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The Keeper: A Revell Blog Tour

Posted by Theresa, Owner on January 14, 2012
in Books

As you may have noticed, life is busy here in our home and reading is something that I do just to relax and zone out. It helps me take a break from all the things pressing for my attention and allows me to escape only to have a better focus on what needs to be done. I certainly have more time to read during the colder months of the year than I do during the warmer months, as is evidenced by an almost weekly supply of book reviews lately!

This next book review is by an author I have come to love. I get excited when I see Suzanne Woods Fisher’s name on an upcoming blog tour list! It is a contemporary romance but what I like about Suzanne’s books is the relationships and life lessons God is teaching her characters. There is always something for everyone in her books. Whether you are grieving, holding on to something that it has become an idol or plain need to slow down and take it easy The Keeper will teach you something.

I loved the Lapp’s family dynamics. Their love and care for one another is as it should be within a family unit. I loved how the character Fern seemed to know just how to bring out the best in each of the family members. I loved the sweetness and innocence of Menno, may we all have child-like faith and love like his.

I grappled with the heart transplant issue as I have never really come to a decision on what I believe about it. And I truly wonder what the Amish think about it all. I know all the finer points and the benefits of organ donors and transplants, but there is a fine line there in harvesting them and truly knowing the heart of God in a matter like this one. This is a whole can of worms, I know, but I am just being honest here.

Suzanne had me laughing and thoroughly amused through most of the book. Then towards the end I was crying. My oldest said, “You always cry in her books.” I snapped, “You would too if…….” Sorry I didn’t want to reveal a spoiler! You’ll just have to read the book yourself.

Two thumbs up from me!

“Available January 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

Faith and Family Reviews received the following product in exchange for writing a review. While we consider it a privilege to receive free products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.

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That’s My Girl: A Revell Blog Tour

Posted by Theresa, Owner on January 7, 2012
in Books, Family Stuff, Parenting, Review

That’s My Girl is a book written parenting expert Rick Johnson, founder of “Better Dads”. This book maps out how dads can develop a healthy, closer relationship with their daughters, and gives moms insight into the important role a father plays in the life of their girls, including her relationship to her father.

The father-daughter relationship is very important in a girls life. According to Mr. Johnson, this is the one relationship that determines how she feels about herself, what kinds of men she is attracted to and how she expects to be treated by other men. I know as I read the pages of this book, I couldn’t help thinking about my relationship with my Dad, who passed away 6 years ago. He was a good provider, active in our lives as little girls (I have 3 younger sisters) but once we hit preteen and teen year he became much more distant.

I agreed with some of the things Mr. Johnson shared, but other things I didn’t. There are always exceptions to the rule and there is the God factor. I believe certain areas of my life could have been disastrous, were not because of God having my back so to speak.
I loved the stories he shared about his teenager daughter. She was a character!

Mr. Johnson does a thorough job of showing Dads how to help map their daughters future. Overall I believe this book is a good resource for fathers especially, but mothers will benefit as well.

“Available January 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

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The Mirror of N’de & $50 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway: A Litfuse Blog Tour

Posted by Theresa, Owner on December 1, 2011
in Books

First, I have to admit that I did not read this book. My second oldest daughter did. Here is her review:

The Mirror of N’de is written by L.K.Malone. It is an allegory about young girl named Hadley Mivana and her journey to find a way to help her persecuted people, the Ramash, from the cruel rulers, the Oresed.

The book starts with strange dreams with a wonderful Being, representing Jesus. In the dreams are strange riddles. They are based on a forbidden tale about how their ancestors were banished from the Glorious city of N’de. There is are strange twists and turns that kept me glued to the book, but then again I am always glued to a book!

After three life changing events come to pass Hadley begins to understand her strange dreams. One of those events is when the Emperor and his son return and change their city…and I was very surprised at the outcome, I was not expecting it!

What I got from the book is to love your enemy no matter what and to stand up for what you believe in even if others are against you. This is often hard, but it takes more character and strength to stand up for your principles than it does to back down from them. I can only hope that I will be strong like that.

I really like allegories, so I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was thrilling and very interesting to read about a mysteriously forbidden bedtime story coming to life!

Visit Litfuse here.

A Giveaway!

To be entered to win a $50 gift card to Amazon.com all you have to do is send a tweet (using @litfuse) about The Mirror of N’de or share about it on Facebook! That’s it!

