A Desperate Hope - Christian Fiction Review

A Desperate Hope by Elizabeth Camden
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Eloise Drake's past comes back to haunt her as she must return to the town so near where she spent much of her childhood and the man she fell in love with so many years before. Her relationship with Alex Duval ended badly 12 years ago, but Eloise is bound and determined to keep her heart safe and follow the rules as she works for the state on a project which will demolish the town Alex grew up in and is currently the mayor of.

I really wanted to like this book, but there were too many big problems for me. As a clean read fiction I'd give it a solid 4 stars. The characters are interesting, if infuriatingly hard-headed, and the emotions are definitely rampant with everyone involved. I don't think the characters really grew enough for my liking, but I had a really big problem with people overlooking big sins and character flaws.

I will preach God's grace until he takes me home, but if that's the only part of the gospel that you get then you're in big trouble. Eloise and Alex had some youthful transgressions which are more or less brushed off as just that. I don't want characters to live in guilt, but Alex, at least, didn't even acknowledge that what they had done was wrong. It seemed justified because they were in love. The same goes for Eloise's guardian. He's not a good man. He has some redeeming qualities and acts at the end, but there seems to be no repentance for any of the characters. They brush off their sins as everyone makes mistakes and as long as you do some good deed here and there then you're all right. A very works based religion.

So if you read the book as a clean read romance then you'll probably enjoy it. If you're looking for even a hint of biblically based spiritual truth then you will not find it here. The Christianity is sparse and seems thrown in to appease the publishing house, but it would have been better off left out all together.


I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review.

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Mind Games - Christian Fiction Review

Mind Games by Nancy Mehl
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Kaelly Quinn is a behavioral analyst with the FBI. Her father was a famous serial killer which, along with her rather unique method for profiling monsters, makes it difficult for her to fit in. A journalist bent on revealing all her secrets has made her life even more difficult, but that's nothing compared to the fact that she is now the target of one of the monsters she spends so much time hunting. Working alongside fellow FBI agent Noah Hunter they race to figure out just who has a vendetta against Kaelly before anyone else is killed.

I'll admit that I wasn't too sure about this book at the beginning. Dialogue seemed awkward and there seemed to be more telling than showing, but things got much better as the book progressed, and I found myself not wanting to put it down. I had a hunch of who I thought the killer was at the beginning, but author Nancy Mehl did a good job of throwing out possibilities and red herrings. I found the character of Kaelly Quinn especially interesting. I wish she had progressed a bit more as the book went on, but as this is the first of a series, I'm not too surprised at where it ended. I'll be interested to know more about Noah as the series continues as well. I'm definitely invested enough that I'll have to read the next book in the series.

If you can get past the rough beginning I think you'll really enjoy this suspense novel by Nancy Mehl. You may be a little frustrated in the end, but in a good way. I'm looking forward to the next book!


I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review.

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A Bound Heart - Christian Fiction Review

A Bound Heart by Laura Frantz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have read a few other books by Laura Frantz and this one was just as wonderful as the others I've read. At times it was heartbreaking and at others it was joyful, but it was never boring.

This story follows Magnus MacLeish and Lark MacDougall through a sweeping tale from their homeland of Scotland to the struggles in America. Both experience a great deal of loss and pain, but their love is a beacon of hope for their future. It was interesting to see how they both adapted to their ever-changing circumstances. There were times I wanted to shake one (or both) of them, but it was wonderful seeing them overcome their obstacles.

I hated seeing their story end, but it was a satisfying conclusion to their tale. A fan of historical fiction will definitely enjoy this one.


I received a free copy from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review.

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Code of Valor - Christian Fiction Review

Code of Valor by Lynette Eason
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

While this is not my first book by Lynette Eason, it is the first I've read from the Blue Justice series. Code of Valor is the 3rd book in the series and after reading this one I'll definitely have to go back and read the other two. It's another very good suspense by Eason.

Main characters Brady St. John and Emily Chastain are both thrown into a race to solve a deadly mystery when Brady saves Emily from being kidnapped while he's supposed to be relaxing on vacation. Brady uses his connections as a detective and Emily brings in her knowledge as a financial crimes investigator to figure out why someone would kidnap her and try to locate her missing friend.

I loved that Emily doesn't have a squeaky clean past and that she's continuing to work through many struggles with help from the Lord. Brady's spiritual growth doesn't seem as authentic, but overall he's a great character. There was plenty of suspense in the book, and the supporting characters were great. At times all the stuff going on seemed a bit much, but overall it was a very enjoyable book.


I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review.

