A Lasting Legacy

"A Lasting Legacy" by Doug Hagedorn is a book that challenges and motivates to live a life that will leave an imprint on the next generation. The entire premise of this book is to live a life that imprints on others using your God given gifts, passing on generational traditions to family, parenting in a Godly way, and remaining faithful. This is essentially a "how to" for life - it even discusses how to maintain financial stability. Overall I think that this book is a worthwhile read. It discusses many helpful topics, especially in the section that covers parenting. This book also covers what they call "climbing your life ladder", which is interesting. Your life is basically split up into three acts, each with a season, "to learn", "to earn", and "to return", and discusses going through each of these phases.

I would give this book a 4/5. I thought that it offered a lot of practical and prudent advice and information for living a life of faith and being able to pass on some of your own legacy to the next generation. The book itself was long, and it definitely took some time to read through. But, it is easy split up into chapters, so if you aren't a parent, for example, it would be easy to skip those chapters and continue on.

FTC DISCLOSURE: I received this book for free from BookCrash.com's blogger program. I was not obligated to write a positive review.

WE'VE MOVED!

WE'VE MOVED!
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Humble Heart

"Humble Bumbles Humble Heart : A Book of Virtues" by Amy Meyer Allen is an adorable children's book that features Biblical virtues through an adorable story featuring animal friends. This book teaches young children the importance of the virtues: humility, love, thoughtfulness, faithfulness, mercy, encouragement, comfort, courage, and joy. Each virtue has its own short story featuring a different animal character - for example, the story that explains mercy features Percie Pig. The stories themselves use easy to understand words, perfect for young children, and they really break down the virtue to its most basic form so that a young child can truly get a grasp of what each virtue is about. The last page of each story asks a simple question, designed for young children, to help them tie in how this virtue can be present in their own life. It also features a Bible verse that reinforces that particular virtue. The illustrations in this book are vivid and inviting. This is a wonderfully written, thoughtfully designed book that is ideal for children ages 3 and up. I would highly recommend it for parents or grandparents of any young child. I loved it, and so did my 4 year old!

FTC DISCLOSURE: I received this book for free from Tyndale House Publishers as part of their blogger program in exchange for an honest review. I was NOT obligated to write a positive review.

Lord, I Give You This Day

"Lord, I Give You This Day" by Kay Arthur is a year long devotional that is meant to inspire, uplift, and bring you closer in your walk with Christ. Kay Arthur does a wonderful job of incorporating Biblical truths with our busy everyday lives and challenging us to take pause and really evaluate our hearts. What I loved about this devotional was that each day's devotional is one page long, so it is extremely easy to find the time to read it every day, no matter how busy you might be. Whether you're a stay at home mom, or a busy student, or building a career, this daily devotional can easily fit into your schedule. Kay Arthur so wonderfully writes about things we all need to hear, such as grace, faith, relying on God, righteousness, meekness, and forgiveness. Arthur has a genuine talent for connecting with her readers and creating an inspiring devotional. The only thing that I would change about this book is that the days are labeled. Instead of just going from "day 1" to "day 365", each devotional is dated from "January 1" through "December 31". This makes it feel like I am missing out on something if I do skip a day. Other than that, I love it and would highly recommend it to anyone - I think that there is something in this for everyone, whether you are a mom, dad, student, or business professional. Wonderful Biblical references, great ties to daily life, and very well written. Love it.


FTC DISCLOSURE: I received this book for free from BloggingforBooks.org as part of their blogger program in exchange for an honest review. I was NOT obligated to write a positive review.

God Gave Us Christmas

"God Gave Us Christmas" by Lisa Tawn Bergren is another installment in the "God Gave Us" series - this one focuses on the Christmas holiday and what it really means. In this book, Little Cub asks his parents who invented Christmas. What I thought was nice about this book was that in a few instances, Little Cub asks about Santa, for example, he asks Mama if Santa invented Christmas. Mama's response was the God invented Christmas. I thought it was nice to debunk some of the importance of Santa Claus and teach children to focus more on the true meaning of Christmas.

Mama and Little Cub go on a trip to find God, and discover how he invented Christmas. Through their adventures, Mama shows Little Cub how God is at work, and tells him all about Jesus coming to Earth. For example, at night, they set up a campsite and as they watch beautiful lights in the sky, Mama tells Little Cub how God sent Jesus to be the light of the world.

