Beauty for Ashes Review

Beauty for Ashes written by Dorothy Love is a must read for the reader who’s read Ms. Love’s previous book, Beyond All Measure. Some of the characters appear in the second book of this series but it is focused on Carrie Daly. Mrs. Daly is a widow in Hickory Ridge looking to find happiness & purpose in her life after the death of her husband.

 Carrie lives with her brother until he marries a bitter, hateful woman with two undiscipled children. She is forced to leave her home to make it on her own.  Along the way, she meets Griff Rutledge. Griff is seen as a no-good gambler passing through town. The attraction between the two is instant even though Carrie is courted by the bookshop owner, Nate Chastain. When her brother loses his job & goes to Chicago to find work, Carries reluctantly moves back to help Mary, her now pregnant & sick sister-in-law.

Money is tight due to the recession. Mary’s lack of running the farm has the family in desperate times. Griff helps out, much to Mary’s & the town’s disapproval. Carrie, however sees more substance in Griff than the town’s gossip makes out. Grateful for his help, Carrie in turn helps Griff when he is injured. Through each crisis, the writer portrays Carrie has a normal, believable character. She relies on God but has her moments of doubt as to His purpose for her life & if she’ll ever be happy.

 By the end of the book, there is a change in Mary as well as Griff. Carrie is finally appreciated for her sacrifice & her work to help the family stay together. Griff comes to a peace with his father & his wanderlust subsides. He realizes his love for Carrie who he proposes to. Carrie, at last, has found happiness. A wonderful book for anyone who likes realistic characters that depend on God.

Grace of God Review

The Grace of God Review

    Andy Stanley is the author of The Grace of God. This is the second book I’ve read by him. I think he has been blessed with the ability to explain God’s Word in layman terms. 

    Grace is the foundation for salvation. God’s desire to draw man to Him is based on grace-Jesus died for our sins so we could be reconciled to God. Period. There is no way to earn this gift. Mr. Stanley does a good job explaining this simple but profound truth. He explains this truth through Bible stories- beginning with Creation all the way through the New Testament.  He chose stories most are familiar with since our childhoods. The complexity of God’s Word is so amazing! A child can understand & learn the stories yet as adults, we continue to learn more & more in each layer of the stories. God’s Word is alive & active. No one can exhaust His Word. It by grace you have been saved-this is made very clear in the book.

I received this book free from the publisher for my honest opinion. The opinions I’ve written are my own. 

Spring for Susannah Review

Spring for Susannah

This book is a debut for author Catherine Richmond. It is a great book for those who love historical fiction based on faith in the one & only God like I do. The story begins right after the Civil War with the lead character Susannah needing someone to take care of her. She becomes a mail order bride & heads west to North Dakota territory.

 Her husband, Jesse, is patient man who encourages her to be comfortable in his love for her. Susannah begins to realize that God truly did bring the two of them together to be husband and wife. They go through trials that many married couples who live on the prairie experience. Emotional battles in each person help unite them as a married couple as well. Their faith in God is deepened & strengthened through their trials.

 I really enjoyed this book & hope to read more by this author. It’s so refreshing to know there is faith based books to read. I was given this book free in return for my honest opinion. Thank you Booksneeze!

How to be God's Little Princess Review

My Review: I received the above book through my membership with Thomas Nelson's Booksneeze blogger program. I receive this book for free and will give my honest opinion for the review.

This book for younger girls who are just beginning to look at fashion as an identity for themselves. Fortunately, Sheila Walsh does a great job in directing young girls to appropriate behavior while leading them to the knowledge that who they are depends on the inner beauty, true beauty according to God’s word, not the outer.

Shelia Walsh reminds girls that first and foremost, they are princesses and should act like one at all times. That means putting others first & using good manners. Bible verses that support each chapters’ content point young girls in the understanding that God created them, therefore they are special & unique. No wrong decision or behavior will separate them from His love. “You are loved by your Heavenly Father” is a strong & recurring statement throughout the whole book. How I wish I had this book when I was growing up! I can’t wait to share this with my child as she reaches the appropriate age.

The book is filled with Bible verses I hope my child will write on the tablet of her heart. There’s even a section in the back teaching how to organize “Beauty Essentials” which is a recipe box filled with index cards containing Bible verses. It also has quizzes to ensure understanding, journaling areas for personal thoughts,”What’s Wrong with this Picture?” sections to help understand the difference between what’s right or wrong, and crossword puzzles with must know vocabulary words. It is a very girly book & encourages the reader to be very girly in a way that pleases God. (Being very girly doesn’t mean no to athletics-there’s even a section on that too!)

God's Wisdom for Mothers Review

God’s Wisdom for Mothers Review

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. Proverbs 9:10. This is just one of the NKJV verses used in God’s Wisdom for Mothers complied by Jack Countryman.

The cover of the book is very feminine with colorful tulips. The size is compact enough to fit in a purse to read on the go. It’s also small enough to fit in a Bible cover so devotional materials can be kept together.

This is a great gift book for any mother no matter what age. There are several sections pertaining to different aspects of wisdom that have been organized together for quick Bible verse reference. There is a section on God’s Wisdom, The Crown of an Excellent Mother, God’s Wisdom with Children,God Teaches a Mother to Walk in His Word (comforting for me since I’m the one constantly teaching my little ones), God Delights in Mother Who Are, God Walks with Mothers, God Encourages Each Mother, God Teaches a Mother How, God Gives a Mother. Each section has Bible verses that support the section’s topic. This is a great resource for praying Scripture over oneself or her children. True wisdom-Godly wisdom is the star of this book.

The Truth about Dating, Love and Just Being Friends Review

Dating/Relationship Truths

The Truth About Dating, Love and Just Being Friends by Chad Eastham was an interesting read for me. The author has a great sense of humor while speaking on a teen’s level. I have a tween whom I’m trying to prepare for this exciting time in her life. I find this book to be a good resource. Biblical based dating is the only way to go!

The author provides real situations that teens experience & offers ways to deal with them. Then he makes it personal to the reader by including fill in the blank exercises. As a parent, I want to spare my child hardships due to poor decision making because she simply does not have experience. While I understand I can’t enclose her in a glass bubble & protect her from all wrong, the book gives real life situations I hope she will learn from through choices others have made.

I liked the way that the author offered advice, I think it will help readers (teens) make better decisions about their relationships. Understanding one’s worth does not come from acceptance of the world but from God goes a long way in helping a teen make the right decision about relationships. This is not an old fashion idea, but a Biblical one. I’m glad to see the author writes about this with clarity. He gives teens advice on dating, friendship and love. I hope to share this book with my child when she gets closer to the dating age.

The Principle of the Path Review

Andy Stanley, in The Principle of the Path, gives us the key for a successful life. Based on the Bible, the author gives the reader simple facts to be used to change the direction of one’s life.

The main idea of his book is: "Direction, not intention, determines destination." In the pages that follow, he outlines how we often brush off this statement in our lives as we believe that our desires and intentions are really what matter. Stanley reminds us - it only matters what we do, not what we hope or want or aspire to do.

Time is needed as well as a change in direction to get your life where it needs to be-hopefully to one pleasing to God. Andy Stanley doesn’t accuse you or point out your mistakes but offers Bible based knowledge that helps led a life honoring to God.

Mr. Stanley writes in a conversational style where the reader can easily feel like he’s speaking directly to the author as a friend. Everyone makes mistakes, finding the way to God is clear if one just seeks the Almighty God. He doesn’t make Himself unavailable to His children.