Book Review: Christmas In Winter Hill

From The Back:

Spend this holiday season in a town you'll never forget--and never want to leave.
"That sign says Home of Christmasville--what does that mean? Does Santa Claus live here?" Emily giggled like she knew better.
"What do you think?" Krista grimaced at the plywood Christmas tree alongside the welcome sign. It could use a new coat of paint.
"I know, Santa isn't really real. But are we near the North Pole now? You said it snowed a lot here." Emily peered eagerly out the window, almost as if she expected to see snowflakes flying.
"It does snow here," Krista confirmed. "But it's still late autumn, Emily." She pointed to where some orange and gold leaves still clung to a large tree, vibrating in the afternoon breeze.
"But why did that sign say Home of Christmasville?" Emily persisted.
"I'm not sure."


Krista Galloway is not a fan of Christmas. After her rough childhood in multiple foster homes, the holiday season just brings too many bad memories to the surface. But when she accepts a job as a city manager in the mountain town of Winter Hill, Washington, Christmas is part of the deal. The small town is famous for its Christmasville celebration, something that the city manager . . . well, manages.

As she tries to make her tiny new apartment feel like home for her and her eight-year-old daughter, Emily, Krista begins to wonder if this move was a mistake. She doesn't always feel welcomed in the close-knit town, and Emily continually wonders, "Where's the snow?"

Can a friendly stranger and his family help restore Krista's Christmas spirit before the big day?

My Reflections:
Melody Carlson has become well known for her holiday-inspired novels along with her YA material. Christmas In Winter Hill is no exception, you can always expect a clean, upbeat storyline with just enough depth and drama to satisfy most readers. 

Krista Galloway and her daughter Emily are striving for a brand new start after the end of Krista's marriage. Things aren't quite as they expect when they arrive in the sleepy little town of Winter Hill, Washington. 
It seems like you can run but the past always catches up to you. As Krista Delves into her new role as the city manager, she finds that she is responsible for the annual Christmas festival. The problem lies in the fact that Christa had been raised in multiple foster homes and being disappointed time and time again over Christmas traditions and "family love" has made Krista slightly grinchy when it comes to this beloved season. Emily, however, seems to thrive in her new town but will Krista be able to stick it out? There are a lot of butting heads with a few of the locals making the transition a little rocky.

If you are looking for a touching story this Christmas tale will most certainly make you take a look at the people around you and try to see things through others' eyes. Christmas can be a hard time for many people, and being sensitive to this fact can go a long way in loving our fellow humans. I know Christmas is over, but I would highly recommend this novel to anyone who may relate to Krista. I will certainly be watching for more books by this author!

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

Melody Carlson

Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of over 200 books with sales of more than 7 million, including many bestselling Christmas novellas, young adult titles, and contemporary romances. She received a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award in the...

Continue reading about Melody Carlson

Book Review: Aiming For Love

From The Back:

When Strangers Intrude
on Three Wild Sisters' Hidden Mountain Life,
Their World Will Never Be the Same. Josephine Nordegren is one of three sisters who grew up nearly wild in southwestern Colorado. She has the archery skills of Robin Hood and the curiosity of the Little Mermaid, fascinated by but locked away from the forbidden outside world--a world she's been raised to believe killed her parents. When David Warden, a rancher, brings in a herd much too close to the girls' secret home, her older sister is especially frightened, but Jo is too interested to stay away.

David's parents follow soon on his heels, escaping bandits at their ranch. But his father is wounded and needs shelter. Josephine and her sisters have the only cabin on the mountain. Do they risk stepping into the world to help those in need? Or do they remain separated but safe in the peaks of Hope Mountain?

My Reflections:
Mary Connealy can always be counted on to pen a heartwarming, thought-provoking and well-planned novel. I am overjoyed that she has this new series out. The "Brides Of Hope Mountain" have once again proven my assumptions, another strong start to another fantastic series! 

Nestled deep in the Colorado mountains in the year 1873 live three sisters. They have a knack for living off the land and have not encountered another person other than their own family members for the entirety of their lives. Imagine meeting not just one person but a whole bunch of people, talk about socially inept! 

Jo Nordegren is spunky and adventurous, her curiosity will play a vital role in leading her and her sisters into a terrifyingly exciting new adventure. 

