Earth Psalms by Francine Rivers

Who doesn't love Scripture daily along with being inspired as one reflects on how "God speaks through nature?"

This beautifully illustrated gift book is endowed with rose gold foil along with a handy petite gold ribbon which hangs low in order for the reader to never lose is or her place!

The bulk of Scripture listed in this beautiful work of art is New Living Translation. Other Scripture which is noted is 2011 and ESV. Not a fan of the new NIV so happy to know that the New Living Translation is the bulk of the Scripture.

I love the fonts and the shiny paper. The photographs so beautiful!

At the end of each chapter are 3 sections: Reflect, Apply and Connect with God. This format speaks a weekly devotional to me as opposed to a daily devotion. Francine challenges us to do something "this week."

Many of the week's reading is written about Francine River's family or experiences. I loved hearing more about this amazing writer through the pages of this book.

My favorite chapter was Chapter 15: God's Thoughtful Creation. This chapter was about her trip to Claude Monet's inspirational garden. This chapter was so interesting and unexpected (do not want to be a spoiler).

What a blessing to read and own this fine work of Ms. Rivers! This book has a special place in my heart and on my bookshelf. I will buy many friends this book as it is truly the perfect gift!

Thank you Francine Rivers!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Tyndale Blog Network. 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.” 

Are you a manufacturer of a product or currently market a service? Christina will review it! Email christina@wordsofgrace.info with product name, description and manufacturer's suggested retail price along with any other information relative to said product. You will receive a response via email within two weeks if product will be reviewed. Please note not all products will be considered reviewable. Please do not send products without prior consent. Note: Products sent for review will not be returned. Product submission authorizes consent for said product to remain in sole possession of recipient. No monies shall be exchanged for product submission nor permission gr

anted for reviews prior to submission. Reviews shall remain effective and in full force at sole discretion of blog administrator and/or authors related to http://www.christinawillreviewit.blogspot.com.

Snuggle Time Devotions That End With a Hug! by Stephen Elkins

This beautifully illustrated children's book by Stephen Elkins is a celebration of life! I love the fact that there were so many birds, bees, bunnies, blue skies, Bible verses and so much more on each and every page!

The format was the same for each devo. So well organized.

• Title, verse location, verse written out in a heart with a ribbon swirl.
• My snuggle up story
• My snuggle time takeaway
• My Bible time activity.
• Hug! time on the side of the page

Though the recommended ages were not listed on Snuggle Time Devotions, I do imagine an entire family  reading this anointed work together. I can't help but smile when I envision how fun reading each day and then making sure each child understands - then hugging would be! This book is the best "tuck-in-time" book ever....

I was happy to see that this book is part of a series and also a video series as well. For more information see www.share-a-hug.com!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Tyndale as part of their Tyndale Blog Network. 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.” 

Are you a manufacturer of a product or currently market a service? Christina will review it! Email christina@wordsofgrace.info with product name, description and manufacturer's suggested retail price along with any other information relative to said product. You will receive a response via email within two weeks if product will be reviewed. Please note not all products will be considered reviewable. Please do not send products without prior consent. Note: Products sent for review will not be returned. Product submission authorizes consent for said product to remain in sole possession of recipient. No monies shall be exchanged for product submission nor permission granted for reviews prior to submission. Reviews shall remain effective and in full force at sole discretion of blog administrator and/or authors related to http://www.christinawillreviewit.blogspot.com.

Busy Mom's Guide to Nutrition

This helpful book by Paul C. Reisser, M.D. was not just for busy Moms, but also Dads, and for that matter anyone who is looking to become healthier.  Busy Mom's Guide to Family Nutrition is a great overview for someone who has become confused by the latest fad diets, best-selling way to lose weight, etc. etc. All of us have heard of Dr. Phil's diet book, the Hollywood diets, injection diets and so many more trends in nutrition. Just turn on Dr. Oz during the week and you will hear as many as five or more ways to lose weight in just one show!

While I do not consider myself a beginner in the area of nutrition and health, I did appreciate several aspects of this book. Chapter One "Nutritional Basics" addressed sugar and how sugar in its various forms affects our bodies. I learned much about what glucose is and how sugar can cause the whole body to become imbalanced. My husband and I quit eating and/or drinking sugar a year ago, and so I really appreciated the author explaining the alternatives to pure sugar. Having kicked the sugar habit, I no longer crave sweets and if I attempt to drink a sip of soda, I get a belly ache. So, I know getting healthier and losing weight can truly begin with cutting sugar out of your diet. For that reason, I applauded the inclusion of the sugar discussion in Chapter One.

