Book Review - A Stillness of Chimes by Meg Mosley

A Stillness of Chimes by Meg Mosley

I was so excited to get this book so I would have something with paper pages to read on my cruise.  It was a perfect summer read for me – not too light and not too heavy.  After reading a lot of bad reviews for this book too, I was anxious to find out for myself.

It was actually refreshing to not have the character’s faith all tied up in a neat package.  For most of the book both main characters are very cynical, but there is change and I can see how someone growing in their faith could benefit from seeing a character grow and change.  A mature believer should be able to handle a character grappling with faith issues.

Two of the books themes – forgiveness and sacrifice – have been coming up a lot lately in things that I’m reading.   I thought Mosley handled these themes in an honest way and although I haven’t personally dealt with the specific issues (besides death of a loved one), I’m sure that many have.  I did figure the mystery part out (except for a little tweak) part way through, but that didn’t make it less of a mystery or not worthy of a read.

Like I said – not too light and not too heavy.  It’s a good read.  I enjoyed the time and am glad I read A Stillness of Chimes.

Blogging for Books provided this book to me for free in exchange for an honest review.

A Surprise in The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn

Lately I have been reading Christian fiction that is heavy on the mystery side with just a little bit romance so when I first picked up The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn, I was a bit leery.  That feeling lasted less than a chapter because new author Lori Benton is amazing!  This book had beauty, romance, and adventure!  It even had a mystery that I never saw coming.

Benton does a wonderful job painting beautiful word pictures that make you feel like you know the setting and understand the feelings of the characters.  The book is very fast paced and I enjoyed the historical part.  The Overmountain settlers and The State of Franklin were unfamiliar to me before this reading.

If you'd like to read the blurb, you can find it here.  I absolutely recommend this book!  I also recommend you read it when you have a little time - I read it through in one setting because I couldn't put it down!

Blogging for Books provided this book to me for free in exchange for an honest review.

Things I Learned in July

1.  I learned that I shouldn't take notes for this kind of thing as I go along because I'll lose them.

2.  I am at the age where I can't remember all the log ins and passwords to everything.  In my defense, I think it must be because there are waaaay too many things requiring such things. I have started a collection (all in one spot - not lots of pieces of scrap paper!) of log in information.

3.  Half of July was spent on vacation where I learned many things.  Some are:

• Sand crabs that come out on the beach at night are about five times larger than the ones that are out during the day!



Smaller "day" crab - look in the very middle

• There is a charter school meeting in the old Corolla School House (circ. 1800s - 1950s).  The school is Water's Edge Village School.

• It is no fun for almost everyone on vacation to get a stomach bug (I knew this without having to experience it first hand.)

4.  The blog where I had been finding links to free books just wasn't delivering much any more, but I learned of a new one - eReaderGirl.  I love how she separates fiction, non-fiction and kids!  I just followed her on Pinterest too and she has so many fun reading pins!

5.  I learned about Sidetracked Sarah!  I am not a homeschooler or do I have a large family, but I tend to enjoy those blogs most.  Since school will be starting soon (by the way it's 1st grade this year for me) I was looking for freezer recipes and Sarah's got several menu plans for freezer to slow cooker meals.  They all seem like "real" food (not funny things I've never heard of or that no one in our home would dream of eating) and more like things I normally cook.

6. I learned the hard way that when you don't link your blog post in time that Mr. Linky does in fact close.  So this time I will link with Emily at Chatting at the Sky as soon as I'm done!

Reindeer Pictures

This past week at school, I read The Wild Christmas Reindeer by Jan Brett.  If you haven't made it a part of your Christmas reading for your children, you should.  It's a wonderful story with a sweet message about being gentle instead of bossy.  We used it to analyze the main character, Teeka; found common and proper nouns in the text;  did a logic exercise to line up the reindeer; and made an art project of a reindeer head.  I told my class I'd show them my reindeer pictures so here is my way to easily do that.  When I was uploading the pictures, I realized that I must have been enamored by the reindeer because I had a lot pictures of them!  We were in a national forest in Ketchikan and while the boys were ziplining through the trees, the girls took a little forest tour.  This animal spot also had a bald eagle and owl.  The last picture in this set has info. on reindeer.  Merry Christmas and Happy Reading!

 



The 5 Love Languages of Children and a Giveaway!

