Time with God for Mothers by Jack Countryman: Book Review

Time with God for Mothers by Jack Countryman is a collection of some 90 brief devotions based on verses from the New King James Version.  Sprinkled throughout the text are jeweled flowers and butterflies as if to equate Mother with a precious jewel.  The devotions are in no particular order or grouping and apply to all mothers, whether they be newly minted moms hauling a diaper bag, or the matriarch of a grown family.


Devotion titles include:

• Encouragement Changes Everything
• The Joy of a Mother’s Faith
• What is Your God-Given Talent?

Appendices include:

• Mother’s Prayers in the Bible (think Hannah, Naomi, Mary)
• Index to verses about the responsibilities of motherhood (compassion, discipline) 
• Index to verses about the promises of motherhood (fruitfulness, grace)
• A place for notes

I’ve reviewed books by Countryman before and am impressed at how he writes so tenderly for women.  The primary mood of these devotions is encouragement and these words of encouragement could easily have come from a son reflecting on what a godly mother taught him.  This is a lovely volume containing powerful Scripture and easy to read devotions that would make a great gift for your own Mom, a new mom, or a friend who’s a mom.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255  : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Eat Your Peas for Mom: Book Review

Today’s mail packet contained a small volume that’s part of the “Eat Your Peas” series of books by Cheryl Karpen.  Eat Your Peas for Mom is subtitled Simple Truths and Happy Insights.  The “eat your peas” part comes from Karpen’s own mother’s advice and this book contains something the author calls “nutrients for your heart.”

I love the cover design, but as I began flipping through the pages of this book I thought, “Oh dear. This one’s going to be glurgy.”  Call me a cynical child of the 1980‘s, but I’m not a fan of overly sentimental collections of phrases and this one does have a few.  [Maybe I’ve had one too many sappy emails in my in-box?]

Yet, when I sat down and went through the pages in order I could see a beautiful progression of sentiments that seemed to capture a woman’s thoughts about mother that range from:

• You reassured me as a child
• You put up with me as a teen and young adult
• The things you did now start to make sense to me
• I am who I am because of you
• I’ll always need you--but right now I want you to get out there and do the things you put off when you had children

Part apology, part head-smacking “why didn’t I appreciate you sooner,” there are some lovely thoughts expressed here that'll warm mom's heart.  But if this book really captures your feelings toward mom, use some of the ample white space on the left-side pages and write her a personal note. Otherwise, it’s just a book.

So, I'm of mixed feelings about this book.  It's definitely a "gift book" and it really depends on the giver and receiver as to whether or not this will make a good gift.  The spring release of Eat Your Peas for Mom is just in time to order for Mother’s Day on May 8th.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255  : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Renew Your Strength

The inspiration for this week's Jesus Boat Blog post came from a Scripture verse I saw at my son's Tae Kwon Do class.  Master Perri and instructor Karen both have Zech. 4:6 on their black belts. (and that is so cool)

So, of course I had to look it up:

So he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty.  Zechariah 4:6 NIV

I thought that a post talking about Tae Kwon Do might sound strange coming from a blog out of Israel (I could be wrong) so I changed the sport to weightlifting.

Here's this week's post:

Renew Your Strength


The man plants his feet on the mat and steadies his legs.  He bends his knees and grips a steel bar firmly with both hands.  His face twists into a grimace as he straightens his legs and hoists the weighted barbell high above his head.  He releases the weight and raises muscled arms in triumph: a new world record.

Athletes who perform feats of amazing strength are easy to identify by their muscular arms and legs.  Less obvious to the eye are the ordinary strongmen around us: those who shoulder heavy burdens and endure uncommon difficulties.  From where do they get their strength? How do we gain that strength?

Read the rest at The Jesus Boat Blog

A Path Through the Legos--Monday Manna

Today I’m joining in Monday Manna over at Vonnie Blake’s blog, My Back Door.  The purpose of Monday Manna is to get to know God’s word a little better by meditating on a selected verse, then writing about it and linking up with fellow bloggers.

This week’s verse is Psalm 18:36 --
“Thou hast enlarged my steps under me,  that my feet did not slip.” (KJV)




Living in a house inhabited by boys, the first image that sprang to mind was of carefully navigating the minefield of Legos, Hot Wheels, and Star Wars figurines that emerges in our living room every day after school.  You don't step on the Legos (ouch); you stick to the uncluttered path (wherever that might be).

The smooth path is the better way.