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Becoming Us - Christian Fiction Review

Becoming Us by Robin Jones Gunn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Let me start out by saying that I grew up reading the Christy Miller and Sierra Jensen books, and I loved seeing them as secondary characters in this book. I'm not usually a huge reader of "women's lit" books, but I thought this book was wonderfully done.

I really identified with many of the struggles that Emily, the main character, goes through. She's a very real and flawed character and I loved seeing how that affected all of her relationships. What a testimony to the transforming power of the Holy Spirit and what amazing examples of how God uses others in our sanctifying process. I totally wish I had a friend group like this!

I love Robin Jones Gunn as an author and I can't wait to read more of her books in the future. I'm looking forward to what's in store for these women next.

View all my reviews


I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Hello Mornings - Review

I always thought I was a morning person until I really had to start getting up early. Then you add kids to the mix and it seems I dread mornings now. I wake up and then waste time and have to scramble around trying to finish getting ready. Sometimes the important things like spending time in the Word, praying over my day, and taking healthy steps to be able to do what God has called me to get left behind in all the rush. Part of me feels like if I can't spend an hour in quiet time and thirty minutes working out then what's the point. So I don't do anything.

Hello Mornings by Kat Lee gives another option. She gives the reason for God Time, Plan Time, and Move Time using Scripture. And she recommends starting small with just 3 minutes each morning and then expanding from there. Two things I really liked about this book were how practical (and attainable) it is and how she continually brings the focus back to our service to God as the reason why we do anything. Many books like this often focus solely on the practical and end up being a glorified self-help book. Having a proper motivation for what we do and remembering who allows us to do it makes me want to stick with it more.

The book is not perfect but there is a lot of wisdom in it. Now I just have to get up and do it. Another thing emphasized in the book is the importance of accountability. Anyone want to join me on this journey to taking back the morning?

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for my honest review

Hidden Peril - Christian Fiction Review

Hidden Peril is the second book in the Code of Honor series by Irene Hannon. I hadn't read the first book so I had to make sure I read Dangerous Illusions first. The series follows three childhood friends who wanted to make the world a better place. They're all adults now and doing their part to fulfill that vow. Hidden Peril is about Kristin Dane who owns a fair trade shop. A series of suspicious deaths linked to her store bring her into the path of Detective Luke Carter, and unfortunately also draws her into the middle of a deadly plot.

I enjoyed the main characters in this book, but I kind of wish both of them had been a bit more flawed. They almost seemed a bit too perfect. And Luke seemed to have exactly the skills needed for every situation which seemed a bit too convenient at times. I enjoyed the side characters and it was neat to see people from previous Irene Hannon books. The story was interesting, but it was pretty easy to guess the bad guy early on. The plot did keep me interested, and I look forward to reading the next book in the series. I'd give this one 4.5 stars.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Mark of the Raven - Christian Fiction Review

I've read some of Morgan L. Busse's books in the past, and I really enjoy her command of allegory. Mark of the Raven, the first book in The Ravenwood Saga is another great addition to her resume.

The story follows two main characters. The first is Lady Selene who is the heir to one of the Great House of Ravenwood. On the outside they look like a normal noble family, and many of the others pity them because they lost their gifting centuries before. But they hold a great secret. Their gifting of dreamwalking was never lost at all, and they use it to whatever means necessary to help their people and keep their legacy alive, even to the point of murder.

The other main character is Damien, who is the grand lord of the Great House of Maris. He follows the Light, and his desire, as well as the desire of his late father, is to see the houses united in order to protect themselves against the Empire which tore them apart so many years before. His house doesn't have secrets, except maybe just how powerful their water gifting is, and how much they desire unity.

The opposing goals of Damien and Selene's mother pit them against each other in what could be a deadly showdown. But Selene sees something in Damiene, some light which she can't understand. She just knows she wants whatever he has. But will she be willing to give up everything, including her life, to get it?

I thought the characters were well done, and I was definitely cheering for them both. And we were given enough background information on some of the minor characters to really understand the motivation behind their actions. The storybuilding was great, and I thought the allegory was well done and not too "in your face." It seemed natural for their world.

I only had two complaints, and they're pretty minor so I'd really give this 4.5 stars. One is pretty silly in that the female assassin being named Selene reminded me of a female assassin in another book with a very similar (if spelled completely different) name. While the stories and characters were pretty different, there were enough similarities that it was jarring at times. My other problem was that I found myself skipping over paragraphs here and there. I'm not really sure why because the pacing was good, and there were enough details, but not too many. Maybe it was because I wanted to see what happened next so quickly, but in order to give the book 5 stars I probably should have wanted to read every word.

This was a wonderful book. I'm very much looking forward to reading the next one, and I plan on going back to read some of her other books again.