David and his family along with all the crew escape to the deep mountains with their extensive herd of cattle, and a few chickens. They manage to outrun the outlaws who are bent at taking over the ranch no matter the cost. David is completely thrown off balance when he discovers Jo sneaking around his camp. Where did she come from and what on earth is she doing in the middle of this rugged out country? Will the three sisters be able to help this massive intrusive bunch? Will civilization be able to tame these sisters' wild ways, or will it prove too much too soon? 

There are plenty of challenges and hurdles to climb in this delightfully engaging new series, it is sure to delight readers of all ages! I am eagerly anticipating book two, so Mary Connealy don't make us wait too long!

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

Mary Connealy

Mary Connealy (www.maryconnealy.com) writes "romantic comedies with cowboys" and is celebrated for her fun, zany, action-packed style. She has more than half a million books in print. She is the author of the popular series Wild at Heart, Kincaid...

Continue reading about Mary Connealy

Book Review: Dark Ambitions

From The Back:

Danger lurks when ambitions turn deadly . . .
Former Army Night Stalker Rick Jordan usually has his camp for foster children to himself during the winter months. But someone has visited recently--leaving a trail of blood. One of the two clues left behind tips Rick off to the identity of his visitor, who soon turns up dead. The police deem it an accident, but Rick isn't convinced.

With the help of private investigator Heather Shields, he sets out to decipher the remaining clue. Except someone doesn't want them to succeed--and will stop at nothing to keep them from finding the truth

My Reflections:
Ohh, Irene Hannon, you have done it again! This just might be one of my favourite novels penned by Hannon. Her attention to detail and the tension created in the plot kept me reading well past an appropriate time!

The story opens with Former army night stalker Rick Jordan (who has reformed his life to helping run a camp for foster children) Rick comes across what looks to be blood on the ice of his tranquil pond. After further examination, he realizes this may be bigger than he was prepared for. 
When indeed it looks like this could be a message from his long-ago army buddy, Rick knows he will not rest until he knows what is going on.

Desperate for answers he turns to Phoenix Inc where he meets investigator Heather Shields, the attraction is immediate on both sides and they both strive to maintain a cool and composed business relationship. Knowing this investigation hinges on putting their feelings on the back burner both dive into the evidence and truth available to them.

This book will keep you guessing until the end, which is the hallmark of an expert suspense author.
I found myself deeply engaged in all aspects of this story and am pretty confident my readers who love suspense will eat this one up as well!

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.
Irene Hannon

Irene Hannon is the bestselling author of more than fifty novels, including Hope Harbor, Sea Rose Lane, Sandpiper Cove, Pelican Point, and Driftwood Bay, as well as the Code of Honor, Private Justice, and Men of Valor...

Continue reading about Irene Hannon

Book Review: God Confident Kids Helping Your Child Find True Purpose, Passion and Peace

From The Back:

"A must-read for any parent seeking wisdom for their vital and increasingly challenging role."--Jim Daly, president of Focus on the Family

Our children and teens are growing up more anxious, depressed, and fearful than previous generations. But if we help them discover true God-confidence--instead of chasing the illusive self-confidence--we can empower them to embrace their uniqueness and find their purpose, passion, and peace as they grow into humble, compassionate, and resilient young people.

In this hopeful book, associate marriage and family therapist Cyndie Claypool de Neve explains how you can help your kids discover the purpose for which God created them. God-Confident Kids is filled with stories, Scripture, psychological insights, and practical tips to help you move from fear-based parenting to faith-filled parenting as you claim Ephesians 2:10 for your kids: "For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" (NIV).

My Reflections: Who as a parent doesn't want their children to have lasting, true unshakable faith? I believe everyone is created with a very special purpose, a God-given purpose no matter who you are. Whether you choose to follow God's leading or not is a choice. As parents is it not our calling to try to help our children follow God's ways? Ah, but there is the choice factor right? How as parents do we help lay out the path for them? We as flawed people flounder and pray, and read books like these to gain a little insight into the best practices, then we leave it in the creator's hands. 

I loved how Cyndie Claypool De Neve uses personal stories scripture and psychology in a synergistic fashion. Her book has many nuggets of wisdom to glean from and I highly recommend this handy little book to anyone involved with children. 

