18 Mar 2016

and it was beautiful : a review

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I received this book from LItfuse in exchange for my honest review.  All opinions are my own.  

I have been blessed with a few good books lately.  These books that are real and heart-felt, and soul-searching – and tears well in my eyes and puddle on to the pages.

This book is one of them.  I even told my husband that I don’t know if I could finish the book.  I cry in every chapter.  And I’m thankful – they are short chapters.

This book will take anyone through cancer – or other trials that loom in life – and help you rest in the peace that the maker of the wind and the rain and the hurricanes and tornadoes watches every move you make.  I’m so thankful that Kara Tippetts wrote these words before her death.  They will lead others to the same Rock she went to.

15 Mar 2016

Unqualified: a review

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Cutting Edge would be one phrase I would definitely use to talk about Steven Furtick.  I’ve heard him preach one time at my church in Durham back in the day, white suit, bleached hair. Yes. That’s extreme in SBC Culture.

And unqualified is cutting edge in how it talks about rebels who are totally unqualified to have any relationship with God – and talks about how Jesus is our qualifier.

This book is balm and wit and grace and Word.  Story and grace told in a way that will read the masses. Its good.

Thanks Blogging for Books.

23 Feb 2016

Come Empty: a review

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The longer I live the more I am introduced to and reminded of pain and hurt.  A believer’s life is not immune from it – we just have help and a Healer when we experience it.

And hopefully, we can share that help and Healer with others who are going through pain.

The book Come Empty by Saundra Dalton Smith is good on many levels:

  1.  Her transparency.  I love that there are people in the world who are hurting, who have been hurt, and know that they have the freedom to share that hurt.  Not everyone is given that freedom for fear of guilt, shame, or rejection.  I think that is something we in the church can be more aware of and open to.  Not shunning people who are in pain, but helping them with the purity of the Gospel in their pain.
  2. Her use of Scripture.  I do love that this book is full of the Word of God – because through the Word we receive healing.
  3. Short reads.  I know in periods of hurt, I might not be able to emotionally handle a long chapter, or a lengthy book.  Short daily readings are great.

One negative: This book is in the same family as Jesus Calling in one regard: there is a His Reply section and the author puts it in first person, so it is as if Jesus is actually speaking these words to her.  And if He is, then these words are infallible and perfect, on the same par with Scripture.  Scripture is the only Scripture.  It is one thing to give readers Scriptures that they can internalize, but another to say that the Lord is actually speaking these words.

Thanks Litfuse and Dr. Smith for the book and all opinions are my own.

16 Jan 2016

Everyone Loves Brunch

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Biscuit

Ok – little known fact about me – I really love brunch food.  Savory, sweet, eggs, bacon, really good bread, fruits, syrup.  I mean – what’s not to love?  And I love sipping warm drinks with ones you love.  I love the relationships that come with brunch!

But, seriously – who wants to get up for all that good stuff at 6am and cook it to eat it that early?  I think that is why brunch is spectacular.  You can have all the food you love – just at a normal hour.

And I have two fave male chefs on Food Network: Bobby and Tyler.  And this blog post is all about Bobby’s new book, Brunch at Bobby’s – which I got from Blogging for Books.

I could make every seriously make every single recipe – and I so want to.  So, who is the first person coming over?  The pictures are great, the recipes are unique (and some normal favorites with a Bobby spin).

So, here are some ones that are right at the top of the list:

Chilis Rellenos

Caramelized Onion, Spinach and Gruyere Strata

Gingerbread Pumpkin Waffles (gotta make these quick before we get to spring)

Citrus Blueberry Salad

Cast Iron Potatoes

And many more…need more opportunities to cook brunch!

17 Dec 2015

Always Grace (Book Giveaway)

by | posted in: Books, Shepherding Children | 5

Always Grace

One of the sentences I most say in life is “I’m sorry.” Well, maybe sometimes I insert,”I’m such a failure.”  This is so true in my marriage and parenting.  This parenting this is so difficult most of the time!

But, then I come to the title of a book (you can win one, stay tuned) – Grace for the Moment.  How crucial is this to remember.  I grew up on Max Lucado (in my spiritual walk I mean.)  I started reading his books in late middle school and read them all the way through seminary.  Still one of my favorite books on the incarnation is God Came Near.  And that incarnation is what makes God’s grace so real to us because that was God the Father’s best gift.

One of the areas I need most encouragement in is my communication with my boys.  As God speaks his grace to us, to my soul, I can therefore speak it to my boys, who are sinners and desperately need to hear God’s grace and truth in their souls.  This set from Max, including Grace for the Moment for Kids is a great way to fill your soul with a quick daily devotional (because all moms will tell you that one of the hardest things is to get prolonged quality time in the Word) and then read something similar on the same day to your kids.  That way you are filling your soul with similar truths!  How perfect for family devotionals.  This is a great devo for older children and has some practical applications for them to live out the truth they just learned.

