Mine Is The Night

Here Burns My Candle was my first introduction to Liz Curtis Higgs and her amazing abilities...while I have since devoured most everything she has written, I was so very excited to get this book copy in the mail.

Picking up where she left off in HBMC, Liz  immediately sweeps us back into the world of Elisabeth and her mother-in-law, Marjory Kerr.  Now moved back to Selkirk (Marjory's hometown and the birthplace of Elisabeth's dead husband), the women find themself trying to live on no money and in confined quarters. 

I found myself falling in love with them all over again and enjoying the introductions to a bunch of new faces.  Although I "know" the storyline that this is based from (the Bible's book of Ruth), I couldn't help but get nervous and wonder as they story-line played out...and with Liz's ability to paint a picture with her words, it all played out as a movie in my mind...each and every scene vivid and real.

I love Liz's ability to create characters that seem so real and known by us readers...but also how she is careful to show reverence towards the orginial Bible stories she pulls from.   Complete with a couple budding romances, a bit of trouble in making it all come together and hearts bent on being the women God called them to ... this book was a perfect ending to the story began in last year's HBMC.

I finished this book with a joy for the places each character found themselves, a sadness that their stories were complete for my reading mind and a hunger to go back and re-read Ruth's story.  And if it wasn't clear before, I am a die-hard fan of this amazing author :)

**WaterBrook Multnomah provided me this book for review purposes & is allowing me to keep this title once finished. I get no other compensation...other than the chance to fill my heart and soul with an excellent read. :) **

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Bina

Made To Crave

All it took was for me to see Lysa TerKeurts's name for me to jump on board with this book.  I had the privilege of hearing her speak a number of years ago at a Proverbs 31 Ministries event and a lot of what she had to say that day has stuck with me in a very positive way.

Her newest book, Made To Crave, is for the woman searching for a way out of the double-fisted food-to-face routine and is written with a lot of heart and personality...which is all Lysa, all the way.  From her ability to use the humor that comes from hindsight (like admitting that she would take the ponytail holder out of the hair before weighing in...cuz you know how much weight they carry!!) to her realistic, head-on approach to the Word and it's application in my life, I found myself relating to this woman as if she was sitting in my living room, sharing a cup of hot tea with me...not as a "writer" but as a girlfriend who understands where I've been in life.

While our relationship to food is the main thrust of Made To Crave, Lysa works hard to help women to realize that the cravings we feel inside are not "bad", but rather the impulse that we have been given by our Creator.  Born with a God-sized hole, we long to be filled and have our cravings filled...but living in a sin-filled world, we are often led astray in how we fill what longs...leaving us hungry, searching and (in my case) locked in a battle with food that leaves us feeling helpless to get out of it.

For me, on a personal note (as this is my blog and all)...I found a freedom with God that I haven't known in a long time.  As I read thru the experiences, feelings and Truth of what Lysa had to say, it dawned on me that I am "made for more" than where I am...that He didn't make me battle in my mind over how much is too much nor did He intend me spend so much time hating how I look...how I feel...or how I just can't seem to stop.  In realizing the Truth of who I am because I am His...I have been able to accept the plan He has for me in regard to how I let go and am willing to believe that I am worth fighting for in this area.  I am highly grateful for her willingness to be transparent with all us women...and for God's placement of Lysa's book in my hand.

For any woman searching for help with food...for understanding on what it means to love the Lord with all she is...for willingness to just step awaaaay from the donut, this is a book I would recommend with all my heart.

Book Cover Information:
Just because a woman finally fits into her skinny jeans doesn't mean she's won her battle with food. Too often, women overlook the spiritual component to their physical struggle with healthy eating. Made to Crave taps into the desires God gave you to consume food without letting food consume you!

