When You Lie Down Lullabies and Scripture Songs- Review

I am a huge fan of Seeds Family Worship. Their mission is to place God's Word into homes around the world.  I believe this is truly their passion and not just words alone. Seeds puts this goal into practice with their "buy one give one" policy. Each CD purchased includes 2 copies- one to keep and one to give away. I was pleasantly surprised to find this also true of the digital download version.

When You Lie Down Lullabies and Scripture Songs is the latest album released by this company. The songs are peaceful and soothing. The lyrics point to the rest we find in Christ. I  love that each song comes straight from Scripture (no fluff added). My kids only have to watch a movie one time and can sing lyrics from the songs. So what better way to instill God's Word on their minds and hearts than through music?

Many songs directed at children are annoying for the parent to listen to. Not so with Seeds! I enjoy the music as much as my children and perhaps even more. When You Lie Down Lullabies and Scripture Songs is a quality product that I am pleased to recommend to my friends and family. Well done, Seeds Family Worship!

Disclaimer: I received a free download of this album from Seeds Family Worship in exchange for an honest review of their product.

The Time Chamber- Review

I highly recommend The Time Chamber by Korean artist Daria Song. This is a very detailed coloring book that children and adults alike can enjoy. The story follows a red-haired fairy who enters the human world as the coo-coo clock strikes midnight. The story is very short, but the amount of coloring pages more than makes up for it.  It even has a gold-foil stamping on the cover and spine which lends an elegant appearance. The beautifully illustrated book would make a wonderful gift for a loved one. You won't regret this purchase! My only complaint is that the book does not lie flat. This makes it difficult to color the middle of the image that spans both pages. However, this is the most delightful coloring book I have every owned :)

Disclaimer: I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review

Amish Christmas at North Star- Review

Amish Christmas at North Star is a book containing four short stories by different authors. The main characters each having been born on the same day by the same Amish midwife is what ties these stories together. I had expected to see their lives entwined throughout the stories but instead each book stands on it's own. Only through the prologue and epilogue do the stories come together.

Guiding Star is the first story and it is written by Katie Ganshert. She writes about a man trying to find where one of the four babies born in that Amish birthing center ended up.

Mourning Star is authored by Amanda Flower. A mysterious death of an Amish friend is investigated. Who would have murdered the man?

Cindy Woodsmall wrote In the Stars. Kore and his ex-girlfriend end up working together to care for some children in need. Will they be able to overcome whatever obstacle broke up their relationship a year prior?

And finally, Star of Grace was written by Mindy Starns Clark and Emily Clark. This is a story dealing with the power of forgiveness.

It's hard to get much depth when the story is short, and I find that characters are not always believable. However, for some light reading this was an enjoyable book.

Thank you Blogging for Books! I received this book from them for an honest review of the book.

When Love Returns- Review

When Love Returns is the concluding book in Kim Vogel Sawyer's The Zimmerman Restoration Trilogy. The story line builds in each book so I recommend reading the books in order. This series is about a Mennonite family and the struggles they face in dealing with a sin from the past. Sawyer does a great job wrapping up all the loose ends in this third book.  The book deals with themes of teenage pregnancy, adoption, forgiveness, and grace. I look forward to reading more books from this author in the future!

Thank you Blogging for Books! I received this book from them for an honest review of the book.

Ties That Bind- Book Review

Ties That Bind is the first book in a new series by Cindy Woodsmall. She is a New York Times and CBA best-selling author of numerous works of fiction and one of nonfiction. Ties that Bind is a great book and I really enjoyed reading it! The beginning of the book is a little hard to follow. There are lots of characters and a span of 20 years from the first chapter to the second. However, hang in there because this is a good story!

Ties that Bind is about an Amish girl who cares deeply about her family and has a dream of opening a cafe someday. A close friend who had disappeared 5 years previously reappears in her life and she must decide if he is trustworthy. I won't give any more details because I don't want to ruin the suspense for those who haven't yet read the book yet!