Here is how you can win this set of books – perfect for starting out the new year with truth from God’s Word: tell me one thing you are looking forward to doing with your kids in the new year.  Me: cooking more for them instead of always grabbing fast food in the car.  Thanks Tommy Nelson Mommies for hosting this giveaway and for my free books!

8 Dec 2015

Perfect Cookbook for the Adventurous New Cook

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The Homemade Kitchen

If you are looking for a great new cookbook that is going to be perfect for that new cook – but one that is looking for knowledge, adventurous recipes, and helpful information, and beautiful pictures – then this cookbook is for you.

I picked this cookbook out from my choices at Blogging for Books.  There are a couple of things I love about this cookbook (besides the recipes):

  1. The pictures.  I want to cut them all out and hang them in my kitchen.  Better yet I want to go take pictures of farm fresh eggs and berries and everything in between.
  2. The information.  This gives you ways to make a variety of the same things (like the difference between jams and eggs) – and teaches you the things you need to know when picking out poultry, or other types of foods, etc.
  3. I love the story-telling.  That is the best part of any cookbook.  I want to curl up on my couch and wrap up in a warm blanket – and sit down and read it word for word.

 

4 Oct 2015

Family Ministry Book: Pass It On

by | posted in: Books, Shepherding Children | 0

Pass It On

How do you lead your family to know God better and to dwell in the truth of the Gospel?

As Christian parents, we know that is our chief goal as parents – not to save them (because only God can do that) – but to introduce them to the Gospel and to pour the Gospel into their lives so they will have every chance to respond to the Gospel before they are out of our homes.

But, it is much harder to do.  We usually want a play by play or some ideas to help us achieve said action.  Some of us struggle to know how to incorporate the Gospel into our every day lives, every day conversations, mini van rides from soccer games.  And we also struggle with knowing how to plan special events that will hopefully be a supplement to our every day conversations – but will help drive home the Gospel into our babies’ hearts!

The new book, Pass it On, by Jim Burns and Jeremy Lee, is a special one to me.  One of the authors, Jim Burns, wrote the first devotional I ever read as a teenager, Spirit Wings.  I remember it being the first one I read when I was in high school and I was learning what it meant to have a quiet time.

Pass It On is a very helpful instructive book to parents.  Not only does it give insight into your children (or children of the same age) on many different viewpoints, it helps you with activities you can do with them to help cement the Gospel into their lives.  At every age it gives you a larger activity (not just a conversation).  You can get some wonderful ideas from this.  You can take all of them word for word and incorporate them into the life of your family, or you can just take the ideas, pray, see what the Lord would have you do – how to change it up, match it to your family.

The most important concept this book drives home is that raising your children to love God is hands on.  It is active.  If you want to make a lasting impact for the Gospel on your children, you need to always be sharing the Gospel with them, living it out in front of them.  And parents, with older kids, parents who may have just become believers – its not too late.  Its never too late.  Don’t be regretful over the years in the past – but confess them to the Lord and press on in obedience now.

Thankful for Litfuse for sending me this book in exchange for this review, and all thoughts are my own.

5 Sep 2015

Citrus: a review

by | posted in: Books, food | 1

Citrus: a reviewI have a thing for cookbooks.  And food.  Yup, I do.  There, I admitted it.

I love cookbooks that tell me a story, that highlight real food, that makes me want to make every recipe.  This one is even better because it clearly reminds me of my childhood.  I loved going next door to my grandparents house and picking all the tangerines and oranges that I wanted.  I never remember buying citrus till I moved out of the state of Florida.  My parents had a kumquat tree that died.  They now grow pomelos.  I would love to grow a lemon and lime tree just because I hate purchasing them.

If you are a lover of citrus, you need to pick up this cookbook.  If you can’t get your hands on good produce to photograph – then rip out the pictures and put them on your wall in the kitchen to inspire you.  Love the tangy, tartness in these recipes.  Adore the many uses of the same fruit.  There are so many varieties.  Just go with it!

The first recipes I’ll be making is the lime curry chicken this weekend and grapefruit and avocado salad this week.  Can’t wait – and yes, there will be photos.

I received this book happily from Blogging for Books in exchange for my thoughts, all of which are my own.

20 Aug 2015

My Toddler’s Favorite Word (and Giveaway)

by | posted in: Books, flowers, Kids r Readers 2, Shepherding Children | 6

Teaching Children Gratitude

One of the big trends in birthday photos or memory books is to talk about the child’s favorite foods, words, people, toys, books, etc at each time they have a birthday.  I wish I had the chalk-lettering skills to do one for my boys’ birthdays coming up, but I will leave that to the experts.

But, if I were to do a chalkboard letter sign for my younger toddler, his favorite word would be “mine.”  And seriously, we didn’t teach him that word.  Its not like my husband and I go around saying mine mine mine in the house.  But, knowing we as his parents are sinners,I’m sure he did pick it up from us at some point along the way.

