Bibleman Video Review

I received this DVD as part of the BookSneeze program through Thomas Nelson Publishers. I was given this DVD to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

Bibleman Video: Combating The Commandant of Confusion

I like Bibleman, but this DVD was not up to the good quality of other Bibleman DVDs. This one was live. Maybe that is the reason for the lower quality.

I let my two girls watching the DVD. They said it was "pretty good, but not great." Don't let this keep you from the Bibleman series.

Book Review - Stray Affections by Rhonda Smith

Stray Affections by Charlene Ann Baumbich As a fellow "critter lover", this novel was a particularly enjoyable read. I appreciate the author's ability to weave several plots into one story. Thank you for the reminder that God's grace is extended to all. I could often "hear" Burt's guffaw, "see" the 'Everything Room' or have to swallow back my own tears as Betty and Cassie reconciled their relationship. I will definitely share this novel with my friends. -Rhonda Smith You can also check out the promo video on YouTube. Official Book Review, from the publisher The last thing that Cassandra Higgins expects out of her Sunday is to be mesmerized at a collectors’ convention by a snowglobe. She’s enjoying some shopping time, with husband Ken at home tending their brood of four young boys, when she’s utterly charmed by the one-of-a kind globe containing figures of three dogs and a little girl with hair the color of her own. She can’t resist taking the unique globe home– even if means wrestling another shopper for it! The beautiful snowglobe sparks long-dormant memories for Cassie, of her beloved Grandpa Wonky, the stray she rescued as a child, and the painful roots of her combative relationship with her mother, “Bad Betty” Kamrowski. Life in Wanonishaw, Minnesota is never dull, though, and Cassie keeps the recollections at bay, busy balancing her boys, her home daycare operation, and being a good friend to best pal Margret. But after a strange–flurrious, as Cassie deems it–moment happens with the remarkable snowglobe, Cassie and the people she loves are swirled into a tumultuous, yet grace-filled, and life-changing journey. With the quirky, close-knit Midwestern small-town feel that made Charlene Ann Baumbich’s acclaimed Dearest Dorothy novels so popular, Stray Affections invites you to experience the laughter and the healing of second chances. Charlene Ann Baumbich is a popular author and speaker and an award-winning journalist. In addition to her Dearest Dorothy series of novels, she has written seven nonfiction books of humor and inspiration. A bungee-jumping, once motorcycle-owning grandma and unabashed dog lover, Charlene lives with her husband and rescued dog Kornflake in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. She loves telling stories, laughing whenever possible, and considers herself a Wild Child of God.

Read Sir Dalton and the Shadow Heart Author

I just finished a great book. In fact, I read it rather quickly. It is book 3 in a series, but easy to get into. I'm looking forward to checking out the whole set.

This is book is great story that parallels spiritual life. Check it out, you'll be impressed.

Buy the book at

http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781601421265

or at Amazon.com

Below is the official review.

Sir Dalton and the Shadow Heart

Chuck Black

Sir Dalton, a knight in training, seems to have everything going for him. Young, well-liked, and a natural leader, he has earned the respect and admiration of his fellow knights, and especially the beautiful Lady Brynn.

But something is amiss at the training camp. Their new trainer is popular but lacks the passion to inspire them to true service to the King and the Prince. Besides this, the knights are too busy enjoying a season of good times to be concerned with a disturbing report that many of their fellow Knights have mysteriously vanished.

When Sir Dalton is sent on a mission, he encounters strange attacks, especially when he is alone. As his commitment wanes, the attacks grow in intensity until he is captured by Lord Drox, a massive Shadow Warrior. Bruised and beaten, Dalton refuses to submit to evil and initiates a daring escape with only one of two outcomes–life or death. But what will become of the hundreds of knights he’ll leave behind? In a kingdom of peril, Dalton thinks he is on his own, but two faithful friends have not abandoned him, and neither has a strange old hermit who seems to know much about the Prince. But can Dalton face the evil Shadow Warrior again and survive?

Book Review: Sisterchicks in Wooden Shoes

Book Review by my Wife, Rhonda:

Sisterchicks in Wooden Shoes by Robin Jones Gunn

What a delightful read! Thank you for addressing "real life"... relationships, unexpected circumstances, healthy marriages, Godly homes, denial, forgiveness and restoration. I especially enjoyed Summer and Noelle's unplanned adventures. Can't you just picture them floating down the canal in a over-sized yellow wooden shoe. I appreciated being reminded that my list of "what ifs" needs to include positive outcomes as well as the negative outcomes that so readily come to mind. I HIGHLY recommend this book and I will pass my personal copy around to my group of girlfriends (known as yada yadas).

