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The Lesson by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Posted by html404 on January 12, 2013
in Books, Reviews

The Lesson by Suzanne Woods Fisher is the third book in the Stoney Ridge Seasons series. I have now read them all! It is about the youngest daughter of Amos Lapp whose name is Mary Kate. Mary Kate has grown up a lot since the last book by about 5-7 years if I remember without looking it up. She is now nineteen. She is just as curious, klutzy, hilariously funny with the vivid imagination of a dreamer….she could be part my daughter! lol!

Mary Kate is learning to be content with where she’s at in life. She’s forced to take on a teaching job when she absolutely hated school when she attended, but that proves to be a good character building experience that leads to a more mature Mary Kate.

Unlike most Amish young women, Mary Kate was prone to getting into all kinds of scrapes from running into people with her red scooter to falsely accusing innocent people of murder and robbery!

In the first couple of pages of the book Mary Kate is convinced her purpose in life is to solve the death (or murder as she called it) of a local sheep farmer, but it leads her into all kinds of unwanted trouble.

I loved reading her journey to womanhood, contentment and yes, even love.

Many of you should know by now one of my favorite authors is Suzanne Woods Fisher. It’s not just because she writes about the Amish, but because she entertains me with her characters antics, life and behavior. Her books are more than just romance novels, they are more about life and relationships. And yes her books are about the life and character of the Amish but as a Christian every time I read one of her books I cannot help but think the community the Amish exhibit should be a template, if you will, for what Christian churches everywhere should be like.

The Lesson gets two thumbs up from me!

“Available January 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

iPad Giveaway

Suzanne is giving away 2 iPads!

Contest dates: Jan 3-20, 2013

Two winners will receive:

• A brand new iPad

• A $15 gift certificate to iTunes

Enter Today – 1/3 – 1/20!

Faith and Family Reviews received the following product in exchange for writing a review. While we consider it a privilege to receive products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.

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The Rhyme Bible Storybook Review

Posted by Professor on January 5, 2013
in Books, Education, Kids Stuff, Reviews

Reading time at home will be even more fun with the arrival of Linda Sattgast’s freshly updated version of The Rhyme Bible Storybook!

Twelve years since the first edition captured parents’ hearts, Sattgast teams with artist Laurence Cleyet-Merle to illuminate key passages from the Bible, making the most important lessons easy to understand.

Sattgast’s rhyming text helps beginning readers remember each Bible story and comprehend their basic lessons. For instance, the story of David and Goliath becomes a read-aloud lyrical song similar to a nursery rhyme. In addition, the story of Jonah and the big fish detailed in the book is a delightful bedtime story.

With Cleyet-Merle’s vivid illustrations, readers will experience 35 classic bible stories as they have never before been presented ~ with adorable pictured and Sattgast’s rhyming text.

For any parent who wants to teach the Word of God, THE RHYMING BIBLE STORYBOOK is the perfect choice for engaging little ones. Together, Sattgast and Cleyet-Merle breathe new life into the traditional storybook Bible, making this new edition a keepsake for all ages.

Our Review:

I absolutely LOVE this book…perhaps it is because I LOVE songs and rhyming…but it is amazing! This book really hits home with our family because it is an easy way to learn classic bible stories in an easy and fun way! My children LOVE the verse and the illustrations. I cannot say enough about the author and illustrators who have brought the bible stories to life in this text! WONDERFUL!

I liked this book so much that I brought it to my Sunday school class…of 6^th graders… yes I said it 6^th graders. Now, do not get me wrong I am not saying that I taught out of a rhyming book to older children… BUT since we are studying the Old Testament… I used it as a teaching tool! I chose a few stories that we had studied and read the rhyming version aloud to the students. Then I asked my students to take their favorite story we have studied and try to make up their own rhyming version of a story or part of a story. The older kids were very engaged in this activity! We had so much fun! I Loved being able to use this bible with my little ones at home and as a teaching tool in the classroom! Hats off to Zondervan and their talented authors!

This book is available through Zondervan. You can find more information about this and other Zondervan products at: http://zondervan.com/

You can purchase the book here: http://zondervan.com/9780310726029

The book is also available through Amazon and other retailers.

