Brave Surrender - A book Review

When I saw this book come up for review I knew that I wanted to read it. I've enjoyed her voice for so long and her authentic way of leading worship always intrigued me. How someone can seem to have such a real connection ... the one she shares when she worships makes me curious.

Kim Walker Smith sings with Jesus Culture. I really enjoyed her book. It took me less than a day to read though I want to go back and read it again. Her writing style is easy to read and doesn't jump around and leave you guessing as to where she is, where she has been or where she is going. It's a smooth journey that you want to walk with her on.

Through her story of her childhood and her journey through faith she walks you through her story of surrender. Without casting judgement for where you are on your own journey she invites you to see hers. I enjoyed her candid, real, and raw walk through her story. I'm sure it's not easy being on display as you lead people to worship this unseen, intangible God. Her book is great and I really enjoyed hearing from her. I feel like she has others in her and look forward to whatever she may write next ... whether it be via song or book ....

Book Description

Kim Walker Smith's passionate performance of "How He Loves" helped transform Jesus Culture into a global worship movement. Brave Surrender is the story of how Kim journeyed from a place of shame and fear to stages around the world where she boldly proclaims the unconditional love of God. Through her own story, Kim inspires us to experience true freedom and healing with Jesus.

Coming from a painful childhood, Kim struggled to believe that God could heal her heart or bring any sense from her past. Yet when faced with the choice to hand her struggles over to God and receive His love in return, everything began to change. On the other side of surrender, Kim began a journey of looking at one painful memory at a time with God and exchanging her perspective for His truth - a journey in which God rewrote her story of pain into a story of redemption and hope.

If you are longing to experience God more than the shame or hurts of your past, the pressures of your present, or the fear of your future, Brave Surrender offers a soul-healing path forward. As Kim learned in her own life, the first step - and the bravest step - is letting go. Once we let go of anything that gets between us and God, we are freed to take hold of the life that truly matters. As Kim writes, "When we encounter God's love, it changes the way we see. And when we learn to see what He sees, we will never be the same again."

The Most Beautiful Thing I've Seen

I ordered this book not really knowing what I was getting. We recently moved and so my reading days have been a bit less than usual. But, I was finally able to pick it up and read it ... And I couldn't put it down.

Lisa tells of her battle with faith and the church and the people of faith and the church. She using words and phrases that I've said before and more that I've thought but never had the guts to say out loud to anyone before. I found myself sitting often while reading with my mouth wide open thinking there's someone else out there who has the same thoughts as me?!? And the world felt a little bit smaller and I felt a little less alone in my struggle with some of the same thoughts and feelings.

If you have had doubts and struggles and feel like there's no where to go with some of those thoughts and feelings ... pick up this book. You may not have the exact same thoughts, doubts or feelings but she pretty much hit on several of mine. Though our circumstances were not the same that brought us to those moments of questions and doubt .... the thoughts are still there.

Thanks Lisa for your realness. For putting it out there and your transparency and honesty ....

Book Description

Lisa Gungor thought she knew her own story: small-town girl meets boy in college and they blissfully walk down the aisle into happily ever after. Their Christian faith was their lens and foundation for everything—their marriage, their music, their dreams for the future. But as their dreams began to come true, she began to wonder if her religion was really representative of the ‘good news’ she had been taught.

She never expected the questions to lead as far as they did when her husband told her he no longer believed in God. The death of a friend, the unraveling of relationships and career, the loss of a worldview, and the birth of a baby girl with two heart defects all led Lisa to a tumultuous place; one of depression and despair. And it was there that her perspective on everything changed. The Most Beautiful Thing I’ve Seen tells the story of what can happen when you dare to let go of what you think to be true; to shift the kaleidoscope and see new colors and dimension by way of broken pieces.

Lisa’s eloquent, soul-stirring memoir brings you to a music stage before thousands of fans and a front porch where two people whisper words that scare them to the core. It is the story of how doubt can spark the beginning of deeper faith; how a baby born with a broken heart can bring love and healing to the hearts of many, and ultimately, how the hardest experience in life often ends up saving us.

The Way Of Abundance - A Review

I have enjoyed Ann's books so when this option came out, I of course jumped on the train to get this devotional. I needed a good one anyway.