If you tweet Litfuse will capture your entry when you use @litfuse. If you share it on Facebook or your blog, just email let the Litfuse gals know (ckrumm [at] litfusegroup.com with no spaces)

Not sure what to tweet/post? Here’s an idea:

TWEET THIS: New YA fantasy – The Mirror of N’de – compelling narrative and creative characters! @litfuse RT for $50 to @amazon http://ow.ly/7AWGT

FACEBOOK THIS: Don’t miss this debut YA fantasy story: Crafting powerful narrative and creative characters, author L. K. Malone spins a compelling tale that combines exciting entertainment and the Christian story. In The Mirror of N’de, readers will empathize with the desires of an oppressed people, will anger at the affliction of a cruel adversary, and ultimately rejoice with the revelation of a Savior. Share this for a chance at $50 to Amazon.com http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/text/13440685

Link to buy the book: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0825426677/ref=as_li_ss_til?tag=sprightly-20&camp=0&creative=0&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=0825426677&adid=19YT611JVE91SRJZHKF3

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The Berenstain Bears Get Ready for Christmas ~ Children’s Book Review

Posted by Professor on November 15, 2011
in Books, Family Stuff, Holidays, Seasonal Stuff

Click to see a larger image of The Berenstain Bears Get Ready for Christmas by Jan & Mike Berenstain

Mike and Jan Berenstain enlighten and inspire the holiday spirit in children with a fun Lift-the-Flap Cook from the Berenstain Bears Living Lights series that teaches readers the story of Christmas!

In this new book the Berenstain Bears arrive just in time for the holidays! The family finds fun and adventure as the bears attempt to assemble the family nativity scene.

The book is from Zonderkidz; a division of Zondervan…this publishing company inspires young lives through imagination and innovation. They are a leader in Christian children’s communications that awaken the hearts and touch the souls of kids under 16 and the people who love them, from family to educators.

OUR REVIEW:

When I initially opened the package I thought…oh another Berenstain Bears book! We have so many of the beloved Berenstain Bears books that I thought it would be nice to add another to our library. I opened the book and found it was a Christmas book…but to my surprise it was not just any commercial Christmas book but a CHRISTIAN Christmas book…complete with nativity scene bile and the mention of Jesus. This was a treat because so many books have been commercialized to remove the true sprit of Christmas and are only about presents and Santa Clause. I was very happy to share this warm book with my children and inspire the true meaning of the holiday!

My children LOVED this book! My children are 7, 5, and 3 and they ALL were very excited about the book! The Lift-the-Flap feature was a hit with all of them…they all wanted to lift the flap as we read the story! My older daughter was even able to read the book to the younger ones … this was a plus! The children understood the themes in the book, which were important…they especially liked the bears putting out the nativity scene, as this is ne of our family traditions!

To find out more about the Berenstain Bears Christmas or other Zonderkids products please visit:

www.zonderkidz.com

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The Christmas Shoppe – A Revell Blog Tour

Posted by Theresa, Owner on November 12, 2011
in Books, Review

Our family loves the Christmas season, which will be upon us in just a couple of weeks. Melody Carlson has written a timely novel, The Christmas Shoppe.

The bookworms on your gift list will enjoy this refreshing, heartwarming story with a sprinkle of romance. It is a light, easy read. Definitely a book to read to “get away from it all” if a vacation is not on the horizon.

If you believe in Christmas angels then this book is for you! Matilda is a character in The Christmas Shoppe. She is an eccentric woman with some very unselfish goals as she sowed seeds of love, healing and happiness out over the people living in the town of Parrish.

I loved the story’s message, which from my perspective seems three-fold:

1. Remember the true meaning of Christmas.
2. Don’t allow old wounds to ruin your present and future life.
3. Allow love to conquer all.

The Christmas Shoppe receives two thumbs up for me! I am even letting my daughters read this one! Oh and I did not shed one tear…..amazing, I know!

“Available September 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

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Blue Skies Tomorrow

Posted by Theresa, Owner on September 24, 2011
in Books

Since finishing at Mrs. A’s farm I have had to catch up on some reading….pretty quickly I might add!

Sarah Sundin has a way of making her “historical romance” novels more than just an ordinary romance. Blue Skies Tomorrow was a story of intrigue – I love the fighter pilot adventures! This book was not only about adventure and intrigue, it contained a message of hope, deliverance and healing as well.

Anyone in a”dating” relationship should read this story as it deals with the all important reminder of getting to know the person you are interested in really well before you head to the alter. Amid the reminder is the poignant struggle of how we can grow to show grace beyond our humanness…with God’s help, of course.

Blue Skies Tomorrow was an enjoyable break from the every day happenings of life, like watching a movie is for some people. Now, I need to get back to real life and all the other work waiting for me!

Thanks Sarah for sharing a novel that show not only the battle between nations but those of the human spirit as well.

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The Colonel’s Lady – A Revell Blog Tour

Posted by Theresa, Owner on August 30, 2011
in Books, Review

This summer I have not had much time for reading other than what I can do online, so it was a treat to participate in Revell’s Blog Tour of The Colonel’s Lady, even though I read the book quickly, I forgot to post my review! (The admission of a very worn out mama, who is juggling many balls right now…)

The Colonel’s Lady is a historical romance written by Laura Franz. It is set during the 1700′s on the Kentucky Frontier. Franz writes from a little different perspective than what most might consider normal in a “Christian” historical romance book.

