"Flash: The Homeless Donkey Who Taught Me About Life, Faith, and Second Chances" Review

As a member of the Tyndale Blog Network, I received a copy of "Flash: The Homeless Donkey Who Taught Me About Life, Faith, and Second Chances" for the purposes of this review. Following is my honest review of this book.

Have you ever felt like you were at the end of your rope? When it seems like everything that CAN go wrong HAS? That's where Rachel Anne Ridge was. The economy had crashed, bringing down her once thriving business. She was worried what the future would hold for her and her family. She worried that they would not be able to pay their bills. She prayed for God to send along a sign that He was listening and that everything would be okay.

Enter Flash the donkey. When everything is going wrong in your life, the LAST thing you want to do is find a lost donkey just hanging out in your yard, right? Even the town sheriff said he was "worthless." However, Rachel and her family had to disagree- so they took him in.

Flash the donkey touches their family in a deep way- helping them to break down the barriers that divide and learn to love and trust again. Flash gives the Ridge family the strength they need to carry on during their darkest times.

This book really touched me. I love that one of the simplest and humblest of creatures- a donkey- was one of the greatest blessings this family needed. This is definitely a story that I won't forget for a very long time. I highly recommend that you pick up this book today!!

"If I Plug My Ears, God Can’t Tell Me What to Do" by Jesse Clemence Review

As a member of the Family Christian group of bloggers, I was blessed to receive a copy of “If I Plug My Ears, God Can't Tell Me What to Do" by Jesse Clemence. This is my review of that book. All opinions are my own. 

Okay, so think back to when you were a child and someone was telling you something you didn’t want to hear. If you’re like most children I know, you stuck your fingers in your ears- or started singing/shouting- and saying “I CAN’T HEAR YOU!” Am I right? I know that I definitely did that. I’ve even been guilty of doing it to God. When I feel God telling me something that I don’t want to hear or leading me to do things I don’t want to do, I’ve said “I can’t hear you!”

Searching for Sunday by Rachel Held Evans Review

As a member of the Family Christian group of bloggers, I was blessed to receive a copy of "Searching for Sunday" by Rachel Held Evans. This is my review of that book. All opinions are my own. 

Comforting and terrifying…..two words that combined, describe one thing: FAITH. I do believe that faith should be both comforting and terrifying. I know, sounds like a contradiction, right? Let me explain what I mean.

Faith should be comforting. It should be where you turn for support in times of trouble. It should be where you find rest. However, faith should also be terrifying. It should call you to grow and to step out in obedience when God calls you.

“Searching for Sunday” by Rachel Held Evans is the story of her own thorny relationship with the church. She voices the hopes, concerns, and even frustrations that people have with the church. As I’ve read this book, I’ve heard the voices of others in my life voice these same hopes, concerns, and frustrations.

I was born and raised in the Southern Baptist church. As I grew older, I found myself with some of these same feelings. I felt myself begin to doubt the church (but never my faith- that has always been strong). There was something missing.

In 2011, I discovered the Catholic Church. I began to do research on my own and started taking RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) classes and learning all I could. It was there that I found what I had been missing. My faith is now both comforting and terrifying. I’ve been called to do more now than ever before- and I’m heeding those calls.

In “Searching for Sunday” Rachel Held Evans tells stories around the church’s sacraments: baptism, confession, and communion- as well as others. You will find yourself agreeing, disagreeing, laughing, and may even shed some tears. You will be touched in the deepest part of your soul with this book.

If you’re searching for something that you feel is missing in your faith life, this is definitely the book for you. You can pick up your copy today from Family Christian Stores. When you shop at Family Christian, they give back to help others to grow in their faith. 

Prayers for Your Children Review

As a member of the Family Christian Blogger community, I received a copy of this book for the purposes of this review. All opinions are 100% my very own. 


I am so excited to bring to you my very first review for Family Christian Stores!! I recently received a copy of "Prayers for Your Children: 90 Days of Heartfelt Prayers for Children of Any Age" and I LOVE it!

Prayers for Your Children

Of course, it's a 90 day prayer journey, so I have not exactly finished it since I've only had it a short while, but I love how it's geared towards every season of life and how Scripture is brought in for every section.

Being raised in a Christian home, I understand the importance (and the POWER) of praying for and covering your children in Scripture. God entrusted these beautiful jewels to us- what better gift can we give Him than by trusting him to take care of them?