Whether you have children of your own, children in your life, or work with children, The 5 Love Languages of Children is a must read.  If you've read Dr. Chapman's book, The 5 Love Languages, then you are familiar with the concepts.  However, this book is written specifically with children in mind and is well worth your time.  After reading it, I even bought The 5 Love Languages of Teenagers for my Kindle.

I love that this book is both philosophical and practical!!!  It included "the Love Languages Mystery Game" and other helps to help determine your child's love language. There were specific "directions" also to help you if you have difficulty speaking a particular "language". 

Topics including anger and love, discipline, single-parent families, and marriage all in relation to the love languages are in the book, so don't think it won't apply to you.  There were many "nuggets" I took away that I was able to use immediately in my family and am excited to see how I can use them in the classroom too.

This has nothing to do with content - I also loved the cover!  Now, I know not to "judge a book by its cover", but this one was so fun to me!  The boots said "kid splashing through puddles having the time of their life" and the bright daisies were refreshing to me.  The cover even helped fill my emotional love tank.  Hmmm......the cover wouldn't be "words of affirmation", maybe "sight" of affirmation?  Or perhaps a gift?

If you enjoy gifts....would you like your own copy of The 5 Love Languages of Children?  Leave me a comment either on what the front book cover says to you or something you learned from the 5 Love Languages website.  On Thursday, April 19 (my youngest son's birthday), I will have random.org pick a winner!

5 Love Languages of Children: http://www.5lovelanguages.com/resource/the-five-love-languages-of-children/

The 5 Love Languages: http://www.5lovelanguages.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/5LoveLanguages

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/drgarychapman

 

About The 5 Love Languages of Children: http://www.5lovelanguages.com/resource/the-five-love-languages-of-children/

 

To be their best, children need to feel loved. But if you and your child speak different love languages, your affection might get lost in translation, affecting the child’s attitude, behavior, and development. Dr. Gary Chapman’s groundbreaking Five Love Languages series has helped millions of couples communicate love more clearly, and Dr. Ross Campbell M.D. has applied the innovative system to children as well. The 5 Love Languages of Children gives practical suggestions for learning how your children interpret love and creating a sense of security in which they can thrive.

 

“Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or

services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it

on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally

and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance

with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the

Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

A Perfect Pet for Peyton

**If you'd like to win a copy of this book, leave me a message (make sure however you leave comments includes a way to contact you!) of what you think your love language is and why or that you don't know, but you checked out one of the sites listed at the end of this post!  I will have random.org select a winner around noon this Friday, March 30)**

A Perfect Pet for Peyton is a perfect book for children of all ages.  I read it to my boys and they are ages 10 and 12!

 "This wonderfully imaginative children’s hardcover book by bestselling authors Gary Chapman and Rick Osborne, featuring four-color illustrations (with hidden details!) by Wilson Williams, Jr., will help children learn the importance of love. Based on Gary’s highly successful The 5 Love Languages®, A Perfect Pet for Peyton tells an entertaining and playful story of five children who each, with the help of Mr. Chapman and the unique pets at his special emporium, discover their own personal love language."

I had been explaining love languages to my children and I’m so thankful for this book because it did a much better job than I could and it was done in a way they could understand!

Now here’s why I think it’s the  perfect book for kids:

It’s about animals.  I think books about animals are a “win” because most children naturally enjoy animals.  Even though the story line is about pets, a variety of animals is represented in the book.  It’s great to get kids thinking about animals besides the typical dog and cat.  Also, since so many are represented, the book will appeal to kids who are really “in” to reptiles, aquatic, barnyard, and big game animals.  It even mentions a dinosaur!

The hidden details.  Every page has an activity for kids to do.  My 10 year old even enjoyed this part!  Kids who are fidgety could do this while a parent reads or a child too young to hear the book word for word would still enjoy the game of it (and the story too).

Clues in the story.  The story is written brilliantly that a perceptive older child or super sleuth would figure out the perfect pet for each child.  It’s okay for those who might not know it by the end, because Mr. Chapman (the owner of the pet emporium) reviews the clues.

It’s visually appealing.  The colors are beautiful.  Fun details and expressions are included.  Even words on the page are highlighted in color.

Rich vocabulary.  As parents it is so important to use correct words AND to talk about meaning.  Often we take for granted that children understand the words we do, when really they don’t.  You don’t have to drill vocab. with every reading, but with each reading talk about a few when it fits naturally.  Great verbs like “thrilled”, “clattered”, “exchanged”, and “twirled” are used.