While this book heeded the mandate to treat your body as a temple, ( this is the official book of The Focus on the Family Physician's Resource Council, USA) it was not a book only for the Christian market. No doubt, this book would easily be embraced by the secular market.

This book is a gentle approach to a healthier lifestyle. I appreciated the easy way the author summarized raw food diets, Biblical diets, and paleolithic diets. I do adopt many aspects of raw food diets and Biblical diets. I believe a healthy lifestyle begins with balance. God gives us a sound mind to make the best decisions for our health. I have experienced better health as a result of taking ideas from the different buffets of diets. I enjoyed this book because the author did not ditch any of the three but mentioned highlights and low lights of each, thus allowing the reader an intro into each and the opportunity to become a diet Berean.

I had a few criticisms of this book. I understood this book to be an intro to better health and a great place for someone seeking better nutrition. I felt it would be more beneficial if the book were more substantial in length as I feel having a dictionary of sorts or a manual to pull off a shelf as needed would make this book more necessary. Also, the cover led me to believe I may receive recipes as well, thus causing this book to earn a space in my kitchen bookshelf next to my cookbooks. An additional chapter could have included modern new kitchen gadgets with a sampling of easy recipes for these kitchen gadgets addressed to a Mom or Dad on the go.

This 186 page book may be a one time read just because the reader gleans everything in one read and then does not need to refer to it again. Possibly the author did intend this book to be passed along as opposed to shelved and referenced. I just felt the reader reading it and keeping it might cause the reader to be accountable. For me personally, my most important books become dog-eared and highlighted. I also write in notes, in pen for good measure. Those books worthy of my scribbles remain a long time in my library. They become necessary spokes on my good health wheel. I consider these books to be long-time friends. I had hoped that this book could be more of a nutritional primer that would be passed through the generations.

This book I will happily pass along to a friend who is a busy Mom and a person who needs to start at the ground floor to better health. A "been there and done that" dieter who needs a fresh approach - - my friend will no doubt glean much from Busy Mom's Guide to Family Nutrition.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Tyndale House 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.”

 Are you a manufacturer of a product or currently market a service? Christina will review it! Email christina@wordsofgrace.info with product name, description and manufacturer's suggested retail price along with any other information relative to said product. You will receive a response via email within two weeks if product will be reviewed. Please note not all products will be considered reviewable. Please do not send products without prior consent. Note: Products sent for review will not be returned. Product submission authorizes consent for said product to remain in sole possession of recipient. No monies shall be exchanged for product submission nor permission granted for reviews prior to submission. Reviews shall remain effective and in full force at sole discretion of blog administrator and/or authors related to http://www.christinawillreviewit.blogspot.com.

101 Bible Adventures: The Ultimate Quest for Truth! by Carolyn Larsen

Author Carolyn Larsen wrote an amazingly concise yet powerful book for children of all ages. This paperback gem of a book appealed to me firstly because of the organization of each chapter. I have read many children's devotional books in which the lessons taught are chock full of cuteness but lack depth and application.

Application is what I believe most lacking in our churches in general. And so, to witness a book for children that included application in each chapter was refreshing, to say the least. I first viewed the Table of Contents for an overall assessment of topics. Old and New Testament selections with the key verse and main Truth presented was listed.

Each chapter listed a What's Up section, the key verse, Scripture mentioned, the story in an easy to understand telling, a cartoon, and a Now What? section. This book featured the New Living Translation version of the Bible.
On a negative note, I would have liked to have seen more visuals in each chapter. The cartoon characters and their commentary was helpful, but for a younger child, I felt more pictures would have been beneficial. Since the cartoons were black and white, having a slightly larger picture for younger children to color would have been a nice touch.


I truly enjoyed reviewing 101 Bible Adventures: The Ultimate Quest for Truth! by Carolyn Larsen. This world needs more of this type of resource to help teach and guide our His children to not only discover the Truth of the Bible but to also be able to allow the Word to apply to their own lives, thus changing the next generation. To God be the glory!!!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Tyndale House 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.”