The NIV gives a different translation, “You provide a broad path for my feet, so that my ankles do not give way.”  The HCSB translates the verse, “You widen [a place] beneath me for my steps, and my ankles do not give way.”

One of my favorite classes in seminary was the “maps class”: Historical Geography of the Bible.  For an entire semester we traced the paths the Israelites took as they traveled to and through the Promised Land.  The Psalmist was quite familiar with the difference between the wide and narrow paths. The best roads to travel were between mountains and across the wide, flat plains. These became the highways that merchants, kings, and armies used.  It’s possible to travel over the mountains, but you need nimble feet and steady ankles.

The smooth path is the better way.

The New Century Version translates, “You give me a better way to live, so I live as you want me to.”

You have to navigate through life's problems and dangers, they come to the believer as well as the unbeliever.   Walk in the way of the world (be this thin, buy this car, earn this much, you can do it--just think positive) and you're likely to wind up with a foot full of Legos.  Walk in The Way of Jesus and he will enlarge your steps:  “For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matt. 11:30)

Let Jesus be your guide. His smooth path is the better way.

You clear the way for me, and now I won't stumble. (CEV)

Quiet Time - Monday Manna

I’m participating in Monday Manna today over at Joanne Sher’s blog, “An Open Book”.  The purpose of Monday Manna is to get to know God’s word a little better by meditating on a selected verse, then writing about it and linking up with fellow bloggers.  It’s interesting to see how each verse impacts us since our lives and locations are different.

Today’s verse is Psalm 27:8 from the New Living Translation (NLT)  “My heart has heard you say, ‘Come and talk with me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming.”

As a stay-at-home-mom with two active boys and an erratic schedule, I struggle with finding...

Quiet Time

Dear Lord,
I hear you call
and I’m coming
Then I hear a crash and a child wails and a voice cries, “Mom” and
there’s milk all over the kitchen floor.

Dear Lord,
I hear you call
and my heart is warmed
Then the cat throws up and the children shriek and
are we out of paper towels again?

Dear Lord,
I hear you call
as I tiptoe out of my dawn-lit room
Then a child walks in, yawns “You woke me up” and
sits on the open Bible in my lap.

Dear Lord,
I hear you call
but my heart is torn
‘Cause it’s finally quiet and I can talk
in complete sentences
with the man that I married
before I forget his first name isn’t “Daddy.”

Dear Lord,
I hear you call
and I want to choose the better part
Then one voice whines, another cries, and someone needs
(was that a meow?)
and Martha is pulled back to her kitchen.

Dear Lord,

Photo: Geri-Jean Blanchard

I hear you call
in a quiet oasis when
I’m early for car line with ten silent minutes
alone
Just the two of us

And my heart cries, “Lord, I am here!”

What are we waiting for?

Here's the weekly Jesus Boat Blog post.  I've had waiting on my mind lately...I'm not always a very patient person.

What are we waiting for?

Instant coffee. Instant messaging. Instant replay.  We live at speeds unimaginable to earlier generations.  Ours is the era of fast forward, our Internet-fueled lifestyle feeding our desire for instant gratification.  And the faster we move, the more we need the words of Scripture to teach us to slow down...and wait.

We don’t like to wait.  But, then again, neither did Abraham and Sarah, nor the disciples praying with Jesus in the Garden, nor the Israelites on their way to the Promised Land.

But our Lord knows that it is good for us to wait, to learn how to wait well, and to learn how to live our lives in the in-between times.

Through Scripture we learn:
  It is good to wait quietly (Lamentations 3:26)
  Wait patiently (Psalm 40:1)
  With courage (Psalm 27:14)
  And in his word put our hope (Psalm 130:5)

As believers in Christ, we are not passively waiting, but active as we learn:
  From the widow, to pray with persistence (Luke 18:1-8)
  From the bridesmaids to keep ourselves ready (Matt. 25:1-13)
  From Paul to depend on the Lord for strength (1 Cor. 1:7-8)
  From James to refrain from grumbling (James 5:7)

There are times, however, when we’re told not to wait...

To read the rest, visit The Jesus Boat Blog.

Happy Valentine's Day

Since I'll probably be pretty busy on Monday (school holiday), I thought I'd post an early Valentine tonight.  Here's a love-themed post that I wrote for the Jesus Boat Blog.  This one sprang from an idea I had while waiting for my kids at church and was fascinating to finally put together.

