Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers

 

 

“There are many who struggle to survive in life, many who have been used and abused in the name of love, many who have been sacrificed on altars of pleasure and “freedom.”  But the freedom the world offers is, in reality, false.  Too many have awakened one day to discover they are in bondage, and they have no idea how to escape.  It is for people such as these that I wrote Redeeming Love-people who fight, as I did, to be their own gods, only to find in the end that they are lost, desperate, and terribly alone.  I want to bring the truth to those trapped in lies and darkness, to tell that that God is there, He is real, and He loves them-no matter what.”

-A Note From Francine Rivers, Redeeming Love

 

This may very well be one of the shortest reviews I have ever written (or maybe not) for one of the longest books I have read in some time.  I had been aware of this book for a while, but had never picked it up to read it.  When it became a book review choice, I was intrigued, but then was very excited to read it once I read the description.

Redeeming Love is a work of fiction by Francine Rivers based on the Biblical account of Hosea and his marriage to a prostitute.   In this story, Rivers tells the story of Angel, a prostitute, sold into it as a child.  Throughout the course of her story, just like the story of Hosea and Gomer, which is an Old Testament picture of Christ and the Church, we get to see God drawing her back to Himself.

I liked this book.  It was very emotional, and a wonderful picture of how much God loves us and how He draws us to Him through the love found in His son, JESUS.   I did not want to put it down because I wanted to see how it ended, although I already had an idea. 

That being said, this book is somewhat graphic due to the nature of its content.  The subject material of prostitution is dealt with discreetly, but you are not left to wonder about what happened.  I had a difficult time with those passages.  This book is also a love story between Angel and Michael, a man whom God uses to draw her to Himself.  *Spoiler *There are several love scenes between them as well, which are discreet, but heated.

While I was reading, I asked several of my friends if they had read the book, and everyone that responded that they had said they liked it.  One friend said she would not let her unmarried daughter read it and I agree.  If I were to give a book a rating, this one would be “R” because of the content even though it is Christian fiction. Sorry Francine!  I think the subject matter could be understood by 18+, but it will awaken feelings that are better left undisturbed unless you are married.  I would recommend this book to anybody who wants a better understanding of how much God loves us.

One final thought that I might share is that this book has stirred my heart even more toward women who have experienced sexual abuse in whatever its form.  God longs to redeem and restore all the enemy has stolen, even the pain in our hearts.

With much love, I hope you know the One who wants to redeem you.

Beth

For more about Francine Rivers, and her book Redeeming Love, go here.

 

Disclaimer-I received this book free from Waterbrook Multnomah as part of free books for bloggers program.  I was not required to give a favorable review.  The thoughts and opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

 

 

 

God Gave Us Easter by Lisa Tawn Bergren art by Laura J. Bryant

 

 

 

 

"...Even death couldn't trap God's Son.  He is life itself.  And God loved us so much, he wanted us to be with him always.  We can see signs of his Easter plan all around us."

                                                                                          -excerpt from God Gave Us Easter

A love of reading began early on in my life.  My mother cultivated it in me from a very early age.  Now, as a mom myself, I hope to do that for my children as well.  In choosing literature for my children, I always want to choose quality literature, words that will add to the life of my children.  I am so thankful for people who write and have a passion to communicate God's truth to children.  God Gave Us Easter is an example of the type of literature I am looking for. 

As part of a God Gave Us series, God Gave Us Easter is a story of how a papa polar bear teaches his young daughter about God and His greatest gift to us, Jesus.  The story goes through teaching in the Bible about how Jesus is the answer of redemption for mankind.  Bergren also uses examples found in nature of how death can produce life.

There are a lot of things I like about this book.  The author doesn't bash the Easter bunny or eggs, symbols often associated with Easter, but explains how they can demonstrate the love of God in His gift of Jesus.  She says, "Just like the shell cracks open and a chick comes out, we remember that Jesus was in a tomb...but he didn't stay dead."  There is also teaching in the book about Jesus being from the root of Jesse.  This is something I was unfamiliar with, and had never seen in a children's book, so I learned something too! (See Isaiah 11 and Romans 15.)  I also really liked the author's explanation of how Jesus speaks to our hearts, and that even a small child can be sensitive to His voice.

I recommend this book to parents of preschool and early elementary age children.  It would be a nice addition to Bible curriculum if you homeschool.  If you as a parent are unsure how to communicate Biblical truths to your children, this book would help as well.

Many blessings to you as you celebrate the resurrection of Jesus this year and remember why God Gave Us Easter!

