For the Love By Jen Hatmaker

Having read bits and pieces of Jen's blog, I was exciting about reviewing this particular book. My instagram was definitely filled with various ladies enjoying it & so I was extremely excited when I saw it listed for review. 

This was definitely a fun, easy read. She had me laughing in many places & also ready to try the few receipes she included throughout. I did enjoy seeing the author's heart behind the message she was trying to put across. My biggest complaint with the book however is I didn't really feel that it focused on comparison or fighting for grace at all. A few chapters in it began to feel like a series of essays or blog post entries thrown together into a book. While still very enjoyable and amusing to read, I don't really feel the title was appropriate as this was not the focus of the book. There is also practically no mention of scripture references or discussion of grace in general in the book which felt a little misleading based on the title. 

I would still say it is a fun read and thought the author had a great personality. But perhaps a different title would have been more appropriate for the book?

Have you read any great books lately? 

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for a review from BookLookBloggers, however all views expressed are entirely my own thoughts and opinions 

Veil of Secrets By Shannon Ethridge

I hoped when I chose this book, that it would hold some great marriage advice and be a great story about reconciliation for two people ready to divorce one another. Meet Melanie and Will Connors who are struggling in their marriage while involved in an election campaign. I will admit, I really struggled with this story, there were so many main characters that I struggled to connect with any of them. They all seemed to be lacking in any depth. 

It seemed to me as though the author tried to involve too many hot topics in this novel. Politics, marriage problems, counselling, abuse, unplanned pregnancy, family pressure. While I felt that it read easily, I just never found myself understanding several plots in the story. The politics felt hard to follow, although I haven't had much of an interesting in politics ever in my life, so that could have been it. Then there was an element of terrorism from an extremist group that never seemed to be resolved in the story. There were several instances of hacking and shootings, but I don't actually remember how that supposedly ended. 

I really liked what the author set out to do in exploring how the past affects marriage in the present, but felt as though it could have been more focused on that one issue instead of getting too complex overall. Maybe I will have to try one of her other books, as I really did enjoy her style. 

I would recommend it for readers who have an interest in politics perhaps. Maybe with that interest, it would have made more sense and been easier to keep the characters straight. 

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for a review from BookLookBloggers, however all views expressed are entirely my own thoughts and opinions 

10 Books From 2014.

While I may not have kept up with writing exciting posts all throughout the year, one thing I did enjoy and manage to do on a monthly basis, was review several great books. Some I really loved and will hopefully read again, others just weren't my thing. Here's a recap from the year.

Victim of Grace By Robin Jones Gunn 

At first, I wasn't sure I entirely liked this book. Initially it just didn't hold my attention, then about halfway through I really started to understand where Robin Gunn was coming from. The second half I probably read in the space of a few days. That may have been my own fault in taking so long to read the first half, which made it hard to follow. Or just was my opinion of the content of the book. It felt slow to get going, but then once you got to the meat she had some great things to say....[Read More]

Love & Respect in the Family By Dr. Emerson Eggerichs

I loved it, honestly. Dr. Eggerichs talked again about the love and respect principle and how it relates in a parent child relationship this time. He uses biblical wisdom and scripture to tackle common problems within the family unit and how children and parents can get into a crazy cycle where no-one feels loved or respected. It was very practical and approached a whole range of topics including discipline, encouragement, supplication, giving, understanding and instructing. I know it is going to be a great resource for years to come for me personally....[Read More]

P.S. He Loves You By Erin James

....It has brought me into a beautiful season of seeking my precious prince & I have enjoyed just sitting in His presence understanding how much He thinks of me, how huge is love is for me, while reading her precious thoughts and meditating on the scriptures she shared. It reads like letters from her directly to you friend, you will honestly believe they are personally written for you. 

And I really think you should check it out.

