else?” a friend asks Sherrill. Faced with questions like these, she learns she’s infinitely valued and cherished by God. In vivid episodes, Sherrill takes you through the three stages of her awakening joy, from the thirty-some years when the idea of God was elusive to the years since then when she’s reveled in breathtaking moments in God’s presence and to her inspiring vision of eternity. In Surprised by Grace, you’ll discover that God loves you individually and infinitely. You can find real peace, for you are God’s amazing creation. Let that truth echo forever in your own life.


Elizabeth Sherrill is the author behind the classic best sellers The Hiding Place about Corrie ten Boom, The Cross and the Switchblade about David Wilkerson, and God's Smuggler about Brother Andrew. She also is a longtime contributor to America's best-loved inspirational magazine Guideposts, and best-selling devotional, Daily Guideposts. Visit her at ElizabethSherrill.com .

Author Elizabeth Sherrill wrote this memoir after fifty years of coauthoring books, to tell the world about her walk with Jesus. How she came to follow and live for him everyday.
It is an encouraging and inspiring read.
It has some helpful conversation starters for small groups at the end of the book. The book is filled with scripture that is very helpful as well.
I gave this book 4 stars.
I was given a copy of this book by the publisher for my honest review.

Thursday, April 24, 2014

Win a Visit to the set of The Best of Me film set!

My Dear Friends,

Exciting news: Relativity, the studio behind my next film, is giving a lucky fan the opportunity to win a visit to the set of The Best of Me, which is currently shooting in New Orleans. I recently returned from a trip to New Orleans myself, and so I can tell you firsthand: it’s a fun set to visit!

Relativity has found a remarkably talented team for the film, and I had a fantastic time hanging out with Michelle Monaghan and James Marsden, who play Amanda and Dawson, respectively, as well as Liana Liberato and Luke Bracey, who are playing Amanda and Dawson when they were younger. And of course, I had a chance to catch-up with the director Michael Hoffman, who is an incredible filmmaker.

If you’ve already seen this on my social media and have entered, thank you! If not, and you still want a chance to win a visit to the set, just visit the Best of Me's Official Facebook Page, leave a comment telling us which Nicholas Sparks character you’d want to play in a movie, and you’ll automatically be entered! But hurry—there’s only one day left! The sweepstakes ends tomorrow—Friday, April 25th—at 3pm EDT.
Sincerely yours,
Nicholas Sparks

Rise and Shine By Sandra Bricker


Shannon Malone thought she'd found her happy ending when she married Edmund Ridgeway, but a diving accident on their honeymoon left her in a coma. Waking up to the news that she's thirty years old would have been daunting enough . . . but she also learns that Edmund has lost his interim battle with cancer and the world has marched on without her. Her gorgeous doctor, Daniel Petros, seems to know everything about her and becomes Shannon's tour guide into a whole new world of madness where reality television has taken over the planet and everyone's life appears to revolve around a tiny screen on their cell phones!
As Shannon struggles to navigate through the changes-both in the world and in her-she also must discern real memories from imagined ones. Did she really ever wear capris pants and entertain in her living room, or was that Laura Petrie from her favorite classic TV show? And where is her beloved dog, Freeway? Oh, wait! That was Jonathan and Jennifer Hart's dog, not hers.
Shannon's three elderly aunts flit through her life in true Sleeping Beauty style with her well-being always a priority. And Edmund's sister Millicent descends like the Evil Queen she is, trying to extract Shannon from any claim on the Ridgeway family fortune. When a tornado moves through town and Shannon is knocked unconscious, will Daniel's kiss awaken her once and for all?