Enjoy!
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Without Love, I Gain Nothing

The most thrilling words ever written about love are not found within the pages of a romance novel or the inside of a greeting card. They’re found in the cherished stories, the powerful declarations, and selfless acts of fidelity woven throughout Scripture.

Scripture contains examples of, not only God’s great and abiding love for us, but love expressed between husband and wife, father and son, mother and daughter-in-law, and close friends.

Today we’ll allow the men and women of the Bible speak to us as we reflect on the timeless principles Paul shared with the Corinthians two centuries ago.

Love is patient  
So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her. (Gen. 29:20)

Love is kind
But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the LORD had closed her womb. (1 Sam. 1:5)

Love does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 
And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor.” (Ruth 2:2)

...Read the rest of this post at the Jesus Boat Blog

CAST your cares upon the Lord

I wrote this post a couple of weeks ago for the Jesus Boat Blog.  This post originated in my desire to read more about how not to worry.  I guess I'm not the only one concerned with worry....this post had the highest number of views, "likes," and comments since I started writing for JBB last year.

Hope this blesses you as well!

Shalom y'all. --Karen
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CAST your cares upon the Lord

Bad news in the papers.  Dire warnings on television and the Internet.   We live in uncertain times.  But when have times ever not been “uncertain”?  Since the fall from Eden, our world has been plagued by crime, illness, division, natural disasters, and other ills.

Even when life is free from catastrophic disasters, there are still everyday epics.  Will I find a job? Can we afford a house?  Should we let our children play outside?

We know that Jesus tells us, “Do not worry.” We know that our Father cares about us.  We know this in our heads, but do we feel it in our hearts?

Visit the Jesus Boat Blog to read the rest...

Jesus is no Jedi

Today I'm linking up with Joanne Sher's blog "An Open Book" to talk about today's verse.  I think I took a different tack on this, but the question of why bad things happen has been on my mind...


Today's Monday Manna verse is: 


“And (Jesus) did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.”  --- Matthew 13:58

Growing up in the Star Wars era, I was fascinated by the saga of Luke Skywalker What kid wouldn’t want to be able to use the Force to defeat bullies and get a few chores done?

Then there’s that verse in the Bible where Jesus says, “...if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matt. 17:20)

Whoa. Talk about a Jedi moment.  I envisioned moving mountains, like Yoda raising Luke’s X-Wing fighter from the swamps of Dagobah.  All it took was a little faith...

Well, not really. I knew better than that.

But I think we can get a bit confused about the connection between faith and miracles.  We’re tempted to believe that if we only have a little more faith something incredible will happen.  But what if the miracle doesn’t come: people die, storms ravage, cancer comes back  Does that necessarily imply a lack of faith?

Is God saying to us when life slips away, as Darth Vader did, “I find your lack of faith disturbing.”

No, absolutely not.

Throughout his earthly ministry Jesus performed many miracles, giving credit to faith:

•  “Take heart, daughter. Your faith has healed you,”  (Matt. 9:22)
•  When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” (Mark 2:5)
•  “Receive your sight, your faith has healed you.” (Luke 18:42)

However, Scripture also tells us that Paul prayed for a “thorn” to be removed and it wasn’t.  (2 Cor. 12)  No one would accuse Paul of having little faith.

Give thanks for miracles. They display God’s glory. They uplift the believer.  They astound the unbeliever.  And no doubt about it--the story from which today’s verse was taken is a cautionary tale.  We should guard and grow our faith through prayer and study. But we should keep in mind that there’s no mystical, “force” of faith that we need to learn to manipulate to bring about miracles.

With God, nothing is impossible. But Jesus is no Jedi.  Thank God for that.

New Year, New Beginning

This one didn't quite show up on The Jesus Boat Blog with all my formatting.   But I love these verses, so I'm posting it here.

New Year New Beginning


Happy New Year friends and readers!  Did you begin 2011 with any New Year’s resolutions?

• Perhaps this year you’ve decided to read through the entire Bible in a year--or elected to read it through once more...
• Perhaps this year you resolved to choose a spiritual discipline, such as prayer or fasting, and make it a greater part of your life...
• Perhaps this year you’ll quiet yourself and listen for God’s particular calling for your life...
• Perhaps this is the year that you’ll visit the Holy Land or begin planning and saving for a future trip!