You really won't regret it....[Read More]

The Queen's Handmaid By Tracey L. Higley

Tracy L. Higley writes about an orphan girl named Lydia, following her journey as a servant to Cleopatra then later to Herod. She also slowly uncovers her heritage and where she came from as we see her mentor, Samuel, pass along several scrolls into her possession with the intention of placing them into the rightful hands of a man on the Jerusalem temple steps who awaits them annually....[Read More]

Passion By Louie Giglio & Others

The book is a collection of talks from the conference itself over the years, and is a great encouragement giving so much food for thought. I will probably come back and read parts of this book again just to glean more wisdom from the pages. Due to the different authors within the book, some of the talks are heavier and harder to read than others, but all of them had really good things to say and will encourage you not to grow complacent in your faith and purpose here on earth....[Read More]

The Nesting Place By Myquillyn Smith

This book couldn't have come to me for review at a more perfect time. I downloaded it two days before we were due to pack our current apartment into boxes, and finished it before we physically moved everything. It was that good! I know I will be reading it again! Myquillyn drew me in from the first page with her hilarious stories, helpful tips and motivation to try new things that I will probably love. 

The next thing is that I get to put it all into practice, having moved immediately after I felt like I was handed a blank canvas and given tips and resources to go with it. The hubby and I laughed hard over her story of spilling fresh paint on the floor of the rental (ok I may have cringed a little too knowing the horror I would feel if it were me). The pictures in the book of her beautiful home encouraged me and inspired me to try things I've never tried before. (I can't wait to look into have a canvas with all the streets we've lived on since being married) 

It felt like a big sister slightly further ahead of me, in a similar journey of moving every 12 months, giving me the permission I needed in the area of decorating our home.....[Read More]

The Family of Jesus By Karen Kingsbury

This book is a historical biblical fiction account of the family members of Jesus. It gives fictional (but biblically accurate) accounts from the perspectives of Joseph, Zechariah, John the Baptist, Elizabeth, James and Mary. With bible study sections for each to look further into the biblical context and implications. 

I really appreciated Karen Kingsbury's careful way of sticking to biblical truth and her explanation of how she went about her construction of the stories. Inserting biblical truth first, then researching culture to ensure accuracy then lastly filling gaps with fiction. Obviously the most accurate accounts are those found in the bible itself, but I loved seeing it come to life through stories in the Family of Jesus as Karen Kingsbury has certainly been gifted with story-telling....[Read More]

Sarah's Choice By Rebecca St. James

Meet Sarah Collins, a beautiful successful 20-something who is about to get a promotion at work that she has worked hard for. She finds herself hoping to replace a woman who is leaving on maternity leave at first, but probably not returning at all. Especially if corporate has anything to say about it. 

Then Sarah discovers she herself is expecting. Then she begins to question everything; her boyfriends ability to stand by her and support a baby, whether she even wants him to be in the picture, her past and her issues with the Lord following the death of her father.  She finds herself with more choices than she knows how to answer all in a very short period of time.....[Read More]

Let's All Be Brave By Annie Downs

I loved the encouragement in this book, it reads very much like a big sister trying to encourage you to live your life the way the Lord wants you to. Encouragement to not stay with comfort when He is calling you to leap out of faith, her stories are full of scripture and truth guiding her decisions. 

There are many stories of her own showing her own personal journey from wanting to stay where she was comfortable and felt safe, moving towards ministry she felt called to. It was a great light read and I finished it very quickly. It really did feel like a coffee date with a friend, mentor or big sister.....[Read More]

Just Rise Up: A Call to Make Jesus Famous (InScribed Collection)

The study is based on Psalm 145 and calls us to consider whether or not God is actually the main priority in our lives, as He should be. Sarah breaks the study into five Chapters (topics) with five readings in each chapter. Ideally one reading per day with a place for journaling as you read, as well as questions to ask yourself encouraging you to think and dig deeper on the topics. 

The first section was all about living a live of praise, the study really encouraged and challenged me to begin thinking about how much I give praise to God during my daily life. Do I really acknowledge His gifts to me everyday? The Second section was on having a kingdom focus, really encouraging me to consider my daily activities and choices with an eternal focus and perspective. Section three dealt with pride and the issue of really bowing low before our king, recognizing my need for Him and His standing in my life before being able to rise up for Him. 

Section four is on our dreams and God's agenda, and lastly section five was about influence......[Read More]

Disclaimer: Affiliate Links Used, All Opinions Expressed My own.