Are you a manufacturer of a product or currently market a service? Christina will review it! Email christina@wordsofgrace.info with product name, description and manufacturer's suggested retail price along with any other information relative to said product. You will receive a response via email within two weeks if product will be reviewed. Please note not all products will be considered reviewable. Please do not send products without prior consent. Note: Products sent for review will not be returned. Product submission authorizes consent for said product to remain in sole possession of recipient. No monies shall be exchanged for product submission nor permission granted for reviews prior to submission. Reviews shall remain effective and in full force at sole discretion of blog administrator and/or authors related to http://www.christinawillreviewit.blogspot.com/.

Abundant Life Day Book: 365 Blessings to Begin Your Day by Nancy Guthrie

Beautiful, Holy-Spirit inspired - a hug each and every day. Abundant Life Day Book asks many questions in each day's devotional. I love questions because the questions allow me to spend introspective time with God.

So many other daily devotionals suffer from wordiness with more preaching and less exhortation. I found the questions thoughtful and refreshing. Each day began with a theme, and then a Scripture verse to support the statement. However, my favorite part was the conversation that followed. The conversation was not written from author Nancy Guthrie. The author has posed the conversation as if it were from God to the reader!!!

How special to pick up a beautiful devotional book such as this and flip open that day's devotional and let God through His Holy Spirit ask questions and share modern day struggles, challenges, ups and downs with me? Having each day written this way allowed me an element of expectation. What will tomorrow's devo contain? (yes, I flipped ahead and I know many readers will read the next day's devo the day ahead because it is that good!) No doubt, each day will take less than five minutes to read. However, the takeaway and the feasting throughout the entire day on what the reader read that morning will be so helpful in fighting the good fight (Ephesians 6)!

Nancy Guthrie has given her reader not only a devotional book but a resource to last many years and beyond. It will be a perpetual reminder that anyone who cracks it open can glean more of God's goodness and learn personally about God's plan for him/her (Jeremiah 29:11.)

This book is abundantly filled with many reminders to live a life pleasing to Him! A wonderful Christmas gift. Perfect to carry in your purse or keep on your nightable. Before you put your feet on the floor in the morning, be reminded of how much God loves you and wants a personal relationship with you. Well done Nancy Guthrie!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Tyndale 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.”

Are you a manufacturer of a product or currently market a service? Christina will review it! Email christina@wordsofgrace.info with product name, description and manufacturer's suggested retail price along with any other information relative to said product. You will receive a response via email within two weeks if product will be reviewed. Please note not all products will be considered reviewable. Please do not send products without prior consent. Note: Products sent for review will not be returned. Product submission authorizes consent for said product to remain in sole possession of recipient. No monies shall be exchanged for product submission nor permission granted for reviews prior to submission. Reviews shall remain effective and in full force at sole discretion of blog administrator and/or authors related to http://www.christinawillreviewit.blogspot.com/.

Courageous by Randy Alcorn

The first chapter of this book was amazing! Without being a spoiler, it wasn't until I finished the first chapter that the reality of what I had just read hit with a bang! The first chapter was clever and drew me in and gave me a taste of more intriguing storylines.

The second and third chapter were a bit slow and I had to dig deep to keep going. While I struggled with Chapter Three, I realized Courageous was in my movie theatre! I thought that was cool and knowing this was also a movie, I cracked open the book and dug in (I like comparing books to their movie counterparts).

After becoming familiar with each of the four families discussed in this story, I began to look forward to realizing how the lives would connect. This book was family-friendly, Christ-focused and a blessing to behold. Courageous depicted the hard life of boys without fathers who turn to gangs to belong. The author also was quite graphic in describing the violence and danger associated with being a cop. I appreciated that graphic depiction, as many Christian fiction stories can be a little too "nicey nice" for the evil days we are truly living (Matthew 24:4-14).

A criticism I had was the repeated reference to the 'Resolution'. The Bible could have been that reference point to draw the men into the agreement to be better fathers and husbands. A page from the Bible could have just as easily been printed out and framed and referred to by Scripture and verse. I feel there was a bit of a marketing/promotion of a new fad which I have come to realize is correct, as "Focus on the Family" is pushing for a men's group to embrace the 'Resolution'. I am all for men becoming more godly, but have them bring their Bible's and not a new program with materials. We have enough 'programs'! We need to wear out the pages of our own Bibles (that is just my opinion.)