Whether you elected to make a list of New Year’s resolutions or treated January 1st as a day like any other, rejoice that our God is the God of new beginnings.  He welcomes the sinner who repents. (Luke 15:7) He upholds the righteous. (Ps 37:17). Through Christ, we are a new creation. (2 Cor 5:17) And, as believers, we need not fear what may happen in the coming year, for through Christ we have overcome the world. (1 John 5:4)

Whatever you do in 2011, commit yourself (and your resolutions) to the Lord. Here are some verses to start the year:

• Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. (Prov. 16:3)
• In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps. (Prov. 16:9)
• Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 3:13-14)
• “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jer 29:11)

Thank you for following Along the Way (and The Jesus Boat Blog, if you do). Shalom and may God bless you this year.

Clearing out the Clutter

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal... (Matt. 6:19)

(Not my closet, but you get the picture)
Photo by Chris Scott @ stock.xchng

Well, I’m not sure about “treasures on earth”, but one of our biggest household problems is clutter.  The problem with clutter is that it’s hard to find the good stuff amid all the other stuff.

One of the things we used to do annually in the library was weed the collection.  Studies have shown that discarding books that aren’t circulating (or are out of date) helps improve the use of the rest of the collection.  Who knew?

During the past couple of months I’ve been weeding our house.  Not only have I cleared out some stuff we’re not using, I’ve found some things that we needed: a padded laptop case,  winter accessories, CD storage cases.  Now,  my house is cleaner and I didn’t need to repurchase these items at the store.

Here are some of our family tips for what we’ve been weeding so far:

Toys:  I start right after school begins in the fall (while the kids are at school).  I pull out the toys that don’t get played with and separate them into piles for consignment, donation, trash.  Last fall I made some cash for Christmas shopping by consigning toys and DVDs that they’ve outgrown.  I gave educational toys to the preschool.  So far, nobody has missed anything and between birthdays and Christmas, they have new stuff anyway.

Clothes:  Kids clothes are easy.  Once they’ve been outgrown, handed-down, and outgrown again, most of them are ready for the trash bin.  Good condition children’s clothes go to charity.  I’d already given ours away to Goodwill when I heard about Clothes To Kids and their need for warm clothes this winter.  

Likewise, my husband gathered up some good condition sweaters for the Red Cross warm clothing drive.  Clothes in poor condition went into the trash.  I did a serious weeding of my closet last year, but it’s time once again.  Good stuff to charity; bad stuff to the trashbin.

Documents:  Since I don’t like to use my shredder when the kids are around (3 guesses why),  I haven’t shredded tax documents and personal papers in many years.  Good Housekeeping recommends keeping 3 years of personal or 6 years of supporting business documents for tax returns.  The IRS has an interesting article on how long to keep tax returns.   This Bankrate.com article provides a list of what basic records to keep.

Here are a couple good clutter-clearing websites:

25 Ideas from Good Housekeeping
http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/organizing/clean-out-clutter

Organized Home
http://organizedhome.com/articles/cut-clutter

Cleaning up in 2011

"This is the year," I keep telling myself, "This is the year we'll get it together."

What's the "it"?  Our house and garage.

After 6 years of survival cleaning and just making do--since the birth of our older son--we finally have a little more time to get ourselves organized.

We're talking:

• 6 years of shoving stuff under the bed and in the closet
• 6 years of throwing stuff into the garage
• 6 years of tucking papers into file cabinets, folders, and boxes
• 6 years of things just wandering around the house: scattering to corners, collecting in piles, languishing in drawers

Since our house is on the smallish side, 6 years of "stuff", can really add up and cramp our living space.  But this is the year to tackle some of our big organizational problems.  It's 2011 and here we go.

The first step?  Getting rid of stuff.

More on that later....

Shalom y'all!

Karen

Are we any different because of Christmas?

Had the new year on my mind for last week's Jesus Boat Blog post.  This was inspired by a question asked during one of the sermons of Advent and Christmas at First United Methodist St. Petersburg. (Thanks, Pastor David)

I hope to be blogging here a little more in 2011--but I will keep posting links to my Jesus Boat Blog posts as they're published.

Shalom, y'all!


Because of Christmas


This Christmas we remembered the blessed birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. On Christmas Eve, worshippers celebrated in festive family services, joyful praise and worship, or quiet candlelight contemplation.  We gathered with family and friends or spent time serving strangers.  Now the gifts are unwrapped and the leftovers are picked over. Some have already taken down their decorations.  Many are glad the holiday is finally over.  But a question remains to be asked:

Are we any different because of Christmas?