Here is the Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Rhyme-Bible-Storybook-Linda-Sattgast/dp/0310726026/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1357382333&sr=8-2&keywords=the+rhyme+storybook+bible

Faith and Family Reviews received the following product in exchange for writing a review. While we consider it a privilege to receive free products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.

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The Memory Jar

Posted by html404 on December 31, 2012
in Books, Reviews

Tricia Goyer is writing a brand new series called Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors. The series is a fictional work about the Amish. The Memory Jar (Zondervan, 2012), is the first book. I read it over a month ago. I have read a few of Trisha’s books and have enjoyed them.

Like many books I read, this book is about relationships. It doesn’t matter if you are Amish, Baptist, Evangelical, Reformed or whatever type of Christian you label yourself, relationships are key to your and my existence. This post could quickly become my soap box if I allow it to because of my views and expectations of relationships/friendships. I have a beef about Christians, even though I am one, and how flippant many are in how they develop and maintain relationships/friendships. So often what comes across to people really isn’t how it is, it’s just the emotional barriers a person has put up to protect themselves from being hurt…yet again.

But that’s not what this post is about, so onward….

The Memory Jar is about a young Amish woman, Sarah, who lives in Kootenai, Montana. The memory jar is her special way of remembering a cherished friend who died. Like many unmarried women her age, she wonders if she will ever find a special man to share her life with.

I really like the sweet friendship and common bond – love of baking – that develops between Sarah and Jathan. Jathan, a visiting bachelor, among dozens of visiting bachelors who seek to live there for six months in order to receive “resident” status for the fall hunting season. What I didn’t like was how swayed Jathan was by other people in his life, at least initially. It was rather heart wrenching to read the turmoil this couple had to go through.

It was also hard to read about Sarah’s grief journey over the loss of her beloved childhood friend. I can relate to grief on a different level but always find it hard to read about because it evokes so many emotionally charged memories, not all of which are good. 🙁 So as usual I cried.

The difficulties Sarah and Jathan had to go through to be understood by family members, the hurdles they had to overcome for having a new generation of ideas end up being character building, as well as foundational in strengthening their relationship. Something I think every relationship endures at some point or another, the key is whether or not the relationship makes it through them or breaks in the process.

As always, I love the show of community among the Amish, but in this story a different side to that community was shown and not in a positive way, especially in Jathan’s home town.

Trisha Goyer’s The Memory Jar receives two thumbs up from me!

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Still Lolo

Posted by html404 on December 8, 2012
in Books, Reviews

Still Lolo by Lauren Scruggs and the Scruggs family is an inspiring true story about the Scruggs experience when Lauren walked into an airplane’s propeller a year ago this past week and lost her left hand and left eye. Think Bethany Hamilton of Soul Surfer.

When I called this book an inspiring true story it wasn’t just because the phrase was typed on the front cover or because others have called it inspiring. I think whenever I read a book detailing someone’s tragic event and comes through it stronger it helps those of us hearing about it be inspired to adapt to life’s changes and to look at life’s challenges differently.

Bethany Hamilton actually wrote the forward of this book and shared Lauren’s definition of every day courage,

Even when life hits you hard, keep going.

I can only imagine how Bethany and Lauren must have felt as they went through the ordeals life threw at them with the propeller and shark attack. I am sure this is something they had to remind themselves over and over again.

Here are some of the notes I took from the book as I was reading it:

Christ as our strength and source of hope…
Bethany also shared how God mended and healed their hearts again and again. How often do we need him to do that for us?
The Physical Therapist story on page xii of Bethany’s intro…the Physical Therapist wanted Lauren to take 20 steps and Lauren took 30. Bethany said this encouraged and inspired her to take “10 extra steps”
80 people filled the waiting room once word got out that Lauren was in the hospital – they were all waiting for the word “stabilized” – I don’t even think I know 80 people who would do that for me or my family.
Isaiah 40:29-31 was shared within the book and I started reading it on a day that I was emotionally, mentally exhausted and it was an encouragement to me.

There were other things that stood out to me too, like the fact that Lauren’s parents got divorced but the end result was a blessing most divorcees do not get to experience.

