Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.
Welcome to August. Our month came in like a lion with storms and a tornado warning. Some areas had storm damage, but not as bad as it could have been. Looks like a sunny week with a few scattered thunderstorms.
Not a very productive week, but I did get some reading done and harvested a few vegetables. I have also been binge watching Fuller House.
We started a weekly Zoom Bible study on Sunday. I've missed attending church services. Many places are still holding online services. Facebook Live and Zoom are nice, but they aren't like seeing people. I pray we can get back to in-person services soon.
My physical mailbox held one treat this week.
I also grabbed these Kindle freebies.
What presents did your mailbox hold? What is one thing you've been missing during the pandemic? How are you coping?
Position Yourself to Experience Holy Spirit Outpouring!
Ask the LORD for rainIn the time of the latter rain. (Zechariah 10:1)
God is pouring out His Spirit and revival rain is falling across the Earth. How should you respond? Ask for more!
How can revival impact your everyday life? Maybe you’ve thought revival is for “super-charged” Christians—not for everyday people going through everyday life. Wrong. God wants your everyday to be overflowing with Holy Spirit power.Do you feel like there is more to being a Christ-follower than rhetoric, rules and regulations? The truth is, you were created for a dynamic relationship with the living God. Don’t settle for scattered showers when there is a great outpouring available.
God is seeking ready ground to pour out His revival rain on.
Are you ready?
File Size: 2262 KB
Print Length: 226 pages
Publisher: Destiny Image (April 26, 2016)
Publication Date: April 26, 2016
Sold by: Amazon.com Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B01CN2HGGI
There is an epidemic plaguing our culture. Sadly, Christians are not immune to it. In fact, as followers of Christ, we may be more susceptible to the outbreak than we realize. And if we're not careful, it can incapacitate us before we even understand what's happening. But, there's One answer to every anxiety for every person. Anxiety Attack explores how we get ourselves into patterns of sinful anxiety and how God, in His grace, leads us back out.
Kevin Weeks serves as the founding and Senior Pastor of Mission City Bible Church in Brantford, Ontario. His passion is to shepherd God's people with God's word toward God's mission so that God's name would be known among all the nations. After 15 years in ministry, God called Kevin and his family, along with many other families, to plant a church in Brantford in 2014. Since then, they have seen God's grace and power in countless ways. "Break Forth Radio," (a ministry of Mission City Bible Church that airs one-minute clips from Kevin's sermons) broadcasts daily on Christian radio across the Brant region. Kevin earned his Bachelor's degree from Heritage College, his Master's degree from Briercrest Seminary, and is currently working on a Doctor of Ministry degree in Missions and Evangelism from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Kevin and his wife, Stacey, have three children and live in Brantford. Download here!
A unique and engaging way to view the Book of Psalms awaits you in Painting the Psalms by Cherie Burbach.
In this beautiful and moving book, the author shares the beauty of the Psalms and how they have influenced her art. Each painting is accompanied by text explaining the inspiration behind the art and followed by Scripture and the materials used to create the painting.
There were two reasons I requested to review Painting the Psalms: I wanted to experience one of my favorite books of the Bible in a new way, and the painting on the cover reminded me of artwork from a local author that I admire.
The paintings are stunning. I could look at them for hours. Painting the Psalms is a great book to display or would make a wonderful coffee table book. It would be even better in hardcover.
There were moments I felt the narration was too personalized. Many passages spoke of the author's feelings or experiences, so in those moments I felt kept at a distance and not truly able to appreciate the beauty of the passages or feel the Scripture speaking to me. I did find, however, some explanations to be more generalized, like with "Her Home Was Peace and Kindness," where the author speaks of how we spend a lot of time on the concept of home and how, in the end, the only true home is a spiritual one. Those were moments that drew me in closer.
Regardless of that, I enjoyed Painting the Psalms from beginning to end. I'll definitely be reading through it again.
Paperback: 104 pages
Publisher: Independently published (March 18, 2019)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1090858671
ISBN-13: 978-1090858672 I received a copy of this book from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.
Are you a mom who is stressed? Worn out? Grumpy? Those moments come to all of us. In Grumpy Mom Takes a Holiday by Valerie Woerner, the author shares some of her trials as a mother and encourages other moms to ignore the world's lies about motherhood and, instead, embrace the energy, joy and peace that can be found in spending purposeful time with God amid the daily chaos that is called motherhood.
