The Faith Dare by Debbie Alsdorf

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
Dare to live out your faith like never before! In The Faith Dare, Debbie Alsdorf encourages women to take her 30-day challenge to cultivate a passionate relationship with God. If you take her on, each day you'll be given a "daily dare" to help you develop a godly habit. The book includes a study guide, daily readings, affirmations, and challenges. Discover what a difference 30 days can make! 


Jesus came to give us abundant life. So why are so many Christian women living with worn-out faith, struggling just to get by? What if there was something more? What if we could be set free from worry, fear, and the constant cycle of searching for significance? The Faith Dare is a 30-day challenge for women who are tired of ho-hum living and want to break the pattern of self-reliance and people pleasing by putting their trust in God alone and learning to live to please him. This energizing book will change a woman's focus from her moods and attitudes to living in the power of God's Word. It will encourage her to take the next step and begin to live out real faith in her real life.


What would happen if you lived out your faith every day, in every situation?
Jesus came to give us abundant life. So why are so many of us living with worn-out faith, struggling just to get by? What if there was something more? What if we could be set free from worry, fear, and the constant cycle of searching for significance?


The Faith Dare is a 30-day challenge for women who want to develop a new habit of focusing on God's ways and daily awareness of his presence. It is for women who are tired of ho-hum living and want to break the pattern of self-reliance and people pleasing by putting their trust in God alone and living to please him. This personalized study guide, including daily readings, affirmations, and challenges, help you live in the power of God's Word.


Whether you do this with a group of girlfriends or by yourself, the next 30 days can change your life. If you're ready to discover what it looks like to live out real faith every day, open this book and take the challenge.


I dare you.




ABOUT THE AUTHOR





Debbie Alsdorf is the author of Deeper and A Different Kind of Wild. She is founder of the popular Design4Living Conferences and speaks with Hearts at Home. She is a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors and is director of women’s ministries at Cornerstone Fellowship, where her Bible study is attended by hundreds of women every week. Alsdorf lives in Livermore, California.








 MY REVIEW
Each devotional starts with a Bible verse, a short story, a Bible passage of praise to God,  Scriptures for the day (around 3-5 scriptures from all part of the Bible that go with the dare for the day),  followed by the dare of the day,a few lines for  journaling, a prayer to prayer, a final verse, and an "I Believe" statement to memorize and reflect on.


I took the dare! (Only, it took me more like 45 days to do it then just the 30~ SHAME ON ME! I'm a busy mom to 5... I know, I know, that's no excuse!)


The dare challenges you with practical dares that make complete since!
Here are a few of the dare:

• Dare to pay attention to God's lead
• Dare to live differently by liking like are loved (Good dare, beautiful scriptures!)
• Dare to believe God's power in all circumstances
• Dare to renew you mind in God's word

Debbie has done an awesome job! I think that this would make a great gift for a new believer, a church leader and an awesome devotional to work through as a small group.


Devotionals took me a 40 minutes to get through. Mainly because I turned to the scriptures in my Bible to read in a different version and to mark up my Bible with some new favorites and truths. 


Though I like the journal lines in the book, I did not use them, I wrote in a journal instead. I did this for two reasons:
1) So I can lend the book to friends.
2) So I can take the challenge again and compare my journal thoughts at a different point in my life to see the differences.


All and all this book was well worth my time and I received lots of new insight on my attitude, thoughts and heart. This dare is worth taking and if you commit your whole heart to it, you will come away with a new zest, fire and inspiration in your walk with God.

Available July 2010 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Do you dare take the DARE!!?!?

Leave a comment, I wanna know if you plan on taking the dare!

 
 The Legal Stuff: This book was provided by Baker Publishing.

The Bishop by Steven James

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

FBI Special Agent Patrick Bowers's cutting-edge 21st-century geospatial investigative techniques and impeccable logic have helped him track some of the country's most grisly killers. But those skills are pushed to the limit in this new installment of the highly-acclaimed, award-winning The Bowers Files series. This time it's a congressman's daughter who is found dead even as her killers launch a spree of perfect murders in the Northeast. With nothing to link the crimes to each other, Agent Bowers faces his most difficult case yet--even as his personal life begins to crumble around him. Known for his intricately woven, masterfully plotted novels of high-octane action and spine-tingling suspense, Steven James delivers once again. The Bishop is a gripping, adrenaline-laced story for readers who are tired of timid thrillers. Strap on your seatbelt and get ready for a wild ride. The game is on.