I thought this book was very cute, and age appropriate. It's a great way to help young children focus on Jesus' birth and the holiday season, rather than Santa Claus and presents. My four year old loved it, and I thought it made a great addition to bedtime reading around the holiday. I would recommend this book for ages 3 and up.

FTC DISCLOSURE: I received this book for free from BloggingforBooks.org in exchange for an honest review. I was not obligated to write a positive review.

Just Like Jesus

"Just Like Jesus" by Max Lucado is a book that really changes your perspective on how we should be living our lives. The premise of this book is that God wants you to be just like Jesus - to have the heart of Jesus. This book challenges you to change your perspective, and change your heart through these twelve chapters of what I can only describe as therapy for your heart and soul.

Lucado offers up these twelve chapters, each with a different quality we need to apply to our hearts in order to have the heart of Jesus. These characteristics are things such as purity, hope, forgiveness, and honesty. Through personal stories, Biblical references, and historical references, Lucado ties up a perfect package of what our hearts should feel and look like, according to God's desire for us.

I thought this book was great. In typical Max Lucado fashion, I found it to be inspirational, well written, and a great way to really refocus my own heart. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to open their hearts to more in their own life.

FTC DISCLOSURE: I received this book for free from BookSneeze.com's blogger program in exchange for an honest review. I was not obligated to write a positive review. 

Bible Stories That End With A Hug

"Bible Stories that End with A Hug" is an adorable children's book written by Stephen Elkins and illustrated by Simon Taylor-Kielty. This book is the ideal Bible story book for young children - I would say ages 3 and up. This book offers over 60 stories for kids that simplifies main stories found in the Bible. Each story gives the relevant Bible verse for the story, and then a short, easy to read synopsis of that Bible story. Short enough for young children to understand without losing interest.

The vocabulary used in the Bible stories in this book are perfect for young children - easy to understand language, and small words that allow kids to understand what is being said. After the story, there are a couple of questions that children would ask, and answers that are based on what we learn in the Bible.

The illustrations in this book are absolutely beautifully done. Colorful, vibrant, and entertaining - they will draw children in! Each story ends with a big hug for the child, as well, which I thought was a really cute idea, as well.

Overall I would give this book a 5/5. Perfect for the age group, beautiful illustrations, and based on sound Biblical principles. Loved it, and so did my four year old!

FTC DISCLOSURE: I received this book for free from Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for an honest review.

Just Like Jesus Devotional

Max Lucado's companion devotional to his book, "Just Like Jesus" is this devotional that challenges you to spend thirty days learning about your faith, your savior, and how to become more like Jesus. 

"Just Like Jesus Devotional" is a month long challenge to allow Jesus to take over your heart. The devotionals themselves are based on four principles: thinking, hearing, reflecting, and speaking. Each daily devotion begins with a bible verse that sets the theme for the day, then a brief explanation of that verse and how it can be applied to our daily lives. Then, Lucado poses a series of questions in the "thinking" section, meant to prompt you to truly understand what it is that God is trying to tell you.

The "hearing" section of the devotion follows, and offers a longer verse that compounds on the questions posed in the "thinking" section. "Reflecting" follows with a few questions about the verses you read in the "hearing" section. Finally, the devotion ends with the "speaking" portion, that essentially helps inspire you in prayer.

What I liked about this devotional was that the daily devotions are truly inspiring. I loved that the sections at the end of the reading build on each other, and really make you think about the impact that Jesus has on your life, and your relationship with Him.

I would recommend this book for anyone who is interested in walking deeper in their faith. Lucado knows how to make you really ponder your own spirituality, and this devotion is 30 days of challenging you to live deeper in your faith.

FTC DISCLOSURE: I received this book for free from BookSneeze.com's Blogger program in exchange for an honest review. I was not obligated to write a positive review. 

Desperate: Hope for the Mom Who Needs to Breathe

Sarah Mae and Sally Clarkson join forces in the book, "Desperate: Hope for the Mom Who Needs to Breathe." This book offers practical advice in place of the traditional school of thought that motherhood "just comes naturally". This book shares the motherhood tales of these two women with us in a way that makes me relate to their situation, and appreciate their perspective. The ideas and principles that these women share with us in "Desperate", can add so much to our daily lives - ideas such as anchoring certain daily events in our schedule to maintain control of the day really struck a chord with me. As a mom of a four year old, and expecting our second child in a couple of months, I am already anticipating the chaos that will ensue, and this book really helped put some new ideas in my head for helping me manage a growing family, while still maintaining my own sanity.