Grumpy Mom Takes a Holiday will have you smiling. It will have you laughing. There are moments where you'll say to yourself, "Yes, that's just how I feel." In this helpful resource, you'll learn Woerner's story of how she realized she needed to tackle her Grumpy Mom for her and her family's sake. Then she plots out action steps for you to take so you can rein in your Grumpy Mom. Each chapter also has a Bible verse and a prayer.
One of the best pieces of advice for me came in Chapter 4. This chapter discusses worry--something we moms know a lot about. Woerner puts worry (and our need to control things) into the right perspective by reminding the reader that God is the One in control. As she says, "He is able to love my kids better, discipline them better, comfort them better, and counsel them better than I ever could."
Grumpy Mom Takes a Holiday reminds the reader to trust in the Lord, spend time in His presence, and be open to His plan for your life. In the fourth section, Woerner talks about connecting to your spouse, your friends, and with God. There are tons of helpful tips here on how to connect in all these relationships. The last section is about thriving--enjoying some breathing room, slowing down, and living in the moment. For me, anyway, this is the hardest part. As Woerner says, however, "...with God's help, we're going to choose peace and joy and fulfillment right in the middle of it."
I truly enjoyed Grumpy Mom Takes a Holiday and will hold onto it for future reference. Also available is Fresh Start for Moms: A 31-Day Devotional Journal to Renew Your Joy, which nicely complements Grumpy Mom Takes a Holiday.
Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.
Please join me in saying a prayer for the families of those who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect freedom around the world. As it says in the Gospel of John 15:13, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."
Many times, our armed forces are laying down their lives for strangers, never mind friends. I'm not sure I could do the same.
The mailbox was slow this week, but I've got plenty to keep me busy. The Lil' Diva graduates this coming Friday, so there are senior events at school and prom to look forward to. I've got a medical procedure scheduled for Thursday, so I'll lose a bit of work time. Better make the best of the rest of the week.
Here's what my mailbox held:
What did your mailbox have in store for you last week?
Many of us have visions and dreams. We don't, however, always have a practical plan to follow and make them a reality.
In Does Your Vision Need an Engineer?author Rufus Chambers III helps teach readers how to attach a plan of action to their divinely inspired vision.
This resource uses the story of Nehemiah's vision to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, to inspire you to create a strategic plan to execute your vision. Listing a series of "vision characteristics," you learn about the need for accountability, how to realize your vision is bigger than you, that a vision requires resources and protection, and more traits that are important before moving forward.
After these vision characteristics, the author shares a series of steps to follow to advance your vision, like the importance of identifying resources, knowing your strengths and weaknesses, assembling your team and creating a timeline, followed by implementation, evaluation, and expansion and more.
This faith-based resource challenges as of us to become Vision Engineers™. It's a unique way of looking at strat planning and accepting God's vision for your life. It's a quick read, but you'll want to refer back to it often.
File Size: 2736 KB
Print Length: 125 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1795624744
Publication Date: March 24, 2019
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
Language: English
I received a digital copy of this book from the author. This review contains my honest opinion, which I have not been compensated for in any way.
Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.
Welcome to the last Monday of 2018 and last day of the year. I will be hanging out at home. Do you have any fun plans?
Hope you all had a lovely Christmas. The three kids were here on Christmas Eve. Then we traveled to my brother-in-law and sister-in-law's house for Christmas Day. Since I cooked the night before, there was no cooking mess to clean up. I simply brought some leftovers with us to their house. It was so wonderful not staying up late to clean.
As you can tell from the reviews I've been posting, I'm trying to catch up on some reading. I've also got book reviews coming up in January, so I better get started soon.
My mailbox has been busy lately. These are all for virtual book tours:
I also downloaded some Kindle freebies (I guess the other 555 aren't enough to keep me busy).
I will be setting goals for the new year soon. I'm also in the middle of working on my vision board. Still haven't put my 2019 business plan together. That's coming up soon too.
Wishing all of your a happy and healthy new year filled with blessings.
The Angry Christian is a helpful and thought-provoking resource for those seeking to understand this powerful emotion.
While browsing the new offerings at our local library, I stumbled upon The Angry Christian by Bert Ghezzi. While not a new book, this is a 2018 new edition with foreword by Brandon Vogt. Just barely over 100 pages, this amazing book provides a Bible-based way to approach anger.
The Angry Christian answers questions like:
Is anger always sinful?
When is anger okay?
What is the difference between self-help and God-help?
It provides instruction on how to get angry the right way. Most importantly, it is filled with examples from the Bible.
I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I picked up The Angry Christian, but I am so glad I did. It gave me an entirely different perspective on an emotion I've always struggled with. I'm going to buy my own copy so I have it as a reference when I need it.
