For Every Season, Amish Vines and Orchards, Book 3

For Every Season Amish Vines and Orchards, Book 3 By Cindy Woodsmall This series is one that everyone would enjoy. I love at the end of the book that there is Glossary of the main characters so you can remember everyone from the previous books, plus a glossary of Amish dutch so you can follow when the characters speak it in the story. I find it neat how you start to learn it and can follow through with the sayings as you read this series. There is also great recipes that go along with the story . This series is about a family of brothers plus Rhoda’s family that move to Maine to establish an Amish community and to work an apple orchard. Rhoda ends up dating the brother Jacob, when in book 1, I always thought she would end up with Samuel. In book 2 you see her relationship bloom with Jacob. In this story, Jacob is facing a decision to move away. Would Rhoda move again with him? Rhoda was introduced to the family b/c she cans and cooks with the apples, so she can help the family run the apple orchard by selling products with the apples. She has a gift with herbs and can usually feel is something is off. This is usually the intriguing part of the story for me. In this story it is interesting on how the Amish have relationships with their English neighbors. I would recommend this series to someone looking for a good story. Thank you to the waterbrook press for the opportunity to review this book for my honest review.

Plain Peace by Beth Wiseman

This is an awesome series that everyone should pick up. This series was the beginning of my love of Amish fiction. I love how the family evolves but each story is so touching and inspiring. At the end of the book you will find Amish recipes that are spoken of in the book. Something one might not realize is that this series ties in with her other series the Land of Canaan. It isn’t vital or necessary to read both series, but they float back and forth as Beth Wiseman writes these 2 series together. People visit different people from the other town and some of the stories tie together. I love both series. This story is about a young girl raised by her strict grandfather who is the bishop of the area. His strictness brings forth the thoughts of deceiving family; even the bishop’s wife isn’t being totally truthful. This story brings forth once conscious of being truthful and to honor those in authority. Once again Beth Wiseman writes a great book that inspires. Thank you to the Booksneeze reading program for my honest review for this copy. Thank you also to Thomas Nelson for publishing and providing this book.

The Reason for My Hope: Salvation by Billy Graham

The Reason for My Hope: Salvation by Billy Graham It is always a blessing to read the words of Billy Graham. Knowing this could be his final book, as I see his health declining, I always enjoy what he has to say. He challenges those on the fence of Christianity to truly dig deeper. We all long to be free, for the Salvation only Jesus can offer to us. He uses stories of daily life along, side of stories from the Bible. Billy Graham again makes the reader think of things while reading, he engages you to truly think of your life and how do we really turn to God to rescue us. There are so many that stand on the verge of the end and refuse rescue from the One that can truly rescue us. Who would refuse rescue if on a boat sinking or a plane before it crashes? So why are so many people refusing to reach out to Him with their life, through the trials of life. Jesus came to save and to rescue us from this world, yet so many people complain vs. reaching out to Him! This book leaves you thinking of how often we forget to reach out for a rescue or to simply Trust in Him. It is good to read how he compares things of how the world views things or how we should view things based on the Bible. Thank you to the booksneeze reading program and Thomas Nelson for offering this book for an honest review.

Women Living Well by Courtney Joseph

I found this awesome blog maybe almost 2 years ago. I really enjoy her thoughts on being a wife, a mom, and just being a woman of God. When I knew she was writing a book, I knew it would have to be one that I would need to read and hold tight to. I was like a kid on Christmas morning when it finally arrived! I love how the book is set up. I love how she throws in just the right verse to meditate on, and hopefully for us to memorize. Not only does the book encourage but she challenges you to think about your life, how you view things, and how you react to things. The way she will add stories from her own life really add to the book. If you are looking for a book to inspired you to be the person God called you to be, not as the world expects it, you will not be disappointed by getting this book! Her description on the front really sums up the book, “Finding your Joy in God, Your Man, Your Kids, and Your Home.” I really plan to keep this book handy to read and to give as gifts. Thank you Courtney for stopping and writing a book! Also, thank you Nelson Books and the Booksneeze program for gifting me this book for my honest review.

Hide God's word in your heart!

My 4yr old is learning a verse a week in PreK. I am writing them on notecards to keep at the house and in my purse. Why have I not done this sooner? I want to make sure we review these verses and keep adding onto them thru the years! He even loves trying to remember where they are found! This week: Ask and it will be given to you, Seek and you will find. Matthew 7:7

Forever Friday by Timothy Lewis

A true love story! It jumps around to about 3 stories, but once you get use to the 3 stories, it really has a great story. It is a true story that inspires for a real day romance. It is an uplifting book that entertains and gives a sile to the face. The book sets place in the past as you follow 2 people’s love stories, you get brought back midway to the end of their story, and then you are given a story of how their lasting love story inspires a future for 2 people. It is great to know that love exists like the love in the story. If you read the final page of the book you find out that this book is loosely developed by a love of the past of the author – that of his great aunt/uncle and how him sharing that love, helped a family member remember the love of their own. So many times we get caught up in life that we forget the love we once felt for a partner. OF course it would be nice if we could get more men to read this story. Thank you to WaterBrook Press and the waterbrookmulnomah blogging site for this copy in return for my honest review.