Made to Crave is the missing link between a woman's desire to be healthy and the spiritual empowerment necessary to make that happen. The reality is we were made to crave. Craving isn't a bad thing. But we must realize God created us to crave more of him. Many of us have misplaced that craving by overindulging in physical pleasures instead of lasting spiritual satisfaction. If you are struggling with unhealthy eating habits, you can break the "I'll start again Monday" cycle, and start feeling good about yourself today. Learn to stop beating yourself up over the numbers on the scale. Discover that your weight loss struggle isn't a curse but rather a blessing in the making, and replace justifications that lead to diet failure with empowering go-to scripts that lead to victory. You can reach your healthy weight goal - and grow closer to God in the process. This is not a how-to book. This is not the latest and greatest dieting plan. This book is the necessary companion for you to use alongside whatever healthy lifestyle plan you choose. This is a book and Bible study to help you find the "want to" in making healthy lifestyle choices. 224 pages. Companion Bible study DVD set also available. http://madetocrave.org/purchase-resources/

DVD Series Info:

If you want to maximize your experience and bring these teachings to life in a way you’ll never forget, you’ll want to order the full set of resources. Adding the DVD teaching series and the workbook will motivate you to get healthy without feeling deprived, lose the weight in a permanent way, and find the peace your body, mind and soul desires. This DVD study can be done in a group or by yourself.  The Bundle is only available through Proverbs 31 Ministries, so click here to order! http://madetocrave.org/purchase-resources/

About The Author:

Lysa TerKeurst is an author and speaker who helps everyday women live an adventure of faith through following Jesus Christ. As president of Proverbs 31 Ministries, Lysa has led thousands to make their walk with God an invigorating journey.

Lysa wrote the book Made to Crave from the perspective of a woman who has never craved a carrot stick in her whole life. Having struggled with her weight her whole adult life, Lysa knows what it feels like to be in the vicious cycle of gaining and losing, but never feeling at peace in her struggle. Everything changed when Lysa decided to have her deepest desire met by God not food. Now, armed with the spiritual motivation she gained in her own journey, she is inspiring others to find lasting victory.

As a nationally known speaker, Lysa has been passionately teaching women God’s truths for years. Lysa’s personal adventures of following God led to appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Good Morning America, The 700 Club, USA Today newspaper, Woman’s Day magazine, and Focus on the Family radio.

Today, Lysa and her ministry team at Proverbs 31 Ministries encourage more than 375,000 women through their daily online devotional. In addition, she co-hosts a 1-minute inspirational radio program aired on more than 1,200 stations around the world. Plus, she touches hearts through their monthly magazine, P31 Woman. Lysa’s blog averages over 70,000 avid readers per month. She is the award-winning author of 14 books, including her newest releases, Made to Crave and Becoming More Than a Good Bible Study Girl. Other noteworthy books include What Happens When Woman Say Yes to God, What Happens When Women Walk in Faith, Capture His Heart, and Capture Her Heart. Visit Lysa's website for more info and to visit her blog! http://lysaterkeurst.com

**Litfuse Publicity Group provided me this book for review purposes & is allowing me to keep this title once finished. I get no other compensation...other than the chance to fill my heart and soul with an excellent read. :) **

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Bina

The Truth About Dating, Love & Just Being Friends

This is the newest book by Chad Eastham and is typical for him in his charm of being able to twist together humor and seriousness into a practical guide for teenagers.  He delves into the realm of teenaged relationships in an effort to refocus the what is actually important in life...which is not what they think it is (ie - boys and girls...eeeee!).

I wanted this book because I have four teenagers...one boy and three girls...and thought it might help give some insight to the couple that are boy-crazed and encourage the other two that are pretty level-headed.  But what I found in my exploration of the book is that this book is intended for the older teen set, probably more like 16 and up.  That doesn't diminish his wisdom or wit, though, as I felt that Chad was right on in his approach to the age group he was writing to.

