Book Review: Sherman

If you have a Civil War buff in need of a gift this book is fabulous!  It's biographical, however Sherman is such an interesting subject the book is anything but boring.  It is also written at what I would consider a High School reading level but dives into College level history.  So you get all the fascinating history without the need to stop every 3 minutes and look up words in a dictionary.

If you're in need of supplemental material for a Civil War unit in your classroom (home school or otherwise) this book might spark an interest in history.

I give this book 4 1/2 stars. The only reason why it doesn't get the fifth is because I have a hard time believing this book will appeal to non-history buffs.

I was given a free copy of this book from www.booksneeze.com

Money Secrets from The Amish

I was fortunate enough to receive a free copy of Money Secrets of the Amish from Booksneeze.com. I can't begin to count the number of financial advice books that I've read, and I think this one is by far my favorite.  It's common sense Christian advice but told with plenty of narrative that makes (in the word's of Dave Ramsey) a "free spirit" like me unable to put it down.  I literally finished the book in one weekend.  It would have been faster but I am a mother of small children : )
The book shares the stories of many Amish families and how they are able to thrive financially despite the down economy and having lots and lots of children.  One family in particular had 14 children and yet was able to save $200,000 in order to purchase a family farm.

This book is a must read, whether you have your finances in order or not (especially if you don't).  Even though my husband and I already live by the principles outlined in the book there are plenty of frugal tips and thrift tricks sprinkled throughout, not to mention it's incredibly motivating to see how modestly people can live and still find contentment. 

Definitely 4 Stars!  Buy this for anyone just starting out, graduates, newly weds, everyone.

Put Your Dream to the Test Book Review

I had the pleasure of reviewing John C. Maxwell's Put Your Dream to the Test for booksneeze.com, and all I can say is "fabulous!"  This is a must read for any one graduating High School, college, or someone who just feels like they aren't living out their passion.  

This isn't a book that is just filled with warm fuzzy stories, platitudes, cliche's, and acrostics designed to make you feel good in the moment, this book actually has an action plan.  Although I've read other books similar to this one, this is the first time I've finished a book and thought, "Wow, I know how to reach my dream now!"  And in all sincerity, my husband and I are looking to enter into full time ministry in the near future, this book has truly provided us with valuable insight that we will be implementing over the next few years.  Go out buy it for any open house you might be going to this summer!

A Prayer for Our Children

Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:   And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. Matthew 7:24-25

Dear Lord Almighty,  

     May we acknowledge You as the creator and sustainer of all things.  May we seek to glorify your name in all that we do and say.  Please give us Your wisdom and power as we seek to act in the stewardship of the precious gifts of our children.  Please help us in the delivery of Your Word that they may be truly adopted as Your children.  Help us to use Your Word to discern truth from lies in the deceiving world.  Please help us to be consistent in our approach to biblical parenting.  Please save our children.

  We love You, our mighty God.  Thank You for the heritage You have given us in our children.  Please help us not to let You down but to honor You in all we do.

Amen.

This prayer was taken from Ken and Steve Ham's Raising Godly Children in an Ungodly World.  I'm linking this up to Marriage Monday's among other places (see my hops and parties page) because children are the lasting legacy of our marriages and raising godly offspring is one of the main purposes of a Christian marriage.

Blessings!

Kasey

Couples Who Pray *

I wish I could give this book a stellar review, but I just can't.  It's premise that prayer can save marriages is sound, and the book is filled with wonderful anecdotes about marriages that were literally pulled back from the breaking point after they began praying together, but as a fundamental Christian there are many things I find very flawed with this book (and not just the fact paraphrase translations of the Bible were used.)

Do not misunderstand me, I agree all married couples should pray together, but this book puts too much emphasis on prayer rather than on the force (God) who answers the prayer.  Another thing that deeply troubles me is the book does not draw a distinction between a Christian prayer and a non-Christian prayer.  The book describes the wonderful benefits of prayer but in very few places does it mention the prayer is to Christ. 

It is not our personal act of praying that changes things, it is God's goodness and power that answers a prayer.

Again, I wish I could give this book more than 1 star, because I believe with all my heart that PRAYER SAVES MARRIAGES, however this book does not, in my opinion, give proper honor where honor is due.  This might be a good resource if you are a marriage counselor or part of a prayer ministry, it does have some very good anecdotes, but other than that I recommend passing on this one.

I received a free copy of this book via booksneeze.com and I was not compensated in any other way.  These opinions are wholly my own.

Voices of the Faithful Review

Voices of the Faithful by Beth Moore

Whether you want to develop a heart for missions in your own life, marriage, children, students, or church  this book is a fantastic tool.  Voices of the faithful contains 366 different devotions with mission based scriptures, stories, and a daily prayer for both personal application and world wide application.  I have always considered myself to be a “mission minded” person but reading these stories truly has changed my heart in many ways. 

The devotions are challenging enough for an adult but absolutely kid friendly.  I would highly recommend this as a family devotional book.  The devotions are the perfect length to for  children who tend to get squirmy after a few minutes.  So many children today are absolutely clueless about who missionaries are and what they do.  We need to fill our children with their adventures and ultimately who they are risking their lives for.  As a child whenever my mother would have my sister and I pray for a missionary I felt as if my prayers were changing the world.  This is the type of passion I hope to instill in my children.

I give this book four stars, the only thing that prevents me from giving it the fifth is it did not use the King James version of scripture.  Sadly more and more Christian books are going this way.  I encourage other “King James only” Christians to let publishers know their disappointment through honest book reviews like this one. 

I was provided a free copy of this book through Booksneeze.com and received no other compensation.  The opinions are my own and completely honest.  This is a great book you won’t regret buying it.

If you are interested in purchasing this book from Amazon by all means use the above link, just know that I do receive a commission on the sale.