I thought that this book was well written, and is the kind of book that any mom could benefit from. The book is humorous, thoughtful, and easy for any mom to relate to. I would highly recommend this book to any of my mommy friends. A great read, and a helpful resource.

FTC DISCLOSURE: I received this book for free from BookSneeze.com's Blogger program in exchange for an honest review. I was not obligated to write a positive review. The views expressed above are solely my own.

Tyndale Rewards

Just a quick reminder that Tyndale House Publishers is still accepting new signups for their Rewards program! Earn easy points by reviewing Tyndale media, taking surveys, and sharing the site with friends. Points can easily be redeemed for any of a variety of titles, or Bibles. This would be a great way to earn new titles that you might be interested in! To sign up, click HERE

Live Second

"Live Second" by Doug Bender is a 365-day devotional intended to challenge the reader to live a life that puts God first. The book is broken up into 12 sessions, covering topics such as: leading, growing, and commitment, among others. Each day offers a one page reading and devotional, so there is really no reason that anyone couldn't fit this book into their daily routine - before bed, at breakfast, or on their lunch. The daily reading offers a personal story, or a short message to read. In some cases, there are scan codes that can be scanned with a smartphone, that link to video messages in place of an actual written message. 

Each week, the Day #1 devotional offers a "What It Says" and "What It Means" section, that essentially offers up discussion questions that can be answered independently or in a small group setting.  It also offers a "Practice It" section that helps you put into practice some of the information gained from that day's message. Every day's devotional offers a "Live It" and "Tell It" sections that asks you how you will live more Second that day, and how you will share what you have learned. These challenge the reader to implement the knowledge gained, and share it with others on a daily basis. Each day starts with a verse or verses from Scripture, and the message and personal questions that follow are all related to that verse. Days #2 through #7 also offer a "Talk With God" section that offers a suggested prayer for the day, tied into the overall message of the day. 


What I really appreciated about this book is that the daily readings are short, and easy to fit into the day. Even though they are relatively short, there is really a lot of information in each day's message. Between the Bible verses, message, and reflections, as well as the prayer, you really do feel like you are learning how to live second, and put Christ first in daily life. I also like that each day offers a reminder of how the reader can share that day's message with others. 

I thought this book was a really different kind of devotional, and I really liked it! I would highly recommend this book to anyone - it is the perfect book for fitting into a daily routine, and I love the message of living a life of being second. I would rate this book a 5/5. 

FTC DISCLOSURE: I received this book for free from BookSneeze.com, through their books for bloggers program in exchange for an honest review. I was not obligated to write a positive review. 

Would You Read Me To Sleep?

"Would You... Read Me To Sleep" by George Edenfield is a cute story of a little girl and her father and their special time together each day when the father reads to her. The story follows Leia as a young girl, and the "great treasure" that her father tells her about, and the stories he reads to her from the "big storybook". Leia's father tells her about the "Great Treasure of Golden Destiny" and the "Seven Golden Keys" that she would have to discover in order to unlock the treasure. Throughout their storytime, Leia's father tells her the great stories of the Bible. As Leia gets older, the story continues, following her as she tells the same stories to her own children.

The story comes full circle as Leia's father is dying, and she reads to him from the "big storybook". While this story is a touching one, I didn't feel is was appropriate for young children. I would definitely recommend this one for ages 7 and up, as the story is longer than most for younger children, and the vocabulary choices make it harder for young children to fully understand the meaning of the story itself. The illustrations in this book are beautiful, and resemble paintings that take up large portions of the pages.

I thought this book was well-written, and touching as the story comes full circle as Leia reads to her father. The ending is a little sad, as Leia's father is clearly dying, and that might be a hard concept for younger children, as well. The binding of this book is hardback, which makes it great for gifting. The book itself is around 15 pages of actual text, and 15 pages of illustrations.

FTC DISCLOSURE: I received this book for free from BookCrash.com's Blogging for Books program in exchange for an honest review. I was under no obligation to write a positive review.