Just Rise Up By Sarah Francis Martin

I was given the opportunity this Fall to review Just Rise Up by Sarah Francis Marin, part of the Inscribed Bible Study Series for women. I loved the timing involved with reading this book as I started it right before our trip to Kenya. It seemed perfect to read her words about sharing our faith in a public way learning to be bold right as we were about to adventure to do that exact thing. 

I started in the weeks before our trip and actually finished after we returned. The study is based on Psalm 145 and calls us to consider whether or not God is actually the main priority in our lives, as He should be. Sarah breaks the study into five Chapters (topics) with five readings in each chapter. Ideally one reading per day with a place for journaling as you read, as well as questions to ask yourself encouraging you to think and dig deeper on the topics. 

The first section was all about living a live of praise, the study really encouraged and challenged me to begin thinking about how much I give praise to God during my daily life. Do I really acknowledge His gifts to me everyday? The Second section was on having a kingdom focus, really encouraging me to consider my daily activities and choices with an eternal focus and perspective. Section three dealt with pride and the issue of really bowing low before our king, recognizing my need for Him and His standing in my life before being able to rise up for Him. 

Section four is on our dreams and God's agenda, and lastly section five was about influence. 

This study was intense, which I wasn't quite expecting. Given that I had a deadline for the review, I really don't feel I gave it the time I needed to in order to enjoy all that Sarah intended it to offer. I will definitely be revisiting this again in the future though and taking the time to answer the questions and journal as I go. Because it really was so rich in wisdom and good questions to ask yourself.

I would absolutely recommend it to any woman looking for a great quiet time tool to use for several weeks. It is perfect for use in that way!  

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for a review from BookLookBloggers, however all views expressed are entirely my own thoughts and opinions 

Let's All Be Brave By Annie Downs.

I loved the encouragement in this book, it reads very much like a big sister trying to encourage you to live your life the way the Lord wants you to. Encouragement to not stay with comfort when He is calling you to leap out of faith, her stories are full of scripture and truth guiding her decisions. 

There are many stories of her own showing her own personal journey from wanting to stay where she was comfortable and felt safe, moving towards ministry she felt called to. It was a great light read and I finished it very quickly. It really did feel like a coffee date with a friend, mentor or big sister.

It left me feeling encouraged and gave me just what I needed to move forward with some scary decisions in life that I have been holding back on. Its great when the Lord's timing for reading a book is perfect isn't it? 

I would recommend it for a weekend read that will leave you feeling uplifted and encouraged. Urging you to really figure out what the Lord is calling you specifically to do in the here and now to further His kingdom and how you are a part of a much larger complete picture.

What great books have you been reading lately friends? 

Disclaimer: I did receive a copy of this book in exchange for review, however all views expressed are entirely my own thoughts and opinions 

Sarah's Choice By Rebecca St James.

Growing up, I listened to Rebecca St James' music all the time. I had her song Wait for Me as my ringtone on my phone & just looked up to her in so many ways. Her example of purity, surrendering her love story to the Lord and her own personal relationship with the Lord. I shared more thoughts on purity & waiting here. So of course, I wanted to read another book she had written, although wasn't too sure what to think since this was fiction and not non-fiction like all the others.

Meet Sarah Collins, a beautiful successful 20-something who is about to get a promotion at work that she has worked hard for. She finds herself hoping to replace a woman who is leaving on maternity leave at first, but probably not returning at all. Especially if corporate has anything to say about it. 

Then Sarah discovers she herself is expecting. Then she begins to question everything; her boyfriends ability to stand by her and support a baby, whether she even wants him to be in the picture, her past and her issues with the Lord following the death of her father.  She finds herself with more choices than she knows how to answer all in a very short period of time. 

An elderly lady leaves Sarah with a Christmas card as she exits from a family planning clinic promising her three visions to help her make her decision. Can she trust them? Is this all in her imagination? Could the God of the Universe really care about her unborn child?

I loved this very real, emotionally raw story. It read very easily and was difficult to put down once I got into the story. I found myself really connecting with Sarah and wishing I could love on her through her difficult time. It is a perfect story for anyone who's ever had a difficult decision to make. Appropriate for all ages as no detail given on the family planning clinic or events prior to her discovering the pregnancy. 

