The Way Home (DVD)

Thomas Nelson Publishing

"A missing child. A family in crisis. A faith tested. In their darkest hour, God gives hope.
Dean Cain stars as Randy Simpkins, a husband and father torn between the demands of his job and family. Asked by his wife to watch their two-year-old son, Joe, for a few minutes, he becomes distracted by work. When he returns, Joe is gone. He and his wife search desperately for their missing son through the vast countryside. But as their fear grows, the community responds – hundreds of supporters uniting behind the family in a powerful spiritual journey that will test the couple’s love and faith, and forever change a community."

We watched this on Monday for family night.  We should have got our box of tissues out before the movie started.  This is my worst nightmare:  that one of my children will become missing.  I watched the movie in suspense realizing in my heart that this was a true story, not based on a true story but the true story.  My stomach was in knots, but it was a good movie.  Yes, the acting was lacking-especially the gal who played the mom.  She seemed very calm and not upset at all that her two year old wondered off in the middle of the woods.  

The DVD contains the real people and the story behind the making of the movie.  It was very touching to see the actual parents and their true reactions. 

This is a must see for all dads-especially ones who think work is more important then their families.

*I was sent a free copy of this DVD from the publisher to watch and review.  I am not compensated for my honest review.

A Hope Undaunted

by Julie Lessman

Revell Publishing

"The 1920s are drawing to a close, and feisty Katie O'Connor is the epitome of the new woman--smart and sassy with goals for her future that include the perfect husband and a challenging career in law. Her boyfriend Jack fits all of her criteria for a husband--good-looking, well-connected, wealthy, and eating out of her hand. But when she is forced to spend the summer of 1929 with Luke McGee, the bane of her childhood existence, Katie comes face-to-face with a choice. Will she follow her well-laid plans to marry Jack? Or will she fall for the man she swore to despise forever?"

 

This book by Julie Lessman was a like/dislike.  Why?  I liked the basic storyline and the characters.  I did not like it because the story was too drawn out and the ending was weird and not developed enough to make it a smooth ending. I think that the story could have been edited down and not so long.  The last few chapters bounced back and forth between a happy ending and an unhappy ending leaving you guessing until the end.

Price: $14.99  Purchase here.

*I  was sent a free copy of this book from the publisher to read and review.  I am not compensated in any way for my review.

Choosing to SEE: A Journey of Struggle and Hope

by Mary Beth Chapman & Ellen Vaughn
Revell Publishing

I was not sure what to expect when I recieved this book.  I have tried to read other books that people have wrote about their experiences that were poorly written and uninteresting.  However this was NOT that kind of  book.  This book is well written, very interesting and pulled me in to her story.  After finishing this book I wanted to be her friend and get to know her more. 

Her story is not a happy one, but it tells her story~ how she has dealt with the death of a child.  It has been fairly recent~a little over 2 years.  I found myself wanting to comfort her and her family in their time of loss. 

Her story also involved adoption.  Since we are on our own adoption journey, although ours is domestic foster care, I felt I was able to connect and learn from their experiences.

She is able to give her grief to her Father in Heaven and let him help her through it.  Through this journey we are able to SEE how we can learn to give our troubles over to the Lord.

September 2010 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group

*I was sent a free copy of this book from the publisher to read and review.  I am not compensated for my honest review.

Giveaway!!

One of my favorite blogs is doing a giveaway on her blog for some great Scentsy stuff. 

Check it out and enter to win, be sure to tell her I sent you!!

Brown Paper Packages

One Hands, Two Hands

by Max Lucado
Thomas Nelson Publishing

This is a very cute book for children.  My 5 year old daughter really liked and thought it was a good book.

One Hand, Two Hands illustrates that their hands are a gift from God.  Lucado shows that hands cando all sorts of things but they are best used to serve God by helping others. 

There are silly whimsical pictures, but the book ends with a prayer of thanks.  A very sweet book, it would make a nice baby gift.

*I was sent a free copy of this book by the publisher to read and review.  I am not compensated for my honest opinion.

The Boy Who Changed the World

by Andy Andrews
Thomas Nelson Publishing

The Boy Who Changed the World is a very profound book.  I read it to my children and my husband was in the room. We all talked about it afterward-how what you do and the choices you make can make a big difference.  The boy in the story did not make a difference at the time but later on influenced many others.