It contains a “gross-out” factor to delight boys.  No details, you’ll have to read A Perfect Pet for Peyton to find out.

I’m sure you’ll find your own reasons to love this book.  Even though my children are older, I’m definitely hanging on to it.  I’ll be using “The Five Love Language Quiz for Kids” at the back of the book to help my children have further understanding of how they receive and give love.  What a wonderful life skill for them to have!

A Perfect Pet for Peyton: http://www.5lovelanguages.com/resource/a-perfect-pet-for-peyton/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/5LoveLanguages

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/drgarychapman

“Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one of the products mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog.  Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC's 16 CFR, Part 256 'Gudes Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.'"

Cooper and Me and the Military

I blogged a few months ago about a wonderful series of books called Cooper and Me (See side bar).  Most children love stories about dogs and this one stars a loveable black lab.  The newest book in the series is Cooper and Me and the Military where Cooper's best friend's family is deployed.  The family stays close even though they are separated by thousands of miles.

This book will help any child make connections with our military, but it would be a wonderful gift to help a child with a parent being deployed to work through his/her feelings.  Even if a child doesn't have experience with someone in the military though, the bridge could be made to any loved one who lives far away.

One of the best things about Cooper and Me books are their interactive features:
• Life Lesson

• Connections

• Learning Together

They are written in a way to guide adults to help children talk about the book (questions directly from the book - such as "Who are the little girl's friends?"), talk about the life lesson (Staying connected with loved ones for this new one) and connecting to their personal experiences ("Have you ever missed someone?  How does that feel?")  

Cooper and Me and the Military also contains a sample letter for writing our service men and women and a website to help in sending those messages.  All of these interactive features would be perfect for home and/or school.

For More Information:
Website: http://www.cooperandme.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cooper-and-Me-Inc/214695101924101

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/cooper_and_me

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of Cooper & Me and the Winter Adventure for free in hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

For Anyone, Regardless of Age

I actually started reading this book at my in-laws’ home over Thanksgiving. When we came home and I was given the opportunity to receive a copy for review, I quickly accepted. I have always admired Billy Graham and my husband became a believer in Christ through Graham’s ministry. About ten years ago we also had the opportunity to visit Graham’s Retreat Center, The Cove. The first thing I remember after driving through the gates is feeling overwhelming peace.


Nearing Home is all about growing old gracefully, what Graham has learned about aging and his desire to finish strong. As one can expect from Graham, it is written with a great amount of Scripture and wisdom. Besides the mentioned reasons, I was drawn to this book because I don’t recall seeing any other Christian authors writing on the topic. I am thankful for Graham’s model.

I am closer to 40 than 90, but this book can be for anyone! I particularly like how each chapter starts with a Scripture and a quote, how Graham encourages mentorship, and the description of Heaven. He also does an excellent job ministering to the heart when he talks about loss and grief.

As believers, we are all nearing our true home because each day here is closer to a day there and we don’t know when our time will be. Nearing Home would make an excellent read for anyone desiring to grow in their faith, regardless of age.

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

America: The Last Best Hope Vol. III

America: The Last Best Hope (Volume III) From the Collapse of Communism to the Rise of Radical Islam
By William Bennett

Twenty years is a long time. However, Bennett believed that more time needed to pass to digest the history of 1989 – 2009 before writing this third volume. Many, especially in the education community, though persisted in asking for this history book to be written to bring us as up to date as possible. I love history, but have seen my share of boring history books. This is not one of those! “America” Vol. III is warm, relational and thought-provoking. Bennett writes with first-hand knowledge having served as Secretary of Education under President Reagan and as Drug Czar under President George H.W. Bush.

I, like many, lived during the events in the book so I have my own memories of what happened and where I was when I heard about the events. I appreciated the insight to what was going on on a deeper level and seeing how the events fit together to form a bigger picture. Even though the book is political and world event (including great changes in media and technology) in nature, Bennett included mention of country music. It fit though and was reflective of culture.
Most interesting to me was the epilogue. The book was written in 2009 and in the epilogue Bennett reflects on the hopes and fears of Americans. He is very hopeful in America rising to its challenges. Unfortunately, it seems that in the two years since, we have spiraled downward instead of rising. I wonder what will be written as history eighteen years from now.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Cooper & Me and the Winter Adventure

When I returned from traveling for Thanksgiving, a new book was waiting in my stack of mail. I laid it on my desk and thought that I’d get around to reviewing it in the next week “sometime”. I read it while waiting on the phone and had to write the review right away because it was so good! I wanted you to have time for some good opportunities before Christmas too! First the book – from a Mom standpoint, I loved that the book had fun, lovable characters and taught a valuable lesson (what to do when you are lost). From an educator’s standpoint, I loved that the book had wonderful rhyme and flow, used rich language and included higher level thinking questions. I am both Mom and educator and Cooper & Me and the Winter Adventure is worthy of your home and/or school library.

