The Gift that keeps giving.

I just found out a way to give someone a gift and it just keeps on giving. Visit http://kiva.org/invitedby/anita5691. This site allows you to give a gift card to someone to make a loan to an individual in another country to start their own business. Once the money is paid back, you can re-loan it to another person. A friend of mine was telling me her son gave it to her for Mother's Day and it thrilled her to be able to do this. She was telling me it has already been paid back twice and she has gotten to re-loan it! The gifts start out at $25! I purchased 2 for Christmas gifts this year. Check out their site and give the gift that keeps on giving!

Women of Faith Fall Conference

I have been chosen to attend the Women of Faith Fall Conference and blog about it. This is a very exciting event for women of all ages. If you want to be uplifted, encouraged and blessed, you need to attend one of the Women of Faith conferences that will be coming near to your area. I will be posting more, but for now, here is a short video for you to see.

Praying For Your Future Husband-Book Review

I chose to review the book, Praying for Your Future Husband, by Robin Jones Gunn and Tricia Goyer because I thought it would be very helpful working in the student ministry. I have never read anything by either of these two authors but was very interested in the title of the book.

I must say, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It gives you the authors personal stories as they began to pray for their future husbands. But not only does it give their personal account, it gives you scripture references, and questions that would be great for a group setting.

The two authors have very different stories, but God was faithful and answered both their prayers with Godly husbands. I think this is a much needed book in today’s society, where the media is putting so much emphasis on the outward appearance. Our students need to know that God has a much better plan for their lives if they will just trust Him and wait on His timing for their spouse.

This is written to young ladies, but the principle can be used by young men as well. I think anyone that has an unmarried daughter, grand daughter, or works with student ministry should read this book. It has very practical advice and it gives you scripture to reference and study.

I enjoyed reading this book and will pass it along to my unmarried daughter. I highly recommend this book to anyone that has influence with students. Whether you are a parent, grand-parent, teacher or you work with student ministry, this book is a must read!

I was given this book by WaterBrook Multnomah to review and give my honest opinion.
I was not required to give a favorable review.

This Little Prayer of Mine-Book Review

I was given the book, This Little Prayer of Mine, by Anthony DeStefano, illustrated by Mark Elliot from Waterbrook Press to review. This is a hardcover children’s book.

This book is a book that teaches children that they can rely on God. It teaches them that they can pray about anything and at anytime. I enjoyed reading this book. It is very colorful and the illustrations are wonderful.

This would make a wonderful bedtime story or just one of those books for you to read as the children or grandchildren curl up in your lap. I really liked the fact that the author used everyday troubles that children may face to show them that they can pray about anything.

This was a great children’s book and I would recommend it for any parent, grandparent or as a gift to that special child.

I was given this book free of charge from Blogging for Books to give my honest opinion of the book.
I was not required to give a favorable review.

Live Loved-Book Review

“Live Loved Experiencing God’s Presence in Everyday Life” by Max Lucado is a devotional that I chose to review from Booksneeze. I am always looking for a good devotional for my quite time and to give as a gift to friends and family. I have always enjoyed Lucado’s writing and so I decided to see what I thought about his devotional.

I must say, I enjoyed it as much as I have enjoyed his other writings. This is a great size to carry with you on a trip or to keep in your car for those times you just need encouragement or uplifting. I also liked the fact that the scriptures are written out for you. This is great if you want to keep this in your car or carry in your purse. I like to have my Bible with me when I do devotional reading, but in some cases it is great to have the scripture written out for you, especially when you have to pack light.

Lucado has this broken up in the following sections: Loved with a Steadfast Love, Loved with a Perfect Love, Loved with a Wise Love, Loved with a Merciful Love, Loved to Love Others. He also has an area for you to write your own notes and sources in the back.

I think this is a great book for gift giving. If you have someone that needs to be reminded of God’s love for them, this would be great. It is also great to have in your personal library. The only thing I can see that would be negative about this book is the text size. Some may need a larger text to read easily. I am sure the text size is because of the compact size of the book. It was fine for me, but if you were giving it to someone with problems seeing small text, you may want to see if it comes in a larger print size.

I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it to anyone. I was given this book free of charge from Booksneeze to give my honest opinion. I did not have to give a favorable review.

Daddy Dates-Book Review

Let’s face it, having a relationship these days takes a lot of work. Even in the best of circumstances, it is time consuming and difficult, but so worth your efforts. I chose to review “Daddy Dates” by Greg Wright because I know how important a father is to his daughter. So many studies show that the relationship a father has with his daughter directly effects her future.