I think this book should be in every home.  It shows children that their decisions really do make a difference, no matter how small.  No matter what they think, this book will help them understand that one person really can make a difference.

I encourage my readers to purchase a book for yourselves or one as a gift for the child in your life.

*I was sent a free copy of this book from the publisher to read and review, as always I am not compensated for my review.

Brown Paper Packages Giveaway!!

One of my favorite blogs I follow is Brown Paper Packages.

She is so creative!  I have no creative bones in my body but I think everyone of hers is creative!! 

Right now she is doing a giveaway from Poppy Seed Projects.  

Check it out and enter to win! 

Amish Proverbs GIVEAWAY!!!

by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Revell Publishing

This is such a beautiful book!  My husband even picked it up and look through it and found a fun proverb:

"There is one thing more exasperating than a wife who can cook and won't, and that's the wife who can't cook and will." (page 201)

No, I am not a bad cook, he just thought that was so funny.

My grandma always says, "The squeaky wheel gets the grease."  I love this proverb.  If you keep asking, or haggling or looking for whatever you need you will find it.

Price: $13.99

*I was sent a free copy (and a free copy to give away) to read and review.  The opinions on this blog are my honest opinions and I am not compensated for the review.

To win your very own copy of this beautiful book please leave your favorite proverb (or saying).  Make sure you leave your email as well so I can contact you if you win!  I will give you an extra entry if you get a friend to come and leave a favorite saying~ just make sure you leave another comment saying you sent them!  I will randomly select a winner Monday August 30th.

Let's Do Lunch

by RogerWilson

Thomas Nelson Publishing

Very rarely do I finish a book on "dieting."  Usually diet books are full of scientific facts, psychological mumbo jumbo.  Don't get me wrong I do not believe that science and psychology are junk, but when you want to lose weight, you want to do it NOW.  I would get discouraged reading the stupid book~ and go off the diet before I even finished the book!!  Not with this book.  Not only did I finish the book but I did so in 2 days! 

Wilson writes about what he learned when we lost his massive amount of weight.  He told the readers what to eat, not why it scientifically worked that way.  There was no psychological basis, just the facts.  He is giving his readers what they need, a way to change their diets forever.

I am so excited to start this new eating plan.  I will keep you updated as to how things are going.  I need to go buy grapes first!

*I was sent this book as part of the book sneeze review program.  I am not compensated in any way for my honest review.

Cast of Characters

by Max Lucado

Thomas Nelson Publishing

"Some of the most powerful stories from the Bible will come alive for today’s readers through these

inspiring selections from the writings of Max Lucado. Max provides a compelling look at the most

high-impact moments in the biblical narrative, drawn from his previous 20+ years of writing.

At the end of each chapter will be study guide questions so the reader can go deeper into this

scripture.

Extraordinary stories are told about the following characters:

Mary, Peter, Matthew, Joseph, Nicodemus, Woman at the Well, David, Esther, Job, The Samaritan Woman, John, Rich Young Man."

I have read a number of Max Lucado's works.  Most of them I have found to be wonderful and profound.  However this book felt wrong.  I picked it up to read today.  I was disappointed and a little upset at the way Lucado portrayed the Bible and Biblical characters.  I felt he was trying to fit in with today's hip way of life.  I have respect and reverence for my Father in Heaven and the Holy Scriptures.  I felt that the respect and reverence that the Bible demands was not there.  It was almost callous in the way it was written.  I was unable to read the entire book, because of the uneasiness that I found from reading the small bit I did.  Maybe this book will appeal to others in a way it did not to me.

Price: $14.99

*I was sent a copy of this book from the publisher to read and review.  I am  not compensated for my honest opinion.

Offworld

by Robin Parrish

Bethany House Publishing

Okay, so yesterday I was reading this book and told Brian what a great book it was.  He asked me what it was about.  I told him it was about these 4 astronauts that went on a 2 1/2 year mission to Mars and when they came back EVERYONE in the world was gone.  I happened about 2 months before their return~ the same time they lost contact with NASA.  So as they are traveling to this bright light in Houston from Florida, they find a homeless gal (about 19 or so)~ the only person alive.  Not knowing what to think they took her with them.

  Brian was shocked he said, "Your are reading science fiction?"  I told him I was and it was soooo good and they needed to make it into a movie! (I never read sci-fi).