Packed with sound God centred wisdom, I am sure you will be left with many new ideas and some old ones to ponder a little deeper. I especially enjoyed the quick tips sections, where I could find practical skills that I could start implementing straight away!

If you are looking for a great Christmas break book this is it, friends, you can't go wrong with this one. Easy to read, God centred parenting and extremely practical, How can you go wrong?

Cyndie Claypool de Neve

Cyndie Claypool de Neve, a former journalist with an MA in counseling psychology, is the coauthor of Unshaken, Start With Praise, and Raise Them Up. She has appeared on Dr. James Dobson's Family Talk Radio and has a growing speaking...

Continue reading about Cyndie Claypool de Neve

Book Review: One More River to Cross

From The Back:

Adversity can squelch the human spirit . . . or it can help us discover strength we never knew we had.
In 1844, two years before the Donner Party, the Stephens-Murphy-Townsend company leaves Missouri to be the first wagons into California through the Sierra Nevada. They enjoy a safe journey--until October, when a fierce mountain snowstorm forces difficult decisions.

The party separates in three directions. Some go overland around Lake Tahoe. Others stay to guard the heaviest wagons. The rest of the party, including eight women and seventeen children, huddle in a makeshift cabin at the headwaters of the Yuba River awaiting rescue. The months ahead will be long and at times terrifying. But with friendship, family, and enough courage to overcome their fear, these intrepid pioneers will discover what truly matters in times of trial.

My Reflections:

I usually gobble up Jane Kirkpatrick's works, this one, however, left me a little Parched.

Normally historical dramas tickle me pink, I love the cohesion of fact and fiction intermingling. This story was factually intriguing and kept me turning the pages, I did, however, find the multitude of characters confusing and this fact along with the sheer misery that was never-ending sunk my enthusiasm a tad. 

Set in the American West in the 1840s this tale is based on a  true store by Donna M Wojcik It was a footnote actually, posted in the "Brazen Overlanders of 1845" Years later Jane Kirkpatrick decided this was going to be the basis of her new novel. This is so awesome and I love these types of stories. 

Perhaps it is my mind frame at the moment or that the story was just so sad and cold and hungry that I felt bleak. This coupled with my terrible memory for names, and with them being so similar, I well felt a little lost at times! Thankfully Kirkpatrick includes an index on pages 11, 12 and 13. So, in short, I loved the context of the story but got lost in the process. Please don't let my review sway you though, because you may love a story that has not been sugar-coated, the grit of these settlers is beyond anything we have ever endured. You may love a multitude of characters, your dendrites may just be more complex and developed!

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

Jane Kirkpatrick

Jane Kirkpatrick is the New York Times and CBA bestselling and award-winning author of more than 30 books, including Everything She Didn't Say, All She Left Behind, A Light in the Wilderness, The Memory Weaver, This Road...

Continue reading about Jane Kirkpatrick

Book Review: Hope's Highest Mountain

From The Back:

When Ingrid Chastain agreed to accompany her father to deliver vaccines to a mining town in the Montana Territory, she never could have anticipated a terrible accident would leave her alone and badly injured in the wilderness. Rescue comes in the form of a mysterious mountain man who tends her injuries, but she's hesitant to put her trust in this man who seems to have wounds of his own.

After tragedy struck his family, Micah Bradley left his work as a doctor and escaped to the wilds of Montana. But his self-imposed solitude is broken when he finds Ingrid in desperate need of medical attention, and he's forced to call on his doctoring skills once again.

Micah can't help but admire Ingrid's tenacity despite the severity of her injuries, until he learns the crate she brought contains smallpox vaccines to help quell a nearby outbreak. With Ingrid dead set on delivering the medicine--with or without his help--he has no choice but to accompany her. As they set off through the treacherous, snow-covered Rocky Mountains against all odds, the journey ahead will change their lives more than they could have known.

My Reflections:

I find that I am drawn to a book first by its cover then second by the synopsis on the back. I was about to pass this one up due to the cover not catching my eye. I am so glad that I read the back and my interest was peaked, this book was a treat to read. The characters are multidimensional and the writing is beautifully penned. I adore books centring around the medical field and a doctor who flees his career makes these types of stories so much juicier! Pair all these things with the stunning backdrop of the misty Montana mountains and I was smitten!