As I mentioned, this is a 90 day prayer journey, divided into 13 weeks. Simply take one reading per day (or more, if you are so inclined) and read through it- bringing your child/children BY NAME to the feet of Jesus. As parents, we only want the best for our children, right? God only wants the best for us (and them), since we are His children.

Please consider picking up a copy of Prayers for Your Children for your personal library. I promise you that it will be totally worth it!!

Enter below to win your copy of this book!! Simple entries this time- just tell us where to send your book if you do win!! Best of luck to everyone!!

Entry-Form

Almost Perfect Book Review

As a member of the Tomoson blogger community, I received a copy of this e-book in exchange for my honest opinion. All opinions are my own.

Book Description 

What would you do if your best friend and colleague was suspected of murder?

The world of Nili Abadi, partner in a successful law firm, is turned upside down when the body of another partner is found in a burned-out car that belongs to her best friend. The fact that her friend is also a colleague and an ex-lover of the deceased, leads the police to arrest her as the main suspect in the murder.

Nili, convinced that her friend is innocent, sets out to help expose the truth. Although the promotion of the police officer in charge of the investigation is on the line and he needs her help to solve the case, he isn't very enthusiastic about her involvement. However, when she exposes dark secrets from the dead man's past that shed new light and complicate the investigation, he is forced to cooperate with her, primarily because he is afraid that her involvement in the case has put her life is in danger.

The twists and turns of the investigation also reveal a mysterious embezzlement case and anepic love story that weaves through three wars. The truth, when it finally comes to light, reveals that every piece of information and visible evidence hides a harsh and more complex reality.

˃˃˃ Real World Stories

The writer sets her stories in the real world, where the smells, tastes and feelings are known and accessible to the reader. These make the book enjoyable, thrilling, and allow the reader to connect with the characters.

˃˃˃ Mystery, Romance, Politics and Intrigue

If you fancy a mystery which combines romance, politics and intrigue, you have found it in this book.

This book is definitely an edge-of-your-seat, keep-your-attention book. If you're looking for something to add to your reading list for the beach this summer, you've found the right one! If you're interested in purchasing this book, please click the link below: 

The Chase E-book Review

As part of the Tomoson blogger community, I received a copy of the e-book, The Chase in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are 100% my own. 

As I blogger, from time to time, I am able to review books. This is one of them. Honestly, this is probably not one of those that I would read again, but it was definitely worth reading once. I love the descriptive language that pulled me in and made me see what was going on. I love that I don't have to know anything about Russian submarines or the Greek Islands in order to read the book.

Book Description:
For the lone skipper of the Galatea sailing yacht in the Aegean Sea off the coast of Turkey, a peaceful vacation turns into a race for his life.

"A dull thud vibrated low as the Russian submarine Slavianka lost its electronic spying antenna atop the tower."

"The Galatea had come to a sudden stop. Avri was hurled forward like a harpoon from a cannon. His head hit the bulkhead with a horrible ****, absorbing all his one hundred and sixty pounds of momentum. He heard the loud crunching noise of the bow crashing into something solid, or perhaps it was the sound of his skull smashing against the bulkhead."

“Comrades! We face a serious situation. I trust every one of you to do his very best so we can solve this problem in a manner befitting a unit of the great Soviet Navy."

"The young Greek let out a short yelp of surprise as he saw the tower of the submarine in the middle of the cove. The fisherman turned his head toward the Slavianka, but, before he realized what it was, he saw the muzzle flashes. The sound of the shots reached his ears as he watched the bullets rip his son’s body to pieces. There wasn’t much left of the young body by the time it hit the water. “You don’t shoot people for fishing,” he shouted speechlessly as a barrage of bullets tore through him."

"Avri Keren rose slowly from the cold cockpit floor. He felt as if there was a blanket over his head, when in fact just pitch-black skies and stars were twinkling coldly down at him. He felt something wet and heavy covering him, but it was only the chilly night air. His limbs moved sluggishly, each seeming to weigh a ton. Lurching slowly, like a monster from the golden era of cinema, he shuffled towards Galatea's dark cabin where he heaved himself to the dining couch. The pounding in his head was heavy, resonating throughout his body."

In this sailing paradise of the Mediterranean, neither the skipper nor the captain will give up in this race for life or death.

If you wish to purchase this book, please click the link below, my family and I greatly appreciate the support!

New Books from Hocmaa Publishing- Check them out!

As a member of the Tomoson Blogger Community, I received a PDF copy of these books. All opinions are 100% my own.