Highly recommended!
Hardcover: 112 pages
Publisher: Paraclete Press; New edition (March 20, 2018)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1640600396
ISBN-13: 978-1640600393
This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.
Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.
Here we are back to Monday. I hope you had a fabulous weekend. I worked my tail off, which is worth every aching muscle, because the dumpster leaves today and my house is much cleaner for it. Between donating things and tossing stuff, our house is definitely more organized. I am looking forward to getting this place ready for Christmas. That was made a bit easier when I won this beautiful wreath at our work holiday luncheon.
Trying to read, but I've got a lot going on here. These are two I am trying to finish up:
My physical mailbox was empty last week, but I picked up these two books that were Kindle freebies.
What was in your mailbox? Hope you have a blessed week.
Are you looking for a book that can help change your perspective? Then Going for Broke: How to Suffer Wellby Shannon Medisky should be on your list.
Medisky has spent the last ten years learning a lot about suffering, but her book isn't going to be about how to get out of it or how to avoid it, because she knows that God allows us to suffer, but also "meets us in our mess." In those moments when life just "sucks," she encourages us to face suffering in "anticipation of meeting God personally in brand new ways."
Providing a fresh perspective on how God called Noah and Moses and what they suffered through, along with sharing her own journey, the reader is inspired to accept suffering, but not be defeated by it. She boils it down to three easy-to-remember steps to help you and guide you to intentionally lean on God in meaningful ways.
I loved everything about this book; especially because Medisky's style of writing makes the reader feel like she is speaking solely to her. I'll be on the lookout for more of the author's work, and have visited her website to check on additional resources.
I received a digital copy of this book from the author through Pump Up Your Book. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.
But there's very important work—and rewards—we need to be occupied with in the middle of it all.
Suffering has a way of stretching us beyond ourselves. It prompts us to stretch outside of our current comfort zones. But no matter how we feel, we don’t have to be buried by our challenges and circumstances. Instead, we can recognize that God has planted us right where we are for a reason: It’s time to get growing.
Here’s how.
Excerpt:
INTRODUCTION
Einstein once said, "God doesn't play dice." He also made it very clear that he didn't believe in a personal God, but rather he trusted that there were underlying laws of nature that made perfect sense of some of the science (mainly quantum mechanics) that even he couldn't wrap his brilliant mind around.
Einstein was an incredible man of science, but he also appreciated that he couldn't make sense of everything. Yet, even in the midst of this, Einstein professed that there still had to be a rhyme and reason to it all. Even if he or current science couldn't make sense of it, Einstein held the belief that there was still a structure, an order behind it all.
I believe the same is true for suffering. I believe this because I've seen evidence of it firsthand.
To put it bluntly, I watch my son die a slow, painful death daily. He suffers terribly, and my heart suffers, too. My heart breaks each time he cries out to me for comfort and relief, and there's nothing I can do.
My head is weary of keeping tabs of his daily intake of protein. Too little and he becomes catabolic, metabolizing his own muscle tissue. Too much, and ammonia levels rise in his blood stream causing debilitating headaches and irreversible cognitive loss. There's no cure, and that's just the tip of the medical and genetic iceberg.
There's also the GRIN2B genetic mutation that causes my son debilitating joint pain, short and long-term memory loss and yet more metabolic issues. His specific mutation causes his body to convert the amino acid called arginine to histidine. This poor kid can't seem to eat enough food to ever really feel full because he can't eat more than about 15 grams of protein per day.
Think about that for a moment.
Imagine being underweight with low muscle tone, experiencing constant headaches and joint pain and then never feeling fully satiated…and that's when he actually feels up to eating at all.
It's hard enough to watch Mark suffer, to walk through all of this with him. I can't imagine how difficult it must be to be him.
Mark’s physical suffering alone is staggering to imagine. Prior to joining our family through adoption, Mark was subject to severe abuse and neglect. Deprived of basic nutrition, physical touch and comfort as an infant, it's not surprising that he suffered cognitively, developmentally and behaviorally as a result.
I share all of this because I've heard it said that one should write about what one knows. The last ten years have taught me quite a bit about suffering: how it feels, the toll it takes, and just how unsettling it is when looking ahead holds no promise of relief or respite. I know how it feels to not be able to quite catch your breath, to feel completely and utterly helpless, to vacillate between wondering if you're (really) strong enough to keep going or when exactly you're going to fall apart.
