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 Anymore ingeniously 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.

The blessing goes beyond parent-child relationship. Its results spill over into our and our children’s every other relationship througout our lifetime. These are the five elements of The blessing:

1. Meaningful and appropriate touch
2. A spoken (or written) message
3. Attaching high value to the one being blessed
4. Picturing a special future for him or her
5. An active commitment to fulfill the blessing

You totally have to read the book to get a grasp of the principles behind each element. Needless to say, this is one of my highly recommended books on parenting. Even if you are not a parent, this will surely pull at your heartstrings and maybe have you understand yourself more. This, aside from the book’s challenge to impact one child’s life through “blessing” him/her.  This could even bring about reinforcement for families undergoing healing therapies (i.e. malibu rehab treatment center or other similar issues). This book will also benefit teachers, pastors, managers as well and every other person who wants access to a life of quality filled with real joy. Precisely the abundant life God has in mind for us to live.

Children who are left to fill in the blanks when it comes to what their parents think about them will often fail the test when it comes to feeling valuable and secure. Spoken and written words at least give the child an indication that he or she is worth of some attention.

I’m giving The Blessing by John Trent and Gary Smalley my highest recommendation.

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.

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.

Happy 4th Anniversary, MarriageAndBeyond.com!!!

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.

1st Prize:

1. The One Year Love Language Minute Devotional by Gary Chapman

My husband and I love this book that we bought another one to share to one of our readers. We use this when we have our devotional time together. That is, if we are not buried in other good books that we also read together and use as our devotional guide instead. The insights in this devotional are priceless! Here’s a peek…

2. A Mom After God’s Own Heart, 10 Ways to Love Your Children by Elizabeth George

I picked out this book because of its easy to implement principles that make parenting both enjoyable and effective. There is also “Heart Response” sections that are designed to help us apply the principles to our life. A very practical and straightforward book on parenting.

3. The New Testament Picture Bible (The Timeless Stories of The New Testament in Full Color)

This New Testament Picture Bible is an all time bestseller! The action images in comic book-style art make the Bible fun and easy to read for young readers. Your children will enjoy hours of reading fun while they grow spiritually by learning about Jesus, his disciples and what it means to follow Jesus.

4. Max Lucado’s Hermie & Friends’ Buzby, The Misbehaving Bee DVD

I was so thrilled to finally see this available locally that I bought one to include in this anniversary giveaway.  My son got the same DVD for his pasalubong from my Mom when she came home from America a couple of years back. Children will not just enjoy the video but also learn about value of following the rules and how a simple act of kindness changed Buzby’s heart and teach him that God’s rules are made to keep everyone safe.

5. 101 Ways to Spoil Your Wife by Ron Brown & 101 Ways to Spoil Your Husband by Tena Brown

Even after ten years of being married, we still, to this day, love to pamper each other. Jeff and I hope to share to our dear readers through these books things that we can do to make your spouse feel special. Easy to read books that we can apply right away.

A Peek of 101 Ways to Spoil Your Husband

A Peek of 101 Ways to Spoil Your Wife

6.  A Spanking Rod

We understand that spanking is a very controversial issue in parenting. We’re not taking that road of debating with fellow parents. Our resolve is in this, it won’t be in the Bible if there is no wisdom in it. Truth be told, a person who does not have a “relationship” with a child has NO RIGHT to spank.  Even parents should be given Guidelines on How to Spank.

2nd Prize:

A Whole Line of Neutrogena Fine Fairness Gift Pack worth P2,200+

Thanks to my beauty blog, KikayCorner.net, we can afford to give awesome prizes like this. Here’s my write up about the Neutrogena Fine Fairness range. Taking care of our family is no reason to settle to looking drab and flat.

3rd Prize:

$50 to the winner’s

We will be sending $50 to the winner’s PayPal ID.

4th Prize:

Sennheiser MX 400 Powerful Bass-Driven Stereo Sound Earphones

High performance dynamic speaker systems for powerful, bass-driven stereo sound optimized for MP3, iPod, iPhone and portable media devices.

Contest Mechanics:

1. Be a “Liker” of Marriage and Beyond on Facebook.
2. Write about the giveaway in your blog. Blog must be at least 3 months old. The post NEED NOT be lengthy. Just make sure the three (3) links below are included.
3. Include following links in your post to the url of Marriage and Beyond and our 2 other sponsors, Life as Experienced Daily and Church in Makati with their corresponding url.
4. Share this contest on your Facebook wall. To share, click on the Share button located at the bottom of this post. On Facebook’s status update box, tag Marriage and Beyond. Then post: “Marriage and Beyond is celebrating its 4th anniversary with fab giveaways to 