The Scruggs’ family friend, Cindy, who told Lauren, ” God wants to use you mightily for his purposes, in ways you can’t yet imagine. But before he can do a work through you, he needs to do a work in you.” She seemed to speak life into Lauren. Negativity is a common trait in our society. I wonder what would happen if more of us chose to speak uplifting words instead of words that tear down – how different the world would be?

As you can see by the things I shared from the book, I gleaned a lot from it. I loved how the whole family’s story was interwoven and included. It really gave a clear picture of their family, where Lauren came from, where she was at, how she was before the accident and after. By allowing each family member to tell his or her version of the story gave a clearer picture of their life.

I give Still Lolo two thumbs up as a must-read book. Just beware to shed a few tears in the process. You can read the first chapter here.

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Christmas Roses

Posted by html404 on November 19, 2012
in Books, Holidays

I went on a bit of a reading spree this weekend and it hindered me from getting the rest of my garlic planted, as did another tooth ache – same one – but thankfully no swelling this time and feels find today. I’ve enjoyed reading 3-4 of Amanda Cabot’s books. Probably because most of her books hold a redemptive grace story, lined with the need for forgiveness. This one stirred my emotions (nothing new there!) and I loved the rose aspect of it. Thanks to my husband roses are my favorite flower.

Set in 1882, Christmas Roses is a pleasant story and one I’d read again at Christmas time, just for the mushy story. Every now and then I get in the mood for one of these and this weekend was one of those times.

While the romantic part of the story line was predictable, it’s an endearing Christmas story sharing the joys of redemptive grace, healing, forgiveness and love. Something we all need to be reminded of from time to time.

I liked how gifts of service were emphasized in the story because I think it is a way we can show our spouses or love interest we love them, but not every couple will be the same so there needs to be a balance, as well as discovering what our loved one appreciates the most.

As a side note, I was short on time and asked my daughter to read this book first (I ended up reading it at the last minute and then found out it wasn’t due until the end of the week…it’s done early for a change!) and while she liked it she isn’t crazy for mushy romance novels. She agreed that Christmas Roses was predictable and she knew who was going to end up with who.

A thumbs up from me, though I am itching for another great mystery/story of intrigue! 😉

“Available September 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

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Borders of the Heart by Chris Fabry

Posted by html404 on October 23, 2012
in Books, Products for Dad, Products for Mom, Reviews

Borders of the Heart by Chris Fabry is a fast moving novel of intrigue and mystery from start to finish.

Book Summary:

Desperate to escape haunting memories, J. D. Jessup travels from Nashville to Tucson and volunteers on an organic farm. The hardened landowner has one prevailing rule: If J. D. sees an “illegal,” call the border patrol. But when an early morning ride along the fence line leads him to a beautiful young woman named Maria, near death in the desert, his heart pulls him in another direction. Longing to atone for the choices that drove him to Tucson, J. D. hides her and unleashes a chain of deadly events he could never have imagined. Soon they are running from a killer and fighting for their lives. As secrets of their pasts emerge, J. D. realizes that saving Maria may be the only way to save himself.

Borders of the Heart by Chris Fabry Review

I really liked how Mr. Fabry created the story around a WWOOFer (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms – people who travel around working on different farms in exchange for food and lodging) working on an organic farm in Arizona. Though much of the story took place off the farm.

It really made me feel uncomfortable reading the stark realities of the racism illegals and immigrants faced through J.D.’s. I understand somewhat where it stems from yet at the same time they are human beings too.

I thoroughly enjoyed how the story kept me riveted to its pages as I tried to read faster to figure out what mystery surrounding Maria’s story, not to mention J.D.’s and how all the drama of their few days together would turn out.

The book is divided into Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and December. Those four days seemed like an eternity and I was in awe of all that happened to J.D. and Maria in the span of one day, let alone four.

This is a great book for mom or day or even older children. Two thumbs up from me!

Watch the Book Trailer:

http://www.tyndale.com/x_products/videos.php?flv=BotHTrailer_v1sm.flv

Q & A with Author Chris Fabry

Q: Your newest novel, Borders of the Heart, addresses heavy topics such as illegal immigration, the U.S./Mexico drug trade and the cost of compassion. Where did you get your inspiration for the book?