Ingrid is travelling with her father who is a physician and researcher to deliver Small Pox vaccines to the remote backcountry when the unthinkable happens. Ingrid's resilience and determination are remarkable as she struggles with her injuries. Will she be able to fulfil her quest?

Micah Bradley is a physician by trade but all that is behind him, all he wants is the solitude the misty mountains can provide. His self imposed exile is broken when he crosses paths with Ingrid who is very much in need of his doctoring skills. Can he truly help Ingrid, or with the past continue to destroy his God giving gifts? 

I'm sure readers will love the depth and thread of perseverance through the entirety of this story. I absolutely love how God speaks to us through everything, even books we read. In this book, the author really hits home the message of his faithfulness. Out of any bad situation can come beauty. Perhaps a different type of ending we imagine but a more beautiful one then we could have ever dreamed up ourselves. That my friends is our God.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

Misty M. Beller

After working for 13 years in the corporate world, Misty M. Beller (mistymbeller.com) is now the author of fourteen independently published Christian historical romance novels. Raised on a farm in South Carolina, she combines her love for Christian fiction and...

Continue reading about Misty M. Beller

Book Review: The Words Between Us

From the Back

Robin Windsor has spent much of her life under an assumed name to avoid association with her infamous parents. She thought she'd finally found sanctuary running her used bookstore in quiet River City, Michigan. But when she receives an eerily familiar book in the mail on the morning of her father's scheduled execution, Robin is thrown back to the summer she met Peter Flynt, the perfect boy who ruined everything. Why would Peter be making contact now? And why does she have a sinking feeling that she's about to be exposed all over again?

My Reflections:

Erin Bartels captivates her readers from the start with "The Words Between Us." Her story is so all-encompassing that I found my self pondering this tale well after the last page was flipped. Luckily I had a chunk of time to devote to this book because I'm not sure much would get done until I crawled out of this raw and engaging story.

Robin Windsor is a brave and resilient woman. Having endured a rough and traumatic childhood has done her best to create a new and very separate life from what she experienced as a child. 

Her experiences have forged the steel in her spirit and sharpened her abilities, however, that resilience and steel have left its mark, no matter how hard she tries she will need to reopen those wounds so that the festering can be purged, healed and she can become even more. The journey is painful but the outcome is akin to watching a long ravaging storm then the sunshine that is birthed in the morning.

I absolutely adored all the characters in this novel! I'm no doubt a book fan so the references to several good books mentioned in the tale made my heart sing, silly but true!

I also loved the dual timeline the peek into the mind of a teenager then the same character as an adult was very fascinating. The icing on the cake of this story was watching Robin transform. She realizes her growth and claims the balm of forgiveness, this is true living! If you are looking for your next read, this is a perfect treat. It would also make a great Christmas gift!

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

Erin Bartels

Erin Bartels is the author of We Hope for Better Things and The Words between Us. A publishing professional for seventeen years, she is a member of Capital City Writers and the Women's Fiction Writers Association. Her short story "This...

Continue reading about Erin Bartels

Book Review: What Comes My Way

From The Back:

At the Brookstone Wild West Extravaganza, there's something special each and every night!
Ella Fleming is on the run from her past and the secrets that could tear her family apart. As a member of the Brookstone Wild West Extravaganza, a wild west show comprised of all-female performers, her uncanny talent for trick riding impresses the audience. Only while performing can she forget her former life--and the man she knows to be a murderer.

Phillip DeShazer has secrets of his own and has done his best to bury his guilt in work and drink. Realizing he needs something more, he seeks answers and finds support and kindness from the beautiful Ella. The more she comes to his rescue, however, the more his guilt grows. He's fallen in love with her and feels confident that she returns his feelings, but he's not sure he's worthy of her love.

Uncertain of what will come their way, Ella and Phillip must learn to trust God even when the road they travel takes them in different directions--and into danger. Only then can love be a part of their journey.

My Reflections:
This is Petersons's third book in the Brookstone Brides series set in the early 20th century. Filled with talented rodeo slingers and old west adventures Petersons newest book is a delightful way to end this series.

