anything... a review

What would happen if I surrendered it ALL?


What would happen if I would pray, "God, I will do anything.  Anything."

Jennie Allen and her husband, Zac, did just that a few years ago.  Tired of empty pursuits, they offered all that they had... their very lives... to God.  In a simple prayer of "God we will do anything. Anything" their life, as they knew it, radically changed.


Anything chronicles Zac and Jennie's journey of reckless abandon and heart-wrenching surrender of their earthly lives, through Jennie's lens.  Deep and raw are Jennie's words as she shares her heart's struggle to live out the prayer that she prayed.  She neither sugar-coats her struggles nor does she take herself too seriously as she allows her reader to see into her struggles to discover the joy that she uncovered in her quest for anything.


Praying the prayer of anything changed Jennie's perspective on everything.  No longer content to coast through life, God brought her to the place of recklessly living for Him... daily surrendering to His desires, His will, His plan for her life.  


In Jennie's words...


All my life I thought I had God's stamp of approval because my life wasn't going badly.  Now I was faced with the fear that it might actually be the opposite.  What if my life was going so beautifully because I wasn't chasing after God?


Even though the thousand problems in my soul had shifted toward one goal and one hope and I felt free, I had one new problem:  life was getting hard, the pace was picking up, and I felt reluctant. (Anything, pg 108)


Last fall, I reviewed Jennie's first Bible study, Stuck, through my affiliation with BookSneeze.  While I enjoyed that study, and have since suggested to several others, Stuck doesn't even come close to Anything... Anything is just that good.


Jennie Allen's words, her struggle, her desire for more resonate deep within me.  I understand her discontentment with the mundane... I can relate to her questions of the purpose of her life... I know the feeling of craving more.  I've been there.  I am there.  


Do I have the courage to pray "God I will do anything. Anything?"  


I don't know yet...


Anything is available through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, ChristianBook Distributors and other major retailers.  
*****
disclaimer... I was sent a complimentary copy of Anything through Shelton Interactive for my honest review of this book.  I received no other compensation.

Stuck... a BookSneeze review

I tend to have an obsession with Bible study.  I love following along someone's journey and flipping back and forth between the Old Testament and the New.  Seeing how it all fits together in a story of sin, grace and redemption thrills me.


When I saw Stuck by Jennie Allen up for review on BookSneeze, I jumped at the chance to review this DVD Bible study for small groups.  I asked four friends to join me and together we have met weekly to work through Jennie's study.


From Jennie...

This study began for me out of a deep struggle—a stuck place. It would serve better to call it something a tad more dramatic . . . it was a war. The kind of war that happens inside of you, the kind that nobody sees. God versus me and all my junk. It wasn’t something I could even put words to at the time. In fact, those close to me were oblivious to the chaos ensuing behind my gathered exterior.

But it was real and raging, and even though I couldn’t describe it, I was keenly aware of its presence and was exhausted by it.

I was stuck.

I experienced a sense of bondage I could not name and did not know how to escape. The outside of my life was bright and shiny, but inside I was a mess: anxious, lonely, afraid, and looking for significance.

This study exists because I know I am not alone in this. The more I am let into the deep crevasses of people’s hearts, the more I am convinced that every one of us is fighting something. Yet we look out from our secret wars and see people who smile peacefully and seem to be all right—and we smile back at them.

I’m done smiling.

God is about doing something on this planet. He is about doing something in me, and as long as I am privately fighting and losing inside, He is not getting a thing done through or in me. He has a plan for these spaces inside of us, the places we feel broken, but we have to go to Him.

Stuck is a journey to take an honest look at the fight going on inside, leading us to the God who has a plan to restore it, to restore us.

Tools:

See. Eight short but deep videos provide a starting place for transparent conversations.

Study. The Study Guide uses projects, stories, and Bible study to engage the mind and heart.

Lead. The Leader's Guide prepares you to lead this study and encourages you along the way.

Ask. Conversation Cards offer questions for spontaneous and authentic discussion time.