You'll find the rest of this post at http://www.jesusboatmuseum.com/blog/?p=873

Book Review: Nelson's Biblical Cyclopedic Index

My copy of Nelson's Biblical Cyclopedic Index (BCI) bills itself as the "Best Bible Subject Index Ever".  I'm not sure I'm qualified to evaluate that claim, but I will say that this little volume came in mighty handy this evening as I prepared to write my weekly blog post at another site.  I needed verses to go with the theme of "changed lives" and while I did not find those exact terms, I did find plenty under "repent" and "repentance" with a pointer to "conversion". A search on "birth" led to "new birth" and "born again" and finally to the perfect verse in Titus to round out my column.

The BCI includes a collection of word studies from the Old and New Testaments: covenant, forgive, grace, etc. Most headings, unless a proper name or simple concept, contain a list of subheadings which make it useful for developing a Bible study or talk. For example: "Faith" is subdivided into topics such as "Nature of", "Obtained from", "Kinds of", "Described as", and "Examples of" in both the Old and New Testaments.   After each reference is a scripture reference that fits the topic.

Want to know all about the Moabites?  You'll find "History of", "Characteristics of", "Prophecies concerning their...."  Curious about the Jewish calendar?  There's a scriptural reference for every month.  Want some basics on the life of Paul?  You'll find 2 pages of references.

It's not perfect.  There's a really cool list of measurements not found under "measurement" but under "Jewish measures".  So you'll want to do some browsing, highlighting, and tabbing of interesting pages.  But I'm sure I'll use this reference as a go-to source for whatever topic I'm writing on each week.

The BCI is easy to use and small enough to slip into a tote bag and bring to Bible study (though I will need my glasses).  Highly recommended for personal use or as a gift for a Bible teacher or friend.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255  : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Ready for Christmas?

Suddenly it's December 21st and we're well into the 4th week of Advent and it feels as though the pressure is on.  How do I not lose Christ at Christmas?  Here's my latest post over at the Jesus Boat Blog.

**********************

Ready for Christmas


Are you ready for Christmas?

The question hangs in the air as you review an internal checklist: gifts purchased? cards sent? menu planned? travel plans confirmed?

While the house may be clean and decorated to celebrate with friends and family, how have you prepared your heart to celebrate the birth of our Savior?

Christmas Day is preceded by the season of Advent, or “coming”: four weeks of preparation and waiting marked by reminders of our need for a savior and punctuated by joy that God has indeed redeemed us through his son, Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us.

To read the rest, visit http://www.jesusboatmuseum.com/blog/?p=844

Shalom, y'all!
Karen

Waiting for Christmas

I've been blogging this year over at The Jesus Boat Blog (affiliated with the Jesus Boat Museum in Israel).  The Advent season has me struggling, as always, with keeping my focus on Christ at Christmastime.  Having 2 young children has made me long for the days when the only distractions were work and school.


Here's an except from my latest post.  I've found that writing during Advent is a wonderful way to keep my focus where it should be.

Waiting for Christmas
They never heard him give a sermon, never listened to him tell a parable, never saw him perform a miracle. Long before his words and deeds would bring many to revere him and others to condemn him, two witnesses proclaimed Jesus as the long awaited Messiah.


“Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him.  It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.” (Luke 2:25-26)


When the Sprit led Simeon to the infant Jesus, he found the fulfillment of God’s promise and peace filled his soul. For, to see Jesus was to behold salvation.  


To read the rest, visit http://www.jesusboatmuseum.com/blog/

Monday Manna: Live as Free People

Americans cherish our freedoms.  We can do anything we want.  Really.  There are so many choices right now in America that, given enough income, we can live almost any lifestyle we care to pursue.  As they say, "It's a free country."


Thursday morning's news broadcast included an outrageous story about a man who had published a sort of "self-help guide" aimed at pedophiles.  The book was temporarily available at Amazon for the Kindle platform until enough angry Amazon users insisted that it be removed from the inventory.  The author, when interviewed, was unapologetic.


The scary thing is that a surprising number of people would object to Amazon's actions as censorship.  I even know a few former colleagues who would probably agree.  Freedom of expression and the freedom to read trumps pretty much anything else in their minds.  For them, there is no such thing as evil, unless it is the suppression of freedom. 


Such is the lure of evil.


This is an extreme example, but believers can easily forget that freedom does not mean license.


There are no church authorities checking up on me every week. No lighting will strike me when I sin.  I'm fairly free to make choices regarding my time and my money without much fear of earthly consequences.  


