FIrst Words of Jesus

If we didn't need a cross, we wouldn't need a manger. This fresh, engaging look at the beginning of Jesus' life and ministry will change the way you comprehend Christ's early years. With unique, thought-provoking insights and commentaries from many of Christianity's leading theologians interspersed throughout, Epperson unwraps, layer by layer, a new understanding of the young boy who was the Son of Man.

My thoughts: This is an excellent book to read this season! I love how it is so much more than just another book to read about Christmas, since the author points our how we had the manger because we needed the cross. He was born to die for our sins. While people like or tolerate the image of Christ in the manger, they don't like to think about His dying for the sins of the world. I thought the parallels that he drew between the two were excellent and enjoyed this different twist. It is a great book for the holiday season without losing the focus of why Christ came. The first recorded words we have of His are that He was to be about His father's work, which is what this book is all about.
I received this book from Worthy in exchange for my honest review.

A Primary Decision

Forces Conspire to Take the Worthington Family Down

Sarah Worthington never expected to become the US attorney general--at least not this early in her career. Plunged into the vicious vetting process, with all sides digging for secrets in her family closet, she steels herself for the path forward. Nothing will deter her from making her mark on the world in the biggest way possible--even if that means prosecuting the current president of the United States. Yet powerful forces conspire behind the scenes to take the Worthington family down, and the president orders her to close the investigation. Will she comply? Or turn the tables to pursue her ultimate dream--the US presidency?
This exciting conclusion to The Worthington Destiny series will have readers on the edge of their seats--just in time for the 2016 presidential race.

My thoughts: This was such a fun and interesting series that meshed fiction with Kevin Leman's studies on birth order. I loved reading this series, since it was filled with suspense and political intrigue. This one was the perfect one to read this past month, with the presidential election we just had.;)
If you enjoy reading suspenseful series that have a lot going on, then I highly recommend this one!
I received this book from Revell in exchange for my honest review.

Holiday Gift Guide freebie

Top ten books to give someone who likes chick lit.

1. A Portrait of Emily Price


2. The Christiansen family series


3. A Broken Kind of Beautiful


4. Dear Mr. Knightley


5. Meant to Be Mine


6. The Bronte Plot


7. The Art of Losing Yourself


8. A Table by the Window


9. Until I Found You


10. The Wedding Dress

Effortless Healing

LET YOUR BODY DO THE WORK

Do you have to tell your leg to heal from a scrape? Your lungs to take in air? Your body that it’s hungry? No. Your body does these things automatically, effortlessly. Vibrant health is your birthright and within your grasp; you just have to step out of the way. In Effortless Healing, online health pioneer, natural medicine advocate, and bestselling author Dr. Joseph Mercola reveals the nine simple secrets to a healthier, thinner you. The results are amazing and the steps can be as easy to implement as:

· Throwing ice cubes in your water to make it more “structured”
· Skipping breakfast, as it could be making you fat
· Eating up to 75 percent of your calories each day in fat for optimal health, reduction of heart disease, and cancer prevention
· Avoiding certain meat and fish, but enjoying butter
· Eating sauerkraut (and other fermented foods) to improve your immune system and your mood
· Walking barefoot outside to decrease system-wide inflammation (and because it just feels great)
· Enjoying a laugh: it’s as good for your blood vessels as fifteen minutes of exercise

Effortless Healing is the distillation of decades of Dr. Mercola’s experience and cutting-edge medical knowledge. With his wisdom and that of your body, you can optimize your health, your weight, and your life…effortlessly.

My thoughts: I have read some of Dr. Mercola's articles and the like online, so I was thrilled to have a chance to read this book to review! It is interesting to read his thoughts on healing your body. I thought that this book was informative and well researched. I love walking barefoot, so doing it more outside is no problem for me.;)
I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.

A Minute of Vision for Men

Do you have a vision for your life?
All of us need a compelling vision to live for. Scripture says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.”

Today, so many of us are living on autopilot instead of engaging the battle of living up to our God-given potential. We lack a vision for life. Too often, we settle for less than what is best for us, our families, and our careers. We struggle with pinpointing our purpose in life.

A Minute of Vision for Men is an investment in a different sort of life―one with vision, purpose, and integrity. This book will help you connect with your purpose. It’s written so that you can start your day on the right foot, focused on what matters the most.

Start each day with a potent, daily dose of vision for your life.

My thoughts: I generally get a little bit bored with devotionals, since I have a hard time just reading one a day and sticking with that. I suppose it is like book clubs for me. I like to devour my books, so it's difficult to just read a page or chapter a day.
This devotional is different. I like that they are all engaging and precise, giving men a thought or subject that is brought home by a story and finished with a scripture verse. I enjoyed the personal stories, as well as those he drew from history and pop culture. This would make an excellent gift for one's dad, brother, husband, or son!
I received this book from Tyndale in exchange for my honest review.

The Remnant

In the year 2069 the Apocalypse came and went, but Jesus didn’t show up, as some expected.