A little of my heart:

Women are hurting. A lot of us feel stuck. This is not a novel perception- this is human. We are stuck trying to be perfect. Stuck in sadness. Stuck feeling numb. Stuck pursuing more stuff to make us happy. Stuck in something we can’t even name. And most of our stuck places are invisible to the world. Which keeps us from dealing with them.

When I wrote Stuck, I dreamt of creating things that took women to deep places- real places. I think we may have learned so much about God- that we missed actually knowing Him.

I want us to live truth- not just memorize it. And this takes encountering a supernatural God. I pray this study will push you up face to face with Jesus, and in the process you will grow closer to the women around you- going to war with stuck places. The trenches are a good birthplace for the deepest of friendships.

I don’t know that the goal is getting unstuck. Our stuck places are the very places that make us ache for God, leading us to Him and His freedom. God’s never been one to tie up our problems with little pretty bows and send us on our way. We wrestle and as we wrestle on this journey, we depend entirely on him. We are inadequate to fix our lives.... and we have a relationship building God who likes to move in and settle in holes within us that hurt.

I want us to band together as women and grow and live and experience God.

While, our group loved the 9 minute video clips of a very real Jennie sharing her heart, we {heart} the discussion questions each week.  We all agree this was the highlight of our group.  Each of us had a different question to read and any who wished could answer.  These questions prompted us to share our hearts and our struggles and it gave us a window into each other's soul.


Deep :: Short :: Real is how Jennie Allen has chosen to market this new study. I would definitely agree that it was short and real.  This study is not as deep as a Kay Arthur or Beth Moore study.  While I love doing studies by both of those authors, this study is less intimidating than theirs.   


Jennie Allen does not assume that a woman doing her study has accept Jesus as her Savior.  In the first week's homework, Jennie does an incredible job laying out the plan of salvation.  




This study would be a great study for a new believer, one who is searching or someone who desperately seeks to be in the word but lacks time to do a long study.  

***disclaimer... I received a copy of Stuck for my honest review as part of the BookSneeze blogger program.  I received no other compensation.

The Tehran Initiative.. a Tyndale Review

Ripped from the headlines... another thriller from Joel C. Rosenberg!

The world is on the brink of disaster and the clock is ticking. 

Iran has just conducted its first atomic weapons test. 

Millions of Muslims around the world are convinced their messiah—

known as “the Twelfth Imam”—has just arrived on earth. 

Israeli leaders fear Tehran, under the Twelfth Imam’s spell, 

will soon launch a nuclear attack that could bring about a second holocaust 

and the annihilation of Israel. The White House fears Jerusalem will strike first, launching a preemptive attack against Iran’s nuclear facilities that could cause the entire Middle East to go up in flames, oil prices to skyrocket,

 and the global economy to collapse. With the stakes high and few viable 

options left, the president of the United States orders CIA operative David Shirazi and his team to track down and sabotage Iran’s nuclear warheads 

before Iran or Israel can launch a devastating first strike.

The Tehran Initiative is Rosenberg's second book in his second thriller series.  As many are asking... is it fiction or fact?  Rosenberg weaves a tale of counter intelligence and espionage that rivals Tom Clancy.  However, Rosenberg has an amazing grasp and ability to write about the mindset of Islam and the very immediate threat that Islam is to Christianity.  

Through my affiliation with the Tyndale Blogging Network, I was sent a copy of The Tehran Initiative to read and to review.  It was a great read!  Very engaging and gripping. I only wish I had realized that it was the second book in a series.  If I had known, I would have read the books in order.

I do recommend The Tehran Initiative and if you find it as enjoyable as I have, please check out all of Rosenberg's works.  

**Disclaimer...I was sent a copy of The Tehran Initiative for my honest review, I received no other compensation.

The Fight of Our Lives...a BookSneeze Review

"Surrender to Islam?  NEVER!"  

Those words were my heart's cry until I reviewed William Bennett and Seth Leibsohn's book The Fight of Our Lives.  

Though many of us vowed to never forget 9/11, we have succumbed to the influence of the media in forgetting that it was Islamic views, Islamic values and radical Islamics that were the driving forces behind that great attack on Americans.  

