Thursday, July 13, 2023

Buried Secrets by S.F. Baumgartner

Buried Secrets
by S.F. Baumgartner

Enter the world of Dylan, whose life has been turned upside down with the loss of his mother.  Things quickly turn strange for Dylan as he unexpectedly learns about his roots, and falls deep into a world of questions and confusion, his mother's past winding through stories almost too crazy to believe, landing him in a most unexpected place as he faces down his own fate.  

Buried Secret's is S.F. Baumgartner's new release.  A clean, Christian tale of mystery and suspense keeps readers glued to the pages of this novella and leaves them wanting more.  Short enough to enjoy from cover to cover in a day, but deep enough to keep readers questioning and wanting more.  A prequel to the Mirror Estates series, readers will be thrilled to have the opportunity to dive deeper with more books to come in the series.  Content is safe for younger readers while engaging enough for adults.  

I enjoyed this read.  It was quick and easy, yet complex enough to hold my attention.  I found myself wishing it was a longer story, more developed so that the tale would last longer.  It has piqued my interest into the coming stories that will continue to develop the story. Yet, this book stands alone quite well, wrapped up enough for resolution while still leaving a trail of interest to pick up in the next book.  I would feel very comfortable allowing my teen daughter to read this story and look forward to picking up the next pieces of the tale as they are released.

You can learn more about the author here: https://sfbaumgartner.com/ and here: https://linktr.ee/sfbaumgartner

Disclaimer: I was provided a copy for free in exchange for my honest review.  


Monday, September 5, 2022

Winning At Home



Winning At Home: Tackling the Topics That Confuse Kids and Scare Parents

by Dan Seaborn 

Never has the task of raising children been more challenging than today's times, when parents are compared, shamed, labeled, and superseded by the cultural influences of our social media, Hollywood, trends that change faster than the seasons and demands for fitting into a world that is terribly broken.  Today's parents get input from every corner, most unsolicited and most unhealthy and unhelpful.  How appropriate for the timing of this new book by Dan Seaborn of Winning At Home ministries.

This book is not afraid to jump in to the tough topics that most Christian parents are yearning to find help with, but coming up empty handed in a very self-centered world that serves the gratification of immediate needs.  Dan Seaborn and some of his team tackle hard topics like gender and sexual orientation, discipline, communication, technology and so much more from a Biblical viewpoint that aims parents toward the Cross instead of the world.

Whether you are a new parent, just starting out, in the deep trenches of rearing a house full of kids, sending them off or an empty nester, there is wisdom in this book for you.  A resource for the days to come as your children encounter these topics that will inevitably face them, despite your best efforts to shield them.  This book equips parents to realize that the war is waging and the offense must be continuous and planned ahead in some instances, and that the battle will be a long-term, life-long place for the parent.

Seaborn and his team write with honesty and humor, addressing scary stuff parents might not have thought about, or might not want to think about.  With real-life examples, guidance based in the Bible and years of counseling, ministry and teaching work combined, this book is like sitting down with a room full of experts!  I highly recommend any parent own this book and pull it out often as the new phases bring new topics to tackle and work through.  

Set to release September 13, 2022, you can pre-order a copy now!  Find yours at the following locations:

Barnes & Noble

Amazon

See what others who have already read it have to say on Good Reads!

@winning_at_home

Monday, August 8, 2022

Raising Kids for Tomorrow's World

Raising Kids for Tomorrow's World:12 Keys to Preserving the Faith

by Stan & Cheryl Schuermann

In a world where many parents feel like they are barely treading water, trying to keep ahead of the trials and dangers in abundance for their children while navigating how to raise them with a spiritual mindset in a non-spiritual world, the outlook can feel hopeless.  Never has there been a more important time than now to begin equipping parents with the tools to raise their children in a faith that will last as they grow into this tumultous world around us.

Stan and Cheryl Schuermann have set out to give parents one such tool with their new book, seeking to teach and encourage parents in biblical principles how to raise their children to follow Christ.  Set up in small sections that are easily used within a small group setting, this book can be just as easily used as an individual devotional or short read as well, giving it versatitily.

Based on 1 Thessalonians 2:1-14, readers are introduced to the idea of Paul loving, encouraging and teaching his spiritual children.  From this section, 12 Keys are pulled, each key having 4 a chapter of it's own as well as three chapters devoted to the discussion of it.  The wealth of information, spiritual backing and biblical truth abound in this resource!  Readers work their way through Keys such as Discover Boldness, Help Your Children Discern God's Call, Be the One Your Children Want to Imiitate and so many more important keys.  Each chapter is designed to be a fairly quick read (generally 2-4 pages) within the topic, always with discussion questions at the end.

I have found this book to be one of great support and encouragement with thought provoking questions yet simply understood and followed suggestions to go forward with.  This is a book I know I will return to many times for it's wealth of knowledge and reference that I can trust.  Designed to give confidence to parents, it sets readers up with success and helps families build a faith culture in their homes in a time of deep need for parent support and Christian community as we look out at a very troubled world into which our children will be released some day.