Let me know what you thought if you have read it? Or have you seen the movie?

Much Love!


Disclaimer: I did receive a copy of this book in exchange for review, however all views expressed are entirely my own thoughts and opinions

The Family of Jesus By Karen Kingsbury

If you've seen many of my book reviews before, you probably know by now that I am a huge Karen Kingsbury fan. I own almost all of her books and have read the entire Baxter Family Series several times. The Bailey Flannigan Series even more. So when I was given a copy of her new book to review before it was even released, I may have squealed. 

The Family of Jesus releases tomorrow on July 1st, you can purchase it through amazon for $9.78 right now on their pre-release kindle price (hardcover print $13.00).  

This book is a historical biblical fiction account of the family members of Jesus. It gives fictional (but biblically accurate) accounts from the perspectives of Joseph, Zechariah, John the Baptist, Elizabeth, James and Mary. With bible study sections for each to look further into the biblical context and implications. 

I really appreciated Karen Kingsbury's careful way of sticking to biblical truth and her explanation of how she went about her construction of the stories. Inserting biblical truth first, then researching culture to ensure accuracy then lastly filling gaps with fiction. Obviously the most accurate accounts are those found in the bible itself, but I loved seeing it come to life through stories in the Family of Jesus as Karen Kingsbury has certainly been gifted with story-telling. 

I don't think it was my most favorite book written by her, I am not a particular fan of historical fiction. But it was definitely my favorite historical fiction book by far. I also loved the bible study sections with each perspective, that was a huge highlight. I look forward to going back and spending more time in those sections. 

Hope you enjoy! Have you read anything good lately?



Disclaimer: I did receive a copy of this book in exchange for review, however all views expressed are entirely my own thoughts and opinions

The Nesting Place /It doesn't have to be perfect to be Beautiful/ By Myquillyn Smith

This book couldn't have come to me for review at a more perfect time. I downloaded it two days before we were due to pack our current apartment into boxes, and finished it before we physically moved everything. It was that good! I know I will be reading it again! Myquillyn drew me in from the first page with her hilarious stories, helpful tips and motivation to try new things that I will probably love. 

The next thing is that I get to put it all into practice, having moved immediately after I felt like I was handed a blank canvas and given tips and resources to go with it. The hubby and I laughed hard over her story of spilling fresh paint on the floor of the rental (ok I may have cringed a little too knowing the horror I would feel if it were me). The pictures in the book of her beautiful home encouraged me and inspired me to try things I've never tried before. (I can't wait to look into have a canvas with all the streets we've lived on since being married) 

It felt like a big sister slightly further ahead of me, in a similar journey of moving every 12 months, giving me the permission I needed in the area of decorating our home. To try new things, to go ahead and paint those wood items which everyone keeps telling me I shouldn't even consider doing because who dares to paint perfectly good wood.

So I've been experimenting these last 2 weeks taking baby steps, my huge wall art of a London bus is hanging in the hallway of all places this time.....and you know what I LOVE it even more than I did previously!!! My $0.50 frames from goodwill got a coat of wall paint this week (no I didn't sand or even wipe down the frames) and they look AWESOME! I LOVE them!!! I even found $5 cabinet doors in Ikea on Monday which I have huge plans for.

This book is incredible. Be warned, its hard to put down and it might keep you up at night dreaming up ways of improving your home. Who says you can't love a rental.....I'm falling pretty hard over here as I adapt many of Myquillyn's ideas and dream up my own. 

Definitely one of the best books I have read in a while! A fast favorite! Be sure to head over to her blog as well if you want a sneek peek of Myquillyn's incredible work on a great budget. 

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book through BookLook, however all opinions expressed are my own. 

Passion By Louie Giglio & others: A Book Review.

I should really add a tab on my sidebar for all these book reviews. I just can't help it, I'm currently devouring books like a small kid on Halloween with candy. Maybe a note to self for after my desk is no longer in boxes to remember the little tab. Moving is probably why I'm reading so much, probably doesn't make a whole lot of sense to most. But its because all my craft things are in boxes, and in the evenings when I'm done working on the house for the day, I have been reading to relax before falling into a deep deep sleep. Maybe its more like passing out from exhaustion, I'm not sure. 

