Monday, October 29, 2012

Your Guide to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks by John Hergenrather, Tom Vail, Mike Oard, and Dennis Bokovoy

Whether you are planning a trip to the Yellowstone and Grand Teton or you just want to learn more about these great national parks; this guide is perfect for both. 183 pages hard back spiral bound full of gorgeous pictures, history and facts on many fold out pages. This book is a complete guide to these unforgettable parks and will give you all the information you will need to know for a wonderful visit. This book was written by the authors to give the reader a look at the Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks through God's eyes.
I personally have never visited these parks but after reading and studying this guide would love to make a trip someday with my family. Since we weren't actively planning a trip, we used this guide for our homeschooling education. Reading about the wildlife, plants and natural wonders made it feel like we were really there. Since it was written from a Biblical perspective I enjoyed the references to creation and just the natural beauty of God's design.
I recommend this for anyone planning a trip to the Yellowstone or Grand Teton, those who just want to learn more about these national parks, those studying creationism vs. evolution, schools or home school groups, or just nature lovers.

*A review copy was sent to me by Master Books a division of New Leaf Publishing in exchange for my honest review*

The One Year Be-Tween You and God: devotions for girls by Sandra Byrd

When I opened up the package for this one; I was immediately drawn to it because of the cover. Its gorgeous blue color, with beautiful raised designs and leather like feel(much like a real Bible); made me think"my daughter will love this". It was so appealing I had to admire it for awhile before I actually opened it. When I did open it I was not disappointed with the inside either.
Inside you will find one year of one page devotionals    for girls in the tween years(ages 9-12 depending on the child). Each devotion is marked with the month and day, a Dear God question, a one page devotion, a verse, and a how about you section(encouraging application). Verses are taken from the NCV, NIV, and NLT.
I really liked the briefness of the devotions especially for this age group, but I don't feel the content was jeopardized because of it. I felt it was packed full of wonderful topics that pre-teen girls deal with daily, and it is definitely a worthwhile book for any girl this age.

*This review copy was sent to me by Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for my honest review*  

Friday, October 12, 2012

Great for God: Missionaries who changed the world by David Shibley

When David Shibley wrote the introduction to "Great for God", he gave a great summary of what this book is all about. 23 different individuals, all coming from different parts of the world, ranging from the 1700's to the  21st century, both men and women who all had a strong desire to do great things for God. David Shibley does emphasize that these people were imperfect, still human, just ordinary people with a resolve to glorify God in their lives.

The stories of each of these individuals can be read as a personal study, a small group Bible study, or even for family devotions. Each chapter begins with a thematic title, the individuals legacy or great thing they did in the name of our God, and a quote from the individual.

The last chapter gives an encouragement for the reader to go out and do great things for God. The author gives twelve characteristics that each of these individuals possessed that links them all to accomplishing greatness for God. I like how the author also gives a few warnings in attempting to do great things for God; such as, it is a definite way to get Satan's attention, you will defy the status quo so you will surely have enemies, and especially the warning to not place "ministry" over family or win the whole world in the process of losing your children.

This book was a great read and I would definitely recommend it for high school age or older, even a small group Bible study.

*This book was sent to me by Master Books , a division of New Leaf Publishing in exchange for my honest review.

52 Little Lessons from It's a Wonderful Life by Bob Welch

If you are sentimental like me, the movie "It's a Wonderful Life" is on your must see Christmas movies every year. It always reminds me of real life with its problems, delights, and daily moral decisions. That was why I was so intrigued when I picked up this book written by Bob Welch.

This book has a total of 52 lessons that can be learned from the movie. Each lesson starts with a quote or moment from the movie. Then a basic rundown of what happened in that scene mixed with how we can apply that lessons to our lives.
This is a christian book and each lesson has applicable scripture and spiritual implications.

I didn't realize how many lessons could be learned from this movie and felt the author did an excellent job in utilizing moments of the movie with everyday life. I completely enjoyed this book and felt it could be used as a devotional as well as in group discussion. I plan to pass this on to a friend who is crazy about the movie, and know she will definitely enjoy and benefit from this book.

This would make a great Christmas gift, book club read, devotional, or church group discussion book.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> 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 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”