This one does not disappoint. Ann writes in such a real way. Obviously all writers are real people but sometimes they can seem like they live life on a different planet from you and they just couldn't understand you if they tried. However, Ann comes across as real. Down to earth. Like you could have coffee with her and maybe you would find out you had some similarities. She's on the same planet. She gets it. She understands that life is difficult and hard and she doesn't appear to be holier than thou :)

Totally not joking. I love her writing and feel like I can get what she is saying without feeling less than when I read it. Each devotional is a couple pages with a few things to reflect on at the end of each. This would be a great devotional to do with a group or with a friend.

Book Description

What do you do when you wake up and feel like you're not enough for your life? Or when you look out the kitchen window as dusk falls and wonder how do you live when life keeps breaking your heart?

As Ann Voskamp writes, “great grief isn't meant to fit inside your body. It's why your heart breaks.” And each of us holds enough brokenness to overflow—to be given as the greatest story of our lives.

In sixty vulnerably soulful stories, The Way of Abundance moves from self-weary brokenness to Christ-focused givenness. Drawing from the critically acclaimed, New York Times bestseller The Broken Way and Ann's online essays, this devotional dares us to embrace brokenness as a gift that moves us to givenness as a way to draw closer to the heart of God. Christ Himself broke like bread, giving Himself to us so we might have a lifelong communion with Him. Could it be that our brokenness is also a gift to the world?

This gentle but exquisitely profound book does nothing less than take you on an intimate journey of the soul.

As Ann writes, "The wound in His side proves that Jesus is always on the side of the suffering, the wounded, the busted, the broken." Discover how surrendering in unexpected ways is the first step toward receiving what you long for. Discover the good news that your beauty is not in your strength but in your fragility. Discover why your healing shines radiant through your wounds—and how only in brokenness will you ever be whole—and find the way to the abundance you were meant for.

NIV READER'S BIBLE - A review

I decided to do different this time and choose a Bible to review .... So different to review a Bible instead of a book. Not too much I can say about the content since it is a BIBLE! The content pretty much is the same as it has always been :)

But I will say the format of this Bible is much different than any other, I've ever seen. There are no verses - it is written in the story format just like how you would read a book. Very different from your every day Bible.

But I will say ... oddly enough ... I liked it. It flows. It makes it read more story and not so choppy. Makes you keep the context instead of picking and choosing verses ... You read it just like a story. I will say, I wish the bible had more space in the margins ... no room for writing or taking notes in this one. But over all ... I liked it!

Book Description

Find a quiet, comfortable spot and immerse yourself in the story of God’s Word with the NIV Reader’s Bible. Designed for a seamless reading experience, this Bible contains the complete text of the accurate, readable, and clear NIV translation in single-column format without chapter and verse numbers in the text so you can immerse yourself in the story of Scripture. With footnotes at the back of each book and scripture references elegantly noted at the top of each page, you can smoothly read from Genesis to Revelation while accessing the references you need.

The Comeback - Louie Giglilo

Doing my 18 to 30 years in ATL I would spend many Tuesday nights going to Alpharetta and attending 722. Louie had been a speaker at a youth camp I went to in Middle and High school called Super Wow ... I think I may be dating myself here :) So when I had an opportunity to review his book "The Comeback" I took it.

"We all know what it feels like to have life disappoint us and not work out as we'd hoped. We've all been in seasons when we've longed for something better than what we're experiencing right now." Those two sentences are the first of many that I highlighted in this book. 

Louie has always been a communicator that I feel was reading my journals or peering into my daily life without me knowing it. Since he had no clue who I was, I ultimately knew that neither of these were true ... However, his way of communicating always made sense to me. 

This book is real, honest and raw in a few places. He doesn't sugar coat his own life to paint a picture for those that read that is pretty and easy. He shows us that having a comeback doesn't always mean that life pans out the way we want it to go. Maybe comebacks don't happen this side of eternity. He writes, "A disservice is done by any brand of Christianity that promises there's always going to be a better road ahead or insists that your circumstances will change or claims everything is going to work out right and all your wildest dreams will come true every time." Amen, Louie!