After my last review, I was determined to pick something nonfiction this time. Unless a great fiction one comes along, I may just have to stick with reviewing some nonfiction. I've discovered I'm really picky when it comes to fiction, not a fan of historical fiction but then some are ok. Not a huge fan of the bridal stories but again some are ok. So when I saw the list of authors on this nonfiction book, I was pretty sure we had a winner.

I have heard of the Passion conference & our church even sends a group of students or has in the past anyway. We we unable to go and I never lived here as a student, but I was interested to hear about the conference since I respect a lot of the speakers as individuals. I was impressed. 

The book is a collection of talks from the conference itself over the years, and is a great encouragement giving so much food for thought. I will probably come back and read parts of this book again just to glean more wisdom from the pages. Due to the different authors within the book, some of the talks are heavier and harder to read than others, but all of them had really good things to say and will encourage you not to grow complacent in your faith and purpose here on earth.

“You must come alive to the overarching purpose of the entire universe—which is the glory of God.” 

- Louie Giglio

“What matters is that you fall in love with Jesus and with His love for you. And when you do, you will find that He becomes your source of happiness, not what you do or where you go.” 

- Louie Giglio

“What if He asks your generation to sow the seed, but another generation reaps the harvest?

Would the seed still be worth sowing?” 

- Beth Moore

“Don’t be afraid to fail. You have more than a safety net beneath you. You have the arms of God around you.” 

- Louie Giglio

“Very few people have ever said to me, or shown me what I’ve now seen in the Bible, that God chose me for his glory.” 

- John Piper

'" want to beg you to not just study the Bible, but to tremble at the very words of God."

- Francis Chan

"Change comes in our lives,not through amazement of many distractions in our lives but by quietly pondering & meditating on Him."

- Beth Moore

All of the talks were solid in biblical teaching with scripture used throughout. All appropriate and applicable to anyone reading, not just for college students although the conference is geared towards that audience. The stats in the book are about colleges across the nation, but you get the idea of what the speakers are saying. I would highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to read some solid teaching. It will encourage you, yet also stand on your toes. But who doesn't want a little kick up the butt from time to time right? 

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this novel through BookLook, however all opinions expressed are my own. 

The Queen's Handmaid By Tracy Higley {Book Review}

Tracy L. Higley writes about an orphan girl named Lydia, following her journey as a servant to Cleopatra then later to Herod. She also slowly uncovers her heritage and where she came from as we see her mentor, Samuel, pass along several scrolls into her possession with the intention of placing them into the rightful hands of a man on the Jerusalem temple steps who awaits them annually. 

I was really drawn into the story initially, I loved reading about Lydia's experiences and relationships with those in Cleopatra's palace. Her role in raising her mistress's son and her life behind the scenes. I enjoyed all the description and really felt drawn into Lydia's experiences and personality. The story then picked up the pace after following her into Herod's household and I will admit I found it harder to relate as there was less description and emotion described. Almost as though it became more of a historical account with events to get through. I do appreciate that Higley did her historical research which is clear when reading the novel. Although as with all fiction, other events are imagined making for interesting story-telling. 

I think if you love historical fiction, then this would be a perfect novel for you. One that might even become a quick favorite. My own personal taste is perhaps not for historical fiction, but I did appreciate seeing the biblical context mixed with history, showing biblical characters and how they fit into real life in biblical times.  

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this novel through BookLook, however all opinions expressed are my own. 

Subtle sins.

We had a great discussion in our small group this week about irritability, impatience and anger. Anyone feel their toes being stepped on as much as I did? 
It's funny isn't it....how easy we justify and rationalize certain sins in our life. But if this person just wouldn't do that? If they just wouldn't say things like that? 
We discussed some important truth.

We are responsible for our own responses.

Doesn't matter what someone else says or does to us. We choose how we respond every single time. And if you're like me, a lot of the time you probably choose wrongly. 
Then try and justify it by covering it with excuses to make myself feel better. Something I really need to work on. 