One of our 14 year olds viewpoint on the book was this: "This book basically just says 'don't have sex' and 'don't fall in love until you are like 20'.  I really didn't think this book was very helpful for kids my age because it is directed at much older teens and really wasn't useful for me."
So while I found it to be a not-now, but maybe-later book for MY kids, I would recommend it to any older girls/boys or parents out there that are looking for a Godly approach to this topic from a perspective that keeps it light and easy to understand.  Chad is a pro at what he does, fur sure, dude.

Book Information:
Chad Eastham, with his typical wit and wisdom for teens, brings much sought after advice on girls’ favorite topics including dating, love, friendship, and other important stuff.
Chad shines some much-needed light on these major issues for teens. Rather than let their feelings navigate them blindly through their tumultuous adolescence, Chad offers clarity, some surprising revelations, and answers to some of their biggest questions: How do I know who to date? When should I start dating? How should I start dating? Is this really love? And, Why do guys I like just want to be friends?
Packed with humor that adds to the sound advice, this book will help teens make better decisions, have healthier relationships, and be more prepared for their futures. Just a few things girls will learn include: Five things you need to know about love; Eight dumb dating things even smart people do; Ten reasons why teens are unhappy; and Ten things happy teens do.
Any teen can live a happier, healthier life: they just need to hear The Truth.

**Thomas Nelson provided me this book for review purposes & is allowing me to keep this title once finished. I get no other compensation...other than the chance to fill my heart and soul with an excellent read. :) **

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Bina

Under The Overpass

By FAR, the most impacting book I have read in a long time. 

Mike Yankoski and his friend, Sam, set out on a journey of faith by forsaking all the worldiness of their lives and then painted so vividly the realities that they found while living on the streets of America.   I can quite honestly say that I read this book in a day because I just couldn't put it down...and have found that it continues to change how I view and relate to the homeless people all around me. 

I used to look away from them...because they scared me.

I used to look past them...to the freedom of a 7-11 doorway which got me away from their requests.

I used to pretend they weren't there...and am so ashamed of my lack of love for people in this world. 

There is so much I am unable to do to help those who live in my neighborhood...but one thing I took away from Mike's experience is that it only takes a second to look them in the eye and smile.  No, I may not have money...and yes, I might legitimately be in a hurry...but I realized how broken I would feel to never be noticed by anyone.  And that one fact broke my heart...and changed my approach and I have found the joy that comes in knowing that I did my best to let someone else in this world know that they were seen, even if it was only by a gal like me.

If you only have the chance to read one book this year of this kind of genre...I would recommend this one with two thumbs up...followed by 8 other fingers and 10 toes.

You can find more information on this book by clicking here ...it just might change your life and the life of someone you run into.

**WaterBrook Multnomah provided me this book for review purposes & is allowing me to keep this title once finished. I get no other compensation...other than the chance to fill my heart and soul with an excellent read. :) **

Still Reading...

Bina

The Jesus Inquest

When I was offered the chance to read this book, I jumped at the chance because this is the kind of thing that we are going over in my Sunday School class at church.  Proof for (and against) the resurrection...being able to give an account for what we say we believe by knowing the truth about both sides and being creating a knowledgeable defense when the conversation comes up.  But I have to say...this title went straight over my head.

Charles Foster is a barrister in England (an attorney, for us American's) and he does an excellent job of presenting both sides of the "argument" in the case of the resurrection of Christ.  He gives the non-Christian viewpoint (represented as "x") and follows up with the Christian thought process ("y"), allowing the reader a full understanding of where each side is coming from.  But, for a newbie into this heavy research, he gave so much information in such complex sentences that I felt like I had to re-read each line to fully comprehend all that he said.  Kind of left me flipping thru, reading here and there and ultimately deciding to pass this one onto the leaders in my class to read, digest, and teach back to us in terms I might better understand.

Cover Information:

An unbiased examination and compelling courtroom presentation revealing the undeniable facts of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Intelligent, fair, and remarkably compelling, The Jesus Inquest argues the case both for and against the resurrection of Christ. Point-by-point, Foster, in turn as both barrister X and Y, leaves no theological stone or dissenter's rock unturned as he digs for answers and the truth. In the end he is more convinced that Jesus is real, that He did rise again, and that He lives to offer forgiveness and hope to all who come to Him.

