Hurt Road

Third Day guitarist Mark Lee is no stranger to heartache and hopes deferred; the road to success is never traveled without missteps along the way. Life is messy and uncertain and full of surprises. And one of the best things he's ever done is let go of his expectations about how life should be in order to embrace life as it is a moment-by-moment walk with God.

Hurt Road is the engaging true story of a man who, as a teen, found in music a refuge from the uncertainties of life. Who set out to discover a better way to live than constantly struggling to make sure life turned out the way he planned it. Who stopped substituting what's next for what's now and learned the truth--that coming or going, God's got us.

Poignant, funny, and thoughtful, Hurt Road dares anyone feeling knocked down or run over by their circumstances to give up control to the One who already has the road all mapped out. Includes black and white photos

My thoughts: This is an excellent book! I enjoyed reading more about Mark Lee, who plays the guitar for Third Day. I love how he is very honest, and especially appreciated how he addresses that God doesn't promise us an easy life when we chose to follow Him and that just because we are obedient does not mean we will always feel blessed.
I highly recommend this great book!
I received this book from Revell in exchange for my honest review.

Take Ten: Interesting jobs

This week, the subject for Broke and Bookish top ten Tuesday is top ten books that feature characters _____, so I chose to pick ten books that have characters who have interesting/unique jobs.

1. Anchor in the Storm

I've enjoyed this whole series, but this one was especially good, since the heroine works as a pharmacist, back when there weren't a lot of women who held that position. Lily is also an amazing, plucky character who is just fun.

2. Beyond All Dreams

Anna works for the Library of Congress in this one, which is pretty neat.;)

3. For Love and Honor

Maybe they don't quite fit this topic the best, but I love that this book is set in the Medieval period and that there is a Lord trying to save his keep and a Lady who has an amazing collection of art and historical artifacts.

4. Courageous

Another interesting series, this one is about a children's crusade. I love the strong heroine!

5. Against the Tide

A translator for the US Navy .

6. A Name Unknown

A female librarian in Edwardian times who is really a street urchin.

7. The Illusionist Apprentice

I enjoyed reading about Harry Houdini when I was a kid, so this was a fun book for me!

8. Montana Rescue series

This series covers a variety of cases that the rescue team does.

9. My Daughter's Legacy

The modern day heroine is a intern in equine therapy while the Civil War heroine is a nurse during the end of the war (who also encounters some spying).

10. Elite Guardians

A quartet of female friends start a security business and come up against all kinds of mysteries.

What interesting jobs should I have added to my list?

Secret Keeper Girl; Mom-Daughter Devos

Want help talking to your tween about modesty?

Tweens aren't meant to grapple with modesty and body image issues alone. But many moms don't know quite how to talk about these issues.

Secret Keeper Girl Mom-Daughter Devos fills that gap. A companion to Secret Keeper Girl, it cements the truths of that book and provides an opportunity for moms to talk through these important issues with their daughters. It's not just a book, but a connecting experience for mothers and daughters. Together they'll go on a journey to meet with their Creator and learn to see themselves through His eyes.

Secret Keeper Girl Mom-Daughter Devos has a simple format of 30 daily devotions. It features:

Weekly interactive conversation starters
A leader's guide appendix at the end
Downloadable resources at the author's website.

This Secret Keeper Girls series exists to bring moms and daughters together for age-appropriate, biblical conversations about true beauty, modesty, and purity.

My thoughts: I feel like I kind of did this backward, since I didn't read the Secret Keeper Girl firs, but I still feel like I had a good feel for the book's message with this devotional. I love that it is geared towards tweens and discussion important imagines with your daughter. There are portions for the tween to do on her own, and then things to do together. And, I love the coloring book portion for two to do together! While my daughter is still young for this book, I look forward to doing it with her in the future!
I received this book from Moody publishing in exchange for my honest review.

Many Sparrows

When settler Clare Inglesby is widowed on a mountain crossing and her young son, Jacob, captured by Shawnees, she'll do everything in her power to get him back, including cross the Ohio River and march straight into the presence of her enemies deep in Indian country. Frontiersman and adopted Shawnee, Jeremiah Ring, promises to guide Clare through the wilderness and help her recover Jacob.
Once they reach the Shawnees and discover Jeremiah's own Shawnee sister, Rain Crow, has taken
custody of Jacob--renaming him Many Sparrows--keeping his promise becomes far more complicated, the consequences more wrenching, than Jeremiah could have foreseen.

My thoughts: I've read several of Lori's other stories and have enjoyed the rich historical aspect side of them. I love that her stories are about the early American settlers and their relationship with the Native Americans, though it is often heartbreaking. In Many Sparrows the story is especially heartbreaking, as it deals with a mother who loses her child after her husband disappears. It is an excellent story of God's love and peace and how He carries us when we deal with grief. This is a beautiful story that does a wonderful job of showing what both the sides might of been going through in the days leading up to the Revolutionary War. I highly recommend this one!
I received this book from Litfuse in exchange for my honest review.

Picturing Heaven

Imagine Heaven the way the Bible describes it―a place of exquisite beauty brimming with marvelous detail and intricate patterns; a special dwelling place free of corruption and sin; and a place of both rest and enjoyable, meaningful work.

Let the power and majesty of Heaven fill your heart with joy as you color these 40 designs carefully interpreted from the pages of Scripture. Savor a respite from daily life as you read and meditate on devotions from best–selling author Randy Alcorn, a leading authority on Heaven. Picturing Heaven will offer you comfort and relaxation, while filling your heart with restful assurance that God prepares a special place for those who love Him.

My thoughts: I haven't had the privilege of going through Randy Alcorn's full length devotional on Heaven, but I have enjoyed this beautiful coloring book that has devotions accompanying each color page. I feel like doing the devotional and then coloring gives the reader a chance to focus on the devotional's message. I love that each thought is started with a passage of scripture, about heaven, and then goes from there. This book gave me a lot to think about and some beautiful pages to color! If you are looking to add meditation on God's word in a new way, then I highly recommend this coloring book.
I received this book from Tyndale in exchange for my honest review.

An Inconvenient Beauty

The Duke of Riverton has chosen his future wife with the same logic he uses to make every decision. However, his perfect bride eludes his suit, while the beautiful Isabella Breckenridge seems to be everywhere. When the time comes, will Griffith and Isabella be able to set aside their pride and initial notions to embrace their very own happily-ever-after?

My thoughts: I didn't want to like this book, after I started it, since I found Isabella to be too perfect of a heroine. But, then I realized that I was a bit like the Duke of Riverton with being a bit prejudice against a "Diamond" of the season. This wound up being the perfect conclusion to one of my favorite series! This series has had a lot of depth to the characters and managed to be outside the box when it comes to regency fiction. I highly recommend this book and the whole series!
I received this book from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review.

Do One thing that every day that makes you happy

Each day presents an opportunity to find delight, whether in your surroundings, your work, your relationships, your insights, or your actions. This journal will guide you to look inside and outside yourself to discover and appreciate what makes you happiest.

With prompts and exercises, the wise words of writers, musicians, philosophers, and leaders will help you reflect on what fills you with joy. You’ll measure your happiness at the outset and along the way; after a year’s worth of delight, your smile will be bigger than ever.

My thoughts: With this book, I would say that a good subtitle would be to choose happy, since focusing on doing something that makes you happy every day, or focusing on what makes you happy is such a great way to becoming a more upbeat person. I love the quotes and fun thoughts that are filled on the pages. This is a wonderful little journal!
I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.