If you doubt you could ever do anything useful for God, this book is for you. If you need a fresh start after you find your dreams crashed, this book is for you. Louie tells stories from people he knows, he tells personal stories, and he tells Biblical stories like Joseph, the parting of the Red Sea, Abraham, Paul, Peter, and many more. He is always pointing back to God and his stories are real and authentic ... Not the best self so many of us are used to seeing on instagram or Facebook by those we follow. 

God's plan rarely mirror ours. So if your path doesn't quite look like you want it to right now ... take heart and hold on. If you need some encouragement from others who have path's that look a little less like they thought .. grab this book, a cup of joe or tea and glean some encouragement from some others who have traveled path's that didn't look entirely like they planned. 

Cherish - A book review

"Cherish - The one word that changes everything for your marriage."

Bold title ... Bold promise ... The back of the book has two sentences that caught my attention -

1- "Every man and woman wants to be cherished by their spouse."

2 - When a husband and wife know they are cherished by their spouse, it brings out the best in both of them."

We make our vows on our wedding day to love and cherish, but I think many of us fall short. We fall into the ease of mundane and we forget to cherish. We love, but we forget to cherish. We forget to make each day another day to show our spouse that we cherish them, that we love them, that they matter.

Get this book and take your marriage to a new place. A new level. And as the back of the book says: "Fill your relationship with new hope and promise. Unleash the power of cherish in your marriage."

Book Description

“Most marriages survive by gritting teeth and holding on. But marriages can and will not only survive but thrive when husbands and wives learn to cherish one another.”

Those are the powerful words of bestselling author Gary Thomas in his newest book—Cherish. And in a world desperate for marriage redemption, it is needed now more than ever.

Thomas shows that although there are a countless number of marriages consisting of two people just going through the motions, there are real ways this pattern can be reversed: when husbands and wives learn to cherish one another in proven, loving, and everyday actions and words.

Through personal stories and real world examples, Thomas proves what husbands and wives can begin doing today to turn their marriage around—even a marriage marred by neglect and disrespect.

So how do you cherish your spouse? Thomas will show you how going out of your way to notice them, appreciate them, honor them, encourage them, and hold them close to your heart will bring hope, light, and life into your marriage.

A mile Wide - A book review

A Mile Wide - Trading a Shallow Religion for a deeper faith ... Brandon Hatmaker looks at the struggle for the believer between a shallow religion and a deeper faith. On so many levels Brandon gets the struggle of both the believer inside the church and the outsider looking in. He gets the real struggle that we face with the church today. So many of "christians" are shooting and wounding their own. It's sad to see how we treat each other inside the walls of what was meant to build up but sadly we tear down our own quicker than anyone else. And that is what those outside are seeing. They see us wounding each other and they feel the arrows themselves. But when we look at the world as Jesus did, I believe we would have a different perspective on serving and reaching out beyond our walls.

I love this one line from a chapter on community, "A Deeper faith is rooted in trusting relationships where permission is granted to struggle, fail and take risks." What a concept that so many have failed to lock into. What would our communities of faith look like if this was embraced and lived out?

This is a great book for all to read but especially leadership in today's church. To take an honest look at how they are leading and doing church. For those inside the church to take a look at how they are living out their daily faith journey.

As Hatmaker says in the end .... "It's the way and life of Jesus that changes everything ..... whether we're talking about how we do church, how we deal with sin, or how we view ourselves, may we never be content with first glance."

Grab this book and take an internal look at how you do life, faith, and others.

Book Description

As a host and guest judge for HGTV and DIY Network (My Big Family Renovation, Brother v.s. Brother, Tiny House Arrest), Brandon Hatmaker understands what it takes to rehab a home. But after twenty-plus years of working with the local church (and as husband to bestselling author Jen Hatmaker), he has an even greater understanding of what it takes to rehab an everyday faith. In A Mile Wide, he helps readers see more clearly how the gospel works in us and eventually through us to transform an anemic spiritual life into a deeper, fuller, and more effective faith.

Offering fresh perspective on eight essentials of Christianity—the gospel, identity, scripture, discipleship, kingdom, mission, community, and justice—Hatmaker provides biblical insight and practical applications that tap into the richer life Christ promised his people, individually and as a community. God wants more than simply to save us; he’s also determined to transform us, restore us, and use us to reveal the coming of his kingdom right here, right now.

