Jesus Is ....... by Judah Smith

I received this book for free from Booksneeze in exchange for an honest review.  All thoughts are my own.  I chose to read this book, because I had several friends that read it and loved it.  I probably made it through the first 50 pages and I was struggling to read any more.  I would read a chapter, then go read another book.  I had a very hard time staying interested in the book.  Once I made it to 5 chapters from the end of the book, I was finally interested.  I think the book is very well written.  Judah Smith raises some great points.  I loved hearing about grace and God loving us just where we are.  He talks about not being able to earn your way into heaven. I love that.  

Review of If We Survive by Andrew Klavan

I love any time I get a chance to read anything by Andrew Klavan.  I also love that I can pass these books onto my teenage son and he loves reading them also.  I love the characters in Andrew Klavan's books.  Will and Meredith captured my heart and I loved reading about them.  I would love to follow them in another book!

The book description says:

They came on a mission of mercy, but now they’re in a fight for their lives.

High schooler Will Peterson and three friends journeyed to Central America to help rebuild a school. In a poor, secluded mountain village, they won the hearts of the local people with their energy and kindness.

But in one sudden moment, everything went horribly wrong. A revolution swept the country. Now, guns and terror are everywhere—and Americans are being targeted as the first to die.

Will and his friends have got to get out fast. But streets full of killers . . . hills patrolled by armies . . . and a jungle rife with danger stand between them and the border. Their one hope of escape lies with a veteran warrior who has lost his faith and may betray them at any moment. Their one dream is to reach freedom and safety and home.

If they can just survive.

The book kept my attention from the first page to the last page.  I loved not knowing what was going to happen and the excitement of wondering what was going to happen.  I would highly recommend this book to others.  I received this book free from Booksneeze in exchange for an honest review.

Review of Heaven's Lessons by Steve Sjogren

The description of this book says:

“If you’d asked me who God is on December 9, the year of my accident, I would have been able to give you a fairly cohesive but theoretical answer. A day later all of that changed.”

A simple surgery went horribly wrong. Steve Sjogren died on the operating table. He encountered a heavenly world where he felt infinite peace. And then he had to come back—back to a physical reality filled with pain and disability and an endless line of tests.

The drama of dying suddenly paled in comparison to the trauma of living. Sjogren could not face this new existence with his same old comfortable understanding of God.

“I had minimized God,” Sjogren says. “Somehow, over time, he had become fairly predictable—like he could be outlined, fully grasped, and contained in a neat set of mere ideas. Now I saw that he apparently wasn’t all that impressed with my cool little notebooks.”

One day in heaven followed by hundreds in agony forged a deeper and stronger faith than Sjogren could have crafted on his own. In Heaven’s Lessons, Sjogren shares his experiences and the life-changing ways they have affected his perspective on success, suffering, and the mysteries of God.

If I could have reviewed this book about 1/4 to 1/3 in, I would have said I loved it.  The beginning of the book was great and really held my attention.  Once I got to about page 140-150, I was trying to just make it to the end of the book, because I did not like it.  Every time I opened the book to read it after page 150, I wanted to go to sleep.  I did feel really bad for the things that have happened in Steve's life with the operations and recovery.  I cannot imagine going through that.  I loved reading that he recovered, but it could have been a much shorter book, in my opinion.  I would not recommend this book to others.  I received this book from Booksneeze for free, in exchange for an honest review.  

Review of The Sky Beneath My Feet by Lisa Samson

The cover of this book looked cute and piqued my interest.  I ordered the e-book from Booksneeze to read and honestly was really disappointed in the book.  The cover of the book was much cuter than the book itself, in my opinion.  I think it was written well, but I had a hard time staying interested in the story.

The description says:

Being married to a saint isn't what it's cracked up to be.

Beth's husband won't be joining the family on vacation at the beach this year. He's not even joining them in the house. Instead, Rick has holed up alone in the backyard shed. Nobody knows exactly what he's up to. Maybe he's immersing himself in prayer. Maybe he's lost his mind. Maybe he's even the modern-day prophet or the saint the neighborhood artist imagines him to be. But while "St. Rick" waits for an epiphany, Beth will have to figure out what to do with herself and their teenage sons, possibly for the rest of her life.

What happens next is both uproarious and bittersweet: a peace march turns violent, her son is caught with drugs, and she embarks on an ambitious road trip that turns into something nearly surreal. Will Beth rediscover the idealistic woman she used to be, once upon a time? Can her marriage survive Rick's backyard vigil? Will anything ever be the same? And should it be?

Truthful, comic, heartbreaking, and magical in the very best sense of the word, The Sky Beneath My Feetgently tears the veil off our egos and expectations to reveal the throbbing, redemptive, and achingly beautiful life beyond and within us.

