REVIEW - Taming the To-Do List

This was an excellent, easy-to-follow guide to help those of us that are prone to procrastination.  It delves into the reasons why we procrastinate and helps us to see how we will "pay" for our procrastination in due time.  I especially loved the section on ways to "charge and recharge" while working diligently to cross things off your list.  This was very practical advice.  The author gives us several ways to sharpen ourselves mentally for the tasks at hand.  She is not just a task-driver but really provides a balanced approach to staying organized.  Here are some of her ideas for staying mentally focused:

- a ten minute nap
- playing with your child
- listening to worship music (one of my favorite ideas)
- playing with a pet
- taking a short walk
- reading the bible (psalms)
- gardening
- stretching
- dancing to your favorite song

There are several other very helpful ideas in this book but the most helpful idea to me was the examination of the fact that we are able to be interrupted constantly because of our phones (i.e. email, text, etc).  Learning to manage others expectations and learning not to be man-pleasers is very important so that we can prioritize and please the Lord.  This book was really well-organized and was a pleasure to read.  I really haven't been able to say that for awhile about any book lately so many thanks to the author.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy from the publisher (Revell Reads blogger program) in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW - Laugh-Out-Loud Pocket Doodles for Boys

 

Wonderful book for both boys and girls.  The jokes in this book are clean and child-like.  Just so happy with this product.  I would love to purchase this for every boy and girl that I know.

When we received this my daughter was delighted and she spent hours holed up on the couch doodling and reading the jokes.  She loved the book and she told us jokes for several weeks on-end.  I just love the creativity of this little book.  It reminds me of the kinds of books that I had as a child.  Sort of like a mad-lib for girls except visual!

This would definitely be worth the price as it will bring child-like enjoyment to your girls.  In a world with endless electronics I was so happy that my daughter just enjoyed being a kid while reading and writing throughout this book!

NOTE: I received a copy of this book from Revell for my unbiased review.

REVIEW - Laugh-Out-Loud Pocket Doodles for Girls

Wonderful book for girls.  When we received this my daughter was delighted and she spent hours holed up on the couch doodling and reading the jokes.  She loved the book and she told us jokes for several weeks on-end.  I just love the creativity of this little book.  It reminds me of the kinds of books that I had as a child.  Sort of like a mad-lib for girls except visual!

This would definitely be worth the price as it will bring child-like enjoyment to your girls.  In a world with endless electronics I was so happy that my daughter just enjoyed being a kid while reading and writing throughout this book!

NOTE: I received a copy of this book from Revell for my unbiased review.

The Financially Confident Woman

Great beginner's guide to learning how to handle your money.  A little outdated at times but it still has timeless information about how to manage your money.  I especially enjoyed her tips on "living below your means" as well as "learning how to live more simply."

I have referred many folks to Mary Hunt this last year as she writes good beginner's guides to how to manage your finances and she is quite comprehensive.  This is a good place to start if you are new to the idea of money managing. 

NOTE: I received a copy of this book from Revell for my unbiased review.

REVIEW: The Woman Code

I read through this book and had to put it down several times because I was literally in shock while reading through the contents.  I'm really not certain why this book was published by a Christian publisher.  This entire book reads like a self-help book for women which would be fine if it was intended for a non-Christian audience.  The problem is that Revell published this book which means that it's intended for a Christian audience.  Honestly, the author has obviously intended the book to be read by a wider audience which makes me wonder why she didn't just take it to a different publisher. 

The main premise of the author is that everything we need to answer life's questions is inside of you.  That couldn't be farther from the truth if we are talking about living our lives as Christian women.  God has directed us not to look inside of ourselves but to look to Him and His word for the answers to ALL of life's questions.  Here are some direct quotes from this book:

"You are the keeper of your heart's desires.  You are the one you have been waiting for."

"Everything you need to win in life is right inside you."

"There is something majestic inside of you."

I can't recommend this book for Christian women.  The book contradicts God's word in many places.  I don't know anything about Sophia Nelson except what I read about her in this book.  I can't comment on her theology as it was not really evident what she believes.  There was very little scripture in the book.

I wish that I could sit down with Ms. Nelson and ask her about what she believes about the Lord and His word to understand why she wrote this book.  I'd like to give her the benefit of the doubt especially because she wrote it during a difficult time in her life. 

I would like to state that the book was exceptionally well-written grammatically.  Ms. Nelson has an incredible sense of clarity in her sentence structure and she is a wonderful writer.  It is rare to read through a book and think, "that idea was expressed very clearly."  Unfortunately, the premise of many of her ideas did not line up with what God has revealed to us about who we are and about who He is.

I would love to explore any other books that this woman has written since she has such an excellent writing style.

NOTE: I received a copy of this book from Revell for my unbiased review.

REVIEW: Stolen: The True Story of a Sex Trafficking Survivor

I read this entire book in a few days.  It provided some good information regarding what to look for in a person or a group of people that might be grooming young girls and boys for sex trafficking.  Although it did provide some insight into sex trafficking I had some problems with the book:

1.  The book was written in a very choppy format and it was difficult to read.  It was hard to tell from one moment to the next where you were in the story.  The story did not flow well.

2.  There were many times when I read the book when I felt as though the author wanted us to think that she had no control over what happened to her.  I have to disagree.  I made many bad choices when I was young that were unwise and I believe that because we are sinners living in a sinful world our bad choices have consequences.  The bible actually confirms this.  I was also taken advantage of by men in my youth and I often rebelled against my parents and I rebelled against God.  I chose to make these bad choices and I suffered the consequences of these choices.  While it is true that we are often sinned against without having made any bad choices (this also happened to me multiple times when I was young) I found it hard to read this author's book because she seemed to downplay her own bad choices which in many cases were directly correlated to her circumstances.  She could have walked away from sex trafficking right at the beginning by listening to her mother.  She chose to rebel against her mom.  I kept wondering, "why doesn't she talk about her rebellion against God more."

I don't know this author personally so I can't comment on her theology but I really can't recommend her book because of the above. 

NOTE: I received a copy of this book from Revell for my unbiased review.