It's from this place that I write about suffering, an open, raw place of complete transparency, because frankly I don't think there's enough out there about it. Everyone experiences hardship at some point. Christ even told us to expect it (John 16:33). Yet most every blog post, podcast and article I’ve come across covers how to get out of it, how to avoid it or—even worse—does a tremendous disservice by quickly trying to sugarcoat it. Suffering is rarely if ever a choice. It’s a natural part of the human experience. So, why isn’t there more help out there on how to do it well?
I believe in the power of prayer. I know God can—and still does—move mountains. I also know that God allows suffering, too. Suffering is a part of His plan. If it weren't, Noah would've never been stuck on that big boat after watching everything he’d ever known be engulfed in water. Joseph never would've been thrown into a pit, sold into slavery and imprisoned. Jesus Himself would never have been ridiculed, tortured and crucified.
During my prayers for Mark's relief and the easing of my own emotional burden, none of this escapes me.
We don't have to relish suffering. We don't have to run after it. It's completely natural to want to avoid it. Even Christ prayed to the Father and asked that suffering be taken from Him if it was within God's will (Mark 14:36). But sometimes suffering is a part of the plan, a piece of the story that God is weaving together in our lives. If we know this is true, that sometimes suffering is a part of the Lord’s greater plan, then doesn't it make sense to prepare for it as best we can?
It has been said that misery loves company, so I took the hint. I dove into Scripture and surrounded myself with what felt like old friends, but I visited with them in different ways. While their stories were nothing new, I connected with what their emotional experiences must have been in brand new and very personal ways. I noted what they did and how God responded to their thoughts, words and actions. I found patterns and parallels. In my searching, I discovered evidence time and time again that God truly does meet us in our mess.
Jesus said, "What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops" (Matthew 10:27 ESV).
Jesus will tell us things in the dark when we're unsure and insecure. It is in this darkness where He whispers to us, sharing things that are only accessible when we're willing, able and waiting to hear.
Suffering is often the place of this darkness.
During suffering we're broken enough to stop listening to ourselves, and instead tune in more carefully to His whispers. Ironically enough, it's usually in the middle of hardship where our relationship with Jesus can truly grow the most. Whether we like it or not, hardship often pushes us out of our comfort zones. Suffering enables us to grow through what we go through.
From this perspective, what a tremendous opportunity suffering can be!
Yes, hardship hurts.
Yes, suffering sucks.
But there's very important work—and rewards—we need to be occupied with in the middle of it all. That's exactly how this book is different. In the pages that follow, you won't discover how to pray your way out of challenges and pain. Quite the opposite, actually. You'll be encouraged to go for broke, to face suffering head on in anticipation of meeting God personally in brand new ways. Suffering has a way of stretching us beyond ourselves. It prompts us to reach outside of our current comfort zones.
This book has been designed to help you take full advantage of this, to essentially help you not waste your pain. If God allows us to suffer, then we can rest assured that it isn't and won't be for not (Romans 8:28).
Suffering isn't just an experience or state we're in. It's a skill, too.
We can squander our experiences and energy trying to spin our wheels to get out of suffering as soon as we can (and sometimes futilely so) or we can choose to suffer well. We can be intentional about how we respond to suffering. We can work on ourselves, actively seeking to grow into all that God wants us to be. We can work on our listening skills, discovering how to quiet ourselves and the chaos around us. We can practice and grow in patience as we wait on God, His will, and His timing. In short, we can recognize with our choices and our actions that, yes, suffering is in God's plan for us, too.
If you're suffering now, I hope this book serves as a tool to help you feel less helpless. I hope that it helps you discover new opportunities to grow closer to and experience God in ways you've never known before. I hope that it helps you realize that you are not buried by your current circumstance or hardship even if that's exactly how you feel, but rather God has planted you right where you are for a reason: It's just time to get growing.
Shannon Medisky is a leading expert in struggling with stress, screwing up and seeking God in the midst of it all. Sometimes funny but always real, Shannon’s writing is infused with practical ideas designed to help others create positive, real change in their daily lives. In short, Shannon writes about how to intentional move from simply "going on" to growing on—by God's grace. Shannon's articles, insights and ideas have been featured in Exceptional Parents, Adoptive Families, Hybrid Mom, Mothering and Focus on the Family’s Thriving Family. For the past nine years, Shannon's also worked as contributing writer and curriculum designer for OneHope, a global nonprofit ministry devoted to sharing the life-changing message of the Gospel with youth and children worldwide. To learn more, visit GraceToGrowOn.com.
I am a reviewer for the Tyndale Blog Network. Here are two titles I recently requested for review.