Unreasonable Hope ... A book review

Hope ... Kinda a large word sometimes. Sometimes hope can seem just out of reach. Sometimes hope can seem like a dirty word. Sometimes hope can seem like a carrot being dangled in front of you that you just can't grasp. And sometimes, sometimes hope may be easy to find. 

I decided to get this book to review because the questions on the back ... Where was God when? How could God allow? and WHY ... are all questions that I have asked myself. I was interested to see if this book would offer any new spins on age old questions. 

I don't think there are new spins on age old questions. But I believe Veach is doing his part to explain through his circumstances: his first child born with a smooth brain and the loads of trials that brought he and his wife as they care for a child with these needs. Found his honesty refreshing and his direction solid. It wasn't the book I thought it would be when I signed up to review it, but it was horrible. I would say give it a shot and see how you feel after reading it.


About the Book:

“Where was God when ____? How could God allow ____? Why?”

These are the questions that flood our hearts and minds when the unimaginable happens. When things go horribly wrong and the world seems to be unraveling, how do you believe in God’s goodness? How do you cling to hope?

Chad Veach directs readers away from clichéd Sunday school answers that fail to offer real comfort or provide faith-building insights. Instead, he draws from God’s promises in the Bible and from the story of his own daughter’s diagnosis of a devastating and debilitating disease to reveal simple, purposeful steps for dealing with pain. Resting in God’s love, remembering his past faithfulness, and realizing the distinction between having faith and clinging to hope are just some of these steps.

Veach reminds us that because we know who God is, we know there is hope.

Me Too - A book Review

This new book by Jon Weece is excellent. I loved it. He gets it. He gets community and how we should be toward one another inside the church. Too often we don't. We hide and we isolate from others. Not how we were designed to be. I read Jon's first book Jesus Prom and loved it as well. His writing style is easy to read and he is not one who acts all "holier than thou". He is very down to earth and seems like he would be "approachable" were you to meet him on the street. I hope that more people will develop a "me too" attitude and quit acting as though they have life all together when they don't. Go grab a copy of this book and I promise you will enjoy it!

Book Description

Your life is filled with pressure and pain and heartache and disappointment. So was His.

If you’ve ever tried to pick up the shattered pieces of your life and put them back together again without help, you know it’s an impossible task. When you lose your job, when divorce divides your family, when a loved one commits suicide, or when cancer claims a friend, it’s easy to lose perspective and abandon hope.

According to Jon Weece, Christianity does not require you to smile through your pain, much less praise God for tormenting you. God doesn’t enjoy your suffering. But he does understand it—and he knows exactly how to fix it.

That’s what Me Too is all about: A God who turned the ugliness of the cross into a spectacle of eternal beauty. An all-powerful Lord who will do the same with the pain of this world. An eternal Father who specializes in wiping away tears and putting you back together again. If you’ll allow him.

WOW! It's been a long time since I read a book that literally had me on the edge of my seat wanting to know how it ended. This story is raw and real and inspiring. It is a beautiful story of hope and a story of a husband who loved well when many would have given up and walked away. A story of a wife with so much bold determination to heal and be used in whatever way she could. Their pain is real and raw and at times you feel like you are in the room with them watching as a fly on the wall as they walk through a horrific time in their lives. It is a powerful story that will not leave you unchanged as you turn the last page. It is a story of hope and how hope healed the overwhelming loss they faced but also one of a overwhelming love of a husband for his wife and a wife for her family ... ah it will leave you inspired. Pick up this powerful book and walk with them through their story of how Hope Heals!

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

When all seems lost, where can hope be found?

Katherine and Jay married right after college and sought adventure far from home in Los Angeles, CA. As they pursued their dreams, they planted their lives in the city and in their church community. Their son, James, came along unexpectedly in the fall of 2007, and just 6 months later, everything changed in a moment for this young family.