I appreciate his willingness to do such tremendous research and spend his time to give it all out to the public to learn from...just not my kind of book.

**Thomas Nelson provided me this book for review purposes & is allowing me to keep this title once finished. I get no other compensation...other than the chance to fill my heart and soul with an excellent read. :) **

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Bina

Havah: The Story of Eve

I have actually read this book twice now...and both times felt myself experiencing an emotional rollercoaster much like the one Eve travels in Tosca Lee's fictional rendition of her story.  In fact, this reading inspired me to lay out my own heart in regard to how this beautiful creature must have felt at one point, banished from Eden.  To read that, click here to pop over to my main blog.

Opening on the moment breath first enters her lungs, the reader is instantly transported into the perfection that was Eden...and Adam...and an untarnished relationship with the One that is the center of their world.  By the time the author brings us to the big moment of Eve's choice, I felt the beauty of the world that was...and as the scene plays out and the apple is devoured, a small part of me screamed out along with Eve upon the realization of what her choice would mean. 

From the introduction to the final farewell of the mother of all that live, I found my mind captured in a way that made my heart both love and break open for this woman.  She is both the reason we are all here and the reason why we all live under the curse of sin...and yet, she must also have been a woman of great emotion and regret as she moved thru her life, day after day, seperated from the original perfection that was once hers. 

Back Cover Information:

Havah, Adam's chosen name for Eve, recounts her life from a singular vantage point. From having known only blissful innocence, she must struggle through every post-Garden moment. Frustration compounds her plight as she repeatedly attempts to regain her former idyllic existence and repeatedly fails. Havah's life becomes a fight for survival once she and Adam are cast from the Garden, and Lee's poetic prose beautifully depicts the couple's slow surrender to a world tending to destruction. Havah gives birth, raises a brood of children, watches one son kill another, observes disease and death. Yet all the while, she waits for the fulfillment of "the One" (God) who will bring reconciliation and redemption through her seed. Lee's superior storytelling will have readers weeping for all that Havah forfeited by a single damning choice.

I am both moved and inspired by Tosca's ability to weave poetry out of her choice of words and her talent of painting a masterpiece with each and every scene...and I would highly recommend this read for anyone who enjoys Biblical historical fiction.

Still Reading...
Bina

Out Live Your Life

When I signed up for this book from booksneeze.com, I was excited for it to come because I am a huge Max Lucado fan...and he didn't fail to disappoint!  As I moved thru the pages of his newest title, I found myself moved in many ways. 

I realized that I tend to operate in what is most comfortable to me - change is a scary word to my heart.  Max weaved his words in a way that caused me to look inside without feeling judged...but also showed me that I was made to be more than I am allowing myself to be.  That I was created with a purpose and reason...and while I am living out a large part of that purpose in the raising of our kids, there is much in this world that God also would like me to open my eyes to.

I love how he writes...humor enough to make you smile, stories enough to engage your mind and Truth enough to make you stop and have a conversation with the One who most would like to hear from you.  Classic, Max!

Cover Information:
These are difficult days in our world's history. 1.75 billion people are desperately poor, natural disasters are gouging entire nations, and economic uncertainty still reigns across the globe. But you and I have been given an opportunity to make a big difference. What if we did? What if we rocked the world with hope? Infiltrated all corners with God's love and life? We are created by a great God to do great works. He invites us to outlive our lives, not just in heaven, but here on earth. Let's live our lives in such a way that the world will be glad we did. (Please note: International Bloggers will receive International Edition.)

Definate two thumbs up from me!

**Thomas Nelson provided me this book for review purposes & is allowing me to keep this title once finished. I get no other compensation...other than the chance to fill my heart and soul with an excellent read. :) **

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