But guys are born clueless in the relationship department. Most have no idea how to have a successful relationship with their daughters. In this book, author Greg Wright, wanted to make sure he didn’t “screw up” this special time with his daughters.

This is a very funny and encouraging book for any father or father to be. It has very practical advice and shows how you can make a difference in the life of your daughter with many fun and easy things to do together. Even though I am a mother, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and will pass it on to my son-in law.

I think this is a great book. I highly recommend it to any father, grandfather or father to be. Not only can you enjoy your daughter growing up, but you can make a difference in her life for the good. In a world that is laden with busyness, selfishness, and sexual perversion, this book is refreshing. My hat is off to author Greg Wright for this encouraging book, he has done a wonderful job. I am sure I will be purchasing many copies in the future to give to new dads of daughters!

I was given this book by Booksneeze to review. I was not required to give a favorable review. This is my honest opinion.

Courting Miss Amsel-Book Review

The book Courting Miss Amsel, by author Kim Vogel Sawyer was a refreshing read. This book is a fictional book about Edyth, a school teacher of Walnut Hill, that likes to have everything in her control.
Through many different situations and struggles, that are out of her control, she has to learn that ultimately God is in control of everything.

Kim Vogel Sawyer did a great job in writing this historical fiction. This is a very easy read. The way the author portrays the characters in the story line, keeps you wanting to read more. You will not want to put this book down. The only bad thing about the book is that I finished it way to quickly.

For my first experience in reading any books by author Kim Vogel Sawyer, I can say she will be on my favorite list from now on. If you enjoy a good easy read, this book is for you. It is great on those days you just want to curl up with a good book and do nothing else.

This would also make a great gift to any book lover. I was given this book free of charge from Bethany House for my honest opinion of the book. I was not required to give a favorable review.

Another Dawn-Book Review

The book Another Dawn, by Kathryn Cushman, deals with a very hot topic in the world today.
There are many differences of opinions on vaccinations and the side effects they may cause in children. The author brings this topic to light in a story with the choice a mom makes and the effects it has on her son.

There are many different views on vaccinations and the link to autism. This book is very eye opening. This is a very hard subject to deal with. But the author does a wonderful job.

One of the main things that I got from this book is that our choices in life not only effect us and our immediate family, but they will effect others that we are not even aware of.

Cushman doesn’t take sides on this very controversial issue in her book. This was a great fictional read with a very real issue. This book keeps your interest from start to finish. No matter what side you take on this issue, this book will really cause you to think about it even more.

I personally think Cushman did a wonderful job in writing this book. She took a very real and controversial issue and kept the story line very suspenseful. This keeps your interest throughout the book. I think anyone who enjoys reading fiction would enjoy this book. Anyone that has been touched directly or indirectly by autism would also enjoy it.

I was given this book free from Bethany House for my honest opinion.

Now I Walk On Death Row-Book Review

I chose to review the book, Now I Walk On Death Row, by Dale Recinella because of the intriguing title. This is the story of a Wall Street Lawyer that had a life changing experience with a loving God.

This is not the story of Recinella being on Death Row himself, but the story of how he left his job as a Wall Street Lawyer to minister to those on death row. This book will make you look at life in a different way. You will weep while reading this book. This book is a thought provoking and life changing read.

The experiences of Recinella while ministering to those on death row is unbelievable. You will not want to put this book down and you will not want this book to come to an end. I highly recommend anyone to read this book. I also recommend you purchasing copies to give away to family and friends.

I was given this book free of charge by Bethany House to give my honest review.

The One Day Way-Book Review

I chose to review the book, One Day Way, by Chantel Hobbs because I had read other books by her and really enjoyed them. Chantel is a personal trainer, she is an author, has been on TV and radio, has a video series and a website.

This is a very encouraging book. If you are looking for a good book to help you lose weight and change your overall lifestyle, then this is the book to buy. If you know of someone that needs a little encouragement in their weight loss battle, then you need to buy this book and give it to them.

Many of her weight loss “secrets” are not really secrets, there are many books that have the same diet and exercise advice. But Chantel adds her personal experience in with it and a lot of encouragement. I think this is what makes this book different from the others.

As with any diet and exercise program, you have to be at the point in your life where you want to make a change. This book has practical advice, but it will do no good, if you are not at the point to where you are willing to make the changes she talks about.

