Monday, August 30, 2010

We interupt this regularly scheduled book review...

A few weeks ago after I posted my review on His Princess Girl Talk with God, Christiana from Life of a Minister’s Wife left a comment about a similar series from her blog. Christiana asked if I would review her series and I am excited to so! Without further ado:



On a recent missions trip Christiana taught a Bible study to youth group girls of viewing themselves as daughters of the King. In this four part series on her blog, Christiana chronicles what she taught the girls, their reactions to her questions, and how to better see ourselves as the princesses we are.



The series has four parts:

1. Evaluation - evaluating how we see ourselves

2. Comparison - comparing how we see ourselves to how see princesses

3. Identification - Identifying who God is and who God says we are

4. Application - Applying who God says we are to how we see ourselves



I enjoyed this four part series and although it is aimed at younger girls, I think woman of any age can relate to all four parts. It is extremely easy to see only the negative and, as Christiana points out, compare ourselves to others regardless if the comparison is to a fairy princess or someone we see at the store.



Once we have established how we see and compare ourselves, Christiana does a great job in part three of showing us who God is. There are many Biblical references to back up her points.



Part 4 is my favorite because it offers practical ways to apply the earlier lessons to our lives. Christiana draws in the movie The Princess Diaries and writes out “God’s Princess Lessons” just as Mia’s grandmother gave Mia princess lessons to shape her into the princess she was born to be! Notice how Mia never thought of herself as a princess but that’s exactly what she was!



Favorite Line:

In part one; we learned that in general most women are critical and negative about themselves. In part two, we learned that we are willing to accept princesses for who they should be and are not critical about them—generally speaking. Next we are going to look at who God is and who we are in relation to Him.



Rating: 5 carats


Monday, August 23, 2010

Cool Beans


 

Cool Beans
By Erynn Mangum
Erynn Mangum is back with her quirky sense of humor and the pursuit of the perfect cup of coffee. In this book 24 year old barista, Maya Davis, is happily living life until her best friend and roommate starts dating her ex-boyfriend. The ex-boyfriend doesn’t recognize Maya and Maya can’t bring herself to tell her best friend of the past relationship. Chaos soon consumes Maya’s thoughts and she begins to question what she knows of who God is and what He is doing in her life.



Cool Beans has a lot of similarities to Erynn’s first series, The Lauren Holbrook Series. The main characters from these books, Maya and Lauren, have very similar personalities and habits yet they are both so loveable and identifiable any similarities in the books didn’t really matter. As in the Lauren Holbrook Series, this book is peppered with chocolate, coffee, tons of movie references, and the Style Network. Even with all this fun stuff, Cool Beans is anything but shallow. Erynn does a wonderful job displaying the daily struggles of pursuing a strong, personal relationship with the Lord without preaching all the while teaching the importance of a consistent quiet time.



Cool Beans is a quick fun read causing the reader to think about the consequences of not telling the truth and keeping strong in your faith. I think Erynn Mangum is well on her way to creating a Christian chick-lit genre all her own!



Favorite Line:

“It’s the whole Mary and Martha thing. If you’re focused on what you need to get done that day or on something that is bothering you, you’re not going to get anything out of your Bible reading. But if you focus on the words in front of you and pray for the ability to see beyond the page into how the words can make a difference in your life, you’ll get a whole lot more out of it.”



Rating: 5 carats
Check out Erynn's blog with pictures of her adorable baby boy!
Buy the book



Monday, August 16, 2010

Jesus, the only way to God

Jesus, the only way to God
By John Piper
About the book:
If the evangelical church at large was ever too confrontational in its evangelism, those days are gone. In our shrinking, pluralistic world, the belief that Jesus is the only way of salvation is increasingly called arrogant and even hateful. In the face of this criticism, many shrink back from affirming the global necessity of knowing and believing in Jesus. In Jesus, the Only Way to God, John Piper offers a timely plea for the evangelical church to consider what is at stake in surrendering the unique, universal place of Jesus in salvation.


