Proverbs is one of my favorite books of the Bible. The author has printed the 31 verses from the NASV Bible. I only read the King James Version but I understand that is a preference. It would be great of the author would publish the book in that version also.
After each chapter is a prayer according to the verse. I love the idea of personalizing prayers and praying them back to God. In doing so we can know we are praying His will. I would not pray these prayers exactly as they are written, but use them as a springboard to making them my own.
As I read them, there were places that I gained insights into ways of applying the scripture to my life. For example Proverbs 3:27,” Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.” The author wrote in the prayer, “Lord, I sincerely ask You today to send opportunities for me to do good to others….” I have read that verse many times and understood that when I had it to give I should not keep back. I had not seen it as an “opportunity” to help others. That is just one of many.
Having each chapter and prayer by itself made it easy to use. It helps to concentrate on just Proverbs. The book is just the right size to carry with you too.
I have always been taught that by reading a chapter a day in Proverbs, you will grow in wisdom far beyond the average person. A wonderful book to have!
I received a copy of this book free from Revell Publications. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

I love Melody Carlson’s books! She captures the Christmas spirit in people’s lives in so many different ways. Every book for hers I keep and add to my library. They have the rare quality of being able to be read over and over again, and enjoyed the same each time.
I flew through this book and was disappointed when it ended! Joy is an elderly widow in her eighties. She is at the point in her life that she must leave her family home of many years to move near her sons into an assisted living facility all the way across the country. They have purchased her plane ticket for her to arrive before Christmas.
Joy has other ideas. Although she must sort through a lifetime of possessions and leave behind most of them, her attitude is anything but sad. She decides to drive her and her late husband’s huge RV the 2000 miles to her new home without telling her sons. Her plan is to go alone but at the last minute persuades her 37 year old neighbor, Miranda, to come. Miranda has nothing to lose. Her husband left her, she is losing her home, and she lost her job.
Joy’s trip is so much more than just one last free for all. Her focus in on bringing Christmas hope and cheer to 6 special people who have won a contest on her blog. With Ms. Carlson’s wonderful writing, I felt as if I was riding right along in the RV. I enjoyed all the plans Joy had made, from her Christmas baking, packing decorations, and even outfitting the RV in lights! The book was so uplifting!
Joy reminded me of my almost 90 year old mother-in-law; lots of spunk, and plans, without self-pity or despair about aging. I hope I will be like Joy as I age. Not focusing on what is in the past or I can no longer do, but continuing to live life to the fullest and accepting the changes that come. An amazing book, you do want to read!!!
I received a copy of this book free from Revell Publications. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own

The subject of this book is one that is very unique and that I have not seen addressed before: the empty nest and holiday traditions. Judith Winter is very disappointed. Her whole life has been her family, and holidays are especially meaningful since the have all married and moved away. Due to finances none were able to be there for Thanksgiving and called to say they won’t make it Christmas either.
Judith falls into a deep depression and feels there is no reason to keep any of the family traditions with no children or grandchildren coming. Her husband Stan does everything he can think of to cheer her up. He even enlists her best friend to help. Nothing works. He tries to recreate their old traditions together, but that just seems to stir more pain in seeing other families together.
I know holidays can be a painful time for many. At first I got really aggravated with Judith for being so selfish and having a pity party. Then as I continued to read, I realized we don’t always choose depression and sometimes it is hard to find our way out. I guess I was aggravated because she had her husband with her still, and mine died 2 years ago. When the kids couldn’t always be there, we had each other.
Stan is a jewel of a husband. He doesn’t become irritated with her for her attitude. Quite the contrary he is very concerned and wants to help but not in a pushy, “snap out of it” way. You will be surprised at the courage he shows and the sacrifice he makes to make his wife happy. Have Kleenexes on hand! A remarkable book! It will bring a smile to those facing the changes that come with an empty nest, and give insight and understanding to children who have not yet experienced. This book stays in my personal library!
I received a copy of this book free from Revell Publishers . I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