Instead, a cataclysmic war, natural disasters and pandemics eradicated 90 percent of earth’s population. Now, in 2131, a totalitarian government rules the world from the majestic, opulent capitol of Carthage, Tunisia. Blamed for igniting the war, religion and religious books are banned. Citizens who will not renounce their religion are sent to work camps.

Grant Cochrin, imprisoned in a bleak petroleum camp in what was once North Dakota, leads his family and friends to escape and embark on a long, dangerous quest for a Christian community. Their resource in this journey? A cherished page torn from the now banished Bible—a remnant of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount handed down from Grant’s grandparents.

What if there were an Apocalypse and Jesus didn’t return? What if the survivors found themselves living in a world ruled by a totalitarian government, where religion is forbidden and all religious texts have been destroyed?

In The Remnant, award-winning author Monte Wolverton tells the tale of a band of concentration camp escapees who trek through the lawless American wilderness on a quest for authentic Christianity, only to come face to face with an unthinkable dilemma. The Remnant is a fast-paced story punctuated with dry satire, memorable characters and hard questions about religious institutions.

My thoughts: In all honesty, I have mixed feelings about this one. The story line and characters are interesting, and I loved the twists in the story, but it isn't Biblicaly accurate. It is an interesting dystopian style story about a world in the future where the one world government has tried to make all religions extinct. I think the sequel, if there is one (which, it left at a cliff hanger, so I am sure readers will want another one!) could be interesting if it still explores the one world government, but perhaps with that world forcing one religion. Time will tell.
If you love dystopian stories, then you will enjoy this one!
I received this book from Litfuse in exchange for my honest review.

Healing of the Heart review and giveaway

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Click here to purchase your copy.

About the Book

When Ruby McCoy and her mother arrive in Fairplay and promptly move into the biggest mansion around, they are the talk of the town. But while Mrs. McCoy worries about ribbons, trunks, and wallpaper, Ruby rolls up her sleeves. Since the hanging of her notorious gangster father five years ago, Ruby, hiding under an assumed name, is on a mission to right her father’s wrongs. She is determined to spend every penny of her inherited “blood money” helping those who paid the price for her father’s crimes. But she didn’t plan on falling in love.



Sheriff Rex Truett doesn’t trust Ruby and doesn’t care who knows it. The keeper of Fairplay’s law and order makes it his business to find out why a stranger—especially a beautiful, rich, female stranger—would set up businesses, donate to schools, hire workmen to rebuild houses, and provide access to the best medical care. But when a cholera epidemic sweeps through the city, he is forced to reconsider.



Will Ruby have the courage to tell Rex her family secret? And will love or justice win in Rex’s heart?

My review: This is such a great story! I fell in love with Ruby, a lovely young woman trying to make amends for her father's misdeeds! I also enjoyed Rex and the cast of characters in Fairplay. Ruby's mother is quite the character too. I would of loved to have more of these characters.;) As it is, I look forward to going back and reading the other books in the series, since I enjoyed the trip to Sterling Street with this story.
I received this book from the author through Celebrate Lit.

About the Author

A prolific writer, Loree Lough has 108 books, 68 short stories, and more than 2,500 articles in print. Her novels have earned dozens of industry and Reader’s Choice awards. A frequent guest speaker for writers’ organizations, book clubs, private and government institutions, corporations, and college and high school writing programs, Loree and her husband, Larry, divide their time between a home in the Baltimore suburbs and a cabin in the Allegheny Mountains.



Her books have over 3700 ratings on Goodreads with the first two books in The Secrets of Sterling Street series, Currency of the Heartand Guardians of the Heart receiving multiple four and five star reviews on book review and retail sites.

Blog Stops

November 22: Bibliophile Reviews

November 22: Jeanette’s Thoughts

November 23: Neverending Stories

November 23: Lane Hill House

November 24: Reviewing Novels Online

November 24: Christian Bookaholic

November 25: Christian Author: A.M. Heath

November 25: Redeemed Hope Dweller

November 26: A Simple Life, really?!

November 26: Moments Dipped in Ink

November 27: inklings and notions

November 27: Splashes of Joy

November 28: Ashley’s Bookshelf

November 28: Daysong Reflections

November 29: Black ‘n Gold Girl’s Book Spot

November 29: Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations

November 30: Bigreadersite

November 30: Singing Librarian Books

December 1: Pause for Tales

December 1: Smiling Book Reviews

December 2: A Greater Yes

December 2: Genesis 5020

December 3: Reader’s cozy corner

December 4: Book Bites, Bee Stings, and Butterfly Kisses

December 4: Karen Sue Hadley

December 5: A Baker’s Perspective

December 5: Rhonda’s Doings

Giveaway

In honor of her tour, Loree is giving away her books: Secrets on Sterling Street series, Prevailing Love (3 in 1), Pricilla Hires a Husband, Lone Wolf, and Emma’s Orphans, a KJVER Study Bible, and an Abba pillar candle in a wicker basket! Click the link below to enter; be sure to comment on this post to claim your nine bonus entries for this giveaway!

Buy here