Pick up your copy here


"I'm going to be a writer when I grow up!" Sandra D. Bricker declared these words to her father on a Sunday afternoon in Slidell, Louisiana. She was 5 years old, and was referring to being able to string her cursive letters together to write her full name for the first time, but the declaration proved somewhat prophetic.
By the time she reached high school and her first article was published in The Cincinnati Enquirer, Sandie knew writing was what she wanted to do. For more than a decade, Sandie lived in Los Angeles and, while writing in every spare moment, she studied screenwriting and worked as a personal assistant and publicist to some of daytime television's hottest stars. When her mother became ill in Florida, she walked away from that segment of her life and moved cross-country to take on a new role: Caregiver.
"I guess most people would see my career as a publicist as a sort of dream job. But giving it up turned out to be the best thing that could have happened to me!" she declares. "Not only was I given the gift of getting to know my mother as an adult woman before she passed away, but I was also afforded the blessing of being able to re-focus on writing novels in an effort to pursue my dream of a writing career."
 
I am not sure there is another author that writes books with as much humor as Bricker does.
She has done it again wrote a book you will not want to put down. I always loved fairytales as a little girl and that has not changed now that I am grown, sleeping beauty for big girls is a laugh out loud must read!
Such well developed characters, you will be thinking about them for some time after you finish reading this book.
I recommend this book and I gave it 5 stars.
I was given a copy of this book by Wynn Wynn Media for my honest review.

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Here to Stay By Melissa Tagg



After playing nomad for five years, Blake Hunziker has finally had enough of adventure. Not sure what reception he'll get from everyone back in Whisper Shore, he's stunned at not only a warm welcome from his hometown but also a job offer. The job is his if he can successfully pull off the annual Christmas Festival. If only he knew the first thing about coordinating events...

If there's one thing Autumn Kingsley knows, it's Whisper Shore. For years, she's been stuck running her family's inn when all she wants is to see the world. Now she has a visit scheduled from a potential investor who could take over the inn, as well as a dream job offer in Paris. But with just two weeks to whip the inn into shape, her chance at escape is a long shot.

The Hunzikers and the Kingsleys may not get along, but Blake knows Autumn's the only one who can help him. She agrees to a trade--she'll help with the Festival and he'll help with inn repairs. But what was meant to be a simple deal quickly becomes much more than that when the guy who's done running away joins forces with the girl who can't wait to leave.

You must pick up a copy here
 
Melissa Tagg, author of Made to Last and Here to Stay, is a former reporter and total Iowa girl. In addition to her homeless ministry day job, she's also the marketing/events coordinator for My Book Therapy, a craft and coaching community for writers. When she's not writing, she can be found hanging out with the coolest family ever (not that she's biased), watching old movies, and daydreaming about her next story. She's passionate about humor, grace, and happy endings. Melissa blogs regularly and loves connecting with readers at http://www.melissatagg.com.
 
 
THIS IS A BOOK BINGE BOOK!
Be sure you have a free afternoon to read this book you can not put it down!
I always hate to write a review and say this, but this book was fantastic if you by chance are a book lover like I am and you read Tagg's first book "Made to Last" and loved it you are really in for a treat with her second book it is even better then the first!
The characters were phenomenal you are sure to fall for Blake AKA Blaze, and Autumn they were both like real life friends. A modern day Capulets and  Montagues story. The love story of an unlikely couple.
I loved the Christmas party with the bath tub in the middle of the room. You must pick up a copy to hear this whole story.
A beautiful story of forgiveness, second chances and love. At one point in the book I was so mad but it all turned out in the end. You will love the ending!
I gave this book 5 stars two times. I HIGHLY recommend this book.
I was given a copy of this book by the publisher for my honest review.
 
 

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

A Promise in Pieces By Emily Wierenga


A small gift, a simple promise, a life forever changed It’s been more than fifty years since Clara cared for injured WWII soldiers in the Women’s Army Corp. Fifty years since she promised to deliver a dying soldier’s last wish. And fifty years since that soldier’s young widow gave her the baby quilt—a grief-ridden gift that would provide hope to countless newborns in the years to come. On her way to the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, Clara decides it’s time to share her story. Little does she know she will re-gift the quilt one more time—to a recipient who, perhaps, is most deserving of all.