I had a very hard time relating to Rick.  I felt like there wasn't much explained about him in the story at all.  I enjoyed Beth's story through out the book, but the rest of the book was hard to read.  I would not recommend this book to others.  

I received this book for free from Booksneeze/Thomas Nelson in exchange of an honest review.  These are my views on the book.  

Review of A Matter of Trust by Lis Wiehl

Mysteries are usually not my favorite genre to read, but I have really been into mysteries lately.  I had never heard of Lis Wiehl, but I decided to give one of her books a try.  I loved most of the book.  I was trying to figure out who the murderer was from the third or fourth chapter, but I never would have guessed who it was.

The description says:

When life is murder, who can you trust?

One minute Mia Quinn is in her basement, chatting on the phone with a colleague at the prosecutor’s office. The next minute there’s a gunshot over the line, and Mia listens in horror as her colleague and friend Colleen bleeds to death.

Mia’s a natural for heading up the murder investigation, but these days she has all she can do to hold her life together. As a new widow with a pile of debts, a troubled teenaged son, and a four-year-old who wakes up screaming at night, she needs more time with her family, not less—and working Colleen’s case will be especially demanding. But Colleen was her friend, and she needs to keep her job. So she reluctantly teams up with detective Charlie Carlson to investigate Colleen’s death. But the deeper they dig, the more complications unfold—even the unsettling possibility that someone may be coming after her.

Lis Wiehl’s signature plot twists and relatable characters shine in this absorbing series debut . . . with an intriguing cameo from her best-selling Triple Threat series.

I loved the ending of the book.  It was very suspenseful.  I would recommend this book to others.  I received this book for free from Booksneeze/Thomas Nelson, in exchange for an honest review.  

Review of Stress Test by Richard L. Mabry, M.D.

I ordered Stress Test without having any idea what to expect.  It's been a long time since I have read a mystery or suspenseful book and I had no idea what to expect.  I am so glad that I ordered Stress Test and gave it a try.  I enjoyed this book more than any book I have read in a long time.  It was definitely a page turner!  I could not wait to see what happened to Dr. Matt Newman.

The description says:

They may not have enough evidence to convict him, but they have enough to ruin his life.

Dr. Matt Newman thought he was leaving his life in private practice for a better one in academic medicine. But the kidnappers who attacked him as he left his last shift in the ER have no such plans—they just want him dead. Bound and in the trunk of his car, Matt's only thought is escape. He does so, but at a price: a head injury that lands him in the ICU . . . where he awakens to discover he's being charged with murder.

Sandra Murray is a fiery, redheaded lawyer who swore she was done with doctors. But when Matt calls, she knows she can't walk away from defending someone who is truly innocent.

Matt's career is going down the drain. His freedom and perhaps his life may be next. But with the police convinced he's a murderer and the kidnappers still trying to finish what they started, finding the truth—and the faith to keep going—will be the toughest stress test Matt has ever endured.

I was very anxious to get to the end of the book and see if the good guy or bad guys won!  I love books like this and really loved how open he was with his faith in the book.  I would highly recommend this book to others.  I received this book for free from Booksneeze/Thomas Nelson in exchange of an honest review.  

Review for The House That Love Built by Beth Wiseman

The description of this book says:

Brooke has only loved one man, her late husband. Owen’s rebuilding after a painful divorce. Can a mysterious house bring them together for a second chance at love?

In the charming town of Smithville, Texas, Brooke Holloway is raising two young children on her own, supporting them by running the family hardware store. The last thing on her mind is falling in love. But she’s intrigued when a stranger moves to town and buys the old Hadley mansion. She’s always heard that house holds a secret—maybe even a treasure—and she can’t wait to see inside. When she meets the new owner and they spend time together, she can’t deny the attraction. Could God be giving her another chance at happiness? Or is she betraying her late husband’s memory by even thinking that way?

Owen Saunders bought the Hadley place to spite his cheating ex-wife. She’d always wanted to restore an old house in Smithville. Now he’s going to do it without her. But if anything needs restoration, it is Owen’s heart. Then he meets Brooke and her kids and finds himself tempted by love. Can he bring himself to trust a woman again?

Throw an eccentric uncle into the mix, along with the town’s teenage troublemaker, and even a finicky cat—and one thing becomes clear: God is bringing them all together for a reason.

Just reading the description of this book had me very curious about it.  It caught my attention and had me wondering what would happen with Brooke and Owen.  The book is a very easy read.  I had never read a book by Beth Wiseman and I absolutely loved it!  I did not want to put it down.  The book tells amazing stories about grace, forgiveness and reconciliation.  I think this is a book that I would read over and over again.  I would highly recommend this book to other women.  It is a wonderful love story, but the stories of reconciliation and forgiveness touched me much more.  

I received this book for free from Booksneeze in exchange of an honest review.

