Rating: Plain Promise is a quick and fun read.  Beth Wiseman draws the reader in with the quiet and peaceful setting of the Amish community.  Yet, not all is peaceful within the hearts of the people.  A young widow, Sadie,  rents out her extra cottage to a new tenant, only to find out he is a famous, wealthy man.  Kade is attempting to escape his life and “hides” among the Amish.   Seemingly, Sadie and Kade have nothing in common and yet attraction continues to grow.   At the same time, Sadie has been writing and communicating with Milo, an Amish...

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Rating: Fearless by Max Lucado is a timely message to this generation.  Everyone is tempted to worry and be anxious about something.  Mr. Lucado addresses several major areas of concern that are especially prevalent in today’s economy.  Mr. Lucado is careful to take the reader to scripture not only to show that we are not to have fear but that we have every reason to trust because of who our God is. This book is a gentle read in that it is not terribly deep theologically.  I enjoyed Mr. Lucado’s story telling format as he presented how a Christian...

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Rating: Advertised as a study tool and aid in reading the bible, I was very excited to obtain a copy of The Expanded Bible.    I eagerly opened it up and was dismayed to find my expectations were not fulfilled.   To be fair, my husband is in seminary and so we are exposed to deep material.   This bible might be okay if you are just trying to get a sense of what the text is trying to say but it is not really a fair translation; it is more of a paraphrase.   Imbedded in the text are examples of what...

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Rating: I enjoyed reading the Toddler Bible with stories retold by Gwen Ellis.  The pictures are vivid as well.  One thing that I appreciate about the way Ms. Ellis retells the stories is that she simplifies them without losing the important components.  She is not afraid of the “bad” parts of the bible.  At the end of each chapter or section, there is a small box for the parents giving ideas for a craft that will help the child remember each lesson.   There are also ideas for discussion questions for taking each story a bit further.    For those with...

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Rating: With a one year old, I was very excited to get my hands on a copy of bible stories for little ones.   We want to establish a routine of devotions and reading through the bible even at a very young age.   We started going through this book with our little one about 2 months ago.   She likes the pictures but of course doesn’t really get what we are reading yet.  Unfortunately, we do get what we are reading.   I know that a lot of the stories need to be simplified for the younger but this book has taken...

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Rating:   In the Footsteps of Paul is an amazing collection of photos following Paul’s life.   I thoroughly enjoyed letting my imagination go and recalling the stories from the Bible in context now with the photos.  It is easier to understand certain portions of Scripture having seen what the walls or trees or landscape really looked like.  So often, we allow our own preconceptions color what we read.   I also  appreciated the quotes and scripture verses that go along with  each photo which gives context.  The only pictures that seemed out of place were the ones of paintings in...

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Rating: The Noticer is a nice story but completely gives a completely false dose of reality. The basic premise is that if you think positively, then positive things will happen to you. If you surround yourself with successful people, then you too will become positive. If you just think about things in a positive way, then life becomes that much more wonderful. The book centers around a man named “Jones” who steps in and out of people’s lives, encouraging them to notice the positive and to make changes in their lives. These stories are miracle stories; marriages are saved,...

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Christianity in Crisis is an educational look at the contemporary leaders in today’s faith movement.  Hank Hanegraaff exposes the lies that have invaded the modern church and duped so many unsuspecting souls.     In the first section of the book, Hanegraaff looks at the teachings and how they have been taken from scripture but then abused.   He compiles the teachings of various leaders into a creation account.  I found it to be revolting and yet this is what is being taught in many churches around the world.   Hanegraaff also gives a “cast of characters” with detailed research into what each...

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  Rating: The Kiss by Ted Dekker and Erin Healy is an intriguing story of family and friendships and what happens when touched by power.  Shauna woke from being in acoma for 6 months.  She doesn’t remember her boyfriend or anything that happened the night of the accident.  In addition, Shauna is being charged for being durg impaired while driving.  Even though Shauna can’t remember the past 6 months, she knows the accusations are completely out of character.  As she struggles to regain the past, Shauna quickly finds out there are many people who don’t want her to figure...

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