This being the third and last of the series Peterson was able to tie up several loose threads from her previous two books. Though there seemed to be little surprise in the way the love interests play out, or how the plot progressed I still enjoyed the story and was warmed to its conclusion. There is little in the way of spiritual content, but we do see the example of the way the characters conducted themselves, which is clean and family-friendly. The action is not as gripping as some of Peterson's previous books, but it is there and readers do engage in a tinge of excitement throughout the story. 

If you love westerns and you have read the other two books, I think this would be a nice way to kick back and enjoy being transported to another era. 

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

Tracie Peterson

Tracie Peterson (www.traciepeterson.com) is the bestselling, award-winning author of more than 100 novels. Tracie also teaches writing workshops at a variety of conferences on subjects such as inspirational romance and historical research. She and her family...

Continue reading about Tracie Peterson

Book Review: Raising Worry-Free Girls

From the Back:

You Can Help Your Daughter Overcome Anxiety and Worry
It's surprising to find a girl who doesn't struggle with anxiety and worry--either in short episodes or for longer periods. For a variety of reasons, childhood anxiety rates are soaring, especially among girls. Today's parents need to know what contributes to anxiety and worry and how they can empower their daughters to overcome fears and live more courageously.

In this immensely practical book, veteran counsellor Sissy Goff shares how you can instill bravery and strength in your daughter. Addressing common age-specific issues, Goff gives you the tools to help you and your child understand why her brain is often working against her when she starts to worry and what she can do to fight back. With your help, she will find the anchoring truth of God's strong, safe love for her and the confidence she needs to thrive.

My Reflections:

In a world where girls are taught from an early age to be happy, perfect and that they can have it all its no wonder our girls struggle with the realities they face daily. 
This is a different time than the world we grew up in. Social media has put so much pressure on our children, they are never able to be unavailable to their 2000 plus friends. It's no wonder that statistics show that anxiety and mental health problems are steeply on the rise. However, this doesn't have to be the norm. With tools and support, our children can lead healthy empowered lives. God is good all the time and he never changes. 

This book is a helpful tool that equips parents and their children to reach a more balanced approach to the stressors they encounter in everyday life. Sissy Goff does not write in a way that engages panic in parents, she sets out clear and easy to implement strategies to help navigate the world our children face. Her background is in counselling, this is exemplified throughout the book with a clear well-balanced philosophy. I really enjoyed her multidimensional approach. 

Her book also covers how anxiety can be expressed within different personalities. This was my favourite part of the book it opened my eyes to behaviours I may have misinterpreted in my own children. I also enjoyed the "Help" chapter in section #2 I found such good science-based information, on what happens when our bodies are stressed and how that may manifest later. I also loved that I could share the "tools for her" sections with my girls, this will empower them to be informed and confident about what they are experiencing. 

If you are the parent of a girl or are involved in any aspect of mentoring girls, this book is for you. I am definitely recommending this one to my readers and friends, wish I had this book when I was young! This book applies to all children, the principals are also the same for boys and girls of any age. Thank you, Sissy Goff, for writing this much need book!

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

Sissy Goff MEd, LPC-MHSP

Sissy Goff, MEd, LPC-MHSP, spends most of her days counselling girls and their families, with the help of her assistant/pet therapist, Lucy the Havanese. Since 1993, Sissy has worked as the director of child and adolescent counselling at Daystar...

Continue reading about Sissy Goff MEd, LPC-MHSP

Book Review: The Girl Behind the Red Rope

From the Back:

Ten years ago, Grace saw something that would forever change the course of history.
When a terrible scourge is unleashed on the world, she and others from their religious community are already hidden deep in the hills of Tennessee, abiding by every rule that will keep them safe, pure--and alive. As long as they stay there, behind the red rope.

Her older brother's questions and the arrival of the first outsiders she's seen in a decade set in motion events that will cause Grace to question everything she has built her life on. Enemies rise on all sides--but who is the real enemy? And what will it cost her to uncover the truth?

For the first time, bestselling authors Ted Dekker and Rachelle Dekker team up and deliver an intense, tightly focused ride through the most treacherous world of all.


In a world where the boundaries are clear and punishments severe, a young woman risks everything to break free from the system of fear and control to find freedom and love.

My Reflections:

I don't remember if I have ever read a book by Ted Dekker, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I don't think I was quite prepared for this type of novel, I usually steer away from the dystopian type read however I thought why not? 