We've been working through the book Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges, and in case you didn't pick up on this already it is not for the fainthearted. It will step on your toes like never before and convict you of some serious ugly in your heart which you had refused to acknowledge before. Things you may not have been aware you were holding onto, things which have been in your life for years and really they have been causing some serious damage. 

But its all covered with grace. And reassurance that without Him, we can't even begin to work on the ugly. We just can't. But through much prayer and surrounding ourselves with truth, we can begin to graciously change our responses and line them up to far better character qualities, those showcased in Jesus. 

Its a tough work, I tell ya. This maturity thing. And as one of our church leaders shared this past Sunday, something we are never finished in this side of heaven. The marker just keeps moving forward as we change and grow. I feel the more I grow and learn, the more ugly I see in my life. 

Good thing our God has a lot of grace for us, huh?

I look forward to the day when I don't have to ugly cry over sin anymore. 
Won't heaven be beautiful!!! 

P.S. He Loves You.

So there's this girl in California, who is pretty much one of the most amazing women I have ever met in my life. And believe me I know some amazing women. 

This girl shared recently how we met on her instagram. Its seriously one of the most amazing stories. 

I met her back in 2005/2006 I'm not exactly sure when. I think I was a freshman in college, totally feeling lost being transplanted back into the western world after being in desert for about 6-7 years. Things were hard, I had surrendered my love life to the Lord after fighting Him and a lot of wrestling over it. I totally surrendered it, I had no idea what He was going to do with it (read more here). So I signed up with a community called purity girls, all beautiful young girls who shared this passion of trusting the Lord with their love lives. It was exactly what I needed at that time in my life when I felt as though no-one understood my desire to really love Him by giving Him the pen to my story and seeing what He would do with it. The day I signed up, there was an option to pick an accountability partner, and I felt like such a fraud. I had only just started on this journey of learning how to trust my heavenly prince with this area, I certainly didn't think I had anything to offer anyone else on this issue. 

I was scrolling through these pictures of young girls all with beautiful hearts and incredible stories, and I didn't really know what I was even doing being among them. When I clicked and a precious young girl (the same age as me) appeared on my screen. I read her bio about surrendering her pen to her sweet savior and trusting Him on His timing for romance and I got a little nudge. I have never been more sure about the Holy Spirit nudging me to do something. I was sitting there going 'but I didn't even want an accountability partner, Lord. I'm still trying to figure out what this looks like to trust you in this area, I can't support anyone.' And I felt His sweet whispers, 'Pick her, just trust me.'

So I clicked request accountability partner. And I have tears flowing down my face at His faithfulness by that simple click. Because the years that followed were just precious, we emailed each other, prayed for each other, shared our struggles and dreams in this area of our lives. It has truly just been one of the most encouraging friendships in my life, being able to walk similar paths with this incredible girl who lived the other side of the world from me. 

He absolutely wanted us in each others lives, and I am so thankful He did. It has been a blessing watching Him answer our prayers for one another. And I look forward to maybe sharing more of this amazing story with you guys someday.....

Now that I've bragged on her and the way the Lord brought us together as sisters....
she did something amazing this past year already.
She has written the most amazing inspiring devotional (and I'm not just saying that, really!). 
It has brought me into a beautiful season of seeking my precious prince & I have enjoyed just sitting in His presence understanding how much He thinks of me, how huge is love is for me, while reading her precious thoughts and meditating on the scriptures she shared. It reads like letters from her directly to you friend, you will honestly believe they are personally written for you. 


And I really think you should check it out.
You really won't regret it.  


But just in case you need any more persuasion, here's some sneak previews:

//Buy The Devotional//

Love & Respect in the Family By Dr. Emerson Eggerichs

I read a lot of books. And since I have been down with a cold the past two weeks (maybe its just the crazy weather), I had a bunch of time to review yet another book through BookLook (previously BookSneeze). This title immediately grabbed my attention. I read the book Love & Respect which is written for the marriage relationship, it helped us understand a lot of our communication issues and shed a huge amount of light on why we were offending each other so much in the first couple years of our marriage. 