A: Our family moved to Arizona in 2008 and since then I’ve known I wanted to write about this area of the country, a rich, desert existence with problems and possibilities. This book is not as much an “issue” book as it is a book about people who have to deal with lots of those issues as part of their daily lives. I don’t have an ax to grind on the topics, but I did want to show how real people are affected by these contemporary topics.

Q: Several of the characters in Borders of the Heart are dealing with things from their past. What lessons do your characters learn along the way?

A: The past is huge for each of us. I’m convinced many are “stuck” by something in the past that holds us back from being all God wants us to be. A reader will walk through that process with the main character, J.D., and I’m hoping they’ll see an authentic struggle.

Q: J.D. Jessup is faced with a very difficult moral dilemma when he weighs the decision to follow his boss’ very clear direction or his own heart when he discovers Maria near death. What lessons does this story provide for your readers?

A: Every choice we make in life comes with a cost. If we say yes to one thing, we may have to say no to something else. The choice J.D. makes is a good choice, and even good choices can lead to disastrous and deadly results. Can you believe that God is involved in even the difficult circumstances? I think that’s a huge reveal in this story for me. Does everything have to work out perfectly in the end in order for God to be glorified?

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Beautiful Beasties Review Campaign

Posted by html404 on September 21, 2012
in Animals, Books

My daughter and I both love taking photos of our family, our landscape, our flowers, and other random things. Most of all we love taking pictures of our animals and pets. The problem? The pictures don’t always turn out the way we want thanks to how much pets move and jump around.

We were excited to read the Beautiful Besties book and review it. My daughter started reading it and found alot of great tips that we can use with both our Nikon and iPhone. The author shows you how to pose your pets, how to get them to stay in that position, how to adjust your camera, as well as many more great topics.

Jamie goes into a lot of helpful detail that my daughter soaked in. The twenty one chapters are filled with helpful tips, examples of how to shoot, step by step instruction, photographs that are perfect for passionate photographers and professional pet photographers.

Our biggest challenge when photographing our horse, chickens, turkeys, rabbit, dog, and cats? Getting them to stay still. My daughter was thrilled that the author included some very awesome tips on how to do just that! She has been having problems taking photographs of our pets and was really excited to learn more about pet photography.

We learned alot from this book and if you’d like to check it out you can purchase it at- Wiley.com

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The Haven by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Posted by html404 on August 21, 2012
in Books, Reviews

It was great to catch up with one of my favorite author’s new release, in The Haven by Suzanne Woods Fisher. It is the second book in The Stoney Ridge Seasons. You may read my review of the first book here.

The family dynamics of the Lapp family is at the heart of what makes this book series so enjoyable. There was one part that I literally laughed out loud (LOL for those not familiar with internet lingo ;)).

Sadie Lapp really grew up in this book and I enjoyed seeing her blossom with strength of character. Like in real life, life’s experiences have a way of making us grow in ways we never thought possible, if we let them.

There are a few things I took away from The Haven:

~ Gossip. It can tear family, friendships and even communities apart if gossips are allowed to spread their rumors and lies. Esther, Gideon, Edith and so many more of the Lapp’s neighbors chose to believe the gossip rather than find out the if the rumors were true or not.

~ Expectations. Sometimes as parents, we have very high expectations and it can cause undue stress on our child and our relationship with them, as was the case with Will and his dad.

~ Love. Gotta have love. Relationships without love are not relationships. If the Knapp family wasn’t fictitious, I would say it was the family love to model after.

~ Forgiveness. This is such a powerful one. Forgiveness can be hard to give out. I appreciated the reminder that our health is affected by not only physical symptoms, but our emotional and mental well-being as well. This was revealed in Esther and Amos.

~ Choices. All choices have consequences. It’s whether or not we move on from the bad ones that will make or break us.

As I said in my review of the first book, I love the Lapp family dynamics. I have always enjoyed learning more about the Amish ever since our family visited Amish Country in Indiana over 10 years ago. I think there is much to learn from them.

The Haven by Suzanne Woods Fisher gets a two thumbs up from me!

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Raising Financially Confident Kids- A Revell Blog Tour

Posted by html404 on August 11, 2012
in Books, Money & Finances

Money. Something that your child will have to manage for their entire life so why not start teaching them young? Teaching kids about money can be a long process filled this mistakes and life lessons, but a brand new book is making the process easier.

