Counseling Under the Cross (Review)

This review is for the book "Counseling Under the Cross" by Bob Kellemen. I was really intrigued about this book because I have learned a lot about Martin Luther recently, and the subtitle of this book is "How Martin Luther Applied the Gospel to Daily Life". This book was incredibly interesting and an in-depth study on Luther's theology, but somehow written in a way that keeps the reader's interest.

In this book, Kellemen spends a chapter on a specific theology of Luther's, and then follows up with a chapter on his methodology. For example, he explains Luther's theology of suffering in one chapter, and then in the next he shows how he applied that theology to everyday life. The book also begins with a background of Luther so the reader becomes more familiar with his spiritual journey.

I loved this book and found it very fascinating. I definitely recommend it!

Thank you to Litfuse Publicity for a copy of the book.

When God Made You (Review)

This review is for the book "When God Made You" by Matthew Paul Turner. My kids absolutely love these types of books and stories, so I had to get this one for them. This book is really cute. The illustrations are beautiful, creative, and colorful, and my kids loved them. The book talks about how special each one of us is, which is a really important thing for kids to grasp. The book rhymes, which of course usually is more entertaining for kids and more fun for us adults to read out loud! And what a great premise - that God made us exactly the way He wanted us. I love it. Perfect for the kids in your life!

Thank you to Waterbrook Multonah for a copy of the book.

Beginner's Gospel Story Bible (Review)

This review is for the book "The Beginner's Gospel Story Bible" by Jared Kennedy. I had barely even taken this book out of the box it was mailed in when my 8-year old daughter grabbed it, curled up on the couch, and began reading it. By the next night, she had finished the whole thing.

Now, I will say that this Bible is probably meant for a younger child, I can see why she devoured it. The pictures and illustrations are colorful and fun. The text is in a font that is very easy to read, and there isn't "too much" on a page as far as wordiness goes. There are questions strewn in for the kids to think about when reading it alone or with parents, such as "What is your favorite thing God has made?" when reading about creation, or "Have you ever been afraid to speak up for someone else?" when reading about Queen Esther.

This is one of the best Bibles I have ever seen for young children. It focuses on the promises of God and how the promise of salvation is throughout the Bible, but it will most definitely keep their attention and be fun for adults to read as well! Well done, with this book.

Thank you to Litfuse Publicity for a copy of the book.

All Things Now Living (Review)

This review is for the book "All Things Now Living" by Rondi Bauer Olson. This is the first book in her series about the Seventh Daughter.

In this book we meet Amy, who is sixteen years old. Almost the very first thing that happens in the book is that she "accidentally" gets trapped in New Lithisle, which is a home in a dome where she's always been taught that the people who live there are mutants who deserve to die. She's terrified based on what she's heard about these people her whole life. Turns out that her father is a sympathizer for these people, and Amy is pretty special herself.

The book focuses on Amy's relationship with the New Lithisle people (particularly one named Daniel), and her journey to save them before the dome collapses.

This book was really interesting, and although there were some things that I felt were a little confusing to me, the story as a whole is a great adventure and is intriguing. I'll be very interested to read the rest of the series and find out what happens to Amy.

Thank you to Litfuse Publicity for a copy of the book.

The Gift (Review)

This review is for the book "The Gift" by Shelley Shepard Gray. She is one of my favorite Amish fiction authors, and this book was not disappointing at all. This is the second book in her Amish of Hart County series. Unfortunately, I have not read the first book yet, but fortunately, that did not matter when I was reading this book! It was very easy to keep up with all of the characters and the backstory.

In this book, Neil Vance and his family are upset over losing their family farm, and they're kind of taking it out on the Schwartz family who have moved onto the farm. But soon, the daughters of the Schwartz family seem to have some really awful luck - getting shot at, falling into an icy creek, etc. Neil and his brother start to think that maybe those accidents aren't just bad luck. They all begin working together to do some investigating, and throughout their time together, they start to form some relationships.

I really liked this book because it had a little bit of everything - romance, suspense and mystery, and I really liked the characters. I can't wait to read the next one!

Thank you to Litfuse Publicity for a copy of the book.

Total Christmas Makeover (Review)

This review is for the book "Total Christmas Makeover" by Melissa Spoelstra. This book contains 31 devotions to prepare you for the upcoming Christmas season. I really love books like this, and this book was no disappointment. Each devotion focuses on something different, such as serving, or forgiveness, or rest. Each chapter begins with scripture and then there is a short devotion, a prayer, and then questions for reflection and ideas for how to put the devotion into practice. For example, the chapter on serving suggests signing up to ring the bell for Salvation Army, or offering to help with children's classes at church during the holidays.

I loved this book because it was really easy to find time to read the devotional each day, and it gave me a lot of ideas for how to slow down and really appreciate this season as it approaches. I highly recommend this book!

Thank you to Litfuse Publicity for a copy of the book.

A Letter From Lancaster County (Review)

This review is for the book "A Letter from Lancaster County" by Kate Lloyd. In this book we meet two sisters named Rose and Angela. Even though they are grown, they still struggle with jealousy and sibling rivalry. When they receive a letter from Lancaster County, both sisters decide to travel to see their Aunt Sylvia, who is a Mennonite. Aunt Sylvia is just the ticket for these girls, plus getting away from their everyday lives and getting a new perspective on each other. As they all find out some secrets about their family, they actually do become closer.

This book was very well-written and I really liked the characters. I see that this is the first book in a new series so I will look forward to reading the rest of the series!

Thank you to Litfuse Publicity for a copy of the book.

Secrets (Review)

This review is for the book "Secrets" by Jonathan Daugherty. In this book, we meet Jonathan, a real man who is seriously struggling with the secret of sex addiction. He was able to hide this secret very well from his wife for a long time, but when the secret was exposed, it almost ended their marriage.

In this book, Daugherty is open about his addiction and how hard he worked to get through it and restore his marriage, and also his relationship with God. The book is not graphic or anything like that, just honest and very straightforward. I would be willing to be there are a lot of people who need to read this book and know they are not alone.

Thank you to Litfuse Publicity for a copy of this book.