I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

How to Be a Perfect Christian - Review

This book is Satire!

I just had to get that out of the way. Many of you have probably seen posts from The Babylon Bee, a satire "news" site similar to The Onion (spoiler alert if you didn't know they were satire too), but from a Christian perspective. It fills the hole that Stuff Christians Like left in me when Jon Acuff stopped posting there. The Bee recently published a book called How to Be a Perfect Christian: Your Comprehensive Guide to Flawless Spiritual Living. It's a step-by-step guide of how to be the best Christian possible by making sure you maintain a me-centered attitude in regards to spirituality. Remember...satire.

This book definitely had some funny parts, and I found myself laughing out loud on more than one occasion. And if you're willing, the satire will even challenge you on what you think Christianity is all about. The Western culture tries to make everything about the individual, and unfortunately, Christians are also affected. From the prominence of impersonal megachurches to the need to post every spiritual act on social media, Christianity in America is often not to far from the caricature presented in the book. My sarcastic self loves the use of satire to point out the ridiculous things we see in our culture and also cringes when I see some of those things in myself.

Unfortunately, while satire can open our eyes to the hypocrisy of the world around us, it doesn't do a lot to really direct us towards doing better. The last chapter stated the gospel, but it needed to do more towards showing a better way. A lot of people can't appreciate sarcasm, especially when it's directed their way, but for those who can, I would definitely pick up this book.

Some people may read this book or something else by The Babylon Bee and think the church is too broken. I've seen people comment on their articles with things like, "this is why I don't go to church anymore." That's the wrong response. Because the church is filled with sinners, it's inherently imperfect. Instead of shaking our finger at the problems with the church, we should be working to fix it from the inside with the help of the Holy Spirit. I wrote a post on the Church a while back so if you'd like to know more check it out.

I received a free copy of this book from WaterBrook & Multnomah and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Some of the links in the post above are Amazon referral links. I may receive money or products from them, but it's at no cost to you.

A Defense of Honor - Christian Fiction Review

A Defense of Honor was the first book I've read by Kristi Ann Hunter, but it won't be my last. I very much enjoyed the first book of the Haven Manor series.

Kit FitzGilbert is in trouble. But there's nothing new there. She runs into Graham, Lord Wharton, at a London ball and he assists her in escaping the predicament she's found herself in. Graham is intrigued by Kit, but he can tell she's trouble. Kit can't help but be drawn to Graham, but she has people counting on her, and she can't allow her own desires to hurt the people she cares for...again. Between Graham's friend's missing sister and the enigmatic Kit, he doesn't think he'll be struggling with boredom anymore.

Kit has been hurt by past mistakes, both hers and those of others. Even worse, her best friend was caught in the cross-hairs. They now live outside of society and try to help others who have been hurt by the same social injustices that hurt them. She see's it as penance for her past mistakes. Kit has grown up a lot over the past decade, but she still has a lot to learn, especially about God's grace.

Graham has spent most of the past decade in one adventure after another. Knowing it's time to settle down, he returns home. But his restless spirit keeps him from being able to enjoy the London society around him. He is drawn into adventure once again when he meets Kit. He starts to care for her, but when certain truths come to light, he has a hard time showing grace. He also begins to see that even with his current discontent, not everyone has had the many advantages he's been afforded.

It was good to see both characters grow and mature through A Defense of Honor. The chemistry was there between them, but they had some of their own issues that needed to be dealt with before they could be together.

Honestly, some of the secondary characters were my favorite parts of this book. Hunter did a good job of giving you just the right amount of details that you couldn't help but be excited for the other books of the series. I could have used a few more details on the pasts of the main characters, but overall, Hunter did a great job.

This is a sweet story, but it doesn't shy away from some of the harder details of life in the Regency era. I'm definitely looking forward to the next book to read the stories of the characters I met in A Defense of Honor.


I received this book for free from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review.

Some of the links in the post above are Amazon referral links. I may receive money or products from them, but it's at no cost to you.

936 Pennies - Review

I just recently finished reading 936 Pennies: Discovering the Joy of Intentional Parenting by Eryn Lynum. This book really challenged my thoughts on parenting and gave me the encouragement to make some changes to how I interact with my girls.

The author, Eryn Lynum, was given a jar of 936 pennies on the day of their baby dedication at church. Each of the 936 pennies represents one week out of the 18 years that child will hopefully live in their home. Each week, she would take one penny out as a reminder to use that time wisely. The purpose of the book, 936 Pennies, was to help parents see how to invest the time a child lives in your home in an intentional way so that when they leave the home, they are prepared to live their lives according to the god-honoring example set during each of those weeks.