So when I saw this new title by the same author on a similar idea for the family, I totally grabbed it. I read parenting books fairly regularly, hopefully someday they will come in handy for us personally, but I also work with children and have done for several years now. 

I loved it, honestly. Dr. Eggerichs talked again about the love and respect principle and how it relates in a parent child relationship this time. He uses biblical wisdom and scripture to tackle common problems within the family unit and how children and parents can get into a crazy cycle where no-one feels loved or respected. It was very practical and approached a whole range of topics including discipline, encouragement, supplication, giving, understanding and instructing. I know it is going to be a great resource for years to come for me personally. 

I loved his emphasis on the fact that children are not a reflection of their parents. The mom in the grocery store with three screaming children is not a failure because she can't stop her toddler's tantrums. Children are humans and they make their own decisions. He talked a lot about what it means to parent unto Christ. How to raise children and see as doing the Lord's work, but not getting caught up in the idea that only good parents have good kids. 

It was easy to read as well with shorter chapters, making it my go-to for nighttime reading for a few weeks. It was helpful to me, although perhaps you mommies with more experience may know a lot of what was in here. But either way I thought he gave some great ideas to think about and practical ways to implement them, a refresher on truths about parenting and scripture interspersed throughout to show His ideas were completely biblical. 

I think its a great one to add to my list of biblical parenting books. 

Have you guys read any great books lately?? 

Victim of Grace. [Book Review]

{Via}

Well, I realise I haven't talked about Booksneeze in a while. Apparently so long that I managed to get my account suspended while I slowly, and I mean slowly made my way through this book haha! Guess I wasn't the only one who thought it took too long. I do like books though and am trying to make a habit of sharing some good ones with you. 

At first, I wasn't sure I entirely liked this book. Initially it just didn't hold my attention, then about halfway through I really started to understand where Robin Gunn was coming from. The second half I probably read in the space of a few days. That may have been my own fault in taking so long to read the first half, which made it hard to follow. Or just was my opinion of the content of the book. It felt slow to get going, but then once you got to the meat she had some great things to say. 

Robin shares a lot of her own story in this, we follow her through many different stages of life as she grapples with various struggles and God's purpose for her life. I loved how she deepened my understand of grace and what that looks like in everyday life. I enjoyed following her on this journey and learning things to take away and apply to my own journey. I also really enjoyed her use of scripture as she shared various verses that she clung to while wrestling with her issues. There's some gems in there! 

I would recommend it anyway but also say its worth reading the whole thing, as the first half is really not super impressive. 

What good books have you read lately friends? 



Disclaimer: Thoughts are my own, however I was given a copy of the book in exchange for my review through Booksneeze. 

Recommended Reads. Booksneeze Part 3.

{Via}

Yes, its another review. This girl has been reading a lot of books in the evenings as it is now officially summer. Woohoo.

At first glance this novel caught my eye, yes yet another judging a book by its cover moment for this girl. I am a romantic at heart and a sucker for fairytales, so even though I had originally planned on reviewing a different book, I couldn't help asking for this one instead. I love the mush, happy endings and ‘aww’ moments found in fairytales, must be the girly girl in me.

So this book (Once Upon A Prince by Rachel Hauck) looked perfect.

This is the story of a typical 20-something girl called Susanna, who finds life completely turned upside down when her boyfriend of 12 years breaks up with her instead of proposing. Enter a chance encounter with a tall dark handsome stranger who fast becomes a good friend to her. All the while she is unaware he is a prince in line to a European throne. 

While being a cute story which didn't disappoint on its 'aww' moments, I couldn't help feeling like it was a retelling of one of my favorite movies, The Prince and Me. 

So while I enjoyed it, I can't say it is a new favorite.

I feel like I never really connected with any of the characters on a deep level or understood a lot of the political story going on between the two fictitious countries soon to be ruled by the Prince.

I would have loved to have seen more depth in the faith of the main characters  There were times when I felt scripture or a short prayer had been added almost as an afterthought. 

All that to say, I would recommend it as a fun, clean, light romantic read. It is a cute fictitious story inspired by England's royal family.

What have you guys been reading lately?

I need some recommendations :)

Much Love,

L