Review of Days Like These: Even in the Darkest Moments, Light Can Shine Through

Days Like These is a compilation of blog posts written by Kristian Anderson and Rachel Anderson.  It talks about his diagnosis and struggle through treatment for colon and liver cancer.  Kristian does a great job on sharing his faith and his daily struggles while undergoing chemotherapy and radiation.  He shares the ups and downs of life with cancer.  He shares the fears and the joys of having another day with his family.  This book was so real and so touching.  You can see the love Kristian has for Rachel and his two young sons.  It is so sweet, but also so sad.  I would strongly recommend this book to everyone to read.  It made me want to be a better person and to love others better.

I received this e-book for free from Booksneeze in exchange for an honest review.

Review of PTSD: A Spouse's Perspective

PTSD: A Spouse's Perspective by Erica David is a book written by the wife of a man that came home from war a changed man.  He was emotionally and verbally abusive.  It drove Erica into a deep depression.  She constantly felt like she was walking through a minefield all the time.  She and her children had no idea what was going on.  She does a great job explaining the symptoms, causes, etc of PTSD.  I think this book is a great read for anyone that has been through verbal, emotional or physical abuse.  I downloaded this e-book this afternoon and read it completely in a couple of hours.  It was easily read and definitely kept my attention!  I received this e-book for free from Booksneeze in exchange for an honest review.

Review of Overcoming Abuse God's Way...

Overcoming Abuse God's Way: Rags to Riches by Janet Marie Napper and Brenda Branson is a memoir about one lady's path to overcoming abuse and forgiving her abuser.  Growing up in a verbally and emotionally abusive home, I could easily relate to a lot of the emotions in this book.  I am not sure I would recommend this book to everyone, but for those of us that have dealt with abuse, it is very helpful.  The scriptures at the end of each chapter were like a breath of fresh air.

I received this ebook for free from Booksneeze in exchange of an honest review.

Desperate... Hope for the Mom Who Needs to Breathe by Sarah Mae and Sally Clarkson

I don't know about you, but there are days when I am tired.  I love my kids to the moon and back and would lay down my life any day and any time for them, but sometimes life is hard and some days are hard.  I fight with selfishness many days and want to read or write or just be still.  There is hope for me on those days.  There is hope every day, but especially on those days.  I loved the way they weaved Bible verses into the chapters and loved how real and transparent Sarah Mae and Sally Clarkson are.  It felt like you were sitting down with them over a cup of tea.  I am very thankful that after reading this book, my eyes were opened to how selfish I had been with my time.  I am very thankful that there is still time to correct my mistakes and ask for forgiveness.

The description of the book reads:

"I just can't be a mother today."

These words have been whispered to God in quiet desperation by mothers who love their children to the depths of their soul, but who are struggling with how hard motherhood is.

Motherhood turns you inside out. Sometimes you feel overwhelmed by how tired you feel; the days go on and on, and you want to be a "good" mom, but you feel like a failure so much of the time. What happened to all your ideals? When did you end up feeling so...lost?

Sarah Mae and Sally Clarkson have been to the edge and back. Desperate is the story of one young mother’s trials and one experienced mentor’s priceless exhortations. Desperate is not a book about despair, nor is it a rule-laden mothering manual. It is a bouquet from a friend who has been there, reminding us that we are not alone. Sarah Mae’s unvarnished account of her own struggles mothering three feisty young children is a lesson in learning patience, loving idiosyncrasies, accepting help, and—most of all—leaning on God.

Each chapter includes a brief Bible study with journal exercises to help you find your own quiet center, and get you back into the fray soul-filled and refreshed. Written with candor, empathy, and faith, Desperate is like coffee with a trusted girlfriend; one who knows how hard being a mother can be, and how to navigate the often turbulent road.

I honestly think this is the best book on mothering that I have ever read.  If you are a mother, no matter the ages of your children, I cannot recommend this book enough.  It will give you hope and encouragement to be the mother than God has planned for your children.  

I received this e-book free through Booksneeze, in exchange for an honest review.  

Encouraged...

Our family has been under some crazy spiritual attack so far this year and I have been feeling some major discouragement.  Not full blown depression, as I have faced many times before, but this heavy feeling of defeat and despair.  Thanks to a sweet friend, I was reminded this morning that we should be encouraged by attacks from the devil.  If God didn't have a great plan for our lives, we would not be a threat to the devil and we would not be facing these attacks.  Thanks to her encouragement this morning, I feel peace and know that we are going to be okay.  So, starting this morning, I am choosing joy.  The devil is not going to pull me into his trap of defeat and despair.  Christ in me is so much more powerful than the devil.  Now I have My God is Greater on repeat in my head.  What a great song to dwell on this morning.  If my God is for us, who can ever stop us...

So, be encouraged.  No matter what you are going through or what you are facing, God has gone before you.  Your trials did not surprise Him.  There is a reason for your pain and He will use your pain for His purpose.