This book is perfect for PreK – 2nd grade and will offer a wonderful springboard for discussion. “Life Lesson” and “Connections” are included to help you with that too. Often young children have trouble talking about “what to do in a difficult situation”, but adventuresome dogs, Cooper and Bella will give children a story where children can relate and easily discuss what they would do if they were in a situation like the dogs (lost).

Here are some specifics on the book:
Website: http://www.cooperandme.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cooper-and-Me-Inc/214695101924101
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/cooper_and_me

Now for the OPPORTUNITIES:

First, $1 of every Winter Adventure book sold will go to advance research & treatment of pancreatic cancer, via the Lustgarten Foundation (http://www.lustgarten.org/)

Next, our friends at Cooper & Me are offering an EXCLUSIVE DEAL FOR YOU

Make any purchase of $25 or more at CooperandMe.com and get FREE SHIPPING now through December 15.

MUST USE THIS CODE @ Check Out: COOPERBLOG

Finally, you can enter to win a copy of Cooper & Me and the Winter Adventure. Simply visit the Cooper & Me website and make a comment here specifically about it. I will close the contest at 11:59 pm on Dec. 2 (so you don’t have much time!) and use random.org to select a winner.

I hope you take advantage of these opportunities. Enjoy Cooper & Me!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of Cooper & Me and the Winter Adventure for free in hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

One Month to Live

When we first moved back to Oklahoma, several churches in the area were going through the book One Month to Live. I hadn’t had the chance to read it yet, so when I was given the opportunity to read it for review, I quickly took it.

Besides the authentic, clear way the book is written with doable and real life examples, I love the methodical lay-out of this book! It is designed for a chapter to be read daily with each week having a different theme: live passionately, love completely, learn humbly and leave boldly. After a little bit of writing there is a “Make It Count Moment” that is designed for you to reflect on what you’ve read and think about your own life. At the end of the chapter is “Make It Last for Life” where three action steps are outlined. It doesn’t have to be overwhelming either. If we just took one of the three or one or two steps from each week and made some lasting changes – it could really improve our life!

At the beginning of each chapter are also two quotes. My favorite one in the book is “A ship is safe in harbor, but that’s not what ships are for” By William Shedd. The quotes, call for reflection, action steps, and style of writing are great for several different learning styles and provide “hooks” to make the message of the book stick.

I’m sure if we found out that we only had one month to live, our perspective would change and we’d strive to live each day to the fullest. We would focus on what truly mattered. One Month to Live has encouraged me to live that way now. When it is my time to leave this fleshy self, I want to have lived life on purpose.

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

His Steadfast Love by Golden Keyes Parsons

I was first drawn to the novel, His Steadfast Love, by it’s tagline, “A Civil War Novel”. I am a history buff and that particular time period has always fascinated me. In the book, Amanda Belle is “in the middle” of: her brother fighting for the Confederacy and the man she loves, an officer for the Union; a promise made and the stirrings of her heart; life as she has always known it and wartime; how she views slavery and challenges to her views; and finally, her Father’s faith and wrestling with what she believes about God and His working in our life.

This plot and sub-plots serve to make His Steadfast Love well-rounded and fully developed. I am not a fan of romance novels so it was a welcome relief that the book wasn’t drippy and only focused on Amanda and her beloved. Love stories of other friends and family members were even included. Those who are fans of romance novels won’t be disappointed by the romantic encounters, waiting and love notes.

Author, Golden Keyes Parsons, uses vivid details and words that painted wonderful pictures for me and kept me fully engaged. The week that I read this book, I substituted all week, and I almost couldn’t stand it when I had to stop reading.