I am a big fan of Amish fiction but enjoyed the mysterious spin found in this book. I recommend this series to others who enjoy the Amish genre. Unfortunately, the ending is a cliff hanger and the next book in the Amish of Summer Grove series is not out yet! I will definitely be waiting for the next two books to be published...

I received this book from Blogging for Books for an honest review (I didn't have to like it).

Review: Walking with God in the Season of Motherhood

     Walking with God in the Season of Motherhood is touted as "an eleven-week devotional Bible study." I have to admit that as a mother of 4 young children  (and a fifth on the way), this devotional has taken me longer than the allotted 11 weeks to complete! However, I  have enjoyed the journey into scripture as it applies to my life as a mom. This devotional offers practical topics and calls mothers into a deeper relationship with Christ. As author Melissa B. Kruger writes in her introduction, "The goal of this study is not necessarily to figure out specific parenting techniques or strategies but to walk with the Lord in the busy season of motherhood and let His presence infuse and shape our lives." The focus is on the mother's relationship with God and how that time spent with Christ will positively affect her marriage and family.
     The main ideas of the book are:
·         Understand and pursue your purpose as a mother
·         Live out your true priorities
·         Entrust your child to God
·         Bear the fruit of the Spirit in your everyday interactions
·         Recover from Perfect Mom Syndrome (PMS)

     I love that all the scripture verses are printed out within the pages of the book. This makes it easy to grab the book when I have a few minutes or to throw it in the diaper bag to read while out somewhere. The book includes blank spaces for reflection upon scripture or ideas presented in the book. The author writes in an easy to follow manner and instills the importance of making time for God in our daily lives.
     I have enjoyed this study and would recommend it to others.


I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

The Pizza Bible

I have been browsing through The Pizza Bible by Tony Gemignani. The author is an 11-time World Pizza Champ and he shares his recipes and tips for making great pizzas. This book covers 9 different regional styles of pizza. It is well laid out and has great photos. 

I enjoy making my own pizzas but have been wanting to find a good crust recipe. I was hoping this book would be my solution to finding a great recipe and for some tips about how to make an amazing pizza. Unfortunately, The Pizza Bible isn't exactly what I was looking for. The crust recipes call for ingredients that you can't get at your local grocery store. The author even tells you that some things will have to be shopped for online. Additionally, Gemignani says about his crust, "From today on, I want you to make pizza dough that rises in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours- preferably 48 hours." I don't plan that far ahead! To his credit, Gemignani also gives some ideas for freezing the dough. 

If you are good at planning ahead and don't mind spending a little extra money on ingredients and supplies, this may be a wonderful book for you. 

*I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

Review: A Love Undone

I just finished reading A Love Undone by Cindy Woodsmall. Though she is a New York Times and CBA best selling author, this was my first time reading one of her books.

About This Book

A husband and son abandoned to forge a path alone.
A young woman who sacrificed her dreams.
How will the God of grace and hope help them find their way?
At nineteen years old, Old Order Amish Jolene Keim was on the brink of happily-ever-after when everything changed, stealing the future she expected and burdening her with an unbearable decision. For the next ten years, Jolene throws herself into family life—and then she meets Andy Fisher. The horse trainer and father to a sweet nine year-old challenges her and holds up a mirror to issues Jolene has been unwilling to face.

Andy is cautious about his deepening friendship with Jolene, but he believes she knows the truth about him – that he is a grass widower. As a man whose wife has abandoned him six years past, he is unable to divorce or remarry according to the Amish ways. Andy has wrestled with God concerning his reality, and he had found peace with the solitary future facing him…until he met Jolene.

As Andy and Jolene find themselves confronted by difficult choices, will they trust in God's guidance—or will the allure of their deepening friendship only lead to further temptation?

Review:

I read a lot of books set within the Amish life but this one had several unique elements. First, Andy (the main male character) is a grass widower. His wife left him and that makes him unable to remarry because of the high standards of the Amish community. Second, Jolene (main female character) makes the difficult and sacrificial decision to raise her siblings. And third, one of those children has some disabilities due to a childhood injury. These plot twists set this book apart from the many others I have read.

I enjoyed reading A Love Undone and look forward to reading more of Woodsmall's books in the future.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.