On April 21, 2008, as James slept in the other room, Katherine collapsed, suffering a massive brain stem stroke without warning. Miraculously, Jay came home in time and called for help. Katherine was immediately rushed into micro-brain surgery, though her chance of survival was slim. As the sun rose the next morning, the surgeon proclaimed that Katherine had survived the removal of part of her brain, though her future recovery was completely uncertain. Yet in that moment, there was a spark of hope. Through 40 days on life support in the ICU and nearly 2 years in full-time brain rehab, that spark of hope was fanned into flame.

Defying every prognosis, with grit and grace, Katherine and Jay, side by side, struggled to regain a life for Katherine as she re-learned to talk and eat and walk. Returning home with a severely disabled body but a completely renewed purpose, they committed to celebrate this gift of a second chanceby embracing life fully, even though that life looked very different than they could have ever imagined. In the midst of continuing hardships and struggles, both in body and mind, Katherine and Jay found what we all long to find...hope, hope that heals the most broken place, our souls.

An excruciating yet beautiful road to recovery has led the Wolf family to their new normal, in which almost every moment of life is marked with the scars of that fateful April day in 2008. Now, eight years later, Katherine and Jay are stewarding their story of suffering, restoration, and Christ-centered hope in this broken world through their ministry Hope Heals.

5 Minutes with Jesus - a book review

5 Minutes with Jesus is a new book by Sheila Walsh. This book has 50 short daily readings. Sheila is candid and hilarious. She's easy to relate to and doesn't shy away from using stories from her own life. Each reading is easy to finish in a few minutes each day. The stories serve a purpose and have a lesson to learn and take away in each one. Each reading comes with several Bible verses which relate to the story she has told. Scripture takes you beyond the story and into His Word .... Which is always the best thing to turn to. I believe this is a great gift book to give to friends. I wish it had more devotionals. 50 will get you through about a month and a half and then you will need another devotional. I would like to have seen this as a year long devotional. 

For The Love by Jen Hatmaker - A book review

I love Jen Hatmaker so when a new book came out for review by her I was so excited to get it and read it. She writes with such grace and humor. She makes me laugh out loud so much of the time. Kinda funny to see others faces as I read this book in public. Her stories are just laugh at loud funny. She writes from down in the trenches of life - not someone who lives above the clouds but as one who walks daily the live she writes about for others to walk out themselves.

In For the love she shares her heart on women in Haiti as well as those we encounter on a daily basis and can gather around our own tables. I read her book and I think about how we put so much pressure on ourselves to be and do and how simple comments from others (especially women) can put pressure on us to be someone we were never meant to be. 

Do you have a pinterest account? pin much or see what others pin? Do you live on FB and see only one side of life that everyone puts out there. There is a no facebook and a non pinterest life that isn't so neatly put together. This book will lead you to true freedom in Christ if you will allow yourself to rely only on Him to lead the way for you. Don't subscribe to the hype that you have to be something other than you are according to the manufactured life that so many portray. 

I have underlined this book so much that I won't be able to lend it to you but you will do yourself a favor to get it and read it. I know that it is one that I will read again and again. Maybe with a fresh book each time since mine is so fully of underlining :)

If you ever find yourself struggling with being a woman, mother, friend, Christian, or wife you'll find a beautiful path in the pages here.

Run out and grab a copy (or three) today! You will be glad you did!

Anything - a book review

Lately this blog has become a place where I review books that I've read. Originally, it was a place where I could share the craziness that was our family of 4 then 5 and now 6. It has slowly faded into a review place. But something is stirring in me so if you will hang tight with me ... maybe just maybe this will become a different place.

I was able to review the rerelease of Jennie Allen's book Anything. However, I didn't know it was a rerelease. I had read her book Restless before and in it she had hinted at Anything. I knew I didn't want to read it. Because I knew that praying "Anything" could mean and Honestly, I wasn't ready. So about a month ago I got the email of new books to chose from for review and a "new" book by Jennie Allen was on it. HA~ Good one God! God - 1 Heather -0. I mean that in the best way.

This book has challenged me ... I gave it a quick read so that I could do a review on it but I wound up not reading it as fast (but still fast) as I wanted to. I will have to go back with journal and pen in hand and a few friends to really chew through this book. The best thing about the rerelease is the study in the back. She has given an 8 week study guide to go through with friends. It's not mean to go through alone and she points that out right in the beginning. SO in all honesty, I haven't done the study yet. But I did read through it enough to be able to say, I want to dive into it. I want to find a few friends who want to chew through it together and see what God has to say to us. I believe this is a powerful addition to the book. Because praying "anything" is hard, it's tough and scary. But to walk through that with friends who will hold you accountable and hold you up when the days are long and the war is real .... that changes everything!