The cover was inviting and I love a good suspense-filled book. Having had an unfortunate time spent in a cult when I was young I am all too aware of the fear and power these types of individuals use to control their followers. 

I found this book to be interesting, it was a tad predictable but I was less than impressed with the darkness contained within the pages of this book. I am not a pollyanna type, I am aware that we live in a fallen world I don't, however, have to read about it in my spare time.  

The "Girl" Grace is a young newly married woman. She possesses a curious mind and a desire to know truth she often finds herself in great danger as she tests the boundaries of her teachings. However, she has been witness to the darkness that pervades unless she keeps herself pure and follows the rules. These rules are meant to keep not only Grace but the community as a whole safe from the Fury. Sylous (a dark spirit) has appointed Rose as the head leader with her weak and spineless husband. Will Grace blindly follow the teachings she has been taught or will the appearance of a young boy with beautiful eyes and a supernatural draw be her undoing? 

This book lacked sound Biblical backing, more of a new age flair with a splash of Christianity thrown in. This book would not be the first book that I would recommend to my readers. I think it may be an okay choice for adults and older teens who have a good solid foundation in their faith. This and the dark subject matter left me feeling slightly bewildered and frankly a bit disappointed.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

Ted Dekker

Ted Dekker is the award-winning and New York Times bestselling author of more than forty novels, with over 10 million copies sold worldwide. He was born in the jungles of Indonesia to missionary parents, and his upbringing as a stranger in a fascinating...

                                         Continue reading about Ted Dekker

Rachelle Dekker

Rachelle Dekker is the Christy Award-winning author of The Choosing, The Calling, and The Returning in the Seer series. The oldest daughter of New York Times bestselling author Ted Dekker, Rachelle was inspired early on to...

Continue reading about Rachelle Dekker

Book Review: Welcome To Adulting Survival Guide, 42 Days to Navigate Life

From The Back:

Real help for navigating the real world
It's wild. One day people finally start treating you like an adult. And it feels good. For a while. Then you run into adult problems, and everyone acts like you should know what to do in any given situation. But what if you don't? What if, when everyone expects you to stand on your own two feet, you're just trying to put one foot in front of the other without tripping?

If adulting has got you stressed, anxious, or even despairing, what you need is sound, biblical advice from someone who's been there. JP Pokluda's got you covered. He's worked with tens of thousands of young adults, and he can tell you which choices lead to success and which ones lead to trouble down the road. With his expert guidance, you'll learn to navigate the many decisions you have to make in life, including building and maintaining strong relationships, achieving career goals, and overcoming anxiety.

You're just six weeks away from a more confident and capable you. The Welcome to Adulting Survival Guide will get you there in one piece.

My Reflections:

If you read my post on the first book by this authour you will remember how much I admired Jonathan Pokluda for his ability to speak truth into a very pivotal point in life, young adulthood. So much is happening at this time that it is no wonder that so many church raised young people fall away from their faith and get lost in the world. 

Pokluda simplifies things down in this book with easy to read devotionals and thought-provoking topics, even I who is well into Adulting found the readings enlightening and engaging! In this devotional, the reading starts with a topic then scripture and then a passage sprinkled with stories and step by step ways on how to navigate the issue. 

A few of the topics include A Day Of Rest, The Warning Signal For Anger, The Antidote for Anxiety, Too Fast or Not to Fast?, Live For Eternity to name just a few of my favourites. 

If you have a young adult it may be wise to leave this somewhere they may pick it up, or depending on your family you could do this together as a mom and son devotional? I'm pretty sure my son won't pick this up on his own, so I'm going to read a few here and there with him to start some great dialogue. 

Since these daily devotionals are short and sweet these will be a breeze to fit into any busy schedule. That being said they pack a punch and keep you pondering well after you have read your daily assignment. Pick up book one "Welcome To Adulting" but remember to get this companion guide, these two books are very different and you wouldn't want just one or the other. Thanks, Jonathan Pokluda, this is precisely what I was looking for in a Young Adult Devotional!

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

Jonathan Pokluda

Jonathan "JP" Pokluda is pastor at Harris Creek in Waco, Texas, and former leader of The Porch, where he saw the ministry grow from 150 to more than 7,000 young adults. The author of the bestselling Welcome to Adulting, Pokluda came to...