Girl of the Book


Book Description:

Twelve year old Courtney Parker is devastated to have to leave her friends and South Africa behind when her father accepts a lucrative contract and the family relocate to Saudi Arabia.

Jeddah feels like a different planet to Johannesburg. In spite of her initial reluctance to venture out of the comfort and security of their new home, she quickly forms friendships with Nizar Bukhari and Lana Alahmadi. However, not everyone is happy with the situation.

Courtney must learn to adapt to an alien, seemingly unforgiving culture and stand up to the bullies that are making her school life ****.

Nizar and Lana must both try to overcome their family prejudices in order for their friendship with Courtney to survive. Will they succeed? Will they be able to set aside their differences? Can they bridge the cultural divide?

"Girl of the Book" is a compelling, contemporary story that will get older children thinking. More than that, it is a story of friendship and forgiveness that will tug at your heart.

We live in a world of intolerance and hate. It's nice to see a book where, despite their differences, forgiveness and a friendship have the chance to bloom. I would definitely recommend this book for adults and older children alike. Download it today and read it when you can!

See Bride Run!


Book Description:

Can a Small Town Lawyer Get Lucky? 

Atlanta’s billionaire heiress Annie Hartford has no desire to marry a man she does not love; but her controlling father has been calling the shots for his 29 year-old daughter her entire life. This time he has pushed Annie too far. 