Eryn presents realistic and practical ways of "investing" those pennies in a child. From spending more time outdoors and less in front of a screen to relying on God when fears in parenting threaten to overwhelm us. Through stories with her own children she shares insight into the ups and downs of parenting.

As I mentioned before, many parts of this book really challenged me. I know I'm not always intentional with my time. I give into my laziness and selfishness and don't take advantage of enough opportunities to spend quality time with my children. I've recently found myself saying yes to my kids more often when they ask me to play with them because I know that is time I'll never get back. This book was a great reminder of the blessing my kids are in my life, and I would strongly recommend it to any parent.

The main issue I had with this book was how child-centered it made the family. And while she mentions the need for Jesus in parenting, she still sometimes makes it sound like how your child turns out completely relies on your parenting. What a terrifying thought! She wouldn't say that, I don't think, but she could have made it more clear in some cases. (For more of my thoughts on how important Jesus is in our parenting, see this post.) In spite of that, I highlighted many parts of the book, and I look forward to seeing how I transform my parenting through the principles I learned.

Have you read 936 Pennies? If so, what did you think? Do you have any other awesome parenting books to recommend?



I received this book for free from Bethany House in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

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First Impressions - Christian Fiction Review

Disclosure: Some of the links below may be affiliate links. That means I may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post. Please read my full disclosure here.


First Impressions by Debra White Smith

Lawyer Eddi Boswick lands the role of Elizabeth Bennet in her small town's production of Pride and Prejudice. Playing opposite of her as the famous Mr. Darcy, is none other than Dave Davidson, the most arrogant, rich (and handsome) man in town. As their initial disdain turns, to friendship and eventually love, they find their lives mirroring the characters in the play more than they bargained for. With many of the other characters in Jane Austen's story represented, you'll soon be drawing the conclusion that sometimes, life really does imitate art.


First Impressions is a bit more explicit in the moral failings of the characters than Austen's original book. Sometimes, the connections between the two stories was a bit too on the nose for my taste. In some cases the characters seemed to realize their real lives were following along with the play, such as the relationship between Eddi and Dave. Other times they were completely oblivious, like with Eddi's younger sister and the Mr. Wickham character, Rick Wallace. I didn't find myself having some of the same strong emotions towards the character's in Debra White Smith's book as I did in the original story. I think she did a pretty good job of modernizing the characters and situations, but it's always tricky when you're working with a classic.

It was an enjoyable book, but I would have preferred either they completely acknowledge the connection to the original tale, or not acknowledge it at all. That's just my personal opinion though. Also, the book is from a Christian publisher, but I personally thought the themes were so subtle that I'd classify it more as a clean read than a Christian fiction. The book, First Impressions, was originally published as part of a series with a different publishing house, so there will probably be other Jane Austen favorites coming out. So, if you enjoy all that is Jane Austen, check this series out.

As a side note, I've really enjoyed these Pride and Prejudice related stories:

• Lost in Austen is about a modern woman named Amanda who suddenly finds herself in the shoes of her favorite book heroine, Elizabeth Bennet. Unfortunately, she manages to mess just about everything up.
• I recently watched Death Comes to Pemberley and I enjoyed it more than I thought it would. I haven't read the book, but if you have Netflix the movie is currently on there.

Do you have any Pride and Prejudice or other Jane Austen favorite retellings?


I received this book for free from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review.

Some of the links in the post above are Amazon referral links. I may receive money or products from them, but it's at no cost to you.

March Recap

Disclosure: Some of the links below may be affiliate links. That means I may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post. Please read my full disclosure here.

I'm a few days late in posting on my progress towards my March goals because of Easter and some other stuff I had going. Better late than never right? Here's my recap of March.

Starting a Podcast
So, I really wanted to hit the ground running on my podcast this past month. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. I did get a few things accomplished though, and I'm looking forward to building up momentum in April.

• Set up website ✅
• I did get this one done. It's pretty much finished minus a bit of tweaking. I'm looking forward to launching it with my podcast.
• Record introduction episode 🗷
• I wrote the script for this, but I haven't actually recorded it yet. I plan on releasing a short introduction episode first and then the main episodes soon after.
• Contact guests for first episodes 🗷
• Didn't get this one complete yet either. I know who I want to be my first guests, but now I actually need to ask them.

Personal Growth
I didn't get as much reading done this month, but I'm still pretty happy with the progress. I finished 2 non-fiction books which puts me at 7/15 towards my goal. And I only read one fiction book because it took me forever!

