May 15th...Bible Reading Plan still holding strong!

So I've mentioned before that I've been doing a Bible reading plan that has me reading through the Bible in a year. I'm happy to say that I am still going strong with it! I've made it further than I've ever done before and I'm really enjoying it! I'm currently reading through the Gospel of John, a few of the Psalms and 2 Samuel. Talk about refreshing, convicting, and challenging all at the same time. David, a man after God's own heart, stumbles through different situations and yet we get to read his prayers, praises and cries to God. Then flipping over to John and we read about God in human form, Jesus...knowing that David was a predecessor of sorts to Jesus, it all just ties in so perfectly. It's refreshing to read through the gospels again, to saturate my mind and heart with the truth of it, the conviction of it, and to remind myself of who Jesus really is. To read through what he did while he was on Earth...the stories are amazing and yet even more amazing is how it's all true! None of it is made up...he really walked the Earth, he really healed the sick, he really taught the crowds who were wanting to know more, he really turned water into wine, he really made the blind to see and the lame to walk and he fed the hungry. He associated with the poor, the cast-offs, the sinners. He really, truly died on a cross and even more amazing he ROSE from the dead three days later!! How easy it is to go through our day to day lives and forget the awesomeness of who Jesus truly is! Loving this reminder right now in my life. I've heard it said before and I know it to be true, we need to be preaching the gospel to ourselves daily. Remind yourself of who Jesus is, what he did for you and what your response to that is. If you don't know what I'm talking about...ask! I'd love to share more. Until then, dig into the Word y'all! It's rich.

Ranking Reviews...An Update

Hey fellow readers and blog creepers :) I wanted to give you a quick update on ranking my blog reviews. I received an email from Blogging for Books (BFB) letting us know that certain Blogging for Books reviewers were cheating the system to get their reviews ranked higher in order to win the prizes offered by Blogging for Books. Because of this BFB has slightly changed the way readers can rank reviews. It's not a huge change but I wanted to let you know so that you could go back and re-rank my reviews and be updated for future reviews that I will be writing (currently have a few books up my sleeves that I'm reading and will be posting reviews on). From now on when you go to rank your very first review you will need to enter a valid email address. Once you enter it, rank the review, then go to your email and click on the email sent to you to validate it. You only have to enter and validate your email once and then you will be remembered for future ranking. BFB will not sell your email, spam it, or give it to a third party, it will be kept private and confidential. Also, by entering in your email, the review that you rank will not show email addresses so the reviewer will not have access or any idea of who ranked their review so no worries about your email address being spread around. Thanks for taking the time to read this and I ask that you please go back once more and rank my reviews. Thanks, again!! :)

Can't Wait for Book #2!

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From the moment I picked this book up it was hard to put it down. Karyn paints a fascinating, interesting and engaging picture of what life would be like if angels were trapped in our world and there was no access to the Most High. Melaia, a young priestess, witnesses a murder and then finds herself involved in what she had always believed to be story and tale. In a world filled with good angles, bad angels, shape changers, dwarves and magical powers the fight to restore the stairway to heaven involves not only the priestess but those whom she has come to love and call friend. However, at times not knowing who is friend and who is foe, Melaia sets out on a journey to discover her past and determine her future and to fulfill the duty set before her.

This book was very entertaining and well written. I would recommend it to my friends for a good read. Too bad the 2nd book hasn't already come out, I'll be waiting anxiously to find out what happens next!

I was given the book, "Breath of Angel" by Karyn Henley, for free by Waterbrook Multnomah in order to write this review.

To read my review at Waterbrook, go here, and give it a ranking if you so desire :)
ps- the more rankings I get the better the books I have to choose from, so rank away, por favor!

Kept me turning pages

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Dr. Scarpetta is hot on the trail of a serial killer, who enjoys dismembering his victims before dumping them in a landfill, when she comes across yet another victim. While this latest victim's demise is eerily similar to previous discoveries after closer inspection she discovers numerous differences in the M.O. and starts to wonder what she truly has stumbled upon. Receiving graphic photographs and cryptic messages, Dr. Scarpetta isn't sure exactly what she's got herself into. Meanwhile, on an island off the Virginia coast, residents are mysteriously coming down with a rare form of what looks like smallpox. Dr. Scarpetta races against the clock to discover who is behind these killings, the virus and what the killer could possibly have against her. Unnatural Exposure by Patricia Cornwell was a fast and entertaining read. I picked it up and had it finished in 2 days! While the plot is interesting and is developed to some extent there seemed to be some depth missing, however, as my title suggests, I couldn't put it down. If you're looking for an entertaining, fast read, I suggest this book.

Anyone else ever read anything by P. Cornwell? I think I may try another of her mysteries if I get a chance! Happy reading!

Book List

For now I am reading two books (besides the Bible :) ) which I will hopefully finish one in the next few days and the other I am doing with a friend for one on one time together so that one will take a few weeks as we are studying a chapter a week. But to give you a foreshadowing of reviews to come the 2 books are:


Treasuring God in our Traditions by Noel Piper
and
A Call to Spiritual Reformation by D.A. Carson

If I add any more to the mix I'll let you know. Also, I'm anxiously awaiting my next book from Waterbrook Multnomah! I'll let you know when it arrives. It's a fiction book, I believe, that will be VERY different from my previous book from there! Happy reading, to you, until we meet again! (anyone know what tune that last line is mimicking?)

 

 

 

 

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Life Without Limits was a bit....limited.

I was given the book "Life Without Limits" by Nick Vujicic, for free by Waterbrook Multnomah in order to write this review.

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  When I heard about the book "Life Without Limits" I was intrigued by the description of what this book would be about. A man born without arms or legs and yet overcoming this disability to live a rich, abundant and independent life sounded pretty extraordinary to me! Add to the mix that he is a Christian and inspirational speaker and there was no way I could pass this book up. When it finally arrived in the mail I excitedly tore open the box and started devouring the book page after page...for the first few chapters. But as my title hints at...the book was lacking something, it felt limited, stunted, not as deep as I expected it to be. Now I know Nick isn't a professional writer, per se, and that he is simply relaying what he has overcome throughout his life, but I still felt like each chapter was very repetitious, that it took him pages upon pages to say one point and that it all felt a little superficial. I felt like his main point was to encourage people going through tough things to try harder, push further, smile bigger, etc and life's problems would melt away. He used his example of overcoming a life without limbs as proof that if we just try, try, try that we will have a great life. I didn't feel like his focus was on the sovereignty of God and that sometimes life IS hard and things won't turn out right if we just think positively and put a smile on our face. I was disappointed with this book and struggled to even want to finish it. While his story is interesting I don't feel like I would recommend this book to many people because of the "you do your best and God will do the rest" mentality that he actually states in the book. I don't agree with that statement and I wouldn't want to encourage my friends/family to believe that as well. Is it interesting? Sure, some of the stories are. But other than that, a sad disappointment.

**update** while the book wasn't that great for me, Nick's story is simply amazing so I recommend checking him out on Youtube. He learns to surf with Bethany Hamilton and there are other numerous videos about how he gets through daily tasks. That to me is fascinating.

Nick learning to surf. and The Butterfly Circus

To read my review at Waterbrook go here and give it a ranking if you are interested. Thanks! :)