My Review:


In this book John Piper sets out to answer one question, "Is Jesus the only way to God?" The answer is simply yes. John Piper breaks this book down into three questions people commonly ask when wondering if Jesus is the only way to heaven. He continually turns readers to the Bible in order to prove why Jesus is the only way.



John Piper’s writings are very deep and profound. This book is not for the faint of heart and not something to pick and read through fast. John Piper is an author requiring the reader to read through and through his writings until the reader understands what he is saying.



I listened to the audio version of this book and while the message is a good one, the narrator was awfully boring and dry to listen too.



Favorite Line:

"God opens the eyes of the blind when his spokesmen portray Jesus Christ. This is the work of the Holy Spirit in the world to glorify Jesus."

I recieved this book free for review from Christianaudio.com
 
Rating: 4 carats
Visit John Piper's ministry
Buy the audiobook

Monday, August 9, 2010

His Princess Girl Talk with God

His Princess Girl Talk with God
By Sheri Rose Shepherd

About the Book:
Like a loving father, God holds you in the palm of His hand. He loves you no matter what you wear, what you say, what you've done, or how you feel. And He wants you to live a wonderful life.




In His Princess Girl Talk with God, Sheri Rose Shepherd helps you experience God's unending love for you through forty devotions. Sheri remembers what it was like to be a teen girl, and she connects your experiences with God's love. Through these stories, love letters from God, Scriptures, and prayers, you'll feel just how much God treasures you--His Princess.



My Review:

His Princess Girl Talk with God



This is a 40 day devotional aimed at teenage-aged girls to help them see themselves as God sees them. Each devotional is two pages long starting with a Bible verse followed with a short story from Sheri Rose Shepherd’s life as a teenager and how she learned to see her worth in God. On the next page there is a short letter from “Your Father in Heaven” about how He created you and sees you as beautiful and a perfect part of His plan.



I really liked this book. I think this book is very relevant and speaks to more than just teenage girls. The message that we are daughters of the King and treasures to Him is something we all could spend a little more pondering.



Favorite Line:

“My English teacher did not teach me what I call God’s Grammar Lesson: Don’t put a period where He has a comma because He has a plan for every life He creates.”



Visit Shari's website
Buy the book

Rating: 5 carats



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

Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

Monday, August 2, 2010

Hurricanes In Paradise

Hurricanes in Paradise
By Denise Hildreth

About the Book:
When Riley Sinclair stepped into her new job as director of guest relations at a posh resort on Paradise Island, she felt the final pieces of her once-broken life coming together. But the waters become choppy when Riley discovers that some who come to the Atlantis Hotel are accompanied by paralyzing secrets and overwhelming fears. Riley and three guests are in desperate but unknowing need of each other, eventually forging unlikely yet powerful friendships. With a hurricane headed straight for the island, together they embark on a journey of laughter, heartache, and healing.

My Review:
Wow! I really liked this book. This is Denise Hildreth’s first book in two years and it was well worth the wait. I’ve read her books before but Hurricanes In Paradise is the best yet with a little bit of everything. It’s a beautiful story of fashion, friendship, overcoming pain, discovering who you were meant to be, and of course the beach! The four main characters are easy to fall in love with, flaws and all.




Tamyra, Winnie, Laine, and Riley were all strangers at the beginning of the book only to be transformed into lifelong friends as they vacationed at The Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas. The book alternates between the four women weaving their stories together. Denise has mastered the art of foreshadowing. With every scene she drew me in and right as I was holding my breath to see what happened, she switched to a different character whom I was equally as enthralled in. Even I wanted to skip pages ahead to see what happened and I am not a page skipper!



There is an urban legend which says the waters at the Atlantis heal and some come searching for it. These women are quick to find the water may not be what heals but are directed to the One who truly does heal. Denise talks about faith in God without being preachy and even through a fictional story can help you see that trusting in the Lord can heal our deepest hurts.



Favorite Quote:

“She was learning that control was an illusion, and she had a feeling that knowing would help her get through the week.”

I received this book free for review from Tyndale House Publishers
Rating: a whole gem parcel!!

Visit Denise's website
Buy the book