I was given this book free of charge from Blogging For Books in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Final Summit-Book Review

The Final Summit, by Andy Andrews is a book I chose to review from Booksneeze. This is a sequel to the author’s book, The Traveler's Gift. I have never read anything by this author and so I was curious. I have to say that this book kept my attention. It is a fictional story, with real life characters.

The first few chapters kept my attention to the point that I did not want to put it down. The plot in the book is a bit unrealistic, but the author using historical characters helps keep your interest.

I was disappointed in several aspects of the book. To me the book seemed to try to make things in the heavenly realm to “common”. I was disappointed in the fact that not once was Jesus Christ brought up as the true answer.

I was given a free copy of this book from Booksneeze to review and give my honest opinion. If you are looking for a fiction book to read for fun, you may like this book. If you are looking for a book that will point you in the right direction, this book is lacking in that department.

31 Days of Drawing Near to God

I recently chose the book 31 Days of Drawing Near to God by Ruth Myers to review from Waterbrook / Multnomah. I enjoy reading and studying my bible and I thought this might be good to use with my normal study time.

I was really disappointed in this book. It is a small book, but not pocketsize. It is really an awkward size in itself. I thought I would be getting a book that had devotions each day for 31 days. But this was not the case. This book is more the author walking you through her journey in drawing closer to God.

I really didn’t find anything “new” or “different” about this book when comparing it to the numerous books that are available in the devotional section of the book store. I guess the 31 day title had me thinking it would be a day by day devotional for 31 days.

I wouldn’t recommend purchasing this book as a devotional type book. If you want to read about the author’s personal journey in drawing closer to God, this may be the book for you. I was just expecting something different.

I received a copy of the book free in exchange for my honest opinion of the book.

If God, Why Evil-book review

I chose to review the book, If God, Why Evil? By Norman L. Geisler, because as a Christian I am asked this question often. People want to know, if there is a loving God, then why is there so much evil in the world.

I think Geisler has done a tremendous job with this question. Even though this book is only 150 pages, it has great information. This book isn’t a quick read. You need to think about it as you go. Geisler points out that we all have free will, and free will allows us to chose evil.

Although I would like to say, I didn’t agree with everything the author says in the book. The first few chapters were good in scripture references on why evil exists in our world. As the author goes deeper, there were a few areas that seems to get a little “cloudy”.

Also, the critique of “The Shack” seemed a little out of place. I wasn’t really sure why the author chose to add that to this book.

Even though I didn’t agree with everything, I enjoyed the book.

I was given this book free of charge from Bethany House Publishers to read and give my honest review.

The Convenient Groom-Book review

The Convenient Groom by Denis Hunter was given to me free of charge to read and review by Booksneeze. I have never read anything by Denis Hunter and was excited to see if I liked this authors style of writing.

I have to admit, at first when I got the book I wasn’t that excited about reading it. But when I started reading it I could not put it down. It was one of those books where you are up until 3am trying to finish.

The Convenient Groom was a very sweet love story. There is nothing in this book that requires deep thought. You can see the parallel of Christ’s unconditional love for us thorough the book. You can pick this book up and just enjoy it from the first chapter to the last.

If you are looking for a book to set back and enjoy, this is for you. I think this book would be a great gift for anyone that enjoys a good clean romance. I was not disappointed in this book and will be looking forward to reading more from this author in the future.

Plain Proposal-Book Review

I received the book Plain Proposal by Beth Wiseman from Booksneeze. I chose to review this book because I have read some Amish fiction that I really liked. I have never read any of Beth Wiseman’s books and wanted to see if I liked this authors style of writing.
This is a book in a series and I was concerned if I would be able to enjoy the book since I had not read any of the other books.

I must say, I really enjoyed this book. The author was able to get my attention at the beginning of the book and keep it throughout the book.

This is about a young Amish girl struggling with the decision of whether to stay in the Amish community or to leave and go to the English world. This book has many twists and turns throughout and keeps your attention from the start.

This book reinforces the fact that no matter how far God seems at times in our lives, He is always there with us. This book was an easy and enjoyable read. If you are looking for a good Christian romance that you can just sit and enjoy, this is the one for you.

I was given this book free of charge to review and give my honest opinion. I did not have to give a favorable review.

Secure Daughters Confident Sons-Book Review

I received the book Secure Daughters Confident Sons by Glenn T. Stanton, from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing to read and give my honest opinion.

This is a great book for any parent, parent to be or grandparent. I read this book very quickly to do the review, but I will be reading it again and using it as a reference in the future.