• Non-fiction
• I Am a Church Member (review)
• A Lifelong Love (review) I loved this book!
• Fiction
• The Scarlet Letter (review) You can get it for free for the Kindle or Kindle Reading App. I never read it in high school so I got it in my head to read it as an adult!
• Kids (Technically the girls got these for Easter, but I'm counting them for March anyway)

• The Garden, the Curtain, and the Cross (for Callie - good story with beautiful illustrations which walks through the gospel)
• My Day with Jesus (for Letty - the triumphal entry told through the point of view of the donkey Jesus rode)
• The Story of Easter (for Sophia - a basic telling of the Easter story, but she LOVES the handle on the book which makes it easy to carry around)

Health & Fitness

• I did pretty well with incorporating healthy meals in my day. But that Easter candy was a hurdle for sure!
• I ended up doing PiYo for my workouts. I did some of these workouts while pregnant, and let's just say they're a lot easier now!

Home Improvement

• Our crew went to a lawn and garden show, but I didn't find it that helpful. It might have been easier if hadn't been so distracted by trying to keep tiny people from running off and/or breaking things.

Connection

• I managed to get my one-on-one dates with each of the girls. I ended up taking each of them to breakfast and/or shopping before appointments that they had. My girls LOVE to eat, but now that it's (hopefully) getting warmer we can branch out to other activities.
• Lee and I did another Datebox. Here's a review I did on our first one. Unfortunately, the second box was a tad disappointing. I think we'll give it another try this month to see if they improve.

How are you doing on your goals?



Some of the links in the post above are Amazon referral links. I may receive money or products from them, but it's at no cost to you.

February Recap

Disclosure: Some of the links below may be affiliate links. That means I may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post. Please read my full disclosure here.

As a point of accountability I want to update you on my progress on my February goals. (Side note: Does anyone use say "Feb - ru - ary" in their head every time they write it? Just me? Ok, moving on.)

Starting a podcast

My motivation for my February goals here was to do some brainstorming and research to set up my podcast as well as continue posting more regularly on this blog.

• Write 4 blog entries ✅
• This is my 4th post. I didn't quite keep the schedule I wanted because of some personal stuff that happened, but I did get the posts in.
• Create a "focus group" and survey ✅
• If anyone is interested, I have a survey I can send with some questions to help me make some decisions on my podcast. 
• Go through podcast guide ✅
• I have a guide that works me through setting up a podcast with quite a bit of detail. I'll still have to use it as I continue the process, but it was helpful in thinking through some of the early details.

Personal Growth

I focused on my non-fiction reading goal. I finished three which I'm pretty happy with. That means I've read 5/15 towards my goal! I also got a fiction book in as well. Below are links to some of the books and also to some of my Goodreads reviews.

• Non-fiction
• Rhythms of Rest: Finding the Spirit of Sabbath in a Busy World (review)
• If You Only Knew: My Unlikely, Unavoidable Story of Becoming Free (review)
• What Is a Healthy Church? (review)

• Fiction
• Keturah (The Sugar Baron's Daughters) (review)

• Kids books
• Flat Stanley: His Original Adventure! (I read a few of these with Callie. We've been slowly going through chapter books before she goes to bed.)
• Dinosaurs Before Dark (Magic Tree House, No. 1) (These are also chapter books I've read with Callie. She really likes them and we've read 3 so far.)

Heath & Fitness

I've been working on getting back into the routine of working out as well as continuing to incorporate healthy meals into our weekly rotation. I even got to work out outside one day which was amazing! And the addition of Graze snacks have helped me during the afternoon slump at work. I still need some work in these areas, but I'm definitely seeing improvement.

Connection

Each of the girls got some one-on-one time this month. Letty went with me to Starbucks and then to Target to go shoe shopping. Callie went with my mom and I to Savoy to eat lunch and have tea. Sophia stayed with me one morning while Lee took the older girls out. She got to play with all the toys and dance to all the songs. I've also been working on connecting more with Lee. Here is my post on our first time to do Datebox and other things we try to do at home. Finally we've been blessed to be able to start a community group in our home. I'm really enjoying getting to spend time with other people at church while diving into the Word.

Other

God has blessed us in being able to save some financially towards a few of our goals. And it's getting closer to time to plant our garden. I know it's silly, but I'm a bit nervous about it for some reason. Thankfully my mom has volunteered to help after tax season is over!

How about you? How are you progressing towards your 2018 goals?

Some of the links in the post above are Amazon referral links. I may receive money or products from them, but it's at no cost to you.

2017 In Review

Well, 2017 brought a lot of changes to our family. I thought I'd recap/reflect here as well as look at what 2018 will bring. Bear with me as I try to get my mom brain to think of things from a year ago.

