WORD up!

First, I would like to extend a heartfelt “Thank you” to Sheila Walsh and her publisher for sending me a copy of "In the Middle of the Mess" to review for them. I am truly grateful for this generosity. I really appreciate the time, effort and expense it takes to make a reviewer copy available to me. “In the Middle of the Mess: Strength for This Beautiful, Broken Life” by Sheila Walsh – “It’s okay not to be okay.”   Thank you, Sheila, for your vulnerability and for punching a hole in the shroud of silence surrounding the darkness of brokenness and depression. I was truly touched by Sheila’s story.   It will help me to empathize with several people I know who suffer from depression and it will make me a better leader in the church as I pray for and minister to others.   Many people I know are intolerant of those who suffer from depression.   This book helped me to understand depression better and be a more effective champion of those who suffer.   This is a ...

First, I would like to extend a heartfelt “Thank you” to Alicia Britt Chloe and her publisher for sending me a copy of "The Sacred Slow" to review for them. I am truly grateful for this generosity. I really appreciate the time, effort and expense it takes to make a reviewer copy available to me. The Sacred Slow by Alicia Britt Chloe is a really cool devotional/study book!   This book is meant to be savored, not quickly power-read!   This is a very deliberate and methodical read that is designed to be chewed on for maximum benefit to your relationship with God.   This book is so much more than a read.   It is also filled with challenges to put what you’re learning into practice. In the hustle and bustle of everyday life and especially now during the holidays, I’ve chosen to take one “experience” every week so I can really contemplate what Alicia is presenting.   This was easy to wrap my mind around since the book contains 52 experiences – one for each ...

Too Far Down by Mary Connealy When an explosion at the mine kills workers and damages the CR Company, the Boden family is plunged deep into the heart of trouble yet again. As they try to identify the forces against them once and for all, Cole Boden finds himself caught between missing his time back in the east, and all that New Mexico offers—namely, his family and cowgirl Melanie Blake.  Here's My Review: First, I would like to extend a heartfelt “Thank you” to Mary Connealy and her publisher for sending me a copy of "Too Far Down" to review for them. I am truly grateful for this generosity. I really appreciate the time, effort and expense it takes to make a reviewer copy available to me. Too Far Down by Mary Connealy is the adventurous third book in the Cimarron Legacy series that literally begins with a bang!  Harvard graduate, Cole Boden has returned home to run the CR mine in New Mexico.  When an explosion rocks the mine, the Bodens’ childhood friend, Melan...

Pass it On by Champ Thornton Devotional / Christian Living New Growth Press There are many different kinds of legacies we can leave, but sharing yourself and your faith with the next generation will always stand the test of time. Through showing himself and his wisdom in the book of Proverbs, God has also left his legacy with us---and relies on us to share it with our children and grandchildren. But before we can share that wisdom, first we must grow in our own understanding and knowledge and record, reflect, and consider what we have learned. Pass it On  provides readers with an opportunity to create a legacy of wisdom and faith and to share it with their children and grandchildren. As readers are guided through the book of Proverbs, they are asked to create their own personalized, wisdom journal with the aim of giving it to someone they love. Through careful study, answering questions, writing out prayers, and sharing personal stories, readers can creat...

  First, I would like to extend a heartfelt “Thank you” to Sandra Byrd and her publisher for sending me a copy of "The One Year Experiencing God's Love Devotional" to review for them. I am truly grateful for this generosity. I really appreciate the time, effort and expense it takes to make a reviewer copy available to me. The One Year Experiencing God’s Love Devotional by Sandra Byrd is an incredible book.   From the first devotion I read, I was challenged to step out of my comfort zone and live life more like Jesus would.   There are wonderful ideas for showing hospitality.   There is encouragement to memorize Scripture and live a godly life.   The devotions are uplifting.   This book makes a great gift for yourself.  Pick one up for someone else while you're at it.

Content ( not sentence, direct verbiage from Scripture, fit on one line ): 1.T4 since we’ve been justified thru faith,we have peace w/G thru our LJC (1) 2.thru Whom we’ve gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand (2a) 3.And we boast in the hope of the glory of G (2b) 4.Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings bec we know suffering produces perseverance (3) 5. perseverance, character; and character, hope (4) 6.And hope doesn’t put us to shame bec Gs love has been poured out (5a) 7.into our hearts thru the HS Who has been given to us (5b)   8.U see @ just the rt time, while we still pwrless, C died 4 the ungodly (6) 9.Very rarely will anyone die 4 a righteous person (7a) 10.tho 4 a good person someone might possibly dare 2 die (7b) 11.But G demonstrates His own love for us in this, While we were still sinners, C died 4 us (8)   12. Since we have now been justified by His blood (9a) 13.How much more shall...

Content ( not sentence, direct verbiage from Scripture, fit on one line ): 1.what shall we say Abe, our 4fr acc2flesh, discovered in this? (1) 2.if A justified by wrks, he had something2boast about – but b4 God. (2) 3.what Scr say? “A believd G & it credited2him as righteousness. (3) 4.to1who wrks, wages credited as gift but as obligation. (4) 5.howevr to1who work but trusts G, who justifies ungodly, faith credited as righteousness. (5)   6.David says same when spks of blessedness of1to whom G credits righteousness apart from law. (6) 7.Blessed those who transgressn forgivn/sins cvrd;Blessd is1whose sin L will nvr count against him(7-8) 8.is this blessedness only4circmcsd or also uncirc? We been saying A’s faith cred as righteousness(9) 9.under what circumstance credited? After circ or b4?B4.circ=sign of righteousness (10-11) 10.He also fr of circumcsd who follow steps of faith A had b4 circumcised(12) 11.thru law A offsprg rec’d promi...

First, I would like to extend a heartfelt “Thank you” to Lifeway for sending me a copy of "Read and Reflect Classics: Classic Hymns" to review for them. I am truly grateful for this generosity. I really appreciate the time, effort and expense it takes to make a reviewer copy available to me. I’ve heard that a hymnal can be an amazing devotional book.   OK, I understand that many hymns’ lyrics come directly from Scripture, so this seems plausible.   I love several hymns and get choked up whenever I hear or sing them.   So when I found an inexpensive hymnal in a second-hand shop, I bought it.   I still didn’t engage the hymns the way I expected to.   Then I had the opportunity to review “Read and Reflect Classics: Classic Hymns”.   This wonderful book is a beautiful hardcover containing 90 songs! At first, I admit I was disappointed that only the words were presented and not the music.   Later, I appreciated the readability without the music ta...