This book was a real page turner! Faith Marion is a news commentator with the focus on making it to the top of her profession, and is well on her way. She has carefully constructed her life in every way. Her “bubble” she lives in is filled with self-centeredness, materialism and many facades. This protects her from facing and dealing with her painful past.
Geary Marion is just a good ol’ boy, Laid back, easy going, and a strong Christian. He couldn’t be further from the other end of Faith’s life spectrum. A professional bass fisherman, money and material things mean little to him.
The two meet in an unconventional way, fall in love, and marry. She who has no family is totally caught off guard by his close loving family. They are pastor’s family that is devoted, loud, and bit backward and very involved in with each other. They don’t meet the new bride’s “standards” and definitely invade her very limited personal space. It doesn’t take long for their marriage to go on the rocks with two such very diverse people.
Her world falls apart when a horrific tragedy strikes. She is no longer in control and everything she worked for is not in reach. This is where God needed Faith to be to work in her life.
There were so many lessons in this story. The first one I saw right away is that it is easy to get married; it is another thing to work and have a good marriage. It mistake many people make. Faith wasn’t willing to make an effort in her relationship. She just expected Geary to fit into her plans. Also, there is the old saying that rings true, “when you marry someone you marry the family.” She didn’t include them in the equation and especially the big part they played in his life. Faith was very selfish and no marriage can make it with that standing between a couple.
Quite a few scriptures came to mind about how we can make plans but the Lord has the final say. Faith had no concept of God, only what she wanted. Her calamity was a beautiful example of how He can use tragedy to bring about good things for us. Geary and his family illustrated true unconditional love in their actions and attitudes toward Faith. She did not offend them; all they wanted to do was be there for her. She was unable to drive them away with rudeness or rejection. When all is said and done Faith had to make a choice to surrender her will and pride or continue in her self-destructive ways. A fantastic story of brokenness to wholeness!
I received a copy of this book free from Revell Publishers. 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.”

After watching a documentary on the Dust Bowl, I have become very interested in it. While nothing like what these individuals experienced, I remember growing up in East Texas as a child and the small dust storms there. I can recall the grit in our home and between my teeth. I haven’t forgotten the sting of the sand as it hit my legs. As an adult I experienced a dust storm here in Oklahoma, where the sky was darkened, and the air so thick I felt I would suffocate. These small events in my life have me in awe of what the people of this era dealt with, and not for a few days but for years. This book made me realize how incredibly courageous and resilient dust bowl families were.
Instead of this part of history being told through the eyes of an adult, the author does it through the eyes of 10 year old Pearl Spence. A child’s view is very simple, but it is also glaringly honest. Although Pearl does not understand everything she sees and experiences, her account is authentically candid.
So vivid are the descriptions of life in this Oklahoma town that I could feel the discouragement and desperation of the characters. Her mother’s constant battle to keep her home clean and maintain a normal family life was heartrending. It is clear the large role adult’s attitudes and actions play in how a child handles a crisis. Pearl’s grandmother, mother, and father were an anchor for her in this unsettled time.
I better understood the despair and fear of never knowing when another dust storm would strike or when the nightmare would end. The author was brilliant with the way she took amazing historical details, brought to life powerful characters, and then created a story filled with danger, mystery, and excitement. A fantastic read!

I received a copy of this book free from Kregel Publications. 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.”

I love devotional books so I was looking forward to reading this one. I am always interested in anything on the book of Proverbs which is what I connect the word “wisdom” with. I therefore assumed this was also a Christian book. This paperback was none of these things.
The stories had practically no biblical foundation but instead were a very large mix of Eastern religion, New Age, and many others that are not a part of the Christian faith. There are a few paragraphs where scriptural truth is shared, but that is it. I found it difficult to read as it was extremely confusing. The book is about a couple of senior citizens that have been married before. One is Quaker and one, Catholic. They both have pretty much abandoned attending church. This I found odd as I presumed the basis of the book was applying the Bible to one’s life.
I hate to give a bad review on a book, but I promised an honest one. I was very disappointed in this book.
I received a copy of this book free from Kregel Publications. 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.”