Events

• The first quarter of the year didn't bring a lot of changes, but at the beginning of May we made the HUGE step of purchasing our first home. It really has worked out so well for us mainly in that I have large kitchen I love (in spite of the grapevine wallpaper I haven't changed yet) and a fenced in backyard for our kids. For those of you who don't know, I'm not a decorator. I like nicely decorated houses, but I hate making decisions and even when a decision is made, I am often too lazy to put it into action. We're slowly getting things on the wall, but it's definitely a work in progress. Sorry there are no pictures for this one. I didn't actually take any before and after shots. 😞
• Our family took a trip to Branson in June as part of the family retreat for the Collegiate and Young Leaders team of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention (which Lee's work at the BCM is a part of). We got to go have fun (well, Lee had to work sometimes) with the other BCM campus ministers' families and hang out as a family. We went to Silver Dollar City, swam in the hotel pool (Callie's favorite part I think), and I even worked up the courage to take all three kids to the Butterfly Palace by myself (not my best decision). While it wasn't a lot of fun trying to figure out how to get all the kids to sleep well in a hotel, even with adjoining rooms (spoiler alert: we didn't manage it), the trip provided for some crazy fun family memories.

• There was a lot of summer fun for our family other than Branson as well. Lots of playing in the backyard and hanging out on a mostly empty campus. The older two also had their first swim lessons. The first lesson was a bit rough since Callie nearly drowned because she was being disobedient and Letty screamed the entire time, but by the end of the lessons they had each made huge progress (well, there was less screaming at least). Callie also had the chance to participate in her first team sport...t-ball. While she mostly enjoyed the snack after the games and spent more time playing in the dirt than even looking at the ball, she had fun and looks forward to next year. Although, we're thinking soccer may be a little more action packed for her.

• Another big "change" for our family is that we adopted our oldest two that we had been fostering for a year and a half. I put change in quotes because day-to-day life didn't change, but of course now they're legally ours. We had a bunch of people pile into the courthouse. It was a bitter sweet day for sure. Our family grew on the same day another was permanently torn apart. We continue to pray for our girls' biological family and hope that one day they'll know the forgiveness and grace of the God Lee and I so desperately cling to. We also closed our home after the adoption and are now involved with The CALL as trainers. So we're not fostering at this time (although we might someday in the future), but God is still using us to fight the foster care crisis.

• This year Lee and I celebrated our 8th anniversary and everyone turned another year older. The last few months of the year are part of the birthday marathon for us. We loved celebrating with friends and family, but with 4 birthdays, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and then Christmas in the mix as well we are all thankful for things to be back to normal. Well, Callie isn't. She still wishes it was Christmas.

Books

Last year I set a goal of reading one good non-fiction and one good fiction book each month. I usually read more than that, but I don't know if I'd always qualify them as "good." I didn't exactly reach my goal, but I read a lot more non-fiction than I normally do which was what I ultimately wanted. Here's a recap of some of the books I read.

• Still Life by Dani Pettrey (review)
• Don't Make Me Count to Three by Ginger Hubbard (review)
• To the Farthest Shores by Elizabeth Camden (review)
• The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom (review)
• Jesus, the One and Only by Beth Moore (review)
• Invitation: Cycle One of the Harbingers Series by Bill Myers, Frank Peretti, Angela Hunt, and Alton Gansky (review)
• Threads of Suspicion by Dee Henderson (review)
• The Most Misused Stories In the Bible by Eric J. Bargerhuff (review)
• With You Always (Orphan Train Book #1) by Jody Hedlund (review)
• Women Who Move Mountains: Praying with Confidence, Boldness, and Grace by Sue Detweiler (review)
• Praying for Girls by Teri Lynne Underwood (review)
• Blind Spot by Dani Pettrey (review)
• Seven Women: And the Secret of Their Greatness by Eric Metaxas (review)
• The Magnolia Story by Chip and Joanna Gaines
• Remnants: Season of Fire by Lisa T. Bergren
• Remnants: Season of Glory by Lisa T. Bergren
• A Royal Christmas Wedding by Rachel Hauck

Health and Fitness

I was really able to meet a lot of health and fitness goals this last year. I got down to about 20 pounds below my pre-pregnancy weight, I was exercising regularly, and feeding myself and my family more healthy meals. I struggled a bit with consistency at the end of the year, but I have some plans to take a step back and build lifelong healthy habits this year. 

So, this doesn't encompass everything that happened in 2017. We all know that life is made up of small moments everyday which make a large impact on our future selves. I've got some fun goals for 2018 which I'm excited about, but since this post is already long I will do a part 2 about looking forward to the new year. Stay tuned!