 

~Beth

 

For more information about the author please visit her at www.lisatawnbergren.com. 

 

If you would like to read my reviews of two other books in the God Gave Us series, please go to God Gave Us Love and God Gave us Two.

 

 

Disclosure Statement: I received this book free of charge as part of a free books for bloggers program from Waterbrook Multnomah. I was not required to give a favorable review. The thoughts and opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

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

 

"Strange, isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives, and when he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?"

-Clarence in "It's a Wonderful Life"

 

As I began writing my review, I kept finding myself reviewing the movie.  That is kind of what 52 Little Lessons from It's a Wonderful Life does.  It takes the richest parts of the movie and expounds on them.  Author Bob Welch has taken 52 messages that can be found in the movie, "It's A Wonderful Life," and written a book that reads kind of like a devotional.

Each chapter of the book begins with the "lesson" the author is going to discuss, followed by a quote from the movie.  Each lesson is something that can be learned by watching the movie.  Examples of chapter titles are, "God Honors Our 'Childlike Faith',"  "You Matter to the World, "  "All That Glitters Is Not Gold," and "It Takes Time for Some Flowers to Bloom."  The author expounds on each of the messages interjecting more information from the movie, occasionally adding scripture to demonstrate the importance and applicability of the message he is trying to convey.

I really liked the book.  It is an easy read.  It will make more sense and mean more to someone who has already seen the movie, and is a fan.  There are many lessons that would be especially impactful to people who are Believers in Jesus.  The movie itself is about the impact that one life has on so many, a sentiment thoroughly personified in the Bible. 

The author has also included a lot of trivia about the movie.  I learned many things I didn't know before about "It's a Wonderful Life."  I am a huge fan of the movie.  I have a tradition of watching it on Thanksgiving every year as part of the holiday celebration and to transition between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  One thing in the book I think could be revised was that the author was under the impression that Zuzu's petals were from a paper flower.  I am still researching this but from the way it looks in the movie, and the fact the flower was put in water, I believe it was real.  That is a part I would recommend for edit. 

If you are a fan of this movie, you will enjoy this book.  I would recommend the book to anybody who likes the movie and would like to learn more about it or delve further into the richness of the story.  It would also make a nice Christmas gift. 

My prayer for you today is that you realize the importance of your life and that God has many good plans for you.  God Bless you as we move into this season of celebrating the birth of Jesus!  Merry Christmas!!

 

 

 

 

*Disclosure statement:  I received this book from Booksneeze as part of a free books for bloggers program.  I was not required to give a favorable review.  The thoughts and opinions found here are entirely my own.

Untamed: How the Wild Side of Jesus Frees Us to Live and Love with Abandon {Book Review and Giveaway}

"When Jesus added women to His entourage, it provided an aha moment for an entire culture."-Excerpt from the chapter, "A Little Pink in the Party: Our Savior is Wildly Pro-Women"


In the day of ten steps for everything this book, was “wildly” refreshing, a book about Jesus. Untamed: How the Wild Side of Jesus Frees Us to Live and Love with Abandon written by Lisa Harper is a book for the person seeking all that Jesus is. The book had me from the very beginning or more accurately, from “Brace yourself,” the first line in chapter 1. When a book opens like that, one cannot help but be intrigued as to the contents within.

Untamed is divided into twelve chapters, each focusing on a “wild” characteristic of our savior, opening with the subtitle in chapter 1, “Our Savior is Wildly Redemptive,” and closes in chapter 12 with the subtitle, “Our Savior is Wildly Liberating.” The pages in-between consist of the many other characteristics of Jesus, such as Jesus’ ability to be compelling, confident, and faithful. My favorite chapter is entitled “A Little Pink in the Party: Our Savior is Wildly Pro-Women.”

The author Lisa Harper uses wit and passion in conveying her experience in coming to know these characteristics in Jesus and how she has seen them displayed in the lives of people that are close to her. She is extremely open and frank with her own history and her love for Jesus and freedom she has found in Him is compelling.

There were many things I liked about this book. The author’s honesty was sometimes flabbergasting. I am not sure I would be so brave as to say some things that she said, but at the same time it is encouraging to those who may be struggling or need hope in a particular area. Lisa is funny, and enjoys her life. She is also very educated and her book seems to be well researched. I learned so many new things.

I highly recommend this book to young women who want to know the Lord better. At the end of each chapter are questions to help the reader apply what they have read. The book could be used in a young ladies’ group study or with people who may have just confessed Jesus as Lord. This book would also be helpful to someone who has been struggling with a religious perception of Jesus and would like to come to know Him for who He really is.