Pick up your copy here

Emily Wierenga is a former editor, ghostwriter, freelance writer and staff journalist, a monthly columnist for The Christian Courier, and the author of Save My Children (Castle Quay Books, 2008), Chasing Silhouettes (Ampelon Publishing, 2012) and Mom in the Mirror (Rowman & Littlefield, 2013). Emily resides in Alberta, Canada. This is her first novel.

Warning: You will need a box of Kleenex while reading this book.

This just may have been the best Quilts of Love book , in my opinion. Even if it did make me cry a lot.
I will be real honest here the book was to short for me, I would love to have spent more time with the characters and the author could have developed the characters just a bit more.
I did however find this book to be like and old quilt warm and cozy,
I can't wait to read more from this author. If you have not read any of the Quilts of Love books, this is the one I would pick up first.
I gave this book 4.5 stars. I recommend it. Really good debut from this author.
I was given a copy of this book by the publisher for my honest review.

Saturday, April 19, 2014

Susanna's Dream By Marta Perry


As young girls, three Amish sisters were separated and told nothing about each other.  When the long-held secret of their parentage came to light many years later, two of the grown women reconnected.  Now they reach out to the third…
Susanna Bitler’s life is in complete turmoil. Still reeling from the death of her mother, she is further disheartened when her business partner hints that she is going to quit the gift shop they run together in a town near Pleasant Valley. But the biggest revelation is yet to come.
Grateful for their own hard-won relationship, Lydia Beachy and Chloe Wentworth are eager to reveal themselves to Susanna as her long-lost sisters.  But their news utterly distresses Susanna, who is heartbroken to learn that the woman she’s been mourning was not actually her mother.  Despite Lydia and Chloe’s best efforts to make amends, Susanna resolves to keep them at arm’s length. It may take a force of nature to sweep away her fears.  Will that storm demolish all that the three women most value…or unite them in bonds of deep and abiding affection?

Pick up your copy here

I realized I wanted to be a writer at age eight, when I read my first Nancy Drew novel, The Secret of the Old Clock. Most little girl reach the end of that book wanting to be Nancy. I wanted to be the person who created the story!
The dream lay hidden for years while I became a teacher, married, had children...all the usual things. But eventually it re-surfaced, and I began to write, beginning with short children's stories for Sunday school take-home papers. It seemed a long time until that first acceptance, but eventually I began to sell. After some three hundred published short stories, I finally found the courage to work on the novel I'd always wanted to write.
Thirty-some published novels later, I still feel the same excitement every time I begin a new book--a mix of not believing I can do it combined with an overwhelming urge to see the story on the page.
A lifetime spent in rural Pennsylvania and my own Pennsylvania Dutch roots eventually led me to the books I'm writing now about the Amish. The Pleasant Valley Amish series from Berkley Books are longer, more complex emotional stories with Amish main characters, while my forthcoming HQN suspense novels are more adventure-filled books set in Pennsylvania Dutch country. I'm also writing a Love Inspired series, The Bodine Family, set on the South Carolina coast where we have a second home.
When I'm not writing, I'm busy with church activities, traveling, and spending time with my three children and six beautiful grandchildren.

A tender love story that you will not soon forget. This is a book of forgiveness and tender love.
I savored this book like a fine box of chocolates. I hated to see it come to an end.
I loved Susanna, Chole, and Lydia, I also ended up liking Nate.
Very few Amish fiction authors can write a great book to hold your attention any more because everyone seems to be writing Amish fiction now days and all the stories are the same. That is not the case with Perry she grabs a hold of you on page one and never lets go until long after the last page.
I gave this book 5 stars two times and I HIGHLY recommend it. I will keep a copy of this book on my personal book shelf to reread.
I was given a copy of this book by the publisher and author for my honest review.