Seven Women: And the Secret of Their Greatness by Eric Metaxas

My non-fiction read for September was a biography anthology called Seven Women: And the Secret of Their Greatness by Eric Metaxas. I had this book recommended to me, and I hadn't read a biography in a while so I thought I'd check it out. I'm not a huge biography person, but since these were short I figured I could probably handle it. I'm glad I did.

This book gives a brief biography on seven women: Joan of Arc, Susanna Wesley, Hannah More, Maria Skobtsova, Corrie ten Boom, Rosa Parks, and Mother Teresa. The person that I probably knew the most about was Corrie ten Boom since I had read (and reviewed) The Hiding Place earlier this year. I had at least heard of most of these women, but it was interesting to learn more about their stories and how their faiths influenced them. At the beginning of the book Metaxas talks about how he chose each of these women to write about. As a woman in a very male-dominated field, I don't necessarily agree with everything he says, but I liked how he put this statement. "When I consider the seven women I chose, I see that most of them were great for reasons that derive precisely from their being women, not in spite of it; and what made them great has nothing to do with their being measured against or competing with men." They used their God-given femininity to accomplish amazing things for His kingdom.

I will admit, I had a difficult time connecting to some of the women in this book. Joan of Arc for example. Her experience was so "other" that while I found it interesting, I also felt pretty removed from it. I would say the same about Susanna Wesley. I can't really relate to having that many kids or even her style of parenting. And while I do think she was great in her own right, and not just because of her famous sons Charles and John Wesley, there wasn't a lot that really stood out to me. However, I think everyone can learn about standing against social injustice from the other five women. Hannah More stood against slavery in Europe. Maria Skobtsova was a radical orthodox nun who loved on refugees, including Jews during WWII, which eventually led to her death in a concentration camp. Corrie ten Boom also stood against the Nazis and was sent to a concentration camp, but her life after the war is a shining example of forgiveness. Rosa Parks, as we know, risked her life and stood up against institutional racism. And Mother Teresa of course stood up for the "least of these" by living with the very people she served. I think there are incredible lessons to be learned from these women because of the relevance of their stories in the society we currently live in. They stood up for those who had no voice. And only one of those women, Rosa Parks, was even part of the voiceless minority she defended. What an incredible challenge for us to step out of our comfort zones and be the hands and feet of Jesus.

So, all that to say, if you are looking for short stories of some incredible women and maybe you don't have the time (or desire) to invest in a full-length biography, this could be a great option for you. These women displayed qualities that I can point out to my own daughters. These are women who lived out their faith in remarkable ways.

Blind Spot Review - Dani Pettrey

I'm a bit late in writing the review, but my fiction book for September was Blind Spot by Dani Pettrey. This is the third book in the Chesapeake Valor series and I reviewed the previous two books here and here.

As I mentioned above, this book is part of a series, and you really need to read the first two before reading this one. This story follows FBI agent Declan Grey and Tanner Shaw, who is now working as a crisis counselor for the FBI. We met these characters in previous books and the main storyline is also a continuation from the previous book (see why you need to read them in order?). They work together to stop a terrorist attack all while trying to figure out their growing relationship as well. There are a couple of other stories going on in this one which tie in previous characters as well as their missing friend Luke. I'm assuming that story will all be wrapped up in the next book.

I think I enjoyed this book a lot more than the previous two. With the background already established I didn't find myself confused all the time trying to figure out who everyone was and what their story was. It was fast paced as usual, and the characters were well-developed. I especially liked learning about Tanner's background. What a fun surprise. If you're a fan of Christian suspense, I would definitely recommend this book (as well as her other series). I'll be looking for the next book!

Praying for Girls - Review

I've fallen behind on my reading. This is in large part due to the fact that I started keeping all three girls at home on my days off. I'm not going to stress about it though, because I want reading, even nonfiction, to be enjoyable. When it becomes something I "have to" do then I get less out of it. My July/August nonfiction book was Praying for Girls by Teri Lynne Underwood.

This book was so incredibly practical. Raising kids is so wonderfully hard, and each gender comes with its own set of challenges. Since we have three girls, having applicable scripture-based prayers to say over my daughters is invaluable to me. Praying for Girls works through five main areas of a girl's life: her identity, her heart, her mind, her relationships, and her purpose. Each part is broken up into different aspects of the main areas with Biblical truths, Scripture-based prayers (for both daughters and mothers), and creative ways to talk to daughters about those truths. Combined they form effective tools to help us, as parents, guide our daughters into becoming godly women.