Another criticism I had what that there way too many references to food in this book! Not just humans consuming, preparing, or rejoicing over food - but the people giving their dogs food often and food that dogs should not be eating! One of the dogs was sick so the father took it to the vet. The man had just told the wife that he had given the dog people food (forget what it was) and then the dog wasn't feeling well so he brought it to the vet. Right after bringing the dog home from the vet he gave the dog pancakes, bacon and maple syrup! Duh. No wonder the dog was sick. I hope the dog didn't get fed unnecessary antibiotics in between.

Not to beat a dead horse so to speak, but, the dog eating badly scenario occurred with three separate dogs and those dogs were each mentioned at least twice each. I found those types of food discussions ridiculous. Christians including food in everything I am used to - but the inclusion of the canine cooking eating badly - did not enjoy so much!

I hope to see Courageous the movie soon. The book was really good. I enjoyed reading it and hope to hear more family-friendly plots from author Randy Alcorn!


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Tyndale 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.”

Are you a manufacturer of a product or currently market a service? Christina will review it! Email christina@wordsofgrace.info with product name, description and manufacturer's suggested retail price along with any other information relative to said product. You will receive a response via email within two weeks if product will be reviewed. Please note not all products will be considered reviewable. Please do not send products without prior consent. Note: Products sent for review will not be returned. Product submission authorizes consent for said product to remain in sole possession of recipient. No monies shall be exchanged for product submission nor permission granted for reviews prior to submission. Reviews shall remain effective and in full force at sole discretion of blog administrator and/or authors related to http://www.christinawillreviewit.blogspot.com.

Game Plan For Life by Joe Gibbs

This New York Times best seller was described by the author Joe Gibbs as a playbook for true success in the reader's life. The author refers to the Bible as God's game plan for life. Jerry B. Jenkins was the writer along with the Tony Dungy offering wisdom and praise for Game Plan for Life in the Foreword.

Though I am not an avid football fan, I am do appreciate NASCAR.  I assumed this book was just targeted men primarily and then to male hard core sports fanatics. I was wrong! Though the back cover stated this book was for men, I gleaned so much from the guest authors and their various specialties (finances, health, relationships, vocation, the Bible, sin and addiction, salvation, Heaven).This book was filled with nuggets of wisdom, application, inspiration, and true accounts of faith with feet.

Eleven topics contributed by eleven men was the framework. The impressive lineup was: Ron Blue, Dr. Walt Larimore, Don Meredith, Dr. Os Guiness, Josh McDowell, Dr. Ken Boa Dr. John Lennox, Ravi Zacharias, Chuch Colson, Dr. Tony Evans, and Randy Alcorn.

I enjoyed this work immensely. The team and the topics the team members tackled in Game Plan for Life scored a touch down for me. The victory lap was even sweeter because God was the honored guest. I savored this book from beginning to end and will no doubt refer to it often.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Tyndale House 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.”

Are you a manufacturer of a product or currently market a service? Christina will review it! Email christina@wordsofgrace.info with product name, description and manufacturer's suggested retail price along with any other information relative to said product. You will receive a response via email within two weeks if product will be reviewed. Please note not all products will be considered reviewable. Please do not send products without prior consent. Note: Products sent for review will not be returned. Product submission authorizes consent for said product to remain in sole possession of recipient. No monies shall be exchanged for product submission nor permission granted for reviews prior to submission. Reviews shall remain effective and in full force at sole discretion of blog administrator and/or authors related to http://www.christinawillreviewit.blogspot.com.

iShine NLT Bible For Tweens

Before I opened the mailer from Tyndale House, this leather like pink silver metallic NLT Bible greeted me with it's leathery smell. If I did not know, I would believe this Bible was indeed real leather. However, more importantly, this beautifully organized Bible is perfect for a tween on the go. The TOC included an intro section which included "What is the Bible?", "Finding Your Identity in Jesus", "Growing in Faith", and "The Bible Talks About".

Perfect for your tween daughter's friend who has never attended a Bible preaching church! There are really cool dividers with durable cardboard (pink of course!) that meet the demands of our techno tweens. A "follow this link!" challenge directs the reader to a bar coded box that she can actually use her smartphone to scan and get a message about the Bible. There is a help and info website in case Mom or Dad need more info regarding the scanner box (http://www.tyndale.com/qr)

Also included is an iShine index which addresses issues or questions unique to the tween girl. This is all biblically based and points the reader to the chapter and verse in which the Bible addresses the question. This dialogue is thoughtfully planned and undoubtedly will direct the tween to the Word - again and again!