Andy the Alien Visits the Outer Planets

"Andy the Alien Visits the Outer Planets" is an adorable children's book written by Jeffrey Scott Chase. The book itself is a paperback book, but large (around the size of a sheet of notebook paper) which is perfect for young hands. The story itself follows our friend Andy the Alien as he explores outer space. What I thought was great about this book was that it is entertaining but also full of fun facts about space and the planets that children will remember (for example, did you know that Saturn has 31 moons? Your child will!).

The illustrations in "Andy the Alien Visits the Outer Planets" are bright, and attractive. There are several pictures of planets and moons that appear to be photographed, which makes it much more realistic for the child. There are a lot of pictures on every page, and there isn't a lot of tough vocabulary, which makes it great for young children who still are interested in outer space. Jeffrey Scott Chase clearly kept himself aware of his audience when he was writing because the entire book is perfectly worded for the younger crowd.

I would recommend this book for children ages 4 and up - My 4 year old daughter thought it was so cool! Easy to read, great illustrations, and some fun facts to learn all combine to make a great bedtime (or anytime!) story for the space lover in your home.

FTC DISCLOSURE:  I received a complimentary copy of "Andy the Alien Visits the Outer Planets" as a member of the Dorrance Publishing Book Review Team.  Visit dorrancebookstore.com to learn how you can become a member of the Book Review Team.

The Purpose Driven Life (Expanded Ed.)

"The Purpose Driven Life" by Rick Warren is a book that is about finding our purpose in life - not our purpose at our job, or our purpose in the home, but our God-given purpose. I think that nearly everyone at some point in their life has wondered, "What is the purpose of my life?" It is this question that Rick Warren attempts to help us answer about each of our own lives.

"The Purpose Driven Life" offers daily devotionals to help us grasp our purpose, and further our understanding of what God's purpose for our life might look like. So many people pin their success or failure on their career, or family life, but there is a much bigger picture, and that is what Rick Warren tries to help us understand in this book.

This version of the book is an expanded edition, and it has been updated to be more friendly to a generation of "on the go" types, with interactive codes that can be scanned from a smartphone, and link to video feed of chapter summaries and more information about each chapter.

The book is essentially a book of daily devotions that are aimed at equipping us to change our mindset and start to understand what God's purpose is, and how we can fulfill that purpose. Each day ends with a point to ponder, a verse to remember, a question to consider, and a message to hear. The book is designed to be read over a 40 day period, and I have to admit that I thought there is a lot of life changing information in this book.

This book challenges you to change your mindset, shift your focus, and allow God to take the reins. I thought this book was awesome, and would highly recommend it!

FTC DISCLOSURE: I received this book for free from BookSneeze.com in exchange for an honest review. I was not obligated to write a positive review.

This review is also posted on Amazon.com at: http://www.amazon.com/review/R28X53D3XP0911/ref=cm_cr_pr_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=031032906X&linkCode=&nodeID=&tag=

You Can't Make Me

"You Can't Make Me (But I Can Be Persuaded) by Cynthia Ulrich Tobias is a book devoted to helping us bring out the best in our strong-willed children. I have to admit I was very intrigued by this book because I have a very independent, strong four year old. I don't believe this to be a bad thing, but it does seem to create some conflict, so I was open to any suggestions as to how to nurture her independence rather than try and change it.

One of the most helpful pieces of advice that I took away from this book was changing the way that I reacted to conflict with my daughter. Rather than issue an ultimatum, giving her a "do this or else" attitude, Tobias suggests using a positive reinforcement to achieve peace. I found this to be particularly useful with my own strong-willed child. I also really liked that Tobias took the time to explain the mentality of a strong-willed child, based on age, from toddler years through young adults, giving a simple, but thorough explanation of their mentality and mindset at each age. It really does help to understand what your child is thinking and helps you craft a better response when conflict arises.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has a strong-willed child in their life. I think it was so important to understand that independent and strong-willed children aren't "difficult", but they just have a different approach to their way of thinking, and we have to adjust how we approach them when it comes to discipline and rules.

FTC DISCLOSURE: I received this book for free from BloggingforBooks.org in exchange for an honest review. I was not obligated to write a positive review.

Fearless Daughters of the Bible

"Fearless Daughters of the Bible" by J. Lee Grady is an awesome book for women. This book profiles 22 women of the Bible, and tells their story of faith, hope, and strength. What I really loved about this book was that not only does J. Lee Grady pick the most popular women of the Bible, such as Ruth, Esther, and Mary, mother of Jesus, he also picks out more obscure female figures, such as Achsah, Jehosheba, and Priscilla.