Well this morning I finished it and while it was really good, I can not tell you any more.  It will spoil the ending for you if I tell you more then what I told you already.  But even if you are not into sci-fi (like me) you should try to read it.  Only took me about 5 hours to read!
Loved it!

Price $14.99  purchase here.

*I was sent a free copy to read and review.  I am not compensated for my honest review.

Though Waters Roar

by Lynn Austin

Bethany House Publishing

"Thank goodness you're such a plain child. You'll have to rely on your wits."

So went the words of Grandma Bebe. And for all of my growing-up years, I scoffed at the beauty of my sister and what I saw as her meaningless existence. But my wits hadn't served me well in this instance, for here I was, in jail. And while I could have seen it as carrying on the family tradition (for Grandma Bebe landed in jail for her support of Prohibition), the truth is, my reasons for being here would probably break her heart.

So how did I end up becoming a criminal? I've been pondering that question all night. Perhaps the best way to search for an answer is to start at the very beginning."

One girl's story intertwined with her grandmother's life story.  This truly is a unique story of courage and trusting God with our lives.  There is quite a bit of history in the book that I was able to glean.  I found myself hoping and wishing for good to happen from Bebe as her life was so hard..  It was easy to follow a long, although I did find it a bit long and hard to get into in the beginning.

Price: $ 13.99 purchase from the publisher.

*I was sent a free copy of this book to read and review from the publisher.  I am not compensated for my honest opinion.

Granola Bar and Fruit Snacks GIVE AWAY!

My friend Janet from Simply Schooling Mom is having a giveaway from Costco.  She is giving away a huge box of granola bars, real fruit roll up snacks, and a $25 gift card to Costco. To enter go here.

Thank you Janet!!

Amazing Adventures, Creative Connections, & Daring Deeds:

40 Ideas That Put Feet to Your Family's Faith 

by Tim & Alison Thompson

Nav Press Publishing

"Say good-bye to passive family devotions! The energy and creativity of these 40 activities, which can be adapted to all ages, is a great resource for individual families or for churches with family and inter-generational ministries.

Instead of reading a verse that is soon forgotten, you and your kids will engage in activities both inside and outside the home that demonstrate biblical faith in action. The result? Seeing how you can live as disciples whatever your sphere of influence.

Each of the 40 activities includes a creative introduction, a brief exploration of a Bible passage, and active ideas for applying biblical truth

This great discipleship and outreach tool includes age-appropriate discussion questions and activities for age four through teens."

I read this book and am really excited!  I think this would be great devotions or Family Home Evenings to do with the family.  I plan on using it once a week in our home school this coming year as a devotional.

Each chapter contains  an introduction message about the chapter~the topic.
There is also a Reaching In section where you would reach in to your own family and discuss various questions.  Reaching Into the Word in the next section~  a scripture is given and various questions based on children's ages to discuss.  The last section is the Reaching Into the World~ service based ideas to help others in the community.

Price: $ 12.99 go here to purchase

*I was sent a free copy of this book from the publisher to read and review.  This review is my honest opinion which I am not compensated for.

Growing With Purpose

by Jon Walker

Zondervan Publishing

"Spend a year exploring God's purpose for your life. This thought-provoking, yet practical one-year devotional will help you understand that God's grace is the most powerful tool for change in your life. In this time of uncertainty and fear, Growing with Purpose teaches that God's perfect love drives out all fear. It's a fresh look at biblical truth that will strengthen your faith and encourage you to trust that God's promises are as certain as the sun coming up tomorrow. You'll find yourself reading it over and over again, growing with purpose and in intimate pursuit of God every day. Spend a year exploring God's purpose for your life ... spend a lifetime connected to the heart of God. Learn more about author Jon Walker's ministry" here.

For those of you who enjoy reading a page a day in a devotional fashion with really like this book.  I find that I do not like them as much.  I  feel guilty if I do not read everyday.  But, this would be good if you do devotionals for homeschooling or with your family.  Very upbeat with scriptures to read along with the message.  

This is a Christian based book.

Price: $18.99 click to purchase.

*I was sent a free copy of this book to read and review.  I am not compensated for my honest review.