With minutes to spare before she is to walk down the aisle in front of 600 guests, Annie is forced to make a decision. She hijacks the family limo, only to have it break down in small town Pinckney, Georgia. Annie, who has never wanted for anything, suddenly finds herself homeless, penniless, with only the clothes on her back, a designer wedding gown and diamond tiara. 
~~~ 
Small town lawyer and restaurant owner Sam Ballard has been unlucky in love, and the last thing he needs is a red-hot blonde in a short waitress uniform who seems ****-bent on breaking every dish in his Dixieland Café. Still, he can’t very well fire her, she has won the hearts of everyone in town. 

Can rich girl Annie find happiness living in a garage apartment, wearing second-hand clothes, and making her way around town on a borrowed bicycle? As for Sam, can he put his past behind him and trust that Annie won’t run home to daddy when her new life presents one obstacle after another? 

This is a story of unlikely love. When faced with the prospect of marrying a man she doesn't want to, she splits and finds herself in a small town. There, she finds true love and happiness. I couldn't put it down! You'll love it too! Click on the link above to download it today!

Sy Goldman & The Case of the Beantown Butcher


Sy Goldman lived an uneventful life selling suits in Brooklyn for fifty years, then he retired and the excitement began! Let Sy tell you the story of how his golden years in the California beach city of Santa Monica went from laid back to action packed. As he and his friend Alexey try to solve the "suicide" of their roommate Murray, and have an adventure along the way.

When Sy Goldman retired from his life of selling suits, he just thought that he was going to relax. Things get wild when his roomate, Murray dies, supposedly from suicide. This book will keep you on the edge of your seat!! Download it today!! 

The Available Tart


The Tinseltown Tarts are a middle-aged, four member, once wildly popular all-female rock 'n' roll band from California. Facing a midlife crisis, Pete follows them on their Midwestern tour. He's keeping his distance, but he's on one of the member's radar...and she's actually available. The book's a fast-paced, humorous, sometimes serious male-perspective "romance" novel with a trashy title and many layers. 

Musicians seem to love this book, probably because it accurately depicts their world and delineates the earthquake-like changes which have forever altered it. The Available Tart describes the beauty of the Midwest, lovemaking during a thunderstorm, includes a visit to the Minnesota State Fair and a trout stream valley, briefly touches on the sights of Minneapolis/St. Paul, and even features a goat. The subject matter includes  (tasteful) adult situations (after all, Pete is chasing a rock 'n' roll goddess). 

This book is okay- I didn't care for the male perspective of the romance, but some people may enjoy it. 

Soulmates: How to Find and Keep True Love Review

As part of the Tomoson blogger community, I received a PDF copy of the e-book, Soul Mates: How to Find and Keep True Love. All opinions are 100% my own. This post does contain affiliate links. 

Soul Mates: How to Find and Keep True Love explains that love is much more than the physical- it also encompasses the spiritual realm. Now, I've already found my true love (we'll be celebrating two years of marriage this summer)- so I do not need to put any of the information contained in this book into effect into my own life, but much of the information presented really does make sense.

Book Description

Love is not governed by the rational

It is not understood by scientific methods which do not detect, prove, nor do they define love. The same as God cannot be defined. Love is the part of the spirit and soul, it is born and lives in the heart.

In this book Iris Gattegno Tarbuk, the well-known spiritual medium and guide, shares her unique insights into love, how to achieve, recognize, enjoy and how to sustain it. Iris speaks about the spiritual nature of love between a man and a woman. The love which only a medium can see both in the known and the other world, in the eternal journey of searching for and finding soul mates. She speaks of happy and unhappy, long and short destinies and contacts of lovers and their carnal union with energies exchange through ***, which is the most powerful magic existing in the universe.

This book is "food for the soul", inspirational and meditative reading, and a manual with concrete advice, too. To the unloved, lonely, left, and to those deprived of their loved partner by death, Iris gives instructions, prayers and meditations how to cleanse their hearts and find their true love, how to remain in the relationship. To the couples who love each other, she gives advice how to cherish and nourish their love, how to keep their relationship happy.

Speaking about love, Iris primarily discriminates between true love and love delusions. True love joins soul mates and brings them life happiness, while love delusions result in misery, sadness, distress, disappointed people, destroyed families and unhappy children. When she writes about adultery and forgiveness, about marriage triangles and other temptations in love, she overcomes moralizing, politicizing and debating resulting from different perspectives. This book primarily aims at helping all people to find their true love, regardless of their world view, religious persuasion, sexual orientation, ***, age, appearance, health, nationality...

The concept of love

Love is perfect both in its content and form, it does not allow for any calculations and limitations. Otherwise it is not perfect, nor is it true. Love is something ideal, pure, without reservation, complete. If a relationship of two people is not like this, then it is not true love. In everyday life we name many relationships between two people 'love', although they are far from the concept of ideal love. That concept, besides the perfection of the soul, inevitably involves the body, so a human being is limited by that physicality. Is it possible to attain such a balance of the spirit and the body so as to achieve true love?

Review

This is a very interesting book. Since I have already found my one true love, I don't need to put any of this into effect in my life. However, I do find what it has to say very interesting. I do agree with it that love is ideal, pure, and complete. Love is two completely imperfect people coming together in something beautiful and amazing. Love is when you can look past a person's imperfections into their beautiful soul.

If you're interested in this book, please use the link below.

My Monster on Top of The Bed Review

As a blogger in the Tomoson community, I received a copy of My Monster on Top of The Bed Creativity Stimulator and an audio CD of the story. All opinions are 100% my own. 

When I showed Nathan the book, he was pretty excited- he LOVES to read! He likes to look through books and make up his own words to go with the pictures- so this Creativity Stimulator is perfect for him! 

Vanabode: Travel Forever on $20 a Day Review

As a blogger in the Tomoson community, I received a copy of Vanabode: Travel Forever on $20 a Day for the purposes of my review. All opinions are 100% my own. 

Just look at this view- don't you wish you were there? I know I do!

Do you long to be able to camp, travel, or live anywhere in the USA, but you're afraid you can't afford it? What if I were to tell you that you CAN! This book, Vanabode: Travel Forever on $20 a Day proposes that you can do this- and for ONLY $20 per day!!

The Pacifier Book Review

As a Tomoson Panelist, I received an e-book copy of The Pacifier for the purposes of this review. All opinions are my own. 

The Pacifier by Sophia Grace is a thriller/mystery book that was released in December 2014. It is available on Amazon Kindle.

Did you know that the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children says that around 800,000 kids are reported missing in the USA alone every single year. That's around 2,000 kids per day! That's a scary thought! 

This book is about a couple, John and Sophie, who have just arrived home at 2 AM after being out at a party. John goes upstairs to check in on the children and finds that they- and the babysitter have gone missing.

John calls the police- and the dispatcher mentions to an officer that the details are very similar to a case from the month before. Detectives are sent out. The forensics team discovers a bloody pacifier in one of the rooms and drugs in the pocket of John's suit- only John claims he's never done drugs.

The rest of the story follows the investigation of the disappearance of the children. They wan't to find the kids and the sitter before fear settles into the neighborhood.

Being a mom, stories like this really do strike fear in me- especially since our youngest is so friendly and never meets a stranger. Though this particular story is a fictional account- it just proves that you can't trust everyone. You have to be careful who you allow to be around your children. I recommend that all parents take the time to read this book!

You can get the book here:




Check out Instant Checkmate  to do a background check on anyone who is going to be around your children.

With Love,

Krista