There are differences in boys and girls. God just made us that way. In the book Stanton points out evidence that boys and girls are different because they are made differently. Their needs are different, their interest are different, the way they see the world is different and even their brains are different. Stanton makes clear that neither one is better than other but each has different roles to fulfill in life.

Stanton emphasizes that the way we parent our boys and girls will later impact how they will live their future. Since they are different, we as parents need to recognize those differences and adjust our parenting to what will make them grow up to be Godly women and Godly men.

Also, Stanton points out that a mother will parent different from a father, simply because we are male and female. Each parent has a vital role in the raising of their child to help them be confident and secure in the world.

I really enjoyed this book and the scenarios he used I have seen and can relate to in my own life. I think this is a must read for anyone that will be involved in the raising of children. I would highly recommend this book.

Love Food and Live Well-Book Review

I chose to review the book Love Food & Live Well by Chantel Hobbs because I am wanting to shed a few pounds and start eating healthier. I have heard Chantel on the radio several times and I wanted to see what she had to say on weight loss.

This book not only gives you great tips on eating healthier, but it also gives you tips on finding out why you are having a problem with your weight. You find out that you don’t have to starve yourself to lose weight and eat healthier. She show us that the only way to truly get a handle on our eating problems are to just give them over to God. She has scripture throughout the book and it is very encouraging.

Most of the ideas in this book are not new, but they are given from a person that has been there and has succeeded. I would have liked to seen more details of her eating habits, but all in all this was a good book. It is very encouraging to anyone that wants to shed a few pounds or just wants to start eating healthier.

I was given this book free of charge for my personal thoughts on the book from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Company.

A Nice Surprise!

I have been out of town since Thursday. I had a great time! What was even better than a chance to get away was coming home to a clean house!! Yes, my wonderful husband had vacuumed, mopped, dusted, washed the dishes and made the beds.

I love you Ricky Hilliard!

Deadly Ties-Book Review

I chose to review the book “Deadly Ties” by Vicki Hinze from Blogging for Books because I love a good book. From what I read about this book, I thought it would be right up my alley, thriller, suspense, and romance. But I have to say, from the very beginning, I had trouble staying with it. When I get a good book, I usually can’t put it down. This book was hard for me to pick up. I have never read anything by Vicki Hinze and the fact that there was a book before this one may have been part of the problem.

The plot was hard to follow, and again, it may be because I had not read the first one in the series. But it was also very predictable. As much as I love to read a good book, this was not one I enjoyed at all. It was almost a chore to read it. I can’t recommend this book to anyone because I did not enjoy reading it myself.

I was given a free copy of this book from Blogging for Books for my honest opinion.

Need I Say More??

Life...we have our struggles...our ups and downs...but all in all, we are blessed. Life is what we make of it. Our lives can change in an instant. It seems like only yesterday we were called into the doctors office to find out Ricky had leukemia. That was a life changer for us. It's all in how you respond to the changes. God has been so good to us.

Over the past year, there have been so many changes in my life that I have had to sit and ponder on them. It seems like for so long, I had just been going through the motions with so much of my life. The past year, I have really looked at things in a new light and tried to decide what is really important to me.

I have made many, many mistakes. I am a sinner saved by grace. That doesn't make me perfect though, just forgiven. I look back at my life and see all the wrong turns I have made, all the wrong decisions I have made. I have seen where I have "gotten off track" so to speak. It seems like I had learned to just settle for the mediocre relationship with God. Isn't that what most of us do? We settle, instead of selling out, we settle. Oh what a mistake that is!! God has so much more for us.

The past year has brought about so many changes in my life, my marriage, my family and most importantly my relationship with God. All these years, I have tried in my own strength to do what I thought I was suppose to do. That only gets me frustrated when I make mistakes. God doesn't want me doing what I can do, God wants to work through me. Why has it taken 45 years for me to finally realize this? I guess I am a slow learner! I am just so glad that God didn't give up on me, or through the towel in.

So many people look at all of our failures, all of our mistakes. God sees past all of those to the person we can become through Him.

I want to say, God has blessed me so much with a wonderful forgiving husband. God knew I needed someone like you in my life! Thank you Ricky for loving me unconditionally. He blessed me with three beautiful daughters, two wonderful sons-in-laws, 3 almost 4 wonderful grandbabies, a lovely step daughter, a new step son-in-law, two great step sons, two step grandchildren and a wonderful sister-in-law. Not to mention I have the greatest parents in the world, a wonderful sister and brother and I could go on and on. I have true friends...those that stick with you even when you try to push them away or made stupid choices. Those are true friends..those that will love you regardless...those that will not allow you to stay in the "pig pen". I never can say it enough...I love you all!!