Friday, April 18, 2014

A Shining Light By Judith Miller


The kind people of Amana have been her guiding light, but her greatest trial is yet to come...
West Amana, Iowa, 1890
After Andrea Wilson receives the devastating news that her husband has been lost at sea, she returns home to Iowa with her young son, Lukas. But what she finds there causes more heartache: The family farm has burned and her father has died, leaving Andrea with nothing.
Andrea must rely on the kindness of the people from the nearby Amana village who invite her to stay with them for a time. She discovers much generosity and contentment among the Amanans--especially from the tinsmith, Dirk Knefler, who takes her son under his wing. But is the simple, cloistered life in Amana what Andrea wants for Lukas's future? Is she willing to give up the comforts and freedom of the outside world? And when yet another round of shocking news comes her way, will Andrea ever be able to find the serenity and hope that have eluded her for so long?

Pick up your copy here
 
Judith is an award winning and best-selling author of historical fiction for Bethany House Publishers. With a love of history, a dash of romance and a touch of mystery, Judith transports her readers to another time and place. Her passion for history and love of God keep her inspired. Judith and her husband are empty-nesters who live in the Flint Hills of Kansas. Judy blogs with four other historical novelists at http://www.writespassage.blogspot.com.
 
This book was written in first person narrative which most of the time is very hard for me to follow, but not this book. It was very easy to follow. I really enjoyed the book, I had a hard time putting it down.
The story starts out a little bit sad and then it gets better as it goes on. Andrea has to learn to trust God so from there the story is not one you can put down.
I love Miller's way of writing an ending that you will not see coming.
I gave this book 4 stars and I recommend picking up a copy to enjoy.
I was given a copy of this book by the publisher for my honest review.

Thursday, April 17, 2014

A Sensible Arrangement By Traci Peterson GIVEAWAY!


Marty Dandridge Olson is ready to leave behind the pain of the past.Answering an advertisement for a "Lone Star bride," she leaves her Texas ranch and heads to Denver to marry a man she doesn't know.
Jake Wythe is the man waiting for her.Burned by love, he marries now simply to satisfy the board of Morgan Bank, which believes a man of his standing in society should be wed. Together Jake and Marty agree they are done with romance and love and will make this nothing more than a marriage of convenience.
When missing money and a collapsing economy threaten his job, Jake's yearning to return to ranching grows ever stronger, much to Marty's dismay. But a fondness has grown between them, as well, further complicating matters.
What will happen when their relationship shifts in unexpected ways...
and dreams and secrets collide?

Pick up your copy here


Tracie Peterson is the bestselling, award-winning author of more than eighty-five novels. Tracie also teaches writing workshops at a variety of conferences on subjects such as inspirational romance and historical research. She and her family live in Montana.

Visit Tracie's web site at: http://www.traciepeterson.com

When an author has more then 85 books, well you know that you are sitting down to read a great book.
This one however was very slow starting out and it was very hard to hold my attention. A little over half way through is started to pick up and I was able to read it all. From the middle to the end was good and you will enjoy it so just give it time.
Marty was hard to connect with for me for some reason. This could be why I had such a hard time. It very well could have just been me.
I gave this book 3.5 stars.  It was not Peterson's best work but it is worth the read.
This review is just my opinion and my not be the same as yours.
I was given a copy of this book by the publisher for my honest review.

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Chronological Study Bible


The Chronological Study Bible presents the text of the New International Version in chronological order—the order in which the events actually happened—with notes, articles, and full-color graphics that connect the reader to the history and culture of Bible times and gives the reader a dramatic, "you are there" experience. Features include full-color illustrations of places, artifacts, and cultural phenomena, contextual articles that connect Biblical times and world history and culture, daily life notes, time panels and charts that show the flow of Biblical history, and in-text and full-color maps.
Part of the Signature Series line of Thomas Nelson Bibles
Chronological Study Bibles sold to date: More than 367,000
Thomas Nelson Bibles is giving back through the God’s Word in Action program. Donating a portion of profits to World Vision, we are helping to eradicate poverty and preventable deaths among children. Learn more and discover what you can do at http://www.seegodswordinaction.com.
 