You can find it at Amazon and Barnes & Noble in multiple formats to fit your preference!



Title--  Raising Kids for Tomorrow's World: 12 Keys to Preserving the Faith
Authors -  Stan and Cheryl Schuermann
Retail Price--  Paperback 13.99, ebook $3.99, Hardcover $19.99
Genre--  Christian Nonfiction/Parenting and Family


*Disclosure:  I received a copy of the book for free in exchange for my honest and un-biased review.

Friday, February 25, 2022

The Flirtation Experiment

 


The Flirtation Experiment

by Lisa Jacobson and Phylicia Masonheimer

New on the scene is a wonderful resource for Christian (and non-Christian) women to help build marriage relationships in a God-honoring way.  Popular Christian voices Lisa Jacobson and Phylicia Masonheimer have just released their collaborated work, The Flirtation Experiment, with an aim to strenghten marriages with a fun approach  - flirting.

Each chapter addresses a new way in which to pursue a spouse in a fun, and sometimes challenging way, that will make the reader re-think they way they express love to their spouse and re-consider the ways they expect marriage to be.  Especially for couples who have been married for some time and have hit that all to familiar slump of life, chaos, kids and schedules taking precedence, this book offers timely and concretely useable methods to spark some life and fun back into a marriage.  After reading the book, wives will find themselves hopeful and empowered to make a positive change in small ways, bringing a return to romance.

The authors approach the topic very respectfully and with spiritual boundaries in mind, while also encouraging women that it is ok to push those boundaries many of us have been taught to know as inappropriate.  With Biblical reference and backing, they point out how God intends us to pursue our loved one and to create an atmosphere of mutual respect and love, that it is ok to have fun and flirt with your spouse, and they definitely give the reader pause to consider their own position while sharing very honest stories from the author's point of view to keep it real and grounded.  

This is a book that is easy to read and can be done in spurts, or all at once.  It can be broken down into weeks, months, or days, however it fits the reader best.  With language that is easy to interpret, stories that are easily relatable and honest, and challenges that are attainable, this book gives wives the power to make big changes in their relationship and find fulfillment they also seek while making very small changes or actions.  I am so glad I have this book in my hands and am already seeing things improve in my own relationship!

This is a book I believe every wife should own and read!

Order your copy of The Flirtation Experiment now!

http://theflirtationexperiment.com/


#FlirtationExperimentMIN #TheFlirtationExperiment #MomentumInfluencerNetwork


Disclosure:

Many thanks to HarperCollins Christian Publishing for providing this product/product information for review.  Opinions are 100% my own.  I did receive the product in exchange for this review and post.


Friday, February 11, 2022

God Made It All by Ruthie Godfrey

 

God Made It All
by Ruthie Godfrey
illustrated by Helen Ayle

A new book in a line of children's books written by Ruthie Godfrey, God Made It All is a beautifully written and illustrated story that explores opposites while teaching that God made everything.

Godfrey has captured the idea of God creating everything in a new and fun way.  Exploring opposites like highs and lows, laughter and tears, fast and slow, with each idea supported by an animal, person, food, plant and more that God has created, this book introduces the wealth of things God made from the visible to the unseen.  The message is beautifully presented with images that support the story and further draw in the reader.  Written simply enough that younger elementary children can read the words, but deep enough for the adult reader to fall in love with.  This is just truly a beautiful book to share wtih the children in your life.

The illustrations in this book are just beautiful and engaging, with a broad depth of color, texture and detail.  Children and adults alike can find themselves lost in the pictures as they page through the story.  With a cover that captures eyes with it's many minute details, it is truly a fun book to look at as well as read!

My children have enjoyed reading and exploring this book with me, and it has opened up conversations about many different topics.  We are curious, now, to check out more of Ruthie Godfrey's work!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

More than two decades in education have given Ruthie Godfrey a unique perspective for the struggles that students often face in day-to-day school life. She enjoys teaching and pouring into children. She also loves adventures with her husband, Wayne, and their spotted fur-baby, Johnny Cash. For more information on Ruthie, visit RuthieGodfreyBooks.com or find her on social media.

God Made It All is available in several formats and locations. You can download it (ISBN 978-1-952402-38-8, ebook, $2.99) on Amazon, and it is free through Kindle Unlimited. Other formats are available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and wherever fine books are sold. (ISBN 978-1-952402-37-1, paperback, $12.95; ISBN 978-1-952402-36-4, hardcover, $24.95.)

**Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book to review for free in exchange for my honest and un-biased thoughts.



Monday, November 15, 2021

Anchor My Soul

 

Anchor My Soul
by Andrea P. Bourgeois

If anything, the past two years have taught each of us that life has storms we cannot be prepared for.  Whether these storms be acutal natural storms, or the emotional and physical trials this life throws our way, we are bound to face pain and struggle in this life.  