 ABOUT THE AUTHOR



Steven James is one of the nation's most innovative storytellers.

Since developing his skill as a performer at East Tennessee State University (MA in Storytelling), he has spoken more than 1,500 times throughout North America and has taught creative storytelling and writing in South Africa, Ukraine, Canada, Kazakhstan and India.

Don't forget to join us tonight on Facebook!!!

 MY REVIEW

Though I have not read any of the other books in this series, I did not feel lost at all. This title can easily be read alone, but I plan to get my paws on the first three books because this one was so good. So do yourself a favor, just start at the beginning!

I was drawn to read this book because my husband has recently discovered James Patterson mysteries and I read somewhere that Steven James had a similar style, so I thought I'd check it out.

The Bishop was a fast-paced, well-written murder mystery. It's twisting plots and well-developed characters make this book one you won't be able to easily but down. because of the number of pages, 520, this was not one I was able to read in one sitting, but nonetheless I would of if I physically could have!

I will be ordering the first three books in this series and I will (un)patiently await book #5, set to release Summer 2011.



 
 The Legal Stuff: This book was provided by Baker Publishing Group.

Out of the Spin Cycle by Jen Hatmaker

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION 
Out of the Spin Cycle is a devotional for busy moms whose to-do list keeps them on auto-pilot most of the time. She lets mothers know that many of the things on that long list are not things Jesus expects them to do alone. Author Jen Hatmaker speaks to the woman inside the mom addessing issues such as worry, money, marriage, and priorities. Take a few moments and lighten your mother load!


Following Jesus shouldn't be just one more thing to do.

Motherhood sometimes feels like a list of expectations. You may be busy or even overwhelmed. But you are also strong and brilliant. And here's a secret: a lot of those things on your list of expectations are things Jesus never expected you to do on your own.


In Out of the Spin Cycle, author and speaker Jen Hatmaker takes the words and deeds of Jesus, adds the humor of a young mom's life, and offers messages of grace and encouragement. Covering areas such as worry, marriage, priorities, money, and the comparison trap, this dynamic Bible teacher brings Jesus's message alive in short, to-the-point devotionals for your busy life. This is a devotional for you--the woman inside the mom--the Bible student, the learner, the world-changer.
So put aside that to-do list for a moment and discover the ways Jesus can lighten your mother load.



ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jen Hatmaker is the author of eight books and Bible studies, including A Modern Girl's Guide to Bible Study. With a heart for the women of her generation, she speaks at retreats and co
nferences around the country. Jen and her husband, Brandon, reside in Austin, Texas, with their three children and lead the ministry work at Austin New Church. Check out her website.



MY REVIEW
This is my favorite type of 'Mom' book. Each short chapter touches on a different yet very relevant topic, from motherhood, parenting to finances, surrendering to God and servanthood. Most included funny stories, (I really enjoyed Skorts and Tequila Sunrise) and each are touching and to the heart.

This to me is GREAT bathroom reading... wait, before you take that wrong let me explain!!

Each chapter in this book is short, sweet and to the point. You can set it down with your mind wrapped around a spiritual concept and applying it to your life (hopefully!).

As a mom to five young kids, I steal away for a "Mommy Potty Break" (I am potty training three year old twins!) and am able to be feed spiritually while I watch the little fingers under the door and laugh at Jen's cute stories.

This is a great addition to every mom's library!




 


The Legal Stuff: This book was provided by Baker Publishing Group.

How Do You Tuck in a Superhero? by Rachel Balducci

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION 
In How Do You Tuck In A Superhero, author and mother Rachel Balducci explores the sweet and wild side of boyhood as experienced through overheard conversations and wide-eyed bewilderment as her boys climb through windows, hang on roofs, and camp out at the refrigerator door. This laugh-out-loud peek into the wonders of motherhood and the life of boys is a celebration you don't want to miss. 


When Rachel Balducci looks for material for her writing, she doesn't have to look far. Her subject matter can be found climbing through the window, hanging on to the edge of the roof, and rummaging through the refrigerator. Here she chronicles the exuberant, awesome life of boys through bizarre conversations overheard, unbelievable rules she's been forced to make, and the many episodes of boy behavior that continue to mystify mothers worldwide. From the care and feeding of her team, to travels out in public, to their wide-eyed adoration of Chuck Norris, this laugh-out-loud celebration joyfully explores the sweetly wild side of boyhood.