Blind Hope GIVE AWAY!!

by Kim Meeder & Laurie Sacher

Multomah Publishing

This was a very powerful book and true story.  I enjoyed it immensely.  It is a quick read (with pictures of sweet Mia), but also amazing.  Readers will learn so much about loving themselves and trusting God.  This book is a message of hope to all of us who struggle from time to time. I guarantee you will be a changed person after reading this book.

When Laurie decides to rescue a mangy sick dog, she had no idea her life would change more then her dog's.  After Mia goes blind Laurie has to train the dog to hear her voice.  She realizes she needs to listen for God to tell the direction she needs to go as well.

"Coming to a book retailer new year July 2010."

Price $13.99 to purchase go here.

* I was sent a free copy of this book to read and review.  I am not compensated for my honest opinion.

I have a brand new copy from the publisher to give away on my blog.  Here is how to enter to win you very own copy!!

For each of the following you will get one entry.  Maker sure you leave me a  note on how to get a hold of you if you win.

1.  Become a follower of my blog.

2. Tell me why you would like this book.

3.  Get a friend to become a follower of my blog.

I will randomly select the winner on Saturday July 10th 9pm MST

The Silent Gift

by Michael Landon Jr, & Cindy Kelley

Bethany House Publishing

There are so many layers to this book.  I was intrigued, angry, hopeful, and sad during the reading of this book.  I must say the authors are fabulous writers! There was such depth to the story and many layers to the main character.

"The decade of the 'thirties was a time of enormous uncertainty--for the world, for America, and in particular for one lonely, struggling mother and her disabled son. Their story is one of unyielding love and incredible sacrifices in the face of circumstances beyond belief. 

But then The Gift appears where has it come from, and why? How can a young boy who cannot communicate provide comfort and direction to seekers who learn of the special ability? Whatever the source, its presence brings a single shaft of light and hope to Mary to her beloved son, Jack. Will it be enough?"

I could not put this book down.  I stayed up until after 1am (I am an early to bed kind of gal) so that says a lot.  I am not sure I would have picked this book up to read if I had not been given an opportunity to review it.  It is not usually a type of book I read, but this was so well written and kept me reading on and on to the end.  Thank you!!

Price $ 13.99 purchase here.

*I was sent a free copy of this book to read and review.  I am not compensated for my honest review.

GIVEAWAY!!

I am giving a brand new copy of One Day Way away to one of my lucky readers. 

For some reason when I posted it, the date changed to March, so it is not on the front page of my blog.  To see the instructions click here.

Fit to Be Tied

by Robin Lee Hatcher

Zondervan Publishing

Unbeknown to me this is the second in the Sisters of Bethlehem Springs series.  I really dislike reading sequels when I have not read the first book.  I was able to understand the plot, but did not get a lot of the background needed to understand the characters in detail. There is also a third book in the series coming out 2010.

Cleo is a girl comfortable on a ranch and around horses.  She dislikes wearing dresses and is more comfortable in a pair of jeans.

Lord Sherwood is sent from London to live in Idaho for a year to earn his keep and understand work.  He has a war injury and is need of learning the value of hard work.

Lord Sherwood, or Woody as Cleo calls him, begins working as a ranch hand on Cleo's family ranch.  She despises him and wishes she did not have to train him.  However as time passes she finds herself becoming more interested in him, but will royalty and a ranch girl be able to be together?  You will have to read this book to find out.

Price: $14.99 Click here to purchase.

*I was sent a free copy of this book to read and review.  I am not compensated for my honest review.

Through the Fire

by Shawn Grady

Bethany House Publishing

Since his father's death  in a fire, firefighter Aiden O'Neill is determined to find out who the arsonist was in that fateful fire.  Aiden has a gift of being able to read fires, but after he caused a fellow firefighter to be seriously injured during a fire, he seems to have lost his gift.

An arsonist is on the loose, causing major fires and death in his wake.  Aiden and Julianne, a fire analyst, are teaming up to discover who is behind the fires.  I guarantee the end will surprise you.

I enjoyed the story line, but some of the writing was out of character of the rest of the book.  There were paragraphs that were almost poetic~ but forced and did not reflect the other parts of the book.  I also got confused in several places as new characters were introduced.  The parts about God and Christianity seemed forced and put in as an afterthought. 

Price $ 13.99 purchase here.

*I was sent a free copy of this book to read and review from the publisher.  I am not compensated for my honest opinion.