The official review goes like this...

Summary: When a mammogram result comes back abnormal, midlife mama Summer Finley makes a snap decision to relegate fear to the back burner and fulfill a lifelong dream. Summer heads for Holland where she meets up with tulips, wooden shoes, and her best friend, Noelle.

Pen pals since fourth grade, Summer and Noelle have never met face-to-face. Through decades of heart-level correspondence, they have sustained a deep friendship. A week of adventure helps both women trade anxiety for a renewed and deeper trust in God. When Summer confides in Noelle about the abnormal medical report, Noelle finds the freedom to share a long-held heartache, and both women discover they needed each other more than they realized.

Women ages 35 and up, readers of Christian Boomer Lit, and fans of books such as The Yada Yada Prayer Group will enjoy Robin Jones Gunn’s humorous and uplifting style. True-to-life characters and moments of poignancy bring a deeper understanding of the value of life and the gift of true friends. Readers guide and bonus material included.

Author Bio:

Robin Jones Gunn is the best-selling and award-winning author of over seventy books, including the Glenbrooke, Christy Miller, Sierra Jensen, Katie Weldon, and Christy and Todd: The College Years teen series. The Sisterchicks® series has sold more than 300,000 units, bringing her total sales to more than 3.5 million books worldwide. A Christy Award winner, Robin is a popular speaker, both at home and abroad, and is frequently interviewed on radio and on television. http://www.robingunn.com/ http://www.sisterchicks.com/

Book Review: Bon Appetit

Bon Appetit
Sandra Byrd

Reviewed by Rhonda, my wife

"I enjoyed getting to know Lexi Stuart. She is adventurous. I am proud she pursued her dream of becoming a pastry chef even when this dream took her an ocean away from home. What a delightful mix of cultural accuracy and faux pas as Lexi lives in France.

"I would recommend this book to others with the contingency the reader enjoy Let Them Eat Cake first. I did not read Let Them Eat Cake and was occasionally left out when references were made to characters I had not met. "

Summary:

In this second book in the French Twist series, readers join Lexi Stuart in a crème de la crème adventure!

Deciding to leave her familiar home in Seattle and her could-be boyfriend Dan, Lexi moves to a quaint village in France to pursue her dream of becoming a pastry chef. Life among the French initially proves to be less than easy as Lexi is challenged by her coworkers, missing her friends, and failing to master the perfect baguette.

Determined to find her place, Lexi settles into the culture and life becomes la perfection. She finds a church, meets a new friend, and makes the acquaintance of a child named Celine—as well as Celine’s attractive, widowed father, Philippe. Even Patricia, the gruff pastry cook, shows a softer side as she mentors Lexi in the art of baking.

Fast, fun, and packed with French culture, foodie appeal, and unique recipes readers will love accompanying Lexi on her journey in Bon Appetit as she tries to choose between two countries, two men and the faith to lean on God while savoring the surprises life brings!

Author Bio:

Best-selling author Sandra Byrd enjoys a successful career writing adult, teen, and children’s books, including the Friends for a Season, Secret Sisters series and the French Twist series, including the first Lexi Stuart novel, Let them Eat Cake. She is also a regular contributor to newspapers and magazines. Sandra lives in Washington state with her husband and two children.

This is a WaterBrook Press and Multnomah Book.

Book Review: Pressure Proof Your Marriage

This review is from my wife

Pressure Proof Your Marriage
My husband and I teach a Sunday school class for married couples at our church. We have used this particular book as a reference guide in our class. This book is a great reminder that marriage is not a matter of IF pressure will come but WHEN and how you will respond. Thanks for the helpful insights.

Book Review: Gardening Eden

Think "being green" = "tree hugger" then read this book. It is about stewardship of what God has given us, the Earth. Mike Abbaté gives practical tips for taking care of the Earth, eating healthy, as well as making good choices about transportation. He also gives plenty of statistics and websites as well as practical tips.

This is a great book if you are looking for a good Biblical example of "being green."

Buy Gardening Eden for yourself.

Gardening Eden:

Before the snake, the apple, and the Ten Commandments, God created a garden, placed humans in it, and told them to take care of it.

“Spiritual environmentalism” did not start out as an oxymoron—it was an invitation. Yet today, many believe God’s original job description for humankind has been replaced by other worthier pursuits. So when did this simple instruction become so controversial? How does one sort through all the mixed messages? Is making the world a healthier place for the next generation really a responsibility—or even possible?