Mine is not a word we want said a lot in our home.  I usually answer him back with something like that: “Bubs, nothing is yours.  God gave us all things and all the things that we have are from him.  He gave them to us to use and share.  We need to be kind and share the gifts that we’ve been given.”  I want him to learn a few things from this conversation (that happens at least 10 times a day):

1.  God is the giver of all good gifts.  James chapter 1 says that and many times in the Psalms it says that everything in the world is the Lord’s.  We may have been given a gift from our parents, grandparents, friends, etc but ultimately all good things come from God.

2.  God does want hearts full of gratitude.  God desires our hearts to be overflowing with praise for all that He has done for us. And out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks!  So, if we can train our children to be thankful, then as they get older, maybe a heart of thankfulness with take root in them by the power of the Holy Spirit and their little mouths will bubble forth with praise!

3.  God does want us to be kind.  Kindness is fruit of the Spirit, so that makes it something that God desires in us.  Kindness is not something we naturally gravitate towards.  No, we all naturally gravitate toward taking care of ourselves first.  Kindness is showing special care and grace for someone else.  Even in toddler world, that may mean sharing the last cookie or giving up a special toy because another friend wants to play with it.

There is a new book by Tommy Nelson that helps preschoolers not only learn a crucial life skill of counting, but also, more importantly, how to express their thankfulness.  Count My Blessings 1-2-3 is a perfect little shapes book that is durable and fun and rhyme-y.  My boys have loved this book series.  When we read it together I can help them think of specific cases of each blessing (like friends).

If you would like to win a copy of this book for your toddler, all you have to do is tell me one thing that you are thankful for in being their mommy or daddy.  That shouldn’t be that hard – and it will help continue to grow a spirit of thankfulness in you as their parent.

 

13 Aug 2015

The Biggest Story is Coming

by | posted in: Bible, Books, Shepherding Children | 0

The Biggest Story

When I was in college I served with Young Life, a great inter-denominational ministry that worked with middle school and high school students to build relationships with them and show them the glorious gospel.  One of the main truths of Young Life that I still completely believe and affirm and try to practice today is “It is a sin to bore a kid with the gospel.”  Jesus is not boring.  Why should we bore a kid, a teenager, or an adult with the wonderful news of Jesus?

I’ve been hearing about a new book that Crossway was putting out by one of my favorite authors, Kevin DeYoung entitled The Biggest Story.  I opened up my mailbox today and there was a brown package from Crossway and I definitely knew it was going to be a great mail day.  I read three chapters of it sitting in the parking lot of Wendy’s while the boys were eating their junior frostys and I read the rest of it in the gym locker room before working out.  Yes, it was that good.

It was witty.

It was full of adventure – cliffhangers mind you.

It was truth.

It was concise.

It was displaying the gloriousness of the gospel.

The pictures are so well done and fit in well with what is in the secular market right now (journals, etc).

It is not a Bible – but tells the beautiful story of the Bible to school-aged kids in a way that won’t bore them.

This is not a Bible. Its not even a The Message type Bible.  It is a story.  A true story.  It shapes the readers mind around one single figure: Jesus.  Just like in the Jesus Storybook Bible where Jesus is the hero of every story – and the whole Bible points to Him.  Same way here.  Kevin, in his masterful, comical, somewhat sarcastic, pastoral, daddy way – he skillfully weaves the truth of Jesus, the reality of sin, the fallenness of the human race, and the relationship that God will remedy one day – all into a lovely books that you need to get when it comes out the end of this month.

Here is just one example of how you can use this (if you are a parent):

One of my greatest hopes for you (if you have a family) is that you will figure out what family devotions looks like for you.  Right now, for us, we read part of a Bible book for toddlers and pray with our older son before going to bed.  It literally takes 2 minutes.  But, that will change as both of boys get older.  If you have grade-school kids I think this would be a perfect book to read with them and talk about the implications and truth that it shares.  I would also pair it with a Bible story, from the actual Bible.  Crossway has a great children’s Bible that I just did a review on.  I would take the time to read the chapter that you are covering that day in The Biggest Story and pick just one of the stories that it talks about and read that story out of the Bible. Then just ask your kids questions about that.  Pray with them. Turn their hearts to their need of Jesus and the great gospel.

Two disclaimers about this book as I was reading it.

1.  DeYoung says that Adam ate from the only tree.  Well, of course he did.  It caught me off guard that he didn’t say Eve ate it (which she did).  I know he knows that.  My only thought it that either he is stressing male leadership and that Adam sinned or the Adam being the head of the human race side of things.  Either way, no biggie, just wanted to share.

2.  Also, most books you’ll read, especially around Christmas time is that Jesus is the greatest gift.  In The Biggest Story, DeYoung says that the Holy Spirit is best present of all time.  He so strongly talks about the Trinity (yay!) and having read J D Greear’s book Jesus Continued I can see why he would say this.

All together, I would give this book to absolutely anyone.  I can’t wait to read it with my children more and have them understand it.  I want to get another copy of the book just to cut out the pictures and frame them.  I want my home to be filled with more books like this – the books that point to the magnificent gospel!