The news is filled with stories of violence, division, and despair. American politics have become polarized. Effective leadership is in short supply. Change may seem outside our reach. And Christians struggle to understand their role in reversing the downward spiral of our nation.
Dr. Tony Evans offers a healthy dose of hope: the solution to our nation’s problems and unrest isn’t out of reach. The solution is here—and each one of us as Kingdom Citizens has a vital role to play.
Be assured that our God is greater than any challenge—and He has promised to equip His people. In Kingdom Citizen, you’ll discover how to respond in faith, in spite of a country and culture in decline.
Here is a powerful call to action for concerned Christians. Here is a call for unity and restoration. And here is strong assurance that each of us has the ability to walk justly, to seek truth, and to stand in the gap for our land.
Help, hope, and spiritual strength for the mom in the trenches.
Moms today have a lot to handle! It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the responsibility of raising a family, especially in a culture that’s spiraling away from Christianity at an alarming speed. Yet our God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The battle belongs to him, and his strength shines bright when we bring our weaknesses to Him and simply say, “Here. I can’t, but You can.”
Prayers for the Battlefield is a collection of prayers and reflections to help you stay strong through the daily challenges of motherhood. Whether you’re a new mom or a soon-to-be empty nester, Heidi St. John writes Scripture-filled and Spirit-infused prayers for every season of motherhood, helping you raise God-fearing children who will live out their love for Christ and make a difference in our world.
Let God determine the outcome of the battles you’re facing today—because the ultimate victory belongs to him.
Do either of these titles seem of interest to you?
Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.
Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles, and humongous wish lists.
We are back to Monday again. I've had three closings in seven days, so it feels like more time has passed. Sold a vacant lot in town this week and, by the end of today, I hope to have two more houses under contract.
Only one book to share this week. I picked it up at the recommendation of our pastor.
From college classrooms to bestselling books to the Internet, the historic picture of Jesus is under an intellectual onslaught. This fierce attack on the traditional portrait of Christ has confused spiritual seekers and created doubt among many Christians --- but can these radical new claims and revisionist theories stand up to sober scrutiny?
Has modern scholarship debunked the traditional Christ? Has the church suppressed the truth about Jesus to advance its own agenda? What if the real Jesus is far different from the atoning Savior worshipped through the centuries?
In The Case for the Real Jesus, former award-winning legal editor Lee Strobel explores such hot-button questions as: Did the church suppress ancient non-biblical documents that paint a more accurate picture of Jesus than the four Gospels? Did the church distort the truth about Jesus by tampering with early New Testament texts? Do new insights and explanations finally disprove the resurrection? Have fresh arguments disqualified Jesus from being the Messiah? Did Christianity steal its core ideas from earlier mythology?
Evaluate the arguments and evidence being advanced by prominent atheists, liberal theologians, Muslim scholars, and others. Sift through expert testimony. Then reach your own verdict in The Case for the Real Jesus.
Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.
Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles, and humongous wish lists.
Happy Monday! It was a crazy week for me last week, so I didn't blog much anywhere. It was hard enough getting from Point A to Point B in time. Sold a record-breaking number of homes over the last twelve days (hate the paperwork) and am still cleaning out my in-laws' house to get it ready for sale. One of the nice things about that is going through their bookshelves and connecting with books that are new to me or reconnecting with books I lent them that I'm now taking back. Like these:
I'm sure there are more, but these are the ones upstairs right now. I'm also pruning the book shelves at my own house because the annual library book sale starts this Tuesday. I managed to part with 45 books (probably another record). I don't part with books easily.
Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.
Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles, and humongous wish lists.
Is it possible I haven't participate in Mailbox Monday since August 28? Wow! My life must truly be crazy. Here is the abridged version: tons of closings and some new listings (made top listing agent in my office in September), continued health issues plague my father-in-law and I'm very involved in his care, it's soccer season, and I'm still trying to pretend I can make time for my writing.
In the book world, I'm doing a bit better with reading but still not a lot of time for that. I'm usually too exhausted. That hasn't stopped me from buying anything. :)
Stopped by Traveler Restaurant in Union, CT in September. You can choose three free books when you dine there and books are also available to purchase. Picked up these two:
This must have been before they decided to separate it into separate volumes to make it more manageable.
This also has different editions now and there are four books in the series.
Being a true Laura Ingalls Wilder fan I picked up these two new books from Amazon:
And who can resist a book sale from Christianbook.com...not me.
This arrived from an author I had read before:
This was received for a virtual book tour:
That's it from me. I pray you all have a great week filled with blessings. Hope you'll share some of your new books here.