Andrea P. Bourgeois tackles this thought in a manner that offers hope and the idea that God has a purpose for your pain.  Through a memoir of 25 women's stories as they walked through storms of life, the reader also learns of the author's experience living through Hurricane Laura during the Covid-19 Pandemic.  This collection of stories offer a glimpse into the ways God remains steadily with us, offering love and mercy when we are desperate and struggling.  

The heartbreaking honesty of the stories shared by the collective of writers is relatable and genuine.  No matter what the difficult season one may be facing, whether it be a natural disaster or a personal circumstance, there is hope in these pages, found in the words of other women who have also walked difficult paths of pain, frustration, fear, anxiety, despair, loneliness, grief and shock.  In reading their stories, there is a glimps of encouragement and God's steadfast love.

I was detached from the hurricane season during the pandemic, living in a state nowhere near this type of threat, but walked my own line of trial and tribulation through the anxiety the pandemic brought, in addition to the other pitfalls that seemed to fall in my path as though a hurricane had indeed passed through my life.  Reading these stories, one at a time, and thinking through the prompts included at the end of each memoir, I found myself relating in many ways and finding ways to make conections between the pain of another and myself, even with un-related situations. 

I recommend this book to any woman walking through a season of despair, whatever the source.  It is not a cure-all, a self-help, or even and quick fix, but instead a way to reflect and realize God's love and faithfulness.


Available fromhttps://amzn.to/3BWonG2
PublisherArabelle Publishing at http://www.arabellebooks.com/

Instagram: @arabellepublishing

Facebook: @arabellebooks

Twitter: @arabellebooks


ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Andrea P. Bourgeois is the Co-Founder and Host of Pain into Purpose Virtual Summit. Along with 30 guest speakers, she shared personal testimonies that led to healing, restoration, and freedom in Christ. With a heart for serving teens and women, Andrea is involved in many ministry events, and speaks at churches and women's groups. She recently released her first book, a Bible study, Just Breathe: A Modern-Day Exodus Journey to Revive Your Soul. Anchor My Soul is her second book. Visit Andrea at andreapbourgeois.com.

Disclaimer:  I recived a copy of this book for free from the publisher in exchange for my honest and un-biased review.  The opinions expressed are fully my own.

God With Us: A Journey Home

 

God With Us: A Journey Home

written by Jeremy Pierre
illustrated by Cassandra Clark
(268 pages) 

With a wealth of children's Bibles available, why write another?  Author Jeremy Pierre, along with illustrator Cassandra Clark set out to give a vibrant, beautiful answer to this question with their new release, "God With Us: A Journey Home".  They  want children to grow up knowing that this world is not our home, but instead a stop on the way home to Heaven.  Their goal is to teach children this idea as young as possible to give them the tools to make sense out of our very sad, yet wonderful world.  They aim to share their vision of our world as an in-between place and to begin guiding them toward bravery as they journey toward their true home with God.

Written more as a story than as a Bible, the reader gets lost in the beautiful imagery painted by the words.  With language easy to understand, yet not babyish in talk, the child (or any reader) is invited to flow through the story a section at a time to understand the full story of the Bible in a condensed version that still honors the truths and the characters within.  From the perspective of an onlooker, a heavenly observer, to the reader, it is a very personal letter that immerses the reader in the story fully, placing them at the center of the action.

This storybook is beautifully illustrated with images that are vibrantly colored.  With pictures more like those of a graphic novel than of a child's Bible, this book is more appropriate for 5 and up, but still appropriate and friendly enough for younger eyes as well, just not as cartoonish.    




My children and I have enjoyed exploring this book, not only soaking in the story, but also studying the pictures, which tell a story all on their own.  With a wealth of pages to explore, a message I want my kids to hear, and a format friendly to kids, this is a win for me and going on my list of books to recommend!

Check out what others have said about this book:

“God with Us delivers truth with imagination, creativity, and beautiful illustrations.
The gospel message becomes clearer with every turn of the page. Like a symphony
of truth that crescendos to the final fanfare, God with Us ends with a finale that
connects the gospel dots and offers an invitation to believe. Bravo and well done!”
—Marty Machowski, Pastor and author of The Ology, Wonderful, Long Story Short,
and other gospel-centered resources for church and home

“This is a beautiful re-telling of the most beautiful story ever told.”
—Karen Swallow Prior, Professor of Christianity & Culture, and author of On
Reading Well: Finding the Good Life through Great Books

Buy God With Us: A Journey Home now!

Check it out on the website:

Watch a video about the book here:


Disclosure: Many thanks to Shepherd Press for providing this product/product information for review.  Opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.  I did receive the product in exchange for this review and post.

#GodWithUsMIN #MomentumInfluencerNetwork