ABOUT THE AUTHOR 
Rachel Balducci is a writer and the mother of five lively boys. Her website, www.testosterhome.net, has been nominated for several awards. Rachel is a former staff writer for the Augusta Chronicle and has been published in numerous magazines, including Good Housekeeping, Faith and Family, and The Word Among Us.

You can read more about Rachel, her hubby, five boys and their newest addition~ a little girl, at her blog. 

(Above: Rachel's son, Charlie, enjoys reading what his mom had to say!

Read Rachel's blog post with the full story here.)

 MY REVIEW
My dream family (from when I was about 10 or 12 yrs old)  was 7 kids...
I didn't care whether boy or girl, I just wanted a big family.

Then, I had my first two children ~DAUGHTERS. It was at that point that my hubby and I both decided that our 'ideal family' was four daughters. NO SONS! (You read that right, my hubby didn't even really want sons, he wanted all daughters!)

Pregnancy #3....

It's a Boy!!!

Pregnancy #4...

It's TWO Boys!!

And then we were done!

So, for a couple that didn't want any boys, we ended up with three of them!
Would I change it? NO! Not for a million daughters (or dollars!)

My girls are definitely different from my sons! Not that anyone taught my boys to be 'boys', it is just in their nature. It is an amazing (and different) journey raising boys then girls... but both equally fulfilling!

I loved reading Rachel's hilarious stories, fun lists, and her tales as she lets us in her home and life.

Though this book was not what I originally expected, I thoroughly enjoyed every page!

I expected this to be about lessons learned through God's word and experiences in God's presence and lessons she learned from her sons.

“Available April 2010 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

      

The Legal Stuff: This book was provided by Baker Publishing.

Dreams That Won't Let Go by Stacy Hawkins Adams

Product Description
Indigo Burns is excited. Her wedding preparations to the man of her dreams are under way, her career as a photographer is a success, and her family seems to be doing better than ever--all except her brother Reuben who nobody has seen in years. But that's about to change, because Reuben has decided to move back home to Jubilant, Texas. But Reuben's hope to find healing with his sisters doesn't seem to be working. Soon enough their lives intersect in dramatic, sometimes painful, and ultimately healing ways. This insightful novel by an Essence bestselling author will pull in women readers from the urban market and beyond.

From the Back Cover
Can family ties bind deep-seated wounds? Indigo Burns is excited. Her wedding preparations to the man of her dreams are under way, her photography career is a success, and her family seems to be doing better than ever--all except her brother Reuben, who nobody has seen in years. But that's about to change. When Reuben decides to move back home to Jubilant, Texas, he hopes to find healing with his sisters. But Indigo isn't so sure their relationship can be mended. And when younger sister Yasmin makes a life-altering choice, it seems like only a miracle can put the Burns family back together. Will they ever be able love unconditionally and release each other to live their dreams? "Adams writes with verve, humor, and poignancy."--Adriana Trigiani, bestselling author Stacy Hawkins Adams is a bestselling author whose books illuminate the themes of faith, forgiveness, and women's friendships. She is the author of several books, including Speak to My Heart, the Essence bestseller The Someday List, and Worth a Thousand Words. She and her family live in Virginia. Stacy welcomes readers to visit her at www.stacyhawkinsadams.com.

My Review

Dreams that Won't Let Go is the third book in the Jubilant Soul Series and though this is the first and only book I have read in this series I was not lost. This title can be read without reading books one or two and you'd be just fine.

I really enjoyed this story of seeing God's healing hand in a family that is much like many of the families of today; so not perfect!

I love seeing a family that struggles with the same things as the real world. This story could so be real and would not seem so off the wall if you did not know it was fiction. The characters and their lives are so real and I really like.

I will for sure be ordering Stacy's other titles in this series and plan o checking out her other titles too. Speak to My Heart has caught my eye and I'll add it along with the other two books in the Jubilant Soul Series to my personal collection!

“Available January 2010 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

*This book was provided by Revel free of charge in exchange for my honest review. This did not sway my review and opinion of this book in anyway.