Raising Financially Confident Kids by Mary Hunt is a great book for any parent wanting to teach their kids how to manage money for the rest of their lives. This book doesn’t just teach you how to train your five year old to save, spend, and give-it also shows parents easy ways to get their teenager to manage their money wisely and to earn money without relying on mom and dad.

I loved Mary Hunt’s writing style. She is funny, yet shares her wisdom in such a way that you are never bored. I really enjoyed reading this book and gleaning tidbits from it.

There are quite a few lessons that you can learn from her stories about raising her own children as well as stories that she told about family members. I enjoyed reading about what worked and didn’t work for her family. Mary shared valuable life lessons that any parent could use in teaching their child how to manage money.

Raising Financially Confident Kids is available August 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

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Food Fights Review & Giveaway

Posted by html404 on April 13, 2012
in Books, Food and Treats, Giveaways, Health and Nutrition, Parenting

I am always hesitant to read parenting books because after being a parent for so long you kind of get into your own groove. Our groove tends to be very different from most, as it should be because every family, every child and every parent is different. None of us are cookie cutter parents or we shouldn’t be! We each have to develop our own style of parenting that fits us as individuals and our children.

Book Reviews

You all know that I do a fair amount of book reviews, but I do not do a lot of parenting books. Guess they scare me! Ha! No seriously. When I was a young mom I tended to want to do what every good parenting book said but parenting just does not work like that. I gradually learned that we get ideas from other parents, books etc. but we tweak them to make it work for our individual family.

Food Fights

Food Fights is the book I mentioned at the beginning of the week and shared a juicy update about. It offers parenting tips on how to pick food battles, dealing with the mine fields of TV dinners, fast food, eating out, sick kids and so much more. This book is written by two pediatricians, Dr. Laura A. Jana and Dr. Jennifer Shu. I know how picky some children can be and thought this book would be a great one to share.

What I Liked

The facts they shared throughout the book were very interesting and helpful.

It has a beautiful cover of a darling baby.

Spoke out against feeding kids junk food, soda pop and sugary juices.

Encouragement to feed your children fresh fruits and veggies.

Supportive of breastfeeding.

They were concerned with childhood obesity, but our food system has a huge part in that! Read labels!

What I Didn’t LikeBeware I go into a tangent!

The book discourages breastfeeding your child at bedtime/naptime. This one gets me riled up! I have breastfed eight children for 1-3 years each and have breastfed them all to sleep at some point or another and it DOES NOT make them dependent. Babies and children are already dependent for pity sake! Arggggh……..’Nough said.

Ok, I realize this next one is a can of worms in certain circles – what kind of milk do you serve your children? Rhetorical no need to answer, however, have you ever heard of not feeding children over 2 whole milk, only skim? Hmmm…..that’s a new one to me. Raw milk is better, but even our family doesn’t buy raw milk because of the price. That’s why we need a cow!

Another myth the book advises against is drinking well water. Oh really? I grew up in the country and that is the only water we had and I am fine (ok that’s debatable sometimes! Ha!) as are my parents, my sisters and all those that lived around us. Since moving to a rural area we now drink well water. Ummmm….so far none of us are any worse for doing so, but the authors claimed it was dangerous to drink well water. Did you know that Chlorine and Fluoride are NOT good for you and that they are chemicals? Just do a little research and you’ll learn ALOT.

The last two items are certainly personal choice but ones I happen to disagree with. First one, you shouldn’t make your children eat if they don’t want to both hunger wise and what you serve them. I understand and agree that if they are referring to not being hungry, but not when it comes to what is being served. We are a family of ten and neither my daughters, who now cook, nor I will make ten different meals. That is ridiculous. Therefore, our kids are required to eat whatever they are served. Period. If they really dislike it then they are required to eat bites according to their age. For example: If our four year old did not like what was for dinner he would be required to eat four bites, our six year old would need to eat six bites and so on.

The book has merit and will be helpful to those parents searching for a solution to “food fights”.

Enter to Win!

If you are interested in owning a copy we are hosting a giveaway and I will mail you your copy in a 2-3 of weeks, whenever I close the giveaway. Just fill out the Rafflecopter below to enter. Thanks!

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