In their book, Bennett and Leibsohn take a bold stand on identifying America's enemy by speaking truth against Islam and the influence of Islam in America.  They examine the culture of religious tolerance in America as well as the "politically correct" thinking Americans have adopted.  They also courageously identify the intention of Islam to obliterate all that we, in America, value.  

I stand amazed at the boldness of William Bennett and Seth Liebsohn.  Often, it seems, courage takes a back seat to the fear of offending anyone.  With truth, courage and an attitude of Patriotism, these authors unravel the lies that Americans have accepted as fact and reveal the true intent of Islam.

The Fight for Our Lives was a wake up call to me.  I realized how much I had already surrendered to Islam in my thinking and in my beliefs.  

**disclaimer... I was given this book for my honest review through my affiliation with  BookSneeze.  I received no other compensation.  

Peril in the Palace...a Tyndale Review

Over the years, we've listened to countless hours of Adventures in Odyssey.  It seems as if Whit, Connie, Eugene and Tom Riley have accompanied us on every road trip we have ever taken.  We've loved listening to the adventures and misadventures of gang at Whit's End... especially the experiences taken in the Imagination Station.  


Needless to say, when the offer, from the Tyndale Blog Network, came to review a couple of Adventures in Odyssey books came up, I gladly agreed.  And, when those books came in the mail, Emily intercepted them before I could even peruse them.  She read them in an evening and passed them on to her best friend before I could say "hey!  I need to review those!"  

The Imagination Station Series of books, written by Marianne Hering and Paul McCusker, tell the story of two 8 year old cousins, Patrick and Beth, and the adventures they go on through Mr. Whitacre's invention... The Imagination Station.  


Each book takes the cousins to a particular time in history.  In book 3, Peril in the Palace, Patrick and Beth find themselves in China in 1271 where they meet up with Marco Polo, share their faith with Kublai Khan and end up in a spiritual showdown with Mongol magicians.  

Beth and Patrick's adventures do not end in China.  In book 4, Revenge of the Red Knight, the Imagination Station takes them to 15th century England and Lord Darkthorn's castle.  The cousins find themselves accused of theft, in jail and in a jousting contest.


The Imagination Station Series of books are written for ages 7 and up.  The books include short chapters, great action and fun illustrations to make them fun to read... even for a 12 year old who has grown up listening to Adventures in Odyssey!


**disclaimer... I was given these 2 books for my honest review through my affiliation with Tyndale Blog Network.  I received no other compensation.

The Quotable Rogue...a BookSneeze review

She is arguably one of the most influential women of the 21st century.  In the few short years since the world first met Alaska's woman governor Sarah Palin, she has made her mark on American history.


It seems as if all of Sarah Palin's words have been hashed and rehashed, including emails.  Nothing she says gets by the "lame stream" media without discussion. 


 Regardless of individual Party affiliations, Americans cannot seem to get enough of the words of Sarah Palin.  Many a hilarious SNL skit stars Tina Fey as the Quotable Rogue herself.


The Daily Caller senior contributor, Matt Lewis, has compiled 180 pages of Mrs. Palin's own quotes.  He includes her words on 32 different subjects... from abortion to Barack Obama and most everything in between including Mrs. Palin's thoughts on Tina Fey's portrayals of herself.


The Quotable Rogue: The Ideals of Sarah Palin In Her Own Words is a great reference book into the views of Mrs. Palin.  Laid out in an easy to use, easy to read format, anyone looking for more information on Sarah Palin's ideals would be wise to pick up Matt Lewis' book.


The Quotable Rogue will be released by Thomas Nelson Publishers June 28, 2011.

Lorrie's Audios... a Gabby review

It's that time again... time for another review for Eternal Encouragement and the Gabby Moms.


Honestly, this review is hard for me to do.  I've spent the week ruminating on how I would write this review.  I hope and pray that my words are encouraging and God honoring even though I really didn't like these products.  


Lorrie Flem and her team at Eternal Encouragement sent me two mp3 files to download, listen to and review... Attitude Adjustments and Keys to a Queenly Castle.  Each of these files is available as an mp3 file for $6.97 or a CD for $9.97 at www.eternalencouragement.com.


