I read this book several months ago, then loaned it out to several friends. I have gotten it back and am reading it again. I LOVE this book. John MacArthur writes like he is having a conversation with you. Very easy to read. He breaks down how to truly surrender to the lordship of Christ and become the best possible servant to our Savior. I found myself admiring the truths in this book. So many ministers sugar coat the Word, and while John isn't harsh or offensive, he does tell it like it is! We can't continue to live our lives as we did before Christ came into it, and expect to reap the full benefit of Him being our Savior. We must surrender to Christ's leadership. John leads the reader through the scriptures on a journey of self discipline and submission the the will of Jesus. He tells HOW to grow closer to Christ, on a daily basis, and backs it up with scriptures. I will be getting more of his books. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one.

Blog Merge

I have been having the worst time logging into my craft blog so I have decided to merge the two blogs and only have to keep up with one. I hope this works out okay and I don't mess things up too badly. Lol. So from now on this will be my craft AND book blog. I will be making changes along the way to try to make it the best that I can.

A Triple Threat novel

The Triple Threat is made up of Cassidy the crime reporter, Nicole the FBI agent, and Allison the federal prosecutor. Together they help stop criminals and bring justice when laws are broken.

I had never heard of them before this book, but I so enjoyed this novel and I WILL be reading more of this series.

In this story, the Triple Threat is broken and reshaped, The crimes becomes personal. Murder and terror follow them wherever they go.They have to figure out who is behind it before it is too late.

They find a true friend in a P.I. by the name of Ophelia. Ophelia is a bit on the eccentric side, but she is very smart and she is an awesome investigator. They enlist her help because they aren't "officially" allowed on the case, but they HAVE to find the criminal.

There is great loss but also growth in this story. They learn that losing someone they love doesn't mean that there is no more good in life. It just means that life has changed. The writing is fairly graphic (but not terribly bad). I found it disturbing in a few places but I think it was mostly because I lost my Dad recently and the details brought back some unwelcome memories. But, really, what do you expect from a murder mystery? There are going to be descriptions of dead bodies! Lol.

I found this book to be very enjoyable to read and it has re-awakened my like of mysteries. I haven't read a good mystery in a long time, but I will be seeking them out after this novel.

I only have one complaint and it is not about the story but about the format. I get books for free from Book Sneeze in exchange for writing a review. I normally get the printed books but this time they didn't have one I found interesting. When I saw this one as an ebook, I decided it was worth trying. I don't have an ereader but I do have Kindle for PC so I can read ebooks on my laptop. I MUCH prefer a print book. I found it uncomfortable to have to read this on my computer. I couldn't take it with me anywhere. So I have decided I will either have to get an ereader, or just print books from Book Sneeze (which seems to be becoming more and more rare!) or just suck it up and keep reading them on my laptop. Lol. (I do wish Book Sneeze had more books in print, though.)

If you like murder mysteries then this is the book (series) for you!

Heart of Gold

   Here is the latest and, in my opinion, probably the best romance I have ever read. This one is set back in 1864, during the Civil War Era. A pastor from Virginia moves to "rough-and-tumble" Grand Coeur, Idaho to open a church there and to try to keep his daughter, Shannon, safe from the war. She, naturally, hates it there and only wants to move back to the more "civilized" land that she calls home.
   The stage coach driver that brings them to Grand Coeur is temporarily retiring from driving stage coaches for Well Fargo and is taking a "desk job" so that he can care for his ailing sister and her 10 year old son. He figures he will start driving again once his sister is back in good health.
   Enter the suave Southern gentleman that Shannon feels she has something in common with (after all, he is the only other Southerner in that primitive town), and he understands her feelings about the "Yankees" and how she misses her home.
   This is a story of how God's plans are not always what we have planned for our lives. But His plans ARE always the best thing for us.
   This isn't just a typical falling in love story. There is a story of growth, and of how life changes us and how we look at things. There is also a mystery to be solved...who is robbing the stage and how to stop them before someone gets killed. The romance takes place in the midst of the story of friendships grown, loss of loved ones, and trying to find out who the "bad guys" are. It has a real feel to it that most "romances" are sadly lacking.
   I will be on the lookout for more books by Robin Lee Hatcher. She is a brilliant novelist and I would recommend her books to everyone. (Now I have to make a trip to the library to look for more books by her, so see you all next time and God bless you all.)

