Loving My Actual Neighbor by Alexandra Kuykendall

It's not always easy to love our neighbors, but the Bible lets us know that loving other people is essential. We love because God loved us first. Alexandra Kuykendall uses this book to highlight seven different practices for showing love to those that are around us. These practices include humility, asking questions, listening, embracing the awkward, acceptance, lightening up, and giving freely. We can all learn something from this book about how to improve our habits and treatment of other people.

This book is very eye-opening and helpful. Reading about the author's real life experiences is inspiring and she is very admirable. She helps the reader to see their neighbor in a different light. A neighbor doesn't necessarily have to live next door to us. It could be a friend from church, a parent from school, or someone we see at the grocery store. It is so important to connect with others in order to glorify God and spread his Word as he intended. I really liked the tips that were offered in this book such as dealing with conflict and how to engage and connect with our neighbors. I took away a lot of great information from this read and I am thankful to the author and BakerBooks for the chance to read and review this book!

Jesus's Sermon on the Mount and His Confrontation with the World by D.A. Carson

This well-researched book is an in depth look at the Sermon on the Mount from the book of Matthew. It is actually two books in one with the second part focusing on Jesus's confrontation with the world. These books are classics from D.A. Carson and they were first published in 1978 and 1987, respectively. The detail that has been put into this book is astounding. If you go into this book with an open mind and a highlighter, you will gain much insight into this important section of the Bible. I received this book from BakerBooks and am thankful to have had the chance to read and review it.

No Ocean Too Wide by Carrie Turansky

No Ocean Too Wide is the newest historical fiction book from Carrie Turansky. The subject matter of this book is so important and it was inspired by true events in history. Beginning in the 1800s, many orphans were transported to Canada with a promise for a better life. However, they didn't always receive a better life and some of the orphans were treated with injustice. Such is the case for the fictional characters in this book. The McCalister children are tragically separated when their mother becomes ill. Believing that their mother has passed away, the young children make the trip to Canada to be placed with adoptive families. When their older sister finds out they are gone, she will stop at nothing to find them and reunite their family.

This is a wonderful, clean read that has romance, suspense, and inspiration. Carrie Turansky has a gift of relating to her readers and I always love her work. I also love that she often chooses to highlight important events in history. This book really brought a lot of things to light for me as I wasn't aware of all the events that took place during the Orphan Train Movement. It is always great to read a book that is informative and entertaining at the same time. I also liked the way this book ended because it sets the stage for the next book in this series. I look forward to reading the rest of this series and more of Carrie Turansky's work. I am honored to be on the launch team for this book and am thankful for the advance copy to review.

The Cranky Mom Fix by Becky Kopitzke

This book is a God send for every tired mom! I read this book in tears as I got a wonderfully refreshing parenting course that I so needed right now. The author has such wonderful advice to give and this is a book that actually does help you to grow as a parent. I love that this book has Bible study material for further growth and development. I highly recommend this book and am thankful for the chance to read and review it!

Whispers and Wildflowers by Sarah Beth Marr

Whispers and Wildflowers is a 30 day devotional, but it can easily be read straight through. Each devotion has a section for reflection and prayer, which makes it the perfect book to use during daily Bible reading. This beautiful book offers up peace and inspiration as the author strives to help the reader have a closer relationship with God. The devotions are nature themed and perfect for the spring and summer seasons. The author's approach is soothing and calming and she speaks to her readers as friends. I really enjoyed this book and couldn't wait to read more so I read it straight through instead of using it as a daily devotional. Thank you so much to BakerBooks for the chance to read and review this book!