If you want to know why people came to Him so freely in the New Testament and felt loved and safe, free and healed in His presence, then this book will give you a clue. Many blessings to you as you progress on your journey to know Him more and more each day!

~Beth

To learn more about the author, Lisa Harper, or to order a copy of her book go here, www.lisaharper.net.

To read an excerpt from Untamed, go to Christianbook.com.


The Giveaway- Thanks to the publisher, I have an extra copy of Untamed! Please comment below to be entered for a chance to win a copy of this wonderful book. Contest ends at midnight EST on June 30th, and one winner will be selected at random. The winner will be announced here on July 1st. If the winner does not contact me by July 4th, a new winner will be drawn! Thanks for participating!


Disclaimer Notice: I received this book as part of a program that gives free books to bloggers at Waterbrook Multnomah. I was not required to give a favorable review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

The Ultimate DVD Read and Share Bible, Volume Two

The Ultimate DVD Read and Share Bible, Volume Two is an excellent resource for parents of small children. Based upon the International Children’s Bible, the Read and Share Bible is paraphrased in such a way that children can understand and will be engaged. Included in this children’s Bible are 100 Bible stories including the stories of Joseph, Moses, Solomon, Elijah, Jonah, and most importantly Jesus. Two DVDs also accompany this Bible. On each DVD you will find brief stories to give your child another visual experience while they are learning these important foundational stories of the Bible.

When I first received this children’s Bible, I was a little unsure about it. I was not very fond of the illustrations at first. But as I spent some time and looked through the pages, and watched the DVDs with my children, it grew on me. The stories are paraphrased in a very engaging way. At the end of each story, there is either a statement or question to help the child reflect on what he/she has just read. This is also helpful to the parent if they are unsure in what way to guide or discuss the story with their child. Each of the stories on the DVD is very brief, but very powerful as a tool to reinforce the truths they learn while reading the stories. The teaching aspect is something that is very important to me.

I recommend this Bible to parents of small children ages 2-10. The product details from a well known bookseller indicate the reading level at ages 4-8, but I believe you can start reading the stories with your children a little earlier than that, and continue as long as their interest remains in this particular format. The Bible commends parents in Proverbs 22:6 to “Train up a child in the way in the way he should go and when he is older he will not turn from it.” This Read and Share Bible is another tool to help parents to do just that. I believe it will be a valuable tool to be shared in time together learning about the Bible as a family. I am thankful I found this Bible. I had been looking for a resource that contained only the Bible stories in video format. I believe it is extremely important to teach children the basic stories of the Bible while they are young. We all learn through stories. If you are a home school mom, a preschool teacher, a children’s church worker, this Read and Share Bible will be valuable to you as you teach the children in your life. Many Blessings!


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the 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 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Voices of the Faithful, Book 2

The stories of missionaries on the field have always been of great interest to me. Anytime a missionary ever came to a church I was attending, I was on the edge of my seat. Voice of the Faithful, Book 2, compiled by Kim P. Davis, and created by Beth Moore, is a devotional full of these stories.

Created to be a 365 day devotional, Voices of the Faithful, Book 2 contains stories and prayers from missionaries spanning the entire globe. This devotional is divided into sections, categorized by months, containing a new topic for each month. Topics include “Divine Appointments,” “Lessons for the Young,” and “Hope for the World.” The daily devotionals contain a scripture, story from a missionary, and a prayer by that missionary at the end that you can pray as well.

I especially enjoyed the introduction by Beth Moore. Her heartfelt passion for the missionaries is displayed in eloquence. In her usual teaching fashion, she explains the heart of God in the lives of the missionaries contained in these pages. As I read through the pages, I was touched by the courage and persistence of the missionaries as well as their ability to learn from mistakes as they continue in the work God has called them to.

If you would like to go to the mission field, but for whatever reason, are not on that path at the moment, I recommend this book. It will give you an opportunity to sow into the lives of other missionaries through the daily prayers you lift up to God on their behalf. This is not a Bible teaching devotional, so if that is what you are looking for, you might want to select another book to meet that need. As I was reading, in my desire to learn and experience the life of a missionary, I was a little disappointed with the lack of details about each individual life. There are details, but I am sure that for the safety of the missionaries and the people they are serving, information must be limited. Voices of the Faithful, Book 2 will be an asset to anyone who desires to serve God and His heart, “who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the 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 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”