Busy little bee

I've been working on the doggie bed for my brother's puppy, but it is taking longer than I had hoped. I have had to patch my roof and work on my car and have been "babysitting" a friend that just had knee replacement surgery (there were complications and he had to have a second surgery.) I have the top layer of the bottom almost finished and the sides have been done for a while. Once I get the crocheted part done, I only have to cut out the memory foam and the fabric for the bottom layer of the bottom. (The memory foam will be sandwiched between the crocheted "top" and the fabric "bottom".)
I just wanted to ask you all to not give up on me yet. I AM still alive and "creating".
:-)
I'll be back soon. (I am having a bit of trouble signing in lately, but as long as I am able to get back here I will!)

Max on Life

 

 

 Here is the last of the books I reviewed on Spark People. Again you can't click on this photo to see inside.

Monday, April 18, 2011

I just read a good book by Max Lucado, named Max on Life. The format is a question/answer layout...he prints the question someone has asked him, then he prints his reply to the question.

I have never read any of his books before, although I am very familiar with his name. I decided to finally venture into "Max realm" when I saw that this book was on BookSneeze.

I have to admit that when I first started reading it I wasn't very impressed. His answers seemed rushed and not very in depth. The first chapter was a nice read, but not that impressive. Then I started the second chapter and I was hooked! I even came across a passage that helped me do something that I have been struggling with for a while and couldn't bring myself to do it because I knew it would hurt someone I love. He said "Love does whatever is in the best interest of a person" and I realized that no matter how it hurts either of us NOW, I HAD to do what was best for them in the long run! That one sentence had a huge impact on me at this point in my life.
So I have to admit that after the first chapter, I LOVED this book. Max's answers seemed to get deeper and I got more out of the book. He may not have answered the questions about life the same way I may have, but he did answer them in a way that shows love and compassion, and the Spirit of Christ.

Even if you aren't facing something in your life that brings questions, or makes you struggle, (but, really...who ISN'T?) this is a good read just for the insight. I found it very pleasant to read and the way it is laid out it is a quick read. There is a question at the top of the page, then his answer on the rest of the page (sometimes "bleeding over" to the next page. Each chapter is a different category. "Hope", "Hurt", "Help", etc.

I really enjoyed reading this.

The Quotable Chesterton By Kevin Belmonte

 

 

Another book I posted on Spark People. I got the picture off of Amazon; you can't click on it to see inside!

Sunday, February 27, 2011

I got the book "The quotable Chesterton" by Kevin Belmonte free from Book Sneeze and have agreed to write a blog "review".
I personally found it interesting for the most part. I am not familiar with Chesterton's work, but the bits that are in this book give me the impression that he spoke his mind. There were some "Quotes" that I thought were dry and not a tasty read, but others I found enlightening, and still other just plain entertaining.The quotes are arranged under "subject" and are alphabetically entered in the book. For example: "Academia", "Accommodation", "Accountability", "Adventure"...etc. Some of the quotes are just a few sentences, while others are several paragraphs. Out of five stars I would give it a three star rating, mainly because I'm not familiar with his work. I think it would help to have read some of the books that these quotes were taken from. I like reading to learn something or to just be entertained, and this book just didn't draw me in like I like to be drawn in. (I guess I'm saying it was too easy to put down.) But, again, in defense of the book, I think it would help if a person was familiar with Chesterton's work, which I am not.

 

 

Oh, THIS is the first book I got from Book Sneeze. It is an AMAZING little book! I originally posted this on Spark People.

