An Amish Wedding

I am a big fan of the Amish books. After visiting the Amish settlement in Berlin, Ohio it has made the books so much more real. It is so interesting to read about the rituals and their way of living.
This is another great Amish book and I love that there are three stories in one. It is great to hear about their wedding routines and rituals that they have to follow living in an Amish settlement. It is not something I could do but definitely admire those that do.
This is a great book that I would suggest to anyone that likes reading romance novels and Amish stories.

Heaven is for Real Deluxe Edition

I have to admit, I was a little skeptical getting this book. I had heard a lot of comments on it and was looking forward to reading it to see what everyone was talking about. I have read other books similar to this and I have found that the biblical basis behind what the book was saying was a bit dramatized and not a positive book in general.

I was blown away when I read Heaven is for Real. I found out after a few texts that my friend is the youth pastor at the Burpo's church. I read this book and it gave me a whole new outlook on life and heaven. I have never really heard sermons on heaven because some people don't like to hear about it in churches today. This book is phenomenal and one I would suggest everyone read.

If a 4 year old isn't afraid of death, why should adults be?

Thank You, God, for Loving me.

Not sure what to say. It is an amazing book for toddlers about God's love. It is a board book and so great to see Christian morals being taught at such a young age. Lucado is reaching every age range and he does an amazing job at it!

This will be a great book to take when I teach pre-school or toddlers at church in our nursery program.

Great job Max Lucado!

Thank You, God, for Blessing me.

Max Lucado has done it again! This time he is reaching a younger age group with the stories about Hermie. But, he is also able to bring scripture and inspiration to the little toddler age children. This is an awesome book for churches, parents of young kids, pre-school teachers etc.
It is great to be able to teach children how they are blessed. So excited with how Max Lucado is bringing the word to all ages and able to reach them all through Hermie and other various topics. He is reaching the youngest of kids to the oldest of adults with his books. Keep up the great work!

Hermie, a common caterpillar

I was excited to get this book! I was even more excited to find out it was a level 2 reader! I supply teach and I am always looking for something different that I can take into the Christian schools where I teach and read or show the children.
Lucado has done it again! Hermie is a great story about a caterpillar that feels common and doesn’t realize God has big plans for him but only in God’s timing does He reveal those plans! Great story for children and adults to relate to.

Close Enough to Hear God Breathe

I was a little hesitant in getting this book, not totally sure on what it would be about. I got this book in the mail and have not been able to put it down! I would force myself to read once chapter a night so I could have something to look forward to the next night.
Greg is so real in this book and brings practicality to it all. It has made me laugh, and cry. It is probably one of the best books I have read! Amazing! It even has study questions so you could do a book group or small group with it. Really great book!

The Grace of God ~ Andy Stanley

This was my first book by Andy Stanley (son of Charles Stanley), and I was really impressed. It was easy to read, very conversational, and full of fresh insights. The book walks through the Bible, viewing key passages in terms of how they demonstrate the grace of God. Since I just finished a study at our church on "Jesus in Genesis," his chapters on the Old Testament were especially timely - though I also enjoyed the NT chapters. I would recommend this book for any small group or individual study.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their 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.”

It's Not About Me!

It’s Not About Me ~ Max Lucado

He has done it once again! Lucado has brought realization to the reader’s mind about how this world isn’t about us, it never was and never will be. God has put us here for a reason and that is to glorify Him and spread the news about Him.

Lucado has to be one of my favourite author’s. He says it like it is and gets right down to the root. Definitely a book I would suggest for anyone to read!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their 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.”

The Waiting Place

I have to admit, I was a little disappointed when I started reading this book. I guess I was expecting it to be more practical on waiting and that type of thing. It is more compiled of short stories of different times the author had to wait and there are some practical truths pulled out of those stories.

It is a good book to read before bed. Not sure it would be a book I’d suggest for people to read unless they wanted something to read before bed.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their 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.”

Live Loved ~ Max Lucado

Knowing this book was a devotional and having loved the books that Lucado has written I decided to grab this book off of booksneeze. It is a small devotion that is packed full of devotions from the recent books he has written.

The devotions seem to hit the spot every day. They speak right into my heart. This would be an amazing gift for anyone.
Lucado has done it again! Great job!!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their 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.”

Hermie & Friends: A Bug Collection Volume 3 ~ Max Lucado

I requested this dvd set because I am involved in Children’s ministry at my church and felt this would be so beneficial for kids of any age. I am a big fan of Max Lucado’s work and have heard many good things about “Hermie & Friends” but never seen any. Thanks to booksneeze for sending this to me to review! There is humor in this that adults will enjoy! Great family entertainment as well as impacting Christian lessons!

Milo the Mantis Who Wouldn’t Pray:
Milo learns that when you pray you don’t have to do anything special, use any fancy words to get God’s attention but that He is always listening and is with us all the time.

Buzby & The Grumble Bees:
Buzby’s neice and nephew come overnight and don’t have any manners at all but with the help of Buzyb’s friends they teach them how to behave the way God wants us to behave. Great lessons!

Hailey & Bailey’s Silly Fight:
Hailey and Bailey fight along with a few others in the garden but after they pray, God shows them that they are arguing over something silly and their initial plan was to help others but they got sidetracked. They learned that fighting can be silly, and that we need to love each other.