Gardening Eden is a new understanding of how the spiritual dimensions of life can find expression and renewal through caring for our incredible planet. Empowering, simple, and never polemical, Michael Abbaté outlines the Bible’s clear spiritual benefits of caring for creation, exploring new motivations and inspired ideas, and revealing the power of our basic connection to all people and living things through the growing interest in spiritual environmentalism.

Green living is no longer a fad—simple lifestyle solutions are now available to everyone. Gardening Eden shows readers how this shift transforms not only our world, but their very souls as they’re drawn into deeper harmony with the Creator. This book invites them to discover the powerful spiritual satisfaction of heeding the call to save our world.

Author Bio:

A nationally recognized expert in “green” development strategies, Mike Abbaté is a founder of GreenWorks, an award-winning landscape architecture design firm. He frequently speaks to students and leaders about practical ways to minimize the impact of building and landscape design on natural resources. Abbaté’s work has been featured in national magazines such as Metropolis and Landscape Architecture and in many local newspapers and trade publications. He and his wife, Vicki, have two adult daughters and live near Portland, Oregon.

Book: Living Rich For Less, Ellie Kay

I just read a GREAT book on personal finances. Ellie Kay does an excellent job with "Living Rich for Less." She subtitles it, "Create the lifestyle you want by giving, saving, and spending smart." Her subtitle gives away the three sections of the book.

The book is written from an Christian perspective, but it is not "over the top." It could easily be read without thinking "church." The principles are there no matter what your faith. She promotes the 10/10/80 principle. Give 10%, Save 10%, Live on 80%. She goes on to tell you how to do just that, but not with theory only - she adds personal examples, examples from others as well as practical advice and tips.

I was very encouraged by the book. I've already made several changes based on what she suggested.

The book is also an easy read. You won't get bogged down. But at the same time, take your time. Don't hurry through the book. I'm going back through again.

Get your copy of the book at Amazon or FamilyChristian. It will be well worth your time and money.

Book Review: For Young Men Only

For Young Men Only

I wish I had this book when I was a Middle School or High School student. It would have saved me a bunch of grief with girls. Well, I probably would have still had grief, but at least I would have understood the girls better.

This is an EXCELLENT book when it comes to understanding girls. No, it's not a million pages long or magic. It is just a very well written book based on much research about girls.

Jeff Feldhahn & Eric Rice have a great writing style that keeps the book from becoming some regurgitated pile of stats. Instead, it is an easy to read, and sometimes funny, book that gives great insight into the mind of the girls.

In the book:

Why does it seem good girls go for bad boys?

Why do girls say one thing and then something completely different?

What are the "break up" signs.

What are girls really looking for in a guy.

This should be required reading for all guys. It seems to be written mainly for Middle School and High School guys, but all guys could get something out of if. It would be a great read for a father and son too.

By the way, I tried out some of the questions on some of the girls in my youth group... dead on!

Get the book - you won't be disappointed!

You can get the book here or here.

Book: Wild Goose Chase

I'm reading a new book, Wild Goose Chase by Mark Batterson (author of "In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day"). It is GREAT! He brings the adventure back to being a Christian. I recommend this to anyone looking for something more from their faith than just going to church and trying to "just get by" in life. Read it and put it into life practice... I plan to. Thank you Mark. You really nailed this one.

Check out this link for more about the book. You can purchase the book at a great bookstore or you can order it from amazon.

This is a summary and author bio from the publisher

Most of us have no idea where we’re going most of the time. Perfect.

“Celtic Christians had a name for the Holy Spirit–An Geadh-Glas, or ‘the Wild Goose.’ The name hints at mystery. Much like a wild goose, the Spirit of God cannot be tracked or tamed. An element of danger, an air of unpredictability surround Him. And while the name may sound a little sacrilegious, I cannot think of a better description of what it’s like to follow the Spirit through life. I think the Celtic Christians were on to something….

Most of us will have no idea where we are going most of the time. And I know that is unsettling. But circumstantial uncertainty also goes by another name: Adventure.” --from the introduction.

Mark Batterson is the lead pastor of Washington, DC’s National Community Church, widely recognized as one of America’s most innovative churches. NCC meets in movie theaters at metro stops throughout the city, as well as in a church-owned coffee house near Union Station. More than seventy percent of NCC’ers are single twentysomethings who live or work on Capitol Hill. Mark is the author of the best-selling In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day and a widely read blogger (http://www.markbatterson.com/). He lives on Capitol Hill with his wife, Lora, and their three children.

Book Details
Paperback: 192 pages

Publisher: Multnomah Books

Release Date: August 19, 2008