This book is one that will not tell you anything you don't already know BUT it does change the game a little. At least it did for me ... it allows you to sit and allow your heart to be sifted if you will, as you read through it. Hopefully, allowing the things that God has already placed in your heart to start to surface to the point of allowing yourself to take the risk, to jump and land where God would allow your feet to plant after such a jump.

Who are we really living for? For what have we gained wealth and passions? What will we do with the "yes" we prayed when we decided to follow Christ?

I urge you, if you haven't read this book and if you feel something in you stirring but you can't put a finger on what it is God is stirring inside of you - Gather a few friends and go through this book together. Friends who will really get into the dirt and dive deep with you. I believe the world would be a different place if those of us who say we love and follow God would tell him that everything we have is His and anything He wants us to do - we will!

Are you ready to pray "Anything"?

Up at Night - A book Review

Sometimes we all struggle with fear, panic, worry, or anxiety in one way or another. Pete Wilson in his new book What Keeps You Up At Night tackles the topic of fear. Pete looks at what fear does to us, how it affects every area of who we are - our hearts and relationships with others. He offers practical advice to move us past fear and worry to a place of peace where FAITH and trust takes over and leads us past fear, anxiety and worry. Pete teaches us that we simply cannot allow ourselves to be overcome by our fear. He teaches how God created us for far more than to live a life crippled by fear, panic, anxiety and worry. Pete constantly pushes us back to prayer and study of God's word to push us past our fear by knowing the God who created us with a plan and a purpose. (Jeremiah 29:11) 

Pete's words are not new and his method is not new. But he presents his message in a way that will resonate and make you feel like you are hearing it for the first time. I have read all of Pete's books and cannot recommend this one enough. Pete's style of writing is captivating and doesn't make you feel like you are being shamed. He lifts you up and pushes you to Jesus - the author and perfecter of our faith. 

If Fear, anxiety or panic hold you back from living the life God intended ... grab this book and let Pete take you back to a place, with God's help, where you are at peace and living a life of faith and trust in the one who made you and loves you.

Daddy Dates - A Book Review

Every once in a while I will review a book that looks like it would benefit me - either in my parenting, my marriage, or just in general. So, when I saw this book I thought I'd get it for Jeremy down the road with Kennedy. Little did I know that it would be beneficial to me.

Jeremy enjoyed the book as well. It is written in "manglish" and so he was able to connect with and see how he can put these things into practice.

The ideas that Wright talks about in the book are not lofty or out of our reach as parents. He is not some out of reach dad, he is an everyday dad with great ideas that are easy to implement and not out of reach. I love how he shared what it meant to his girls. I'd love to see a book written by his girls down the road to fathers sharing how their lives were impacted by what their dad did for them. Not only did he teach his four girls how they are to be treated by dating them, he MODELED for them by treating his wife this way first. So there was no double standard .... what the girls saw lived out between mom and dad is what they will be looking for I'm sure in a future mate. All because their dad took time to date their mom and them, he invested in them, got to know them and when the hard times came in parenting - they trusted him because he had earned that place in their lives - they knew he was out for their good.

What he talks about as good for dads to do with girls, I believe, are just as important for mom's to do with boys. I gleaned some things from this book that I will be using in my relationship with my boys. I love investing in my children and I look forward to continuing to date my boys and Jeremy will continue to date our girl. This book just reinforced what we are already doing.

If you have girls or boys ... I recommend this book. It is a quick read and I believe it is one that you be really glad that you read!!

You can go HERE to buy the book from amazon or find it at your local bookstore.

Made To Crave: Satisfying your Deepest Desire with God, Not Food

It has been a while since I did a book review for LitFuse ... My time lately has been insanely chaotic. I know you chomping at the bit wondering what book I got to read so here you go: Made to Crave by Lysa Terkeurst.