Songs of Deliverance by Marilynn Griffith

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

They say time heals all wounds--but sometimes that's just not enough.

Fifteen years ago, Zeely Wilkins and Ron Jenkins were students that most people had stopped believing in. Lucky for them, their teacher recognized they were the cream of the crop and just needed the right soil.

Though they went their separate ways, the past has called them back to the school and the teacher who wouldn't give up on them. Now they'll have to decide what love really means--and whether they're willing to dance to a new tune to get it. But can they rediscover the songs of deliverance that once brought them together? Or will their secrets keep them apart?

In this soul-searching and suspenseful story, Marilynn Griffith invites you to believe in the power of truth, love, and redemption.

MY REVIEW

Songs of Deliverance started out way confusing. Between the bouncing around of character memories and trying to get straight who was who and who was in love with who, I was a bit leery about finishing it.

After I got past the first couple of confusing chapters, I really got to know Zeely, Grace, Brian and Ron. Zeely and Graces friendship reminds me a lot of my best friend and I in high school. I was taken back to memories of praying together, fighting, telling each other how it is! Just like Zeely and Grace do.

Each chapter brings a new twist into this story of God's provision, love and forgiveness. Each twist is not what you expect but after so many of them, I began to say to myself, 'Okay, come on now, this is starting to get really really weird!' I think that there was a lot (maybe too much) twisting going on here.

All that aside, Marilynn has an exceptional writing style and each chapter was told from a different characters point of view. I like books like that especially in complicated stories like this one.

Songs of Deliverance was a good read and it reminded me that God is in control, forgiveness is such a powerful thing and love is worth waiting for.

I do plan to read more by Marilynn, I just hope that they are not all so 'twisty'.

*This book was provided by Baker Publishing Group free of charge in exchange for my honest review. This did not sway my review and opinion of this book in anyway.

Jenna's Cowboy by Sharon Gillenwater

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

Jenna Callahan has a young son and rewarding work on her father's ranch. But she never expected to see Nate Langley back in town-the first guy she noticed, the one her father sent away all those years ago. And she never thought the attraction they felt would be as strong as ever.

Jenna's cowboy has some healing of his own to do, though, after two tours of duty in the armed forces. With the help of good friends, strong faith, and a loving family, he hopes to put the horrors of the past behind him and become the man Jenna deserves.

With an emphasis on simple acts of love, Jenna's Cowboy gives romance readers what they want most, a love story with a Texas touch.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sharon grew up on Thompson's Ranch in the Rolling Plains of West Texas, near Colorado City. Her father was ranch foreman, and her parents lived there for over fifty years. The six thousand acre ranch provided pasture for Hereford cattle and an occasional Texas Longhorn, as well as fields of grain and grass to feed the stock and the primary crop, cotton. Love and marriage took Sharon across the country to state of Washington, but Texas is still dear to her heart.

Her books are honest down home love stories with laughter, conflict and sometimes tragedy that carries the reader along. The power of God working in the lives of the main characters is always evident as is their relationship to Him.

As she did in Love Song, Antiques and Texas Tender, she again brings you the wonderful people, small towns and West Texas region she loves in Jenna's Cowboy, Emily's Chance and a to be named third book in the Callahans of Texas series.

For Sharon, writing romance novels is a ministry. God has given her the talent to write, and she uses it to serve Him. She depends on Him to give her stories that will inspire, heal, entertain and bring her readers closer to Jesus.

You can find Sharon at her website: www.sharongillenwater.com

MY REVIEW

This was my first book by Sharon and I have to say that I was quite impressed. I have held back from diving into the western romance, for fear of not being able to relate, I guess. I am a born and raised city girl and though I did spend some time during my childhood on my uncle's ranch deep in the hills of Colorado, I didn't think that I would be interested in western romance. Well, Sharon has got me hooked!

Jenna's Cowboy not only takes you deep in the heart of Texas, but into a family that loves the Lord. The closeness of the families in this small tight-knit community shines through like rays of sun, its beautiful!

Riding along with the Callahans through their acres of land, being taken by nightmare into the deserts of Iraq and Afghanistan and watching true love have a chance to re-blossom will keep you turning pages. eaach chapter is something new and exciting and the many twists and turns in the story line had me finishing Jenna's Cowboy in a short two days. (That PLUS the fact that I sprained my ankle and by order of my awesome hubby have been off my wounded foot.)

