Thursday, August 31, 2017

Fear and Faith by Trillia J. Newbell

As Christians, we oftentimes have trouble letting our faith be bigger than our fear. Even though we know God is in control, we are human and it is hard to keep from being afraid of the unknown. In Fear and Faith, Trillia J. Newbell focuses on many fears that we all may deal with on a daily basis. This book was very helpful to me and I found myself relating to many of the fears that were listed in this book, especially the fear of not measuring up and the fear of tragedy. The author reminds us that our fears are mostly unjustified and no matter what we face, God is there for us. Like the hymn says, "Because He lives, I can face tomorrow." It is a joy to know that God has us in his hand and he has a plan for each and every one of us. This book is a quick, informative read that inspired me to let go of my fears and put my focus on the Lord. I appreciate Moody Publishers for giving me a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I will be passing the book on to others for them to enjoy as well.

Fraying at the Edge by Cindy Woodsmall

Fraying at the Edge is the second book in The Amish of Summer Grove series. I am loving this series and I can't wait to read the third and final book in the series, Gathering the Threads.

In this book, the story of Skyler and Ariana continues. The girls now know that they were accidentally switched at birth and Ariana's biological dad, Nicholas, wants the girls to "switch lives" for a year. Skyler needs a change of scenery to deal with her drug addiction problem and both sets of parents want to get to know their biological daughters. It is quite a challenge for both families and the girls have to learn how to adapt to their new surroundings. They end up questioning everything they have ever known.

This book is a wonderful continuation of Cindy Woodsmall's Summer Grove series. I am honored to be chosen to be on the launch team for the final book in this series and I look forward to reading it and finding out the ending to Ariana and Skyler's story.

Wednesday, August 9, 2017

The 5 Love Languages of Children by Gary Chapman and Ross Campbell

This book is an amazing guidebook for parents. Being a parent is one of the hardest and most rewarding things I have ever done, and I believe most people would agree. The 5 Love Languages of Children teaches that unconditional love is the most important thing we can give our children. We can determine which love language our children relate to the most by simply observing them and communicating with them. The love languages that are explained in this book are physical touch, words of affirmation, quality time, gifts, and acts of service. It didn't take me long to decide that my son's primary love language is quality time. I need to read this book every day to remind myself! I learned so much from this book and I look forward to reading the other varieties of this book. I received this book from Moody in exchange for my honest review.

Monday, August 7, 2017

Convicted by Jameel McGee and Andrew Collins

What an amazing book! Convicted is a true story of forgiveness and grace and what I like to call a "Look what God can do" story. I wasn't sure how I would like this book because I don't read books in this genre very often, but I was so touched and inspired by this book.

Convicted begins by describing its setting of Benton Harbor, MI. Benton Harbor is a poverty-stricken town where drug deals and racism are everyday issues. Andrew Collins is a police officer in Benton Harbor who has lost himself and has become a "bad cop." Collins wrongfully arrests an innocent man named Jameel McGee and this book is their surprising story of forgiveness and friendship.

The book alternates between Collins' and McGee's viewpoints and I loved that style in this book. Once I started reading, I did not want to put it down.

The circumstances in the lives of these men could only be explained as "God things." God brought these men together and allowed them to be a blessing to each other and allowed such a powerful example of forgiveness to be expressed through them. We could all learn so much about forgiveness and God's grace by hearing Andrew and Jameel's story. I could only hope to be able to forgive this way if I were in Jameel's shoes.

I am blessed to be chosen to be on the launch team for this book and this book changed me for the better. I would highly recommend this book to everyone. It is a book that everyone can relate to, especially with the things that are going on in our world today. Thank you WaterBrook for the opportunity to read an Advanced Copy of Convicted.

Wednesday, August 2, 2017

The Chapel Car Bride by Judith Miller

Oh, how I love Christian fiction books! It's so nice to read a wholesome book that you don't have to worry about any bad language or inappropriate material.

Which brings me to my most current read: The Chapel Car Bride by Judith Miller. This book is an interesting read with a unique storyline. I like that it is different from books I have read before, and I have read a lot! This book tells the story of Hope and her preacher father. However, her father doesn't preach in an ordinary church. His church is a traveling railroad car! He and Hope travel to the town of Finch, West Virginia to spread the good news of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. While in West Virginia, Hope finds herself in new relationships with many new people including Luke Hughes, a coal miner, and his sister Nellie. She also makes acquaintances with Kirby Finch whose father owns the coal mine in town. Readers will love Hope's character and will enjoy reading about her experiences.

I received this book from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review.