I liked the perspective that she presented even though it meant revisiting some sad memories from my childhood. As much as alcohol is a part of our culture and society, I will never, ever consider it a part of my life. Thankfully, my husband is of the same mind.

Too many hurting people turn to alcohol to help them through hard times and this is the spin that Franz shares in The Colonel’s Lady. The soldiers during that time were dealing with many difficult situations, especially the higher ranking officers, therefore, some would turn to “the drink.”

Franz also delved where most Christian writers might dance around and that is the loneliness the soldiers experienced; and just how that loneliness was curbed – with loose women (or what would have been considered loose back then).

Let’s just say that when I read about the hardships of others, even those in a fictional work, it strikes a cord within me and makes me grateful that God spared me from such a life.

I really liked this book. It was entertaining and tickled all the right emotions, as a good book should. I liked the suspense, I liked the surprise element of discovering who was leaking information to the opposition.

Overall, I recommend this book. Great reading for this fall and winter!

Available August 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

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Book Review ~ You Can Count on Monsters

Posted by Professor on June 27, 2011
in Books, Education, Family Stuff, Fun Stuff, Parenting, Review, School

You Can Count on Monsters by: Richard Evan Schwartz

You Can Count on Monsters by Richard Evan Schwartz: Book Cover

Theresa already reviewed this book…but we thought it would be nice to do a second review, since I was also given a copy for our family.

OUR REVIEW:

This is a cute little book! The premise of the book is to teach about prime numbers and factoring…the book goes through the numbers 1-100. The author states that the only thing you need to know in order to enjoy this book is how to multiply whole numbers together, like 2 and 3. My daughter (7) is just getting into multiplication so this book is a bit conceptually advanced for her…but we did find that it could be used for simple counting lessons for my 2 and 5 year old. My children LOVE the pictures of the monsters…this is what got them interested in the book and numbers. I think that they would have been disinterested had there been simply numbers and facts. The monster theme made the book for my children.

As a mother I liked the book immensely! I was glad that the book had a use for my 2 and 5 year old as well as my 7 year old! I like that the book has a second use of numbers and silly pictures to entertain my younger children while being able to teach my older child about simple mathematical facts. This book gets 5 stars from our family!

Check out the authors website for more information as well as other published books.

http://www.richardevanschwartz.com/

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When You Can’t Find God

Posted by Theresa, Owner on June 12, 2011
in Books

The title of the book I recently read for a review was very fitting for what my husband and I have been going through for the past three years, “When You Can’t Find God.” It seems that more often than not when circumstances spiral out of our control that God seems to be far away from us. We got through reading the first three chapters together before I had to speed ahead to write this review. However, we both have enjoyed the insight that Linda Evans Shepherd offered in her new book.

From envying others, especially those who do not know God – ever done that? Believe that celebrities etc. have it all and we Christians are left with all the heartaches? Yep, me too.

Comfort and prosperity have never enriched the world as much as adversity has. ~ Billy Graham, quote that starts Chapter 1 of When You Can’t Find God

To our burdens that Jesus promises to carry, our hurts He promises to heal and our bitterness He promises to take away.

We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations. ~ Charles Swindoll, quote that starts Chapter 10 of When You Can’t Find God

Linda gives us hope with her words of understanding, scripture verses and stories of how God shows His presence amidst difficulties, with real life examples from the lives of others. Ultimately peace and joy are ours if we only allow Him to bring us to ourselves to receive it with His help and power.

Perhaps God brings us to the end of our resources so we can discover the vastness of His. ~ Neil T. Anderson, quote that starts Chapter 12 of When You Can’t Find God

This is a wonderful book that allows us to regain our focus as we walk through difficult circumstances. We highly recommend it.

“Available May 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

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Tomorrow’s Garden – A Revell Blog Tour

Posted by Theresa, Owner on May 23, 2011
in Books

I really enjoyed Amanda’s Scattered Petals book and decided to read the third book in her Texas Dreams series.

Tomorrow’s Garden is another historical fiction with a romance plot. I enjoyed the strength of Harriet and her display of responsibility to her younger siblings. I visualized myself and my oldest daughter in Harriet’s character. Me as a mother and my daughter as the oldest to our crew.

It’s heartbreaking when people are basically run out of their home, town or church due to “talk”. It is even more heartwrenching to watch someone you know venture down a destructive path. Harriet had to make some tough decisions for her family. She also had to show some tough love and her siblings respected her for it…in the end.

Tomorrow’s Garden stirred up some strong feelings within me as I read about an encounter Harriet had with someone she was growing to love about an issue that literally rocked her world. As I read it, I wished that there were more people like the Sheriff who responded in such a loving way to such a controversial subject.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, the romance part of the book was truly predictable, but I loved the story of family, love and togetherness it displayed.

“Available April 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

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