Both audios are recordings of Lorrie Flem teaching at a homeschool convention sharing her life lessons that she has gleaned being a wife to Randy and mother to 8.  While she has experiences to share, I found her to be distracting at the beginning of both speeches because she sells herself and her product.  Most of her products stand alone and do not need solicitation but because she is at a convention, she directs her listener to "the best curriculum in the vending hall today."


As I listened to Lorrie, I don't remember ever hearing her say "this is what has worked in my home."  Instead, I got the distinct impression that she feels like she is teaching the only way to accomplish a particular goal.  The concepts she teaches are Scriptural.  However, sometimes a mom has to teach something 2 or 3 or even 10 different ways to her 2 or 3 or 10 different children.  

Because both of these audios were recorded as workshops at conventions, there is some background noise and the audio isn't as clear as it would be if they were recorded in a studio.  For me, this made them more difficult to listen to than other recordings or podcasts I have heard.

Lastly, the content of both audios seems to be a bit redundant.  Not only does Lorrie repeat herself often, the subjects of each audio overlap in areas which leads to a feeling of deja vu.

I am sorry that this review is so negative.  However, I felt like I was expected to give an honest review and honestly, I do not think either of these downloads are worth the price of $6.97/ea.  Especially considering that in both audio sessions, Lorrie stressed she is doing this as a ministry and is not making money from her products.

**disclaimer... I was given these 2 free downloads for my honest review.  I received no other compensation. 

Uncommon... a Tyndale review

It's no secret that I love football... especially the National Football League.  Even in the midst of a HUGE labor dispute and the very good probability that there will not be a season opener at the beginning of September, I still love NFL football... the Indianapolis Colts... and this man... former Indy coach Tony Dungy.


Tony Dungy is a man who chooses to be different.  He chooses to be a man of honesty, integrity and morality.  He chooses to talk about those things.  He chooses to be Uncommon.  And, in choosing to be uncommon, Coach Dungy encourages others to live an uncommon life.

Uncommon... finding your path to significance is more than a how-to-live-a-great-life book.  It's more than a coach's memoir.  This book is even more than a great read.  


Instead, Tony Dungy honestly deals with the struggles and pitfalls of life.  He shares real life examples of victory and defeat... joy and sorrow... life and death.  He neither minces words nor sugar coats tough issues but with patience, humor and wisdom, he tackles life choices that face all of us.  Throughout its pages, Coach Dungy writes this book in the spirit of Apostle Paul who said, "Follow my example as I follow the example of Christ." (1 Corinthians 11:1 NIV)


Tyndale House Publishers has just released an update edition of Uncommon for $14.99.  The update version includes a bonus chapter on the "Dare to Be Uncommon" movement that is sweeping schools across the nation as well as updated information on Coach Dungy since his retirement from the Indianapolis Colts in 2009.


Though written primarily for men, I thoroughly enjoyed Coach Dungy's no-nonsense approach and sage words of wisdom in Uncommon.  


...and, as of today, my 14 year old son's summer reading list just got one book longer.


**disclaimer... I reviewed this book as part of my affiliation with Tyndale Summer Reading Program.  I received no other compensation.

Read for the Heart... the last TOS review

Over the years of homeschooling, I have fallen in love with Apologia Science.  I think it is due, in part, through the strong influence of my science teacher friend, Debbie.  Debbie taught science in the public school, had babies and opted to stay home and teach homeschool science, and now is back teaching science in our local Christian school.  Debbie and I have spent many hours discussing homeschooling, curriculum and Apologia Science.  She loves using Apologia and has convinced me to do the same!

However, did you know that Apologia has much more than just science curriculum?  I didn't!  I was blown away when I opened their website and looked at all of the options.  Even more fun than that was receiving a copy of Read for the Heart to review for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine!  


After reading through Read for the Heart, I like Apologia even more!  Read for the Heart by Sarah Clarkson is a compilation of over 1,000 terrific titles to read aloud to your children.  This book reads as a guide and directs you to finding quality literature for at home reading.  It's like having your own personal librarian!


