From the author of Little Star, Anthony DeStefano, comes the recently launched book, I Just Can’t Take It Anymore. Although the book is filled with pictures of children, it really is meant to encourage the best of us who are stressed out or hurting one way or another.
The book I Just Can’t Take It Anymoreingeniously illustrates in pictures and their captions some truths in our least favorite of predicaments.
I personally think that this is a book I can make use of from time to time. That “time to time” being, the not so good times. We all can make use of a grin or even a big smile as we step back, let go of our stressors and go back to basics. Be inspired by the different faces of those children in the pictures and find two or three things to be thankful for. Knowing that at the end of each trial, is the affirmation that God loves us no less.
Here are sample pages from the book I Just Can’t Take It Anymore! and a word from the author, Anthony DeStefano himself can be read here.
It took a while before I got hold of the copy of The Blessing by John Trent and Gary Smalley. I have been waiting for it for months until I decided to contact Thomas Nelson and opted to have the E-Book copy instead since there was no hint that the hard copy was to arrive anytime soon. It must have something to do with our local postal system and its infamous inefficiency. The Blessing is one of the best books I have read to date. Definitely another book to add in my growing list of favorites.
It was in our first year of marriage when we read Gary Smalley’s If Only He Knew, The Language of Love and another book on marriage which I forgot the title of. We lost them to Ondoy three years ago. The books were part of the library my pastor uncle shipped to us from the States. Reading through those marriage books during our devotional time as a young couple helped us a great deal. It allowed for a sturdy marital foundation that we both were not privileged to know growing up.
After several years of not reading Smalley, here he comes again impacting my heart through The Blessing. I have cried quite a bit of times as I read it, not because it was a tearjerker of a book. More than that, I was able to relate to the insights Gary Smalley and John Trent shared. Unlike the previous marriage books we have read by the author, this one is more of a parenting one. How parental approval easily becomes the driving force to do the things we do in our lives. Unconditional love is what every person longs for. The lack of it can bring about a whole lot of unresolved issues in our humanity. While we can surely depend on God’s unconditional love any day, we are encouraged to give it to the very people that the Lord has given us… starting with our children.
Not only marriages, but individuals – and particularly children — suffer from the lack of a verbal blessing. Without words of love, acceptance and encouragement, children often grow up traveling one of two roads that lead to unhealthy extremes: The Road of Overachievement or the Road of Withdrawal.
Marriage and Beyond is celebrating its 4th anniversary before the month ends and we’re raffling off prizes to 4 winners! It was in 2004 when I started blogging via Multiply. But it was not until Nov 2007 when Marriage and Beyond was born. Thanks to our blogging mentor, NeilMaranan.com for ushering us to the world of monetizing websites and internet marketing. Now, we not only get to document our family’s milestones, share our advocacy and faith. This has also become a channel that God uses to provide for our family.
Before we head on over to jotting down the contest mechanics for MarriageAndBeyond.com’s 4th Anniversary Celebration Contest, here are the prizes that 4 of our readers will receive by mid December. Since Marriage and Beyond’s anniversary and our wedding anniversary are less than a couple of weeks away from each other, we’re holding this contest until our 10th wedding anniversary, December 8, 2011.
I have been so looking forward to getting hold of John Maxwell’s Put Your Dream to the Test for months now. It would be a great addition to our John Maxwell books collection. When months came and went and no book has arrived in my doorstep, I figured I could check out with Thomas Nelson and I was pleased to know that I can download an e-book version for this review.
“Disappointment is the gap between that exists between expectation and reality.” ~John Maxwell
Put Your Dream to the Test has pretty much accompanied me these past days. There was no second guessing that this was yet another good read from John Maxwell. This is probably the best book to read on ushering dreams to reality. This is especially true if you happen to be one of those people who -
… once in their lives have been discouraged from dreaming by others.
… hindered by past disappointments and hurts.
… got in the habit of settling for just the average.
… lack the confidence needed to pursue their dreams.
… lack the imagination to dream.
John Maxwell ingeniously came up with a valuable readiness checklist of putting our dream to the test. The ten questions were designed to help us assess our dream and its plausibility of turning into reality.
I received in the mail, a few days before we left for Davao last month, a thank you letter and another book by Anthony DeStefano – The Invisible World. The thank you letter was for the review published last December on his other book, “Little Star,” which recently won the “Mom’s Choice Gold Award” for Best Seasonal/Holiday Children’s book of 2010! Congratulations, Anthony DeStefano, for a job well done. That book is real winner! May the Lord continue to use you for His glory.
The Velveteen Bible from Thomas Nelson arrived a few days before Jed’s 6th Birthday. Since I ordered it around February, I totally forgot about it. I know how crappy our local postal system can get. So I was kind of not expecting to receive it altogether. But the timing cannot be more perfect.