Hip hip hooray! for the statement on one of the Identity sections and I quote, "...it is not just about who we are, but whose we are." Amen!

This beautiful Bible resplendent in pink faux leather (lip sync pink specifically) and darker binding pleather (rockin' ruby specifically ) white stitching (with stamens in silver metallic glitter in the flowers on the cover- how could I forget to mention the bling??)  is a wonderful gift for any tween girl. I believe it would be a Bible she would save forever and pass along to her own children.

I was blessed to review it. God's Word never goes out of style - - and girls - pink never does either! Buy your tween one today.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Tyndale House 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.”

Are you a manufacturer of a product or currently market a service? Christina will review it! Email christina@wordsofgrace.info with product name, description and manufacturer's suggested retail price along with any other information relative to said product. You will receive a response via email within two weeks if product will be reviewed. Please note not all products will be considered reviewable. Please do not send products without prior consent. Note: Products sent for review will not be returned. Product submission authorizes consent for said product to remain in sole possession of recipient. No monies shall be exchanged for product submission nor permission granted for reviews prior to submission. Reviews shall remain effective and in full force at sole discretion of blog administrator and/or authors related to http://www.christinawillreviewit.blogspot.com.

Coming Back Stronger By Drew Brees

Coming Back Stronger is a memoir written by author and Moody Radio personality Chris Fabry. This account of Drew Brees truly had it all. Athlete, husband, father, a man professing faith in God, as well as star quarterback for the New Orleans Saints. Page 14 seems to usher in the life change for Mr. Brees in which he realized he wanted to live for God. I quote, "As I sat there thinking about those deep, huge questions  that everyone faces at some point, the pastor, Dr. Browning Ware, was preaching about what God desires us to be. As an illustration in his message, he mentioned the movie A Few Good Men. He said that God is looking for a few good men to carry on his teachings and to walk the walk with Christ. That's when the lightbulb came on for me. He's talking to me. I want to be one of God's few good men."

And so begins this man's search to glorify God and inspire others in the process. He met Brittany in his 20s. They married and had son Baylen. I enjoyed the accounts of the baby being born as well as their struggles with his family and the trials they endured while he was injured. I also enjoyed the triumphs. I appreciated hearing his heart regarding being a husband.

Also interesting was the contrasting accounts of New Orleans vs. Miami and his decision-making process of whom to join. And shortly thereafter hearing about the devastation still in New Orleans years after Katrina. The color photos in the center of the book were quite nice.

However, I have a few criticisms directly related to the fact that this book though written about and by a true believer in Christ was a watered-down attempt at evangelism. Yes, there were many mentions of God, a few mentions of Christ, a half-hearted attempt at the salvation message on page 244 as well as a few biblical inaccuracies (specifically pages 90 and 192). I would not be so critical of this fact if this were a book aimed solely at the secular market with a slant toward morality or religion. However, Chris Fabry I hold accountable for these inaccuracies as well as many missed opportunities to actually include actual Scripture with references and explanations.

Because I review for the Christian market I was disappointed to know for example, that the author was referring to the Refiners Fire on page 90 but did not go deeper than the casual comments about our hearts (which are deceitful above all). Also, we cannot try to do anything apart from God but can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13). Lastly, a missed opportunity to reach the lost was in the admission of Mr. Brees that he is less outspoken that others might be. I was sad to hear this but my thoughts were confirmed that this book would do very well in the secular market as it was inspiring and not "preachy" at all.

I did enjoy the book and I am happy to know Mr. Brees truly did come back stronger. His story is amazing and inspirational. He is doing wonderful things for children with his Brees Dream Foundation. I would not buy this book for a born again believer but I would buy this book for a football fan or someone looking for a great ending to a tough beginning.

In my opinion, Coming Back Stronger would have deserved five stars if it had been solely marketed as a secular work.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Tyndale House 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.”
 

Are you a manufacturer of a product or currently market a service? Christina will review it! Email christina@wordsofgrace.info with product name, description and manufacturer's suggested retail price along with any other information relative to said product. You will receive a response via email within two weeks if product will be reviewed. Please note not all products will be considered reviewable. Please do not send products without prior consent. Note: Products sent for review will not be returned. Product submission authorizes consent for said product to remain in sole possession of recipient. No monies shall be exchanged for product submission nor permission granted for reviews prior to submission. Reviews shall remain effective and in full force at sole discretion of blog administrator and/or authors related to http://www.christinawillreviewit.blogspot.com.