I appreciated historical facts that were included. Some I had not considered before and some gave me ideas for further exploration. I also liked that a reader’s guide was included. The questions are perfect for further personal consideration of issues raised in His Steadfast Love, or for a book club discussion. I would definitely recommend this book.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Extraordinary by John Bevere

I chose this book primarily because of its name and the name relation to my blog. My husband had read a book by the same author and found it helpful. So, going into the book I was very hopeful. However, I received this book as an eBook and could never get it loaded on my Kindle (although I had been able to do it in the past). I decided not to let that spoil things and found the time to sit down at my home computer and read away. I am exhausted!

While Extraordinary had many wonderful points and wisdom for living the Christian life, that was in my opinion its downfall – “many”. There were too many topics covered for just one book. The whole first half covered some basics of Christianity and by Chapter 9 (which I felt was on of the best chapters), Bevere delves into holiness.

In Chapter 9, Bevere states “We are straying far from God’s heart because we are so influenced by our society. In so many ways, the church has become a subculture rather than what we are called to be – a counterculture.” I did appreciate this statement because it put into words what I had been thinking and feeling for quite a while. However, the book was lacking something. I just quite haven’t figured out what the something is. I would not recommend it to others.

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

As Silver Refined

As Silver Refined, by Kay Arthur, is a must read for anyone who has ever been disappointed. That would be everyone, right? Arthur encourages us boldly and Biblically to turn disappointment into “His appointment” (notice the change of the “d” to “h” AND the space).

This book is not a light read and at times I felt bogged down in repetition. At one time I even said that this book was not for a new believer or one that didn’t intellectually reason well. However, that is silly for me to limit God! He can use this book to help anyone. It is not self-help, but every chapter draws the disappointed to Scripture and to the One who heals instead of leaving them spiraling into despair.

I read As Silver Refined with highlighter in hand and prayerfully. Now, I will return to the nuggets and digest the words more deeply as I use the companion Bible study that is included. There were three chapters on meekness and I believe it’s the best writing that I’ve ever read on the subject.

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

The Chocolate Diaries

The Chocolate Diaries, Secrets to a Sweeter Journey on the Rocky Road of Life by Karen Linamen delivers everything you would expect from the title. It is very personally written and offers personal stories and insight (diaries) to dealing with life’s struggles in order to have a “sweet” life instead of being bitter. The author also interviewed several others who have endured intense struggles and included their secrets. She did an excellent job of weaving the theme throughout the entire book – chapter titles, readers’ answers to “What’s your secret to a sweeter journey on the rocky road of life?”, food for thought and chocolate recipes.

My favorite chapter was 8 “For a New Taste in Life, Look for a New Recipe” where Linamen talks about regrouping and perhaps reinventing a portion of your life. This chapter as well as all the others is very practical and anyone reading the book can take many nuggets of wisdom away to use in difficult spots in life. However, overall I was disappointed with the book. From a Christian standpoint, there were many areas that were weak and sometimes inappropriate. Honestly, I got very tired of hearing of the author’s love life woes. Share that with your best friends, not the whole world in print.

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

Restless in Carolina

Restless in Carolina is a great summer read. I purposely chose it to have along for summer vacation and I wasn’t disappointed. Bridget Pickwick, the main character is believable and a well-rounded character. She has several story lines to face – how she feels about being a widow at thirty-three (especially when so many family members are marrying), what “happily ever after” really means, finding a “green” buyer for her family’s estate, and learning to trust God again.

This book is a romance, but not drippingly so (thank goodness!). Bridget can spot a “widow sniffer” a mile away. Although she has feelings being awakened, she’s not so sure she’s ready to give up her “widow’s weeds”. The book is an easy read – but, not in a bad sense. It was light enough for an enjoyable beach day, but, not shallow or predictable. It kept me guessing and had some surprises too.

I’d recommend Restless in Carolina to others – I like Leigh’s writing style and would like to read some of her other books. I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing for this review.

Primal

Primal: A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity is amazing! It is a book of Spiritual Disciplines for our generation. I’m not sure the author would appreciate that description, but hear me out. In college, my Spiritual Discipline class and the book we used were foundational in my spiritual quest. Too often, those engaging in spiritual disciplines are (or they become) doing so for the sake of checking them off a list (either a to do list or a list of “if I do these then I’ll be spiritual”). Primal gets down to the core of disciplines – to Love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. Author, Mark Batterson thoroughly outlines what that looks like by explaining, describing, and enticing us to rediscover compassion, wonder, curiosity, and energy.