Monday, January 25, 2010

I just read "I Wish You Enough" by Bob Perks and found it to be an amazing book. It is filled with stories he has personally experienced or that others have told him about their lives. All of the stories are inspiring and uplifting, even the ones that made me cry. (I lost count of how many that was! LOL) It is written from a Christian point of view, but he doesn't cram Christ down your throat so it would be a good book for even non-Christians to read. (I personally agree with everything the man says in the book) There is a lot of good insight in this book and if you want to get the most out of life, I recommend reading this book. I give it 5 stars. It is an easy book to read. I read it in the dentist office while waiting for my Mom to have a tooth pulled. (Yes, I got weepy eyed in public! Not ashamed to admit it either. [chuckle]) My favorite stories are (this may change each time I read it): They Ran Through the Rain Believing (page 21); If You Only Knew (page 42); She Didn't Have to Say a Word (page 48); All She Had Was a Broken Heart (page 55); A Change Of Heart (page 107); The Orchid Girl (page 111). I hope this book touches many lives and blesses many hearts. God bless Bob Perks and his family! I give this book 5 stars.

Beautiful things happen when a Woman Trusts God

 

 

 

I think this was my first book (and blog) from BookSneeze. I posted it on Spark People also.

Wednesday, January 05, 2011

I read this book recently and just wanted to share how wonderful it is. It took me a while to read it, but it was worth every minute I spent on it. This is a book I will be keeping to read again.
Sheila takes you along on her journey to trusting the Lord, no matter what things LOOK like. She opens up about her trip down the lane of depression and her insecurities, and she takes you with her on her journey to trusting in the love that God has for His children. She is a wonderful writer and, reading this book was like listening to a best friend talk. It is a very uplifting and inspiring book, one that I think we should all read. We CAN overcome ANY trial if we learn to trust God and believe that He will not ask anything of us that is beyond His power to fulfill in us, if we will just TRUST HIM!

Eat Your Peas for Mom

 

 

 

This is a blog I posted on Spark People in April.  

Sunday, April 17, 2011

I got another free book from BookSneeze, and I just had to share it. I'm giving it to my Mom for Mother's Day. It is truly beautiful.
Okay, the name of this wonderful little book is "Eat your peas...for Mom" The words are written by Cheryl Karpen and the art work is by Sandy Fougner. (The artwork alone is worth getting this book for!)
I almost didn't get this book because of the title...I HATE peas! (They are evil little creatures!!!) But I realized that was pretty childish, that I didn't have to eat my peas just because some book told me to, so I went ahead and requested it. Am I ever glad that I did!!!
This is a beautiful book. It has a powerful impact for being so little. Each page is illustrated with beautiful graphics, and each page has a quick heart warming sentiment from a child to a mother.
Examples: "I am truly blessed because you are my mother." "You: tender, loving, smart, beautiful, forgiving, strong, patient, and kind. Me: fortunate." And, simply, "I love you."
I cannot say enough how beautiful the graphics are in this book. This will be a treasure for years to come (and may even make a great gift to be passed from generation to generation!)

Alienation

I finished another free book from Booksneeze and it is time to write the blog for it. Alienation is the second book in the C.H.A.O.S. novel series. I haven't read the first book in the series yet (Invasion), but it is now on my "to-read" list.
Alienation is about a teenage boy living with his grandfather after his parents were killed (I guess that happened in Invasion). He goes off to the C.H.A.O.S. Academy with his best friends Oz and Danielle to train to be the next generation of C.H.A.O.S. agents. They will be the LAST generation of agents unless they can stop the alien race, the shape-shifting Thule, from invading the Earth and destroying all humans. There is one major problem for Colt, though. One of the Thule, an assassin, is after him. He has been hired to kill Colt so that he can't become the future leader of C.H.A.O.S. Colt has had alien blood injected into him when he was very young (unbeknownst to him), so he has some of the abilities of the Thule. There is a prophecy that one of their own will defeat them, and they are afraid that it is Colt so he must be destroyed at any cost so that he cannot fulfill the prophecy.There is never a dull moment throughout this book and there are a few surprises. I liked the cool gadgets and weapons they have. Wouldn't mind having a few of them myself! Hahaha. I enjoyed the story and am looking forward to reading the first one and any others that follow. I loaned it to my brother and he enjoyed the story also.


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