This is an incredible DVD set for ministry, and families. Great practical lessons for everyone to learn in a fun way. Each DVD has a sing a long song, colouring sheets, a story book and other features! A great tool for anyone that is around children!

The Truth about Dating, Love, and Just Being Friends ~ Chad Eastham

When first ordering this book from booksneeze I wasn’t too sure what it would be like. As someone who works with youth I was interested.

As I opened this book I was surprised. Eastham is very straightforward and honest about dating and relationships. He brings a humorous spin to the book and covers a lot.

This is definitely a book that would be great for teenagers, guys and girls!

Nelson's Biblical Cyclopedic Index

This index is a very intensive and great resource to have as a student, ministry leader, pastor, Bible scholar or Christian! It covers everything in the Bible. It is like taking the back of your Bible index and expanding it in a huge way. It references everything and everyone in the Bible! There are over 8000 listings in alphabetical order with scripture references included. These listings are also broken down into sub-headings making it even more user friendly. Most of them include a brief definition, or if you are looking up a name, you will find the meaning of the name.

It isn’t a heavy book so it’s easy to carry with you. It would be a great resource to use as a teacher or Bible Study leader but also great for personal use. It is easy to use and understand. It is definitely a great resource and one that you should have.

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.”

Start!

Start! The Bible for New Believers
General Editor: Greg Laurie
This Bible is the NKJV which I’m not a huge fan of because it’s not in the easiest language for non-believers to understand. It did have great highlights throughout explaining things in simpler terms for a believer at any stage in their walk with the Lord.
I don’t believe for me it was too helpful but I am passing it on to a baby Christian and hope that she will get great use out of it.

A Leader's Heart ~ John Maxwell

As someone moving towards leadership I found this devotional inspiring. Each day is a section from one of John Maxwell’s books on Leadership. Maxwell relates to leaders, struggles, joys, frustrations, etc in this book. It is great that each day is to the point and applies principles from his other books and would be a great reference book.

It is a great book for a Pastor in your life or anyone in leadership. I would recommend reading this and using it as a tool to aid your devotional time.

You Were Made to Make a Difference

This book is a great one for teens to help motivate them to realize that they can make a difference, no matter what their age. We are brought back to the book of Acts and look at the first church, what they did and relate it to now, it is no different. We just have to be willing. This is an awesome book for teens to read. I encourage you to pick one up for your teen. Encourage them that they can make a difference; they are not “too young”. There are many people in the Bible that were “young”, for example, David. He was small and young and did amazing things for the Lord. This book was sent to me by booksneeze.com in exchange for a review.

The Butterfly Effect ~ Andy Andrews

This book I had to read online through booksneeze because they for some reason would not send a hard copy. I found, this book was a good motivator to take time to consider actions before making them. To pray and take them to God before acting on them and to realize the impact they would have on others around me.
This was an easy read due to its short chapters and small size. I would recommend this to anyone, believer or not. It was uplifting and encouraging! As well as challenging.

The Boy Who Changed the World ~ Andy Andrews

I was pretty excited to get this book from booksneeze after reading the description and hearing reviews of other Andrews’ books. As a children’s ministry worker I found it good but a little confusing at times. It basically told three stories in one to come to the main conclusion.
Don’t get me wrong, it is a good resource but not meant for younger kids who may not be able to follow or understand the story. I give it a 3.5 out of 5.

Killing Time Before Church

As I sit here and slowly get ready for church I am so thankful for what God has been doing in my life. It is a bumpy ride as I put my trust in Him and know that what He is doing is right and the best way. I try not to worry about what might happen but trust that as I am trusting the One who created everything that the things I worry about, He has already worked out the details and He will come out glorified in it all.

I love my church...we are family that is open and honest with each other. We meet weekly to pray and for service but I miss them and although I know we all have our own lives, wish I could see them more. God is doing amazing things in my church and I'm so honoured to be part of it. As we take steps out into the community I know that God is going to keep us safe and that we have His hedge of protection around us. I pray that as we move out into our community that people wouldn't see a bunch of "Christians" or "religious people" but that the only one they would see is Jesus.

Well, I better sign off for now as I need to finish getting ready.

Over and out.

Wide awake at 3am!

Not sure why, but I am wide awake and it is 3am! I have to get up in 5 hours, and should be sleeping.

I figured...hey what a better time to write a blog than at 3am in the morning!

God has been working in so many areas in my life lately!It's been a crazy ride, fun, scary, exciting, stretching but most of all rewarding to see where God is taking me and realizing that He really is in control and nothing I do can change that, well wait, I can change that by going and doing my own thing but why...when someone else is in control and has the wheel and most of all, knows exactly what He's doing. Why would I want anything different?

I'm glad I'm not in control because I've been there and done that and messed it up!

I'm so thankful for amazing people God has put into my life, for a mom who supports me and provides for me when I'm needing help in certain areas, for friends that allow me to vent without coming back at me with advice about what I need and don't need to do in certain situations, a church that supports me 100% and speaks truth into my life. But most of all I'm thankful for a God who loves me and is there for me every minute of everyday, holding my hand and leading me through all things.

That's my rant for this early morning post. Hope all is well in the land of the internet!