I love how he challenges us to rethink what loving God looks like and how he persuades us to live out our Christian life in today’s culture. Two of my favorite chapters are on wonder – the miracles around us and the wonder of Scripture. It was a perfect complement to another book I’m reading on being thankful. Primal contains a discussion guide and would make a wonderful book for a small group study. It is a must read for those wanting to grow deeper in their relationship with Christ.

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

Secrets of the Vine for Women

Secrets of the Vine for Women, Breaking Through to Abundance is a delightful book that shows how God works in our life for us to bear fruit, bear more fruit and bear much fruit. The book is visually pleasing in that each chapter has beautiful vineyard artwork with a Scripture. It touches emotionally by including a fictional vignette of a daughter and her father’s grape harvest. In addition to the main purpose of the book, it encourages spiritual growth by including excerpts from Secrets of the Vine Bible Study, a “Three Seasons in God’s Vineyard” chart that is built upon throughout the book, and a study guide with seven questions for each chapter. The book can be read straight through in a short span, be used as personal study or devotions, or be used for a group study. Scripture is abundant throughout.

Just as Jesus used a vineyard analogy in John 15, Wilkinson continues that theme and explains some grape growing principles. Most meaningful to me was where she explained that a stronger rendering of a Greek word that means “cut off” would be “lifts up”. According to a vineyard keeper, a branch that is trailing in the dirt is too valuable to cut off; instead it would be lifted, washed, and tied up in the sun so it would produce again. Although I know that sometimes God removes things in our lives, I thought this was a beautiful picture of Him tenderly retraining areas of our lives to grow again.

Now that I have read this book through I am going to go back and examine it more closely and use the study guide in some times of reflection. Secrets of the Vine for Women is definitely worth the read!

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

Inspiration for a Ridiculously Good Life

Nick Vujicic is now a motivational speaker and the director of Life Without Limbs, a non-profit organization. Nick found his life’s purpose despite being born without arms or legs. In his book, with the same title as his organization, Life Without Limbs, he speaks candidly about his disability and the ups and downs it brought emotionally as a child, teen, and now young adult. Even from the beginning it struck me how he described his mom not holding him at birth.

Nick uses his own experiences to encourage others to love themselves, find purpose, change their attitudes, forgive, have “life guides”, risk, have fun and give. At first I thought, not another motivational believe in yourself, blah, blah, blah. Although, Life Without Limits is extremely “self-help”, the focus isn’t all self. Nick is very clear that the source of his strength is Christ.

Honestly, this was a difficult book for me to get through. However, I’m not saying I don’t recommend it. It’s just not where I am right now. I have a pre-teen son who has always enjoyed biographical type books and I look forward to him reading it. I think it will encourage him as he faces challenges in his teen years to keep going and overcome.

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

Plain Wisdom - A Book Review

Plain Wisdom is a collection of life insights by Cindy Woodsmall, a novelist, and Miriam Flaud, an Old Order Amish woman. All of the insights are grouped in seven categories: The Rhythm of Life; Timeless Beginnings; Challenges Great and Small; Laughter in Odd Places; Beauty, Ashes, and Things Between; In His Hands; and The Shape of Tomorrow. Each category starts with a glimpse into the Amish way of life that Woodsmall has gleaned by her friendship with Fluad and each chapter includes Scripture. Speaking of friendship, Plain Wisdom made me long to spend time with my best friend who lives in another state.

Both authors do an excellent job with transparency and both come at topics from different perspectives. Still, commonalities we share as women are evident despite cultural differences. Many family recipes from Flaud are shared. Of particular interest to me was “Amish Friendship Bread”. Before we had children, I kept the starters and bread going for several months. I’m looking forward to starting this again and was even given the idea of baking all the bread to give out to friends instead of passing along starters. Although, slowing down and enjoying simple things in life such as baking may be what is needed for many of us!

Honestly, when I selected this book, I thought I had chosen a fiction book because I recognized Woodsmall as a fiction writer whose characters and plots are usually Amish. When the book arrived, I was pleasantly surprised! As a full-time working Mom of two tweens, fiction is difficult for me to read because of time (and sometimes preference). This book can be read in small spurts or all the way through and even has a discussion guide if you’d like to read with a group or a friend.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the Amish, those whose hearts are stirred by friendship, someone wanting a light refreshing read and those who need to be reminded of how much God cares for and works in every area of our lives.

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

**Please go to the Blogging for Books site to rank my review: http://www.waterbrookmultnomah.com/bloggingforbooks/reviews/view/5362/bmc:1/bc:21/rank:6/month:all/year:all