Reading aloud has been foundational in our homeschool.  Years ago, a wise woman told me I could do nothing better for my children than to teach them about Jesus and to read aloud to them every single day.  We have gone on many adventures together from the comfort of our living room.  We've giggling through Mr. Popper's Penguins and Junie B. Jones.  We've journeyed through the prairie with Laura Ingalls Wilder and under the sea with Jules Verne.  All of these and more are fond memories for all of us.


Apologia offers Read for the Heart for $17.00 and in my opinion, regardless of where your children go to school, no Mom should be without this book.  This book is just another example of the excellence of Apologia Curriculum.


Click here to see what my other TOS Crew mates had to say.


... this will be my last review for the TOS Crew.  Thanks to Crew leaders, Heidi and Brenda, and my mini-crew leader, Heather, for a fabulous year!


**disclaimer... I was given a free copy of this book for my honest review.  I received no other compensation.   

To Have and To Hold... A Gabby Review

dun dun ta dun... dun dun ta dun... 

It's that time of year again... wedding season!  It seems like every week there is another wedding invitation in the mail.  I love it!  I love the joy of young brides.  I love seeing their plans come together and the thrill of their big day.  

The dilemma when the mailbox is full of wedding invitations is .... THE GIFT.  It doesn't seem to matter how many places the Bride and Groom are registered, the gift I inevitably choose to purchase is either more expensive than I was thinking of spending or it is no longer available.   Until now...

Thanks to Eternal Encouragement and Mrs. Lorrie Flem the wedding gift dilemma has been solved... Marriage: To Have & To Hold ebundle.

Marriage: To Have & To Hold is a bundle of wisdom and knowledge for marriage life after the big day.  Lorrie Flem has compiled a downloaded electronic bundle of audio sessions...

                5R's Session 2 - Rekindle
                One Life to Live, One Man to Love 

and ebooks...

               Loving Your Knight in Shining Armor Even When He Doesn't Shine 
               Roadmap to a Marvelous Marriage 
               Marriage Tidbits to Treasure 
               Quotes Not Quibbles 
               Marriage Report 
               E-Booklet 
               31 Daily Biblical Prayers for Wives to Pray for Their Husbands 
               Encouragement Report 
               Don't Settle 
               SHIMLY 
              What God Says about Marriage 
              75 Inexpensive Romantic Rut 
              It Happened One Afternoon 
             2001 Summer Issue TEACH Magazine "Loving Your Husband" 
            2009 Spring Issue TEACH Magazine "Marriages Made Marvelous"  

Within these titles is sage wisdom that I wish someone would have shared with me 17 years ago.  As a wife, mother, and homeschool teacher I found much in this bundle that applied to me now and more that I would have loved to have as a young bride.  My favorites include the "31 Daily Biblical Prayers for Wives to Pray for their Husbands" which I've printed and placed in my Bible as a reminder to be praying specifically for Chad and "Quotes not Quibbles" which includes...

Love is what you've been through with somebody.

James Thurber

@}~

A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.

 Mignon McLaughlin

An electronic bundle like this makes gift giving so simple... no last minute shopping, fumbling with paper and tape and no more crushed bows on the way to the ceremony!  And, instead of wedding gifts that may get lost or broken through the years, you have a gift that will continue to encourage the Bride and Groom to a life long commitment.

Eternal Encouragement has wrapped this entire package up with an super shiny bow!  This $100 value is available at www.eternalencouragement.com for $39.95.

Disclaimer... Through my affiliation with Gabby Moms I was given a copy of  Marriage: To Have and To Hold for my honest review.  I received no other compensation.  

Greek 'n' Stuff... a TOS Crew review

Looking back over this school year, I have had the privilege of writing 18 reviews for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Review Crew.  And, today's review is the one I have been most looking forward to!


In September, I received a copy of Hey Andrew!  Teach Me Some Greek level 3.  I'm very grateful to author Karen Mohs and the rest of the staff at Greek 'n' Stuff for giving me the better part of this school year to use this curriculum and to review it.