Continue reading about Jonathan Pokluda

Book Review: 100 Words Of Affirmation Your Husband Needs To Hear

From the Back:

Simple, Loving Words to Encourage Him Every Day
Every one of us has tremendous power to either build others up or tear them down through the words we speak every day, and nowhere is this more evident than in our marriages. Are you being purposeful in how you use the power of your words to speak encouragement, strength, and love--breathing life into the heart of your husband? Or are careless words negatively impacting your marriage and the heart of the one you love most?

Lisa Jacobson wants you to discover the powerful ways you can build up your husband in love with the words you choose to say every day--words every husband needs to hear. This book offers you 100 things to say to your husband that deeply encourage, affirm, and inspire him. Start speaking these words into his life and watch your husband--and your relationship--transform before your eyes.

My Reflections:

Lisa Jacobson's book hits the nail on the head with her book titled "100 words of affirmation your husband needs to hear." There were so many things I enjoyed about this book. I loved that it was small, easily read in bite-sized busy mom pieces. Her format is very clean precise and easy to maneuver. It's not overly wordy or flowery.

I adore my husband and want to show him just how much I do admire and love him. Life is busy and in that bluster, we often take for granted our treasured relationships. Jacobson's 100 words, is filled with her humour and candour. Jacobson reminds us that today is all we really have, let's seize this day to use the most powerful gift God has given us our tongue to uplift and strengthen our marriages. It starts with simple phrases like "I got your back Babe." My family roars at this because we have never used pet names, and that phrase is just so unlike our natural language that the kids think it's hilarious....however I think he secretly loves it! 

If you are looking for ways that you can use simple words to empower your relationships this may just be the book for you. I know I certainly enjoyed implementing these easy to use phrases into our everyday conversations.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

Lisa Jacobson

Lisa Jacobson is an author, a speaker, and the founder and host of Club31Women.com, a powerful online community of Christian women authors who write weekly on the topics of husband, home, family, and biblical truths--a powerful voice for biblical womanhood...

Continue reading about Lisa Jacobson

Book Review: Beholding and Becoming, The Art Of Everyday Worship

Become What You Behold

You are in the process of becoming. Every day is an opportunity to be shaped and formed by what moves your heart…drives your thoughts…captures your gaze. Is it any wonder that where you direct your eyes and your heart matter in your day-to-day?

We become what we behold when we set our hearts and minds on Christ and His redemption story here in the details of our daily lives. Not just on Sunday, not just on holidays, not just when extraordinarily hard or wonderful things happen…but today.  

Bestselling author and artist Ruth Chou Simons invites you on a new journey to Beholding and Becoming.  With more than 850 pieces of intricate, original artwork, Ruth encourages you to elevate your gaze to the One who created all things.

Today is an opportunity for God to demonstrate His love and His faithfulness in the midst of your mundane. No circumstance is too ordinary or too forgotten for Him to meet you there in worship. His transforming grace turns your “everyday ordinary” into a holy place of becoming.

My Reflections:

This exquisitely crafted book is as inspiring on the inside as it is beautiful on the outside. 

Ruth Chou Simon's newest book points us to the truths God has for us. Her beautiful artwork coupled with meaningful scrip makes this book a delight to read. The quality of this devotional has a luxurious feel, the hardbound outer shell and thick beautifully crafted pages delight the senses, but the real gem of this book is what is contained within the pages themselves. 

Ruth does not softly skim the top she delves deeply into the relevant subject matter like living your ordinary mundane life with purpose and joy. Every act of our lives can be an expression of love and joy. Ruth excels in her ability to draw her reader in with fascinating stories, beautifully penned metaphors and intentional devotions.

If you are looking for a new devotional that is uplifting as much as it is beautiful, look no further. I feel blessed with the opportunity to review Ruth's newest book. I am going to look at purchasing her first book titled Gracelaced. 

Book has been provided courtesy of Harvest House and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

RUTH SIMONS

Ruth Chou Simons is a Wall Street Journal bestselling author, entrepreneur, and speaker. She shares her journey of God’s grace intersecting daily life with word and paintbrush through an online shoppe at GraceLaced.com and her Instagram community of more than a hundred thousand. Ruth and her husband, Troy, are grateful parents to...

Read More >