I already prayed for my kids every day, but having very specific prayers that address circumstances they'll face in life, and suggested ways to talk to them about those circumstances (based on their age) was a huge blessing. This is a book I feel like I need to continuously work through over and over again to guide me through praying for my kids. It's easy to feel overwhelmed with the prospect of raising children in today's society, but prayer is the best way to help us in that feat. Ultimately, we have to come to a place where we realize that there's only so much we can do, and God is in control. Wonderfully, He loves our kids abundantly more than we every could. It says in the book, "We don't have to be perfect prayers, nor do our prayers have to be perfect, because the God who hears us and loves us - and our girls - is perfect and perfectly able." What an amazingly comforting thought.

If you have girls, I couldn't more strongly recommend this book. I believe it has helped make my prayers more focused and effective, and it has given me ideas of how to talk to my kids now, and in the future about what it means to be a Christ-follower. I pray it has a similar impact on your family as well.

Thank you to Bethany House Publishers for providing me with a copy of this book to review. All opinions, however, are my own.

Women Who Move Mountains - Review

So, even though I'm just now writing the review, my June nonfiction book was Women Who Move Mountains: Praying with Confidence, Boldness, and Grace by Sue Detweiler.

This book is essentially broken into two chapter sections. The odd numbered chapters give both biblical and modern examples of women whose prayer lives made lasting effects on God's kingdom. The even chapters provide discussion/reflection questions to aid in application. We all know prayer is important, but have you experienced its power? Do you truly believe it makes a difference.

Sue shares some very valuable insight on how to develop a rich and meaningful prayer life. The Bible is full of examples of prayer warriors, and I really enjoyed the modern examples she shared as well. If we recognize who we are because of our position in Christ, then prayer is a natural part of our relationship with God. But we don't have to be perfect or pray perfect prayers. God often uses prayer as a tool for perfecting us. I thought the questions in the even numbered chapters did a good job of getting you to think through your own prayer life and how it can be improved. Those chapters also contained common lies we believe as well as truths found in Scripture. Overall, it is very practical but encouraging at the same time.

While, I didn't necessarily agree with all of Sue's theology (minor things), I think she did a very good job of breaking down important aspects of prayer to make it seem possible to have a solid prayer life. I will admit, I didn't know going into it that half the chapters were going to be discussion questions. I was just planning on reading through it and marking things I found useful. It's difficult for me to find time to answer 20+ questions, especially since those questions are accompanied by Scripture that sometimes bounces around the Bible. I do think it would be a good book for a Bible study or book club, but it's not necessarily something you would just sit down and read. Definitely a good book, but know what it is going into it.

So if you have the time to really dig into the book and journal the applications, or if you're wanting to do a book club about prayer with other women, then this is definitely a good option. Check it out!

Thank you to Bethany House Publishers for providing me with a copy of this book to review. All opinions, however, are my own.

With You Always - Christian Fiction Review

My fiction book for June was With You Always (Orphan Train Book #1) by Jody Hedlund. I've read several of Jody Hedlund's books before (including this one) and I've always really enjoyed them. I knew this one would be no different.

With You Always is a historical fiction set during the financial crisis of 1857. Elise Neumann, her two younger sisters and two young orphans are all taken in by the Seventh Street Mission after their parents die and they end up on the streets. Due to the decreasing number of jobs in New York City, Elise is forced to leave her younger sisters behind and ride the orphan train with other young women to one of the developing cities along the rail line in order to find a job. Thornton Quincy is a part of a wealthy family and he learns he has to fulfill two obligations in order to inherit his dying father's company instead of his twin brother. He has to build a more successful town along the rail line and he has to marry for love...in 6 months. He's never beaten his brother in anything, will this time be any different?

Elise and Thornton meet for the first time during a dangerous riot in the streets. Many months later they meet up again on the train. Elise doesn't know that Thornton is part of one of the wealthiest families in the country or that he's practically engaged. All Thornton knows is that he wants to get better acquainted with Elise so he uses his influence to make sure she gets a job in his town. Obviously, Elise is upset when she finds out, and she's also upset by the living and working conditions in this new town. Can she help him see success is not built on fear and the bottom line, and a marriage isn't built on the approval of others?

I really disliked Thornton at the beginning. He's stuck up and selfish. He only cares about beating his brother and gaining his father's approval. Elise, however, is kind and compassionate. In spite of their rocky beginning she sets out to change how Thornton uses his great influence on others. Over time Thornton became a much more likable character. Elise was a wonderful, well-developed character from the beginning. Hedlund also writes very good supporting characters, and I look forward to seeing more of them in future books. I really enjoyed the plot, but some parts of it seemed a bit contrived. Also, there was a bit too much setup for the next book. It took some of the focus off the main story. Overall it was a very interesting concept with complex characters. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.