Jenna's Cowboy is the fist in The Callahans of texas series by Sharon, with Emily's Chance (book 2) scheduled to release in September 2010. It's marked on my calendar, this is a series that I will complete!

“Available January 2010 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

*This book was provided by Sharon Gillenwater and Baker Publishing Group free of charge in exchange for my honest review. This did not sway my review and opinion of this book in anyway.

The Choice by Suzanne Woods Fisher

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

With a vibrant, fresh style Suzanne Woods Fisher brings readers into the world of a young Amish woman torn between following the man she loves--or joining the community of faith that sustains her, even as she questions some of the decisions of her elders. Her choice begins a torrent of change for her and her family, including a marriage of convenience to silent Daniel Miller. Both bring broken hearts into their arrangement--and secrets that have been held too long. Filled with gentle romance, The Choice opens the world of the Amish--their strong communities, their simple life, and their willingness to put each other first. Combined with Fisher's exceptional gift for character development, this novel, the first in a series, is a welcome reminder that it is never too late to find your way back to God.

MEET SUZANNE

In no particular order, Suzanne Woods Fisher is a wife, mother, writer, lifelong student of the Bible, raiser of puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind, a gardener and a cook...the latter two with sporadic results. Suzanne has

loved to write since she was a young teen. After college, she started to write for magazines and became a contributing editor for Christian Parenting Today magazine. Her family moved to Hong Kong for four years, just as the internet was developing, and she continued to write articles in a 44-story high-rise apartment, sending manuscripts 7,000 miles away with a click of a key.

After returning from Hong Kong, Suzanne decided to give her first novel a try. For four and a half months, she worked on an antediluvian computer in a cramped laundry room. She didn't even tell her husband what she was up to. When the novel was completed, she told her family at dinner one night that she had written a book. "That's why there's no food in this house!" said her slightly insensitive sons.

Undaunted...Suzanne found a small royalty publisher for that book and wrote three more (all earned multiple). With help from an agent, she has five books currently under contract with Revell. On September 1st, Amish Peace: Simple Wisdom for a Complicated World, a non-fiction book of stories and examples about the Old Order Amish, will be released by Revell. The Choice, a novel about the Amish, will follow on January 1st.

Writing, for Suzanne, is a way to express a love of God and His word. With every book or article, she hopes readers get a sense of what faith really looks like in the daily grind. She hopes they realize that life can be hard, but God is good, and never to confuse the two.

Suzanne can be found on-line at: www.suzannewoodsfisher.com

MY REVIEW

This was the first "Amish" novel I have had the opportunity to read. Along with learning a lot about the Amish way of life (and being intrigued to do some research on this fascinating lifestyle) and was reminded of God's true love for me. The Choice also reminded how thankful I am that God allowed me to privilege of marrying for love; not because of an arrangement, because I needed a place to live or because I needed to get out of my parents home. God's hand print is all over my marriage, in a way only God could have written our love story.

I met my husband while I was a junior in high school. We met on the world wide web... 11 years ago, before it was socially acceptable and so common. After 2 years of writing and phone calls, god brought us together and the rest is history.

Carrie goes through some struggles in her life that I can never imagine facing. The first part of the books is packed with so much, I felt so overwhelmed for Carrie as the story began to unfold.

The remainder of the book progressed somewhat slowly but still keep my attention. I felt as if I was sitting at the humble table with Carrie, Emma, Yonnie and Mattie sharing a cup of coffee and being let into their intriguing culture and simple lives.

I am hoping that Suzanne will continue telling us more of what comes in the future for all these ladies, and let us know of the men that may come or go in their lives.

I was a little nervous about reading an Amish novel, but now after finding that they are just humble people living to please God in the way they feel is right, I am more likely to go on more journeys with these amazing people. I look forward to more by Suzanne and will definitely be waiting for the rest in the Lancaster County Secret series.

This was a good and quick read; as new secrets are exposed and new twists are revealed you'll go through points where you just can't put the book down and other points where you want to put the book down so you can reflect on the love God has for you and the blessings He has given you.

“Available January 2010 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

*This book was provided by Baker Publishing Group free of charge in exchange for my honest review. This did not sway my review and opinion of this book in anyway.