This book takes the time to tell the whole story of each of these women, detailing their life and times. I thought that each story really takes you back into the life of each woman, really helping you understand their struggles, and their faith. Each chapter follows the story of a different woman of the Bible, and highlights the reality of their own personal situation. For example, in the story of Esther, we learn that King Xerxes was a despot, who had many concubines at his disposal, and constantly used the threat of execution to maintain order.

I really thought that this book gives us a rare glance into the lives of some of the Bible's heroines, and really gives an awesome perspective of these women and their life and experiences. I would highly recommend this book to any women looking to learn more about our heroic ancestors!

FTC DISCLOSURE: I received this book for free from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest review. I was not obligated to write a positive review.

Reminder: Tyndale Rewards

Just a reminder that Tyndale Publishers are now offering a rewards program that anyone can sign up to participate in. Tyndale is one of my favorite Christian media companies, offering Bibles and books. Rewards are easy to earn when you review one of their products, share the rewards program with friends, or take surveys. You can redeem your points for awesome Christian material. Hurry and sign up today!

www.tyndalerewards.com/signup/?pc=t5dk-e4l0-2nmy-d0nk

Our Daily Bread Devotional Bible

Our Daily Bread Devotional Bible is a hardcover NLT version of the Bible with daily devotionals built in. This Bible Is unique in that each book of the Bible is broken up into smaller sections and those sections are prefaced by a page long devotional that helps integrate the chapters of that book that follow.

What I really liked about this Bible is that it essentially merges two books into one. The devotionals are easy to understand and relate to. They were placed perfectly and the smaller sections each devotional accompanies is not too long. Length-wise, it is easy to make time to read one each day.

The only thing I didn't like was that the devotionals are dated, so January 1 is the first few chapters of Genesis and so on. I would have rather the just dated the devotionals "day 1" and so on so that no matter when you start this Bible, you can start at the beginning.

FTC Disclosure: I received this book from Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for an honest review.

The Anger Workbook

"The Anger Workbook" is a workbook devoted to helping us begin to acknowledge and limit anger and the effect that it has on our lives. Les Carter, PhD and Frank Minirth, MD have based this interactive guide on 13 steps that help build an effective anger management mentality. This is a workbook, which I think works so well for a topic like this, because it poses questions and gives you plenty of space to write in your own answer. It is really a great tool for an honest assessment of your anger, and it offers solid guidance for controlling/limiting/managing anger in your everyday life. This book isn't just for people who have serious anger management issues - this would be perfect for the stressed out mom, busy working father, or moody teenager! I thought that "The Anger Workbook" really helped me be honest with myself about situations I can look at differently, and attitudes I can change in order to have a healthier mentality. I would recommend this to anyone - it is a very useful book!

FTC DISCLOSURE:  I received this book for free from BookSneeze.com's blogger program in exchange for an honest review. I was not obligated to write a positive review. The views and opinions expressed herein are entirely my own.

6 Verses

Joe Barnett's book, "6 Verses That Can Change Your Life", focuses on six attributes that are deemed to be essential - attributes such as joy, assurance, peace, and trust. Each attribute has its own section of the book, and each section is broken down into smaller chapters that offer personal stories, historical and Biblical references, and explanations from Barnett. The last page of each section is essentially a meditation of what you can resolve to do in order to implement the principles from that section.

I liked the premise of this book. When you truly break down the faith of a Christian to its most basic foundation, you will find those six principles. This book offers wisdom and guidance in developing and expanding our own personal understanding and implementation of these ideals. The historical and Biblical references are useful and relevant to the message, and the book flows well.

I also liked the fact that Barnett included a group discussion guide for each chapter, as well as what he calls, "Individual Action Steps", which are recommendations to further your understanding of the message through Scripture, self evaluation, and actions you can take to reinforce the message of the chapter.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone - I think it would be especially useful for those experiencing a hard time in their life, or those struggling in their own faith. Wonderfully written, and truly resourceful!

FTC DISCLOSURE: I received this book from BookCrash.com in exchange for an honest review. I was not obligated to write a positive review. All opinions expressed herein are entirely my own. I did not receive any financial compensation for this review.