All of us want to be happy, and none of us purposely or knowingly focus on the negative. I think the problem lies in our fleshy nature wants happiness to be a “gimme”, not something we chose and work toward on a daily basis. This book is a great start in taking the step toward choosing what we focus on.
Being super busy, like everyone, and easily distracted by so many things shouting for my attention, I really like the way this book gives me something concrete to start each day. Don’t get me wrong, the book doesn’t tell you what to do to be happy, you are writing your own story on how to achieve that goal. It is super simple!
There is one page for each day of the year. At the top of the page is a quote, question, a scientific research tidbit, or a philosophical thought. After that it is all yours! The rest of the page is lined for you to journal what come to your heart and mind. You may even be prompted to “talk it out” with yourself and let go of something that is troubling you. There is even a place to write the date. I like this in case I happen to miss some days.
The book is compact but sturdy so you can take it with you and write anywhere and anytime. This is a great gift for anyone, but especially those facing hard times or those who love to journal. When you are done you have a keepsake book filled with memories and thoughts that bring you happiness!
I received a copy of this book free from http://www.bloggingforbooks.com/ . 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.”

Hidden Springs, Kentucky is the ionic sleepy, little town where everybody knows everybody and everything about each other. The citizens are lulled by a daily routine that has lasted not days or months but years. Life is so predictable that the people take it for granted. Unexpectedly everything changes. A stranger is found dead on the courthouse steps. Unheard of!
Suddenly the town is alive with excitement, curiosity, and a lot of opinions about what happened! Michael, a young policeman attempts to find the murderer with basically no clues to start with. He has his work cut out for him, as his investigation also means dealing with the gossip, a newspaper reporter with a flair for inaccurate embellishments, and town characters just being themselves.
As he works to find the murderer, secrets about town residents are brought to light. The tragedy brings emotions of loss and pain from many of the character’s pasts, including Michael. Events will seemingly be plodding along when the reader is caught off guard by when a startling development in the case. This book is for sure a page turner! You will be surprised at who the guilty party is! As strange as it sounds this is a nice murder mystery. There is not a lot of blood, gore, and violence, just a good whodunit. I look forward to reading more of the Ms. Gabhart’s books!
I received a copy of this book free from Revell. 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.”

David Stolzfus had his hands full. He is a widower with six children, runs the local store, and is also a minister in his local Amish church. After his wife’s death he relocated from Ohio to Pennsylvania, hoping to start a new life. A new life awaited him, but not one he could have imagined.
His two oldest children shock him with devastatingly poor choices they made. Some of the church members are trying to find him a new wife to “fix” his problem of being alone. On top of that the church is facing some serious problems and David has innocently become a target of hostility.
You really do want to read this book. It is so well written and the author did a wonderful job developing all the characters. I am not sharing the plot because it is so diverse to do so would be a spoiler.
When I saw the title I was looking for one imposter in the story. What I found was several kinds of imposters; those that are hidden, those that are obvious, and those that are fake even unto themselves. It gave me a whole new view point on so many ways we are not honest with ourselves and those around us.
David’s way of dealing with his adult children’s mistakes was a beautiful example to follow. His love, lack of condemnation, willingness to be there for them, and patience were amazing. I feel it is because of the way he handled it, they were able to change their lives.
I was impressed with the way David handled persecution and attacks by choosing to do it God’s way. He didn’t give into the flesh even though he suffered at the hands of his enemies. As much as he loved his family, God was first in his life and surrendered the outcome to the Lord. With several of the characters it was a reminder that the very answers we need are often right in front of us. If we keep looking to God He will show us.
I cannot wait to read more books in this series!
I received a copy of this book free from Revell. 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.”

This book is more than a diet book. It is also a cookbook, a workout book, and a problem solving book for common digestive and stomach problems people suffer from. Science is finding more and more that over all good health begins with a healthy gut. This book guides you in working toward that. I really like the fact that it isn’t just about being slim but being healthy too.
Two chapters share about food that can cause stomach issues and those that help you have a well tummy and a slim one too. I like the 21 day meal plan, because I have a strategy lined out for almost a month, therefore I am less likely to fail and just eat what is available. I also liked the recipes. They are tasty and easy to make with all the ingredients available at your local grocery store. There were lots of vegetables included in the ingredients, an area I am severely lacking in right now. I enjoyed the pages showing individuals that have tried the diet and their experiences. It was very encouraging! The book high quality material and is user friendly. Another great book from Ms. Vaccariello!
I received a copy of this book free from FBS Associates. 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.”