After having Mike Flynt’s The Power Based Life: Realize Your Life’s Goals and Dreams sit for two weeks with my other “next in line” books, I finally picked it up some days ago and fired up into reading one page after the other. I cannot be more convinced that Thomas Nelson publishes no less than the best books.
I would not have taken so much interest on this book if it was not because of Mike Flynt’s very own background. I believe it was in one of those network cables that I first heard about his story. Just to give you an idea who Mike Flynt is:
Another book came in the mail today from Navpress – The Practice of Godliness by Jerry Bridges. It was during my 17th spiritual birthday, in March 2002 that I figured I had to follow up giving total control over my life to God a few years before that. I was backslidden for a good few years before that. I then regularly attended BSF meetings with one of my godparents which practically jumpstarted my hunger for nourishment for God’s word as my appetite went beyond just wanting plain “milk.”
“Godliness has value for all things.” 1 Timothy 4:8
Having a handful of questions about “Fasting,” the book on it by Scot Mcknight was my default pick from the number of books available for review via Thomas Nelson. It is the first book I have read on “fasting” and I appreciate the biblical truths shared within. I have learned a lot of things about this particular spiritual discipline that was practiced back in the Old Testament times.
Did I ever mention that I grew up singing hymns in church? Although our church has long transitioned to singing Contemporary Christian Music (CCM), hymns will always stay close to my heart and I still hope we get to sing them from time to time.
When Thomas Nelson made Robert J. Morgan’s Then Sings My Soul book available for review, I requested it right away. Leafing through the pages drove me back to my childhood days. In 1985, as a 9 year old child, to be exact. When I accepted Jesus Christ in my heart as my personal Lord and Savior. These were the first worship songs I sang to my Savior and as young as I was, I already knew it was Him I was singing to.
the jagged edged paper, gives the book a classic feel
It was last week of October when I got an email from best-selling author Anthony DeStefano, asking if I was willing to look at his newest book, “Little Star.” And with a little reader for a son, I figured a Christmas book should be a good addition to my five year old son’s growing collection of books.
As it turns out, Anthony DeStefano’s Little Star is not your ordinary Christmas Story book for kids. As opposed to all other stories about Christmas for children being told the same way, Little Star is a refreshing change. Not that there is anything wrong with the story we grew up with. It’s basically because the nativity account, this time, is being told from the perspective of the stars. The book was beautifully illustrated by Mark Elloitt, who did a good job at giving life to the characters. My son really got hooked and we were moved as we went along.
Our little guy was more thrilled than I was when this package came in the mail today. He also did not waste a second. He read on as he placed his Childcraft book aside. I will post a review of the Little Star soon. Thanks to Anthony DeStefano who contacted me himself last month and offered to give us a free copy of his season appropriate book. I browsed through the pages and I already love the illustrations!
My husband and I watched The Way Home movie last weekend. It is based on a true story, starring Dean Cain (Lois & Clark) as Randy Simpkins, a husband and father torn between the demands of his job and commitment to his family. Asked by his wife Christal to wach their 2 year old son Joe for a few minutes and Randy is distracted by work and Joe disappears.
The hubby received this book for review from Thomas Nelson – Your Money God’s Way by Amie Streater.
The book does not only have a very good and interesting title, it is also very apt for the lifestyle our generation has today. Read the rest of this entry »
Outlive Your Life by Max Lucado instantly drew me amongst the list of available books for review from the library of Thomas Nelson. Who does not want to outlive his life anyway? I know I want to do mine. It got even more interesting as I stack the pillows behind me and lay myself to indulge in reading the book.
Outlive Your Life, You Were Made to Make a Difference is exactly the book I thought it was going to be. It basically challenges the reader to make a difference in the way we live that does not make you feel that it is such a daunting task. When statistics about poverty were mentioned in the first few pages, which I already knew of, I honestly thought I was out to get frustrated as I read on. But I did not. Because it segued perfectly in its primary focus which was relationships. This book totally reaffirms the things that my husband and I choose, in the ministry, even as we disciple our son in the knowledge of Christ. It encouraged my heart to just keep on.
Each chapter of this book seems to stand alone. This can be an advantage for those who would love to just pick any chapter and learn from it anyway. But I know of readers who would love continuity and focus, which I honestly think, this book does not lack despite this kind of format. I love the way Max Lucado effectively sent the challenge of having our faith impact our relationships without overwhelming the reader, which can happen in some books with the same theme. 5 stars for Max Lucado’s Outlive Your Life.
Disclosure:I received this book from Thomas Nelson Publishing for review purposes. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