That's why Peter's challenge is particularly apt.  I have freedom, but with that freedom comes responsibility.  I am "God's special possession", a "foreigner and exile",  "called out of darkness."  My actions have consequences. When I do good, it exposes (and silences) the "ignorant talk of foolish people."  Good deeds, done in Christ's name, can cause even the pagans to praise God. (1 Peter 2)


It's a free country. I can do anything I want.  I choose to live as God's servant.


Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. 
1 Peter 2:16 NIV

Book Review: On This Day in Christian History by Robert J. Morgan

On This Day in Christian History: 365 Amazing and Inspiring Stories About Saints, Martyrs, and Heroes by Robert J. Morgan

Although subtitled "saints, martyrs, and heroes", Morgan's brief glimpses into the history of Christianity also include rogues, cheats, and scoundrels who used Christ's name for their own gain.  Morgan's daily stories include the full panoply (good and bad) of Christian history.  November's entries include: Dietrich Bonhoeffer (pastor and martyr), Augustus Toplady (author of Rock of Ages), the Council of Constance (which reunited a divided papacy),  John Bunyan (author of The Pilgrim's Progress) and James and Emily Gilmore (missionaries to China).

There's a story or profile for each day of the year, but Morgan does not present history sequentially, or even thematically.  Instead, each story has a link to a particular date:  June 17, the day Dwight Moody arrived in England for a fateful series of crusades;  April 9, the beginning of the Azusa Street Revival;  October 22, a day in 1844 when a large number of New Englanders believed the world would end.  You'll find stories about outrageously bad popes,  selfless missionaries, quarreling reformers, unlikely hymn writers, and ordinary people whose lives and witness influenced our history.

I admire Morgan's book for the breadth of history he attempts to cover.  Sometimes there's only enough of the story to pique the reader's interest, but for history lovers or even the mildly curious On This Day provides food for thought and an accompanying Bible verse for meditation.  Readers will definitely learn something new within these pages.

I recommend this book as a gift for Christian history lovers, pastors (sermon illustrations galore), or even yourself.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255  : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review: God's Promises for Women of Faith

The latest book I received from Thomas Nelson's BookSneeze program certainly looked promising.  No pun intended.  The blurb promised that it would contain "promises of God specifically targeting women".  The verses are actually good for everyone..but the design and formatting definitely has a feminine flair.


This little book (196 pages) is divided into sections with titles such as "God's Plan for Women is to..." and "God Comforts Women as they Learn to...."  Each section contains several subsections supported by scripture. For example:


God Gives Freely to Women....
      Power to Defeat Fear
            "Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us...." Romans 8:37-39


The pages have a nice feel to them and the font face is easy on the eyes. This book is small enough to slip into a purse, backpack, or diaper bag, but has a sturdy and attractive hardcover.


This would make an excellent gift book for women of any age: friends, Bible study leaders,  church staff, neighbors, shut-ins, new moms.   It lends itself well to devotional or quiet time reading and provides inspiration for finding just the right scripture for a situation--for you or for a friend or loved one.  


And it's just right for helping you meditate on scripture during the day: car line, waiting for appointments, coffee break. Recommended.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this DVD free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255  : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

DVD Review: Who is in Charge Anyway?

"Who is in Charge Anyway?" is the latest in Max Lucado's Hermie and Friends series which follows the adventures of the insects who live in Max's garden.

When Freddie the Flea comes to fix the ladybugs' television set, he overhears little Hailey and Bailey ask their mother, "What's so special about fleas?" Freddie wonders the same thing and, in Hermie and Friends fashion,  talks to God about it.    Through a series of flashbacks into previous episodes, God reminds Freddie that each of the insects had to learn an important lesson before they found their special talents.

The moral of the story...and one that it not just for kids...is that God created each one of us for a purpose, and sometimes it takes awhile to find out what that purpose is.

The Hermie and Friends videos are quiet stories, suitable for preschool children and their families.  The humor is low key and subtle, with the comforting voices of Tim Conway,  Sam Mercurio, Vicki Lawrence,  Melissa Disney and others.  This episode is different from the other Hermie videos since it consists of a series of flashbacks. However, the message, based on Psalm 90:16*, is a powerful one for the entire family.  God has a plan for everyone, no matter how small.

*"Show your servants the wonderful things you do; show your greatness to their children. " Psalm 90:16 (from the DVD cover)

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this DVD free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255  : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”