Pick up your copy here


This Bible is divided into Nine Epochs (or ages of the Earth). The Epochs Being: Epoch 1: Creation- 2000 B.C.; Epoch 2: 2000-1500 B.C.; Epoch 3: 1500-1200 B.C.; Epoch 4: 1200-930 B.C.; Epoch 5: 930-586 B.C.; Epoch 6: 586-332 B.C.; Epoch 7: 332-37 B.C.; Epoch 8: 37 B.C.- A.D. 30; Epoch 9: A.D. 30-100.
Within these eras, the Chronological Narrative of the Earth and the Bible is placed. Instead of reading the Scriptures as separate books, this places the entire Bible on one Narrative time line.
I have to say that I really enjoyed reading this Bible while doing a study the last few mornings. It was very different from my everyday Bible but it was very easy to use and understand.
The illustrations and photography was fantastic.
The time charts and time panels where so helpful. There are in-text maps in each of  the 9 Epochs.
This Bible was very easy to read and understand overall.
At the retail price of $49.99 I must say it is well worth the price I am sure that you will use it everyday to study God's word.
I was given a copy of this Bible by the publisher for my honest review.

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Mom Seeks God By Julia Roller GIVEAWAY!



The first months and years of motherhood can be the most challenging and disorienting of your life—and faith. When you’re surrounded by the happy chaos of children, how do you spend quiet time with God if the only quiet time you get is while you sleep? How can you demonstrate a solid spiritual life to your children if you don’t have time to pursue one yourself?
When Julia Roller discovered that her spiritual growth had been stunted by the busyness of life with her toddler, she embarked on a yearlong journey through ten spiritual disciplines: prayer, fellowship, submission, study, simplicity, silence, worship, fasting, service, and celebration. As she focused on each discipline, she discovered practical ways to observe them—even in the chaos of her every day.
Mom Seeks God offers a highly relatable story and useful advice to help new moms grow in their faith as they address life changes with grace, patience, and prayer. As readers discover ten essential faith practices, they’ll learn that motherhood, itself, is a spiritual discipline, and may be God’s most effective technique for forming a more Christ-like life.

Pick up your copy here
 



 Julia Roller is the author/editor of seven books, including A Year with God (with Richard J. Foster) and 25 Books Every Christian Should Read. Her latest book is Mom Seeks God, releasing in April 2014. Mom Seeks God is her story of trying to re-connect with God after the life upheaval that is motherhood.She lives in San Diego, CA with her husband, two boys and a miniature dachshund named Jane Austen.
 
 
 
 Melissa Padgett, 33, from Durham, NC.  Mom to Courtney (15 and homeschooled) and Alex (6 and soon to-be-homeschooled).  Happily married to Dean, who has a wonderful gift for evangelism and does crosswalking.  Together Dean and Melissa run Radical Life Outreach Ministries, a small home-based ministry dedicated to evangelism, discipleship and helping fellow brothers and sisters that are in need.   Check out more about Melissa www.radicallifeoutreach.blogspot.com .
 
Guest Review by Melissa Padgett
This book was a light-hearted, comical and honest take on the life of a busy, work-at-home mom to a toddler.  There were times I felt like I was secretly reading her diary.  In the midst of her chaotic life, Julia tried to find ways to honestly seek out God.  She chose 10 spiritual disciplines based off of Richard J. Foster's Celebration of Discipline.  There were quite a few stories that I could directly relate to.  I also caught myself chuckling at her thoughts and reactions on many occasions.

I would have really loved to see more scripture used in the book, since it was a book about ways that busy moms can seek more of God.  I also thought it would have been helpful to delve into the Holy Spirit and how an in depth relationship with Him will give us the necessary intimacy with God, rather than trying to force 10 spiritual disciplines that seemed a bit pressured and rote.

At the end of each chapter, there was a short section called 'Non-Expert Tips for Practicing insert specific spiritual discipline', which I thought was great and summed up her learning experiences for the month.  Those short sections were my favorite parts, after the comic-relief moments of course.

I gave this book 4 stars.
I was given a copy of this book by Mary Jackson who received a copy from the publisher for review.