WOUNDED by God’s People by Anne Graham Lotz

It’s additional title is Discovering How God’s Love Heals our Hearts. This is a very good description about what the book is about. She shares this by telling the story of Hagar, the slave that bore Abraham’s son Ishmael. I learned many things about Hagar that I don’t think I had ever looked at. How she ran, but God commanded her to go back to Sarah and serve her. That would be so hard to do. Also how God promised a nation to Ishmael since he was a descendent of Abraham. She also talks about how many of us Christians are hurt more by brothers/sisters in Christ in the church. How normally those who lash out to wound others are normally the wounded ones. This book is for those that are hurting because they have been hurt by others or those wounded by any other fashion. By God’s love we are healed. Anne tells her story of past hurts and how she overcame also. A main point that I got was there are times we are at our greatest despair and we cry out to God and God opens our eyes and the answer what right before us. We were lost and hurt and not looking at what was right in front of us! Thank you booksneeze for providing me with this copy for my honest review!

Encouragement for Today

Encouragement for Today by Renee Swope, Lysa TerKeurst, Smantha Evilsizer and the Proverbs 31 Team I jumped at getting this book when I saw the authors without even seeing what this was about. I get the Encouragement for Today daily email and I love it! It turns out it is 100 of these devotions placed in a book! This was an awesome idea! Life has gotten busy lately where I can’t get online to sit and read my daily devotion. There are times I see a heading to the email, in which I know I need to read that one! As reading through this book, I remember reading some of these and they are just as good as reading them the first time! I love how it starts with a verse, tells a story, gives a short prayer to remember, has a REMEMBER which is a simple overview of the story, a REFLECT which leaves you with a thought (if by reading it you don’t get your own conviction), a RESPOND on something you can do or work on, and finally a POWER VERSE if you want to dig deeper! This book would be a great gift for anyone or something great to have in your prayer/devotion library! I would like to thank the booksneeze reading program for this copy (given for my honest review) and Zondervan for publishing such a great book!

Living an UNDAUNTED life

UNDAUNTED by Christine Caine

I first found out about Christine Caine by attending a women’s conference. I have started one of her other books, but I have found this book was so easy to read! It was easy to find myself constantly turning to pages. It is like sitting and listening to someone interesting tell a story that you want to hear. Most of all, her stories are encouraging. I really enjoyed her chapter on fear. We share a fear of flying, and it was interesting to see her take on it. I was also experience some other momma fears and the scriptures and the way she looked at things, really helped me to have Faith that God is on my side and there to protect me. May we all strive to live an undaunted life doing what God has called us to do!

You also think you have had a crazy life, but Christine has a lot of stories to tell that we can all build upon or see we don’t have it that bad. She continues to praise God through it all. I also love her passion for rescuing women. She is such an amazing person with such an inspiring story.

I am very thankful for Zonderan and the booksneeze reading program for this copy of this book.

A Kingsbury Collection:

It was a blessing to receive this book with all 3 books in one. (Where Yesterday Lives, When Joy Came to Stay, and On Every Side) It is a very thick book, but that is to be expected. This was a very real book.; a book where it shows how father’s need to step up with their daughters and be the role model God wants them to be. I really enjoy the basis of the books of each person realizing family is important and should stick together even in rough times.

The first book is about Ellen returning home and making some bad decisions that involve an exboyfriend, when she should be focusing attention on her family. I think it is easy to get caught up in thoughts, but we should strive to be the person God wants us to be. Family is important.

The second book about Maggie who has to face consequences of choices she made in life and dealing with depression. It is a story about forgiving yourself and others.

The third book about Faith and Jordan and how they find a balance of fighting against each other with the past they have. You see Jordan coming around to God’s view of life. I received The Kingsbury Collection from Waterbrook Multnomah for review.

When God speaks...

I recently have someone mad at me and I am totally clueless on what happened. I figured my best approach is to give person time. Then today I have this prayer in my www.churchgrowth.org daily devotion: Dear God, Calm my spirit today. Please forgive me of gossip or worry about the people and circumstances that surround me. Please replace anger with peace. Please help me to keep my focus on Jesus, author and finisher of my faith. Please help me to focus on what I need to accomplish today, and what You want me to do. Put away all wrong thoughts and keep me from wrong actions. I want to be a steady, stable, godly person who is a pleasure to be around and a loving witness of your mercy and glory. May I be an instrument that produces a sweet, soothing sound, uplifting spirits and pleasing the Master Conductor, My Lord. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

It's it awesome how God speaks to us when we really need it!!

An Amish Kitchen

This is a book with 3 different stories by 3 different authors. I have enjoyed previous books that Beth Wiseman has joined in with to write short stories. These stories are all very uplifting by reading and getting to know the characters in the story. One thing that I really enjoy about these books are how they are intertwined even though the authors are different, you will at least see the names of the people from the previous stories, as these stories take place in the same town. There is also 45 recipes at the end of the book. I loved the first story on how Fran used nature’s herbs for remedies for small illnesses. It reminds me of what our great grandparents used to use. Each story in the end shows how God has all things in his hands and plans we don’t understand always works out for our best. I would recommend anyone to read this book. Each story is easy to stay interested in! This book was provided to me by the Booksneeze program & Thomas Nelson for my honest review.