Looking back sometimes causes you pain because of the bad choices, mistakes and failures in your life. I choose to look over that to the blessings! God has truly blessed me. First and foremost, God has forgiven me. That is enough...but He didn't stop there...He continues to bless me each and every day. I have failed Him in so many ways...but He looks past that..and loves me in spite of myself.

To all of those I have hurt in the past..I am truly sorry...I can never change things, but I can say I am sorry. I can pray for each of you to find the forgiveness and joy that I have found in God and God alone. I can pray that not only do you find forgiveness and joy but you learn to forgive as well. Forgiveness is one of those things that is so easy but for some reason we make it hard. Unforgiveness eats at us each and every moment of our lives, Not hurting anyone but ourselves. No wonder God tells us to forgive so many times in His Word.

Back to the beginning of my post...yes changes are not always fun...but they can be good for us. Changes can challenge us to become the person God has planned for us to become. Not perfect, just forgiven!

God Bless!!

The Principal Path-Book Review

When I saw the book The Principal Path by Andy Stanley on Booksneeze, I automatically wanted to read it. I had heard a lot about Andy Stanley and wanted to see for myself if his books were good. My first thoughts of the book were great. This book is very easy to read and will keep your interest easily.

This book is a self help book for everyday life.. Stanley shares with us his principle for success in life. He begins with a story from his own life. His applications can be useful in our relationships, our finances, our career, and even our parenting.

His insights in this book are very simple but very profound. Anyone can pick up this book and read it and put into practice Stanley’s principle and lead a better life. I would highly recommend this book to anyone. This book would also make a great gift.

I was given this book free of charge from book sneeze in exchange for my honest opinion of the book. I was not required to give a favorable review.

Family Life Marriage Bible-Book Review

I chose to review the Family Life Marriage Bible from Booksneeze because I have read several books from the Rainey’s and enjoyed them. This book did not disappoint me at all. It has very practical help for those that are getting married or are already married.

Marriage can be difficult at times and anytime you can do something that will benefit your marriage it is well worth the time spent. This book is well worth the time spent, you will learn practical things you can do that will help strengthen your marriage. If you are having problems in your marriage or if you just want to strengthen your relationship with each other, this is the book for you.

The Rainey’s have done a tremendous job in compiling this book to help us through the good days and the bad days in our marriages. God’s word is the first place we need to go to when we are looking for answers in our marriage. The Rainey’s have combined God’s truth with their insight on marriage and have made a great resource for us.

I give this book 5 stars. I highly recommend this for those thinking about marriage or those that are already married. This book would also make a great gift!

I was given this book from booksneeze free of charge to give my honest opinion of the book.

Radical-Taking Back Your Faith From the American Dream

I chose the book, Radical Taking Back Your Faith From the American Dream by David Platt, because I had heard so many different responses to the book. I had to read the book for myself and make up my own mind on it.

This book speaks of how so many messages on the Christian Faith have became watered down and really have no effect on people anymore. It talks of how we sit in our padded pews and air conditioned churches and never really have a change in our heart.

I myself enjoyed reading the book. It did convict me of many things. I think that any Christian should read this book. It will remind us of how blessed we are. Maybe, it will cause us to rethink a few things in our life.

The author speaks of getting your mind off of yourself and to start thinking of others. Reading your Bible. Helping others and going on mission trips. I think we can all use reminders of these things.

I would recommend this book to any Christian. I think it is a great eye opener and reminder of why we are here on this earth. I give this book 5 stars.

I was given this book free of charge from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest opinion. I did not have to give a favorable review.

Voices of the Faithful Book 2-Book Review

I chose the book "Voices of the Faithful Book-2" from Booksneeze.com to review. One reason I chose to review this book is that I had already reviewed "Voices of the Faithful Book-1" and I wanted to see if it was as good as the first one.

This book is a devotional book for everyday of the year. Much like the first edition, most of the devotionals only take one page. They are inspiring stories from all over the world. Each story gives you hope, shows you courage and lifts you up.

This book has an introduction by Beth Moore, which is one of my favorite Christian authors. I think this book would be great for any woman to add to her daily devotions. They are short enough that it can be read on a lunch break. I would highly recommend you add this book to your collection or give it as a gift.

I was given this book free of charge for my honest opinion. I did not have to give a favorable review.