When the opportunity to read this book came into my e-mail, I jumped at the chance. I will admit, I have not finished it yet. We have one crazy month with a death and the plague of the puke fest of 2011 hitting my house. I have enjoyed the Proverbs 31 devotionals that I have gotten for the past couple years and enjoy reading Lysa's blog when I can ... so I could not pass up this opportunity.

I will tell you that I have read about half of this book and I cannot wait to pick it back up and finish it soon! I will tell you that only having read half of it ... this is a MUST READ for you!

I love how Lysa was honest to show that we can fill ourselves with food in the moments that were created for God to fill! I also enjoy how I do not feel beat up when I read this but rather empowered to draw closer to God through my desires and journey to get healthy! Lysa talks about why God created us to crave and gives you verses from the Bible to help you when you might want to turn to other things instead. At the end of each chapter are questions for personal reflection that will help you along your journey. You will not regret picking up a copy of this book ...

About the Book: Just because a woman finally fits into her skinny jeans doesn't mean she's won her battle with food. Too often, women overlook the spiritual component to their physical struggle with healthy eating. Made to Crave taps into the desires god gave you to consume food without letting food consume you!

From the Back of the Book: Craving Isn't a bad thing. Has food become more about frustration than fulfillment? Made to Crave is the missing link between a woman's desire to be healthy and the spiritual empowerment necessary to make that happen. Author Lysa TerKeurst personally understands the battle that women face. In Made to Crave, she will help you:

• Break the cycle of "I'll start again on Monday," and feel good about yourself today.
• Stop agonizing over numbers on the scale and make peace with your body.
• Replace rationalizations that lead to failure with wisdom that leads to victory.
• Reach your healthy goals and grow closer to God through the process.

This book is not a how-to manual or the latest, greatest dieting plan. Made to Crave is a helpful companion to use alongside whatever healthy eating approach you choose-a book and Bible study to help you find the "want to" in how to make healthy lifestyle changes."

If you want to check out what others are saying on Amazon click here. You can also follow along with what others are saying at the official blog tour for the book here. If you go to the blog tour you can enter to win the Kindle package that Lysa is giving away.

I'd love to hear your thoughts and if you plan to pick up a copy!

My Happy Pumpkin

We have a book that Jeremy's parents gave us back in 2007 for the boys at pumpkin carving time. Now it is for all 3 :) It is by far one of the kids favorite books. We read it each year right before we carve pumpkins. It tells the story of a boy whose father is a farmer and how he picks out his pumpkin. He and his father clean it out and carve it. It also talks about our Father, God, who picks us up, cleans us out and puts his light in us to shine for others to see. It's just a cute story.

Today was character day at school and Ryan wanted to be the happy farmer ... so he was. He proudly took his book to school to show off in his parade around the school. It was too cute. They had the 1st - 5th graders come out and they all cheered so loudly as the parade went by them. Fun!

Tomorrow the same will happen at Pace's school ... he also chose to be the happy farmer ... :) Sure made getting costumes together easy for me when they choose the same thing.

Traditions

We all have our Christmas traditions and we have traditions around thanksgiving but most of us do not have traditions around Halloween, do we? Some people choose not to "celebrate" Halloween. We do not "celebrate" halloween BUT we do enjoy a fall festival or two and we allow the kids to dress up and enjoy one or two pieces of candy :) Seriously, we do not go all out at Halloween but we do take the opportunity to use it as a teachable time in our home.

A couple years ago Jeremy's parents bought our boys a book called My Happy Pumpkin. It is a wonderful book that tells the story of how Jesus picks us out of our sinful places, cleans us up, and puts his light in us to shine to others. It is a great book and we read it often but always at this time of year before we carve our pumpkin. As the book is all about carving a Pumpkin. It really gives the kids a hands on, tangible way to understand how Jesus cleans out our sins, puts his light in us to shine so others may see Him in us.

So if you need a resource to turn Halloween into a teachable time for your children. I highly recommend this book. You can get it here on Amazon or you can find it at your local bookstore.

Boy-Sterous Living ...

... celebrating your loud and rowdy life with sons ... By Jean Blackmer

(read all the way through there is a contest at the end!)