We have had fun with Greek!  Last fall, all four of us (because Eric was still at home) would gather around the table and study our Bible lesson and then our do our Greek lesson.


Amazingly, seven year old, Ellen, kept up well.  However, when Eric went to public school in January, I opted to shelve Hey Andrew! Teach Me Some Greek!  until next fall to give Ellen a little more time to improve her reading and comprehension skills.  I am very much looking forward to completing our Greek book next year with the girls.  


Hey Andrew!  Teach Me Some Greek! is a comprehensive curriculum.  Greek 'n' Stuff offers worktexts, answer keys, pronunciation CDs and cassettes, and other helps to assist home school parents and teachers teach students "koine" or common Greek. The cost for the worktext for level 3 is $21.95.  Click  here to see other prices for Hey Andrew! Teach Me Some Greek! level 3.  


I liked Hey Andrew!  Teach Me Some Greek!  so much that I am considering purchasing Latin's Not So Tough for Emily, who wants to pursue a career in medicine.


Click here to read other crew member's thoughts on Greek 'n' Stuff.


**disclaimer... I was sent this curriculum for my honest review because of my affiliation with TOS Review Crew.  I received no other compensation. 

Craving Grace... a Tyndale Review

For Lisa Velthouse’s whole life, Christianity had been about getting things right. Obeying her parents. Not drinking. Not cursing. Not having premarital sex. Vowing to save her first kiss until she got engaged, even writing a book called . . . well, Saving My First Kiss. (This, it turns out, does not actually help a girl get a date.) Yet after two decades of trying to earn God’s okay, she found her faith was lonely, empty, and unsatisfying. So she turned to more discipline, of course: fasting! By giving up her favorite foods—sweets—Lisa hoped to somehow discover true sweetness and meaning in her relationship with God. Until, one night at a wedding, she denied herself the cake but failed in such a different, unexpected, and world-rocking way that it challenged everything she thought she knew about God and herself. Craving Grace is the true story of a faith dramatically changed: how in one woman’s life God used a bitter heart, a broken promise, and the sweetness of honey to reveal the stunning wonder that is grace. (from the cover jacket)


Lisa Velthouse's book Craving Grace is a memoir and reads as such.  She shares her struggles, shortcomings and heartache as she journey's through life as a 20-something searching for God's favor.  And, for Lisa, it is in the search that she finds what it was she was craving... grace.  God's grace.


It's seems as if discovering grace is one of the buzz words in Christian bookstores these days.  Seemingly endless titles exist written by one who discovered, sometimes by accident, the depth of God's grace in their own life and have written their story for others to read.  It also seems that most of these works have been written by women who have always been "good" but find themselves missing a loving relationship with their Savior.  


Lisa Velthouse's Craving Grace is raw.  It is honest.  In fact, some may say there is way too much TMI (too much information) revealed in the pages of her book.   Honestly, I might agree with that.  While this isn't my favorite book on grace, Lisa does share a short, sweet story in her second chapter that, in my opinion, sets her book apart.   


Lisa shares of a rabbi in a Jewish classroom who, on the very first day of school, passes out brand-new copies of the Torah to his 5-year old students.  As the students watch, the rabbi places a small square of wax paper on top of each copy of the Torah.  After he finishes covering each copy of the Torah, he drops a small amount of honey on top of the wax paper.  When all the students have a copy of the Torah in front of them topped with wax paper and honey, he tells them to taste the honey and says, "Never! Forget! What God! Tastes Like!" (paraphrased  from Craving Grace pages 13-18). 


It is this sweet story that becomes the backbone of Velthouse's book and her journey to taste grace... to taste God.   She finds that keeping rules and being a good girl are unsatisfying without the sweet taste of God in her everyday.  And, that in tasting God, she sees that He is good and loving in her life.


Tyndale House Publishers will release Lisa Velthouse's book Craving Grace in May 2011.  Craving Grace will be available in both hardcover and ebook form.


Lisa Velthouse also blogs at www.lisavelthouse.com.


**disclaimer... I was sent a copy of this book because of my affiliation with Tyndale Blog Network.  I received no other compensation.