"No Wonder They Call Him the Savior" by Max Lucado

I really enjoy Max Lucado's style of writing. He talks "to" the reader, not talks "down to." He is obviously very knowledgeable about the bible, but doesn't write in a way that makes you feel preached to. This book, for me, was no exception. Mr. Lucado was an amazing ablility to get his point across succinctly and quickly, leave you with something to think about, and then move on. I really enjoyed the essay like feeling of the chapters, it is a book that you can come back to and not feel like you have to go back and reread pages to remember where you were. I really liked how Mr. Lucado shares his theological views with out forcing them on you. It doesn't matter if you practice the same brand of Christianity as he does, the basic truths are the same. Mr. Lucado is not trying to convert in this book, he is trying to have each of us bring our hearts closer to Christ, however we go about accomplishing that. I would recommend this book for anyone, Christian or not, who just wants to feel uplifted.

{Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."}

"Thank you God, for blessing me" by Max Lucado

This is a really sweet book for small children that shows them how simple it is to give thanks to God for our many blessings. The illustrations are bright and colorful, visually stimulating for little ones. My children really enjoyed little Hermie and like to say "Thank you" with me each time I read it. I would recommend this book for preschoolers and younger !

{Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."}

The Waiting Place: Learning to Appreciate Life's Little Delays by Eileen Button

This book is basically an autobiography written in essay or short story form. As I read through it, I was drawn into the stories, found myself rooting for the author as she makes it through the struggles of her life. But, I thought that there would be more of a "point" in the end. I thought that she would explain how she turned to God in these waiting moments and how she found peace and comfort to get through both happy and hard times. I wasn't left with that impression in the end. I liked the way Ms. Button seems to find joy in the waiting, and shows us how life is in the journey and not the destination.

{Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."}

"Daddy Dates" by Greg Wright

I hear so many parents saying that they don't know how to connect with their children. I find that this is especially true for Dad's and their daughters. What an inspired idea Greg Wright had in the idea of "dating" his children.

I enjoyed reading about what worked...and what didn't...for the author's family. I think this concept could be applied to any parent and their children. When you are dating someone, you do so with the intent of really getting to know them, understanding who they are and what they stand for, and having a fun and enjoyable time for you both. This is exactly what parents need to do for their children, but also what children need to gain a deeper understanding of who their parents are.

Two concepts that really stuck out to me while reading this book were;

1) Listen to your children. A lot of times I think kids feel like they are not really being "heard." Dads, in your single days, when you really liked a girl, you were an attentive listener. You knew that this was the way to get a girl to feel appreciated, special, and important. This is also true for your daughters (and sons!)

2) Just like when you were dating and got dragged to "chick flicks," the ballet, or any kind of "capade," you need to really pay attention to what your daughter (or son) wants to do. You will learn a lot about your child from what they choose to do, and it will make them feel like you really care about what interests them.

This book is funny, sweet, touching, and offers hope for any Dad who has ever felt like his sweet baby girl has gone crazy!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255

"Max on Life: Answers and Insights to Your Most Important Questions" by Max Lucado

Max Lucado is known for his amazing insight into the gospel of Jesus Christ, his ability to connect to readers on a spiritual level, and his unassuming way of inspiring us. In "Max on Life: Answers and Insights to Your Most Important Questions," he once again shares his inspiration answering numerous real life questions with love, thoughtfulness, and scripture. What I loved about this book is that it answers real questions from real people. Max Lucado does not try to "preach" or "convert" with his answers, he just gives inspirational answers based on his understanding of the gospel of Christ. I think this would be a great gift to give a graduate, as a wedding present, to new parents, or to anyone who is struggling with seemingly unanswerable questions. Max Lucado seems to have a genuine love for his readers, and for Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father. That really shows in his writing, especially in his answering tough questions for this book. I really enjoyed this book because of the variety of questions answered, such as "Is God willing to use anyone to change the world? Even people who've lived ungodly lives?" and "I applied for a job and got rejected. I asked my grandmother for a loan; she turned me down. My boyfriend says we should split up. I'm having a hard, hard week. Is God even listening to me?" and "I grew up in a home with no discipline. My parents let me do anything I wanted to do, and I did. In raising my kids, I don't want to follow their example. I don't want to over-discipline either. What is the balance." And many, many others. I believe that anyone could find something relevant to their own lives in this book.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255

"The Final Summit A Quest to Find the One Principle That Will Save Humanity" by Andy Andrews

Fans of "The Traveler's gift" by Andy Andrews can FINALLY find out what happened to our favorite traveler, David Ponder, after his amazing journey. "The Final Summit" picks up several years after David Ponder makes his travel into history. The archangel Gabriel returns to bring David to a summit with the other travelers from history. Some are fairly obvious, such as Winston Churchill and Abraham Lincoln. Others you may never have heard of, such as Joshua Chamberlain, and Erik Ericson, but all are amazing and inspiring. The summit must come up with the correct answer to the question that will save mankind. I don't want to give too much away, but I will say that I LOVED the book. I loved the discussions that take place in the summit, and I LOVE the final solution. The only thing that concerns me about this book is that if you haven't read the first one, there are a few little holes that you can't necessarily fill in just reading this second book, and you are missing out on some amazing lessons that are hinted at in this book but never fully explained. I would recommend this book to just about anyone, teenagers and up.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255

"Heart of Ice" by Lis Wiehl with April Henry

The triple threat club is a group of three friends with a passions for crime fighting in common; Allison Pierce is a federal prosecutor, Nicole Hedges is an FBI agent, and Cassidy Shaw is a television crime news reporter. They met in high school, reconnected at their 10 year reunion, and have been fearless friends since.