I got this book in the mail and the front picture immediately captivated my attention ... it just looked like a couple boys had a blast playing with cars and making a mess with paint. As I began to read this book, I was immediately drawn into the stories and the passion the author had. She describes a boy this way: Boy (n.): a noise with dirt on it. I couldn't agree more. The author is the only female in a house with a husband, 3 sons and 2 male dogs. She says there is one thing you can count on and that is life with boys is loud and if it is not they are most likely up to something. I can SO relate to the fact that it is loud and if they get quiet they just might be up to something ... like coloring themselves with a sharpie from head to toe ... not speaking from experience or anything like that :)

What I liked the most about this book was at the end of each chapter. She calls it "digging deeper" where she gives some practical things to do with your boys as a family and/or questions for reflection. My boys are a little small for some of them but we have definitely accomplished a few of them already. She also gives some suggested reading - scripture for sure but also some fun suggestions like comic books and other parenting books. The questions for reflection really caused me to think. In one chapter she talks about self esteem in your boys and gets you thinking about helping your son who may have little self esteem or helping the one with a little too much self esteem learn humility.

I believe this book is a MUST have for moms raising boys. It would be a great book to do with a mom's study group, a MOPS group or even a couples group on raising boys. I love the practical advice given and the fun way in which this book was written. Run, don't walk to get this book or just click here ... you will be glad you did! This is definitely a book I will keep on my nightstand and refer back to often as my boys grow.

About the book: Raising boys isn't easy. Life with them is loud. If it's quiet, they're probably up to something. Boys are messy, competitive, fearless, and proud. Living with them pretty much guarantees that you're in for an adventure.

In Boy-sterous Living, Jean shares a few of the priceless stories and laugh-out-loud lessons that she and her boys have experienced over the years. With humorous insight and practical advice, she offers encouragement and ideas to help both mothers and fathers impact and shape the lives of their sons. From understanding their love of sports to overcoming the superman complex, Jean shows moms how to find joy and contentment in everyday life by celebrating the laughter, passion, noise, and endless energy boys bring to our lives.

About the author: Jean is currently the Publishing Manager for MOPS International and she's been free-lance writing for 16 years. She has been published in a variety of local and national publications, including: Guideposts, MomSense, Today's Christian Woman, Christian Parenting Today, American Girl, Proverbs 31 Woman, Chicken Soup for the Mother and Son Soul, Chicken Soup Cookbook for the Busy Mom's Soul, Focus on the Family's Teen Phases, Guideposts Miracle Series, and others.

She also co-authored her first book, Where Women Walked: Powerful True Stories of Women's Perseverance and God's Provision. (Tyndale/Focus on the Family, 2004) This book was nominated for a Gold Medallion Award.

Jean graduated from the University of Colorado in Boulder with a Bachelor's (1987) and a Master's (1992) degree in Journalism. She lives in Boulder with her husband Zane; three boys, Josh, Jordan, and Jake.

You can purchase the book by clicking here.

CONTEST: Enter your grossest or funniest moment as a mom of a boy (No boys? That’s okay – we still want to hear your story!) and you could win movie tickets and a snack for you and a friend to escape! Share your story by emailing your entry to amy@litfusegroup.com or posting it on the Moms of Boys facebook page!

Don't Make Me Count to Three

This is the title to a book by Ginger Plowman that I'm reading right now. I have not finished the book yet but right now I'm chewing on giving biblical reproof. I'm learning how much of God's word I need to continue to hide in my heart so that I can use it when training my children in righteousness. In the examples she uses in the book she quotes a lot of verses to her children when she is disciplining them ... Here is a quote from the book ...

When we correct our children for wrong behavior but fail to train them in righteous behavior, we will exasperate them because we are not providing them with a way of escape. This sort of neglect will provoke them to anger. There will never be a situation where this does not apply. As a rule, anytime you correct your child for wrong behavior, have him walk through right behavior. this is how we train our children to walk in the righteousness of Christ. This is what the Bible means when it says to "train them in righteousness."

She goes on to talk about instances and situations where she has had to walk her children back through certain situations that come up in her household. It really made me stop and think about the way we correct the boys and it's causing some conversations between Jeremy and I about how we are doing things around our house and maybe some things that need to change.

So if you are a parent how does this strike you? How do you discipline your children? How do you train in righteousness?