Review: The Jesus Bible

Nicholas was in need of a new Bible.  His Bible was the International Children's Version, and he was the 5th boy to use it, and it was falling apart.  He was also asking for a different translation--the International Children's Version is wonderful for younger children, but he wanted a translation like his brothers.

Therefore, when I had the opportunity to review The Jesus Bible (NIV), we were both thrilled.  This Bible is intended for ages 9-12.  The subtitle is "Discover Jesus in Every Book of the Bible".  Even the events of the Old Testament point to Jesus, and there are 365 devotions that point to this fact, as well as where Jesus is seen in the New Testament.  In addition, each book of the Bible has an introduction, and part of these introductions include "Where is Jesus in this book?".  The introductions also have other helpful information, such as who the key people are, when it took place, etc.  There is a timeline of Jesus's life, as well as a simplified family tree.

The font of this Bible is an easy on the eyes brown color, and the accent color is red.  Words of Christ are in red.  There are additional helps:  maps, concordance, and lists of the devotions.  It's a nice, sturdy hardcover, and has held up to Nicholas's 8 year old boy ways.  Most importantly, he loves this Bible.  He's talked to me about some of the devotions, and has mentioned that he is learning a lot.  I like that it's pointing him to Jesus.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Review: The Sinner's Garden

The Sinner's Garden is a new novel by William Sirls.  I sat here for 20 minutes, trying to figure out how to explain the plot without giving too much away, and have opted to go with the back cover teaser:

"In the small Lake Erie township of Benning, someone is at work cultivating a supernatural garden … 

Andy Kemp’s young life has been as ravaged as his scarred face. Disfigured by an abusive father, the teenager hides behind his books and an impenetrable wall of cynicism and anger. 

As Andy’s mother struggles to reconnect with him, his Uncle Rip returns transformed from a stint in prison and wants to be a mentor to the reclusive boy, doing everything he can to help end Andy’s pain. When Andy begins hearing strange music through his iPod and making near-prophetic announcements, Rip is convinced that what Andy is hearing is the voice of God. 

Elsewhere, police officer Heather Gerisch responds to a late-night breaking and entering in one of the poorest homes in town. She soon realizes that the masked prowler has left thousands of dollars in gift cards from a local grocery store. 

As the bizarre break-ins continue and Heather pursues the elusive “Summer Santa,” Andy and Rip discover an enormous and well-kept garden of wildflowers that seems to have grown overnight at an abandoned steel mill. 

Soon, they realize who the gardener is, and a spree of miracles transfigures this small town from a place of hopelessness into a place of healing and beauty."

I wasn't sure I would enjoy The Sinner's Garden.  I thought it might be too sad or hokey for my tastes.  However, I could not have been more wrong.  I was concerned that I might be put off by the supernatural story line, it was well done and I felt it pointed the reader to the living God.  

The characters were well developed, and the twists and turns in the plot kept me engaged and wondering how it was going to end. While there is deep sadness and pain in the lives of the characters, there is also much joy and hope as the grace of God is recognized in their lives. 

 I was unable to put this novel down, reading it in just a couple of days.  And as tends to be the case with a great book, I was sad when I finished the book and wanted to read more about the characters and what has happened with their lives since the end of the novel.

This book is a real treat, and wonderful way to lose a weekend.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com® book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Review: The Painted Table

Every now and then, a book comes along that I can't put down.  And not only can't I stop reading, the story and the characters stick with me after I've finished the book.  The Painted Table by Suzanne Field is one of those books.

The plot is intriguing.  Over the course of her life, Saffee watches her mother descend into mental illness, and she watches as her father tries to protect her mother from the consequences of her mental illness.  Part of the way her mother tries to cope with her descent into madness is by painting, repainting, and painting again a table from her childhood.  After Saffee marries, she inherits the table.  She doesn't want the table; she fears the table and what it represents of her mother's illness.  But her husband encourages her to restore the table, and through this restoration project, Saffee's heart is healed.

This is truly a beautifully written story.  I felt as though I were standing next to Saffee throughout her life, experiencing firsthand the ups and downs as she experienced them.  The pain and embarrassment and awkwardness Saffee felt drew me in, and I found myself pulling for her family, including her mentally ill mother.  Honestly, I was afraid that the book might be depressing.  It doesn't have a perfect Hollywood ending; instead there is true to life joy that has sprung out of the sorrow.



Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com® book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Review: Ghost Boy

When Martin Pistorius was 12 years old, he came home from school with a sore throat.  Over the next two years, his mind and body shut down, until he was left a quadriplegic who could not speak.  Then, around the time he was 16, his mind started coming back to life.  He tells his story in the book, Ghost Boy.

As Martin becomes more aware, he realizes that he has little to no control over his limbs and that he has no voice.  All he can do is smile and move his eyes and head.  He tries to use these signals to let everyone around him know that he is conscious and aware, but, as he states in the book, "They'd been told long ago that I was severely brain damaged, so when the young man with stick-like limbs, empty eyes, and drool running down his chin occasionally lifted his head, that's what they saw."

Martin spends the next decade in his unresponsive body, without a working voice.  His days are spent at a day care facility while his parents work, but his father picks him up every evening to take him home to the family.  His mind is active, and he spends much of his time developing elaborate fantasies to escape the horror of being trapped inside his own body; it's the only way he keeps from going mad.

Then a new caretaker enters his life and has a hunch that Martin is aware.  She convinces others around her, and they take him to be evaluated for an alternative communication device.  He passes the evaluation, and a new life is opened for him.

Martin speaks of his faith in God; that while he couldn't explain it, he knew that God was with him and he wasn't alone.  His courage and strength is inspiring, as is the love of his father and mother and the woman he ends up marrying.  I couldn't put the book down.  Ghost Boy is an book of amazing perseverance through the most horrific trials one could imagine, and it's definitely worth your time to check out this true story.



Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com® book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Review: Overextended....and loving most of it!

Overextended.  Yep.  That about sums up my life these days.  Homeschooling, running the boys here and there and back again, and church commitments leave me feeling spent.  Because of this, I was excited to get the book Overextended...and loving most of it! by Lisa Harper to review.

Lisa Harper is a Christian speaker, and the tone of this book is very conversational.  Lisa gives us a glimpse into her life, including a glimpse of a failed adoption and the death of a parent.  After the failed adoption, she stuck her neck out again to try and adopt a little girl with HIV from Haiti (as of now, the adoption still isn't finalized)  She talks about being on the road for weeks at a time, which is enough to make this homebody twitch.

Yet through it all, she points to glorifying Jesus Christ.  She uses anecdotes from her life to show how placing priority on people is never wrong.  Over the past several weeks, I've really been feeling like God wants me to invest more in people.  I battle with myself; my life is busy enough with the boys and Craig and the lifestyle we've chosen and I look at my exploding calendar and wonder where the time will come from. While Lisa & I are overextended in different ways, I came away from reading this book feeling even more strongly that I need to listen to God and place people over projects.

Overextended....and loving most if it! is a quick and easy read, which is great if you're feeling overextended yourself.  Take a weekend and enjoy this book; you won't regret it.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com® book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”