Cassidy meets cool, beautiful, and charismatic Elizabeth Avery at an exercise class and quickly becomes entranced by her. As the story progresses we discover that Elizabeth has some very deep dark secrets. The triple threat club has to pull together and work to discover just how cold Elizabeth's heart is.

This book is the third in the "Triple Threat Club" series, but if you have not read the others (I hadn't,) you can pick it right up without being lost. I loved how developed the characters are. They each struggled with personal issues that affect their decision making, and objectivity. However they are able to work through their problems and come together to figure out Elizabeth's deceptions and how she relates to a string of murders in their area.

I really enjoyed the mystery and crime solving part of this book. I found that part to be well written and engaging. I was less thrilled with the infusion of Christian values. This felt forced and unnatural. There were just a few places where a character would talk about her faith, or mention the Bible that felt oddly juxtaposed into the story. It almost seemed like an afterthought and did not feel genuine. The Christian references could have been more smoothly woven into the story, and would have felt more natural if they were brought up more often. For this reason I gave the book 3 stars. "Heart of Ice" was entertaining and I would definitely be interested in reading the rest of the series.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255

"Time With God For Mothers; A Devotional" by Jack Countryman

This is a sweet little book of thoughts and inspirations for mothers. Each is accompanied by a Bible verse from the New King James Version. I found the book to be sweet and inspiring. I love that it is formatted so that you can pick it up and read a few pages, or just one little devotional, or sit down and read it cover to cover. It has a lot of good advice worked in, such as "Jesus does not want any of us to lead unproductive or unfocused lives," (pg. 33) and "When you desire God, you spend your time and energy getting to know Him better and doing what pleases Him." (pg. 67)

What I really love though, is at the end of the book where it lists scriptural references for "Mother's Prayers in the Bible," and "The Responsibilities of Motherhood," and "The Promises of Motherhood." This book is hard bound, with glossy pages. Each page is beautifully illustrated with flowers made from beads and jewels. It would make a perfect Mother's day gift, or a nice gift to your mother or daughter, or for yourself!

DISCLAIMER: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.

Support National Nutrition Month

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March is National Nutrition Month and there’s no better time than now for you and your family to commit to more wholesome snacking options.

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"Regret Free Parenting; Raise Good Kids and Know You're Doing It Right." By Catherine Hickem

Every mother has wondered “Am I doing a good job? Are my kids happy? Do I show my kids the path they should follow in my words, deeds, and actions?” In her book “Regret Free Parenting; Raise Good Kids and Know You’re Doing It Right” Catherine Hickem teaches moms how to parent “intentionally.” She offers practical advice and helps parents to establish a plan, all with out seeming “preachy,” or “holier than thou” which is a common issue in parenting books. Hickem boils it down to two very basic principles.

1) Your success as a parent is largely dependent on your relationship with God.

2)You can not be a parent with out being “involved."

I really enjoyed this book, and found it reassuring, practical, and helpful. I almost felt as though I was listening to my Bishop’s wife or my own mother giving me loving advice as I raise my children.

DISCLAIMER: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.

This is Your Brain in Love: New Scientific Breakthroughs for a More Passionate and Emotionally Healthy Marriage by Earl R. Henslin

I really wanted to like This is Your Brain in Love: New Scientific Breakthroughs for a More Passionate and Emotionally Healthy Marriage By Earl R. Henslin. From the title and the description, I thought it might be an exciting read with scientific information on how the brain works while you are in love and how that can positively affect your marriage. The book briefly discusses some science, for example the hormones and brain functions that cause our brains to recognize feeling “in love.” However, the book abruptly took a turn toward discussing sexuality within a marriage and the spirituality that can be attained. This would be an interesting topic for another kind of book, but not at all what I expected.

The remainder of the book focused on tests to help you discover your “love style.” and how those love styles affect your brain. The book lists the “love styles” as; The Scattered Lover, The Over focused Lover, The Blue Mood Lover, The Agitated Lover, and The Anxious Lover. I did not feel that any of these accurately described myself, nor my husband. The book discussed how to balance your “love style” with that of your spouse.

This was not at all what I expected when I read this book, so I found it difficult to “get into” the theories presented. It was an interesting book to read, but to me it was more opinion that scientific fact. I found that this book was not really relevant to my life or my marriage. This might be a good book for couples who are experiencing friction and are looking for resources to overcome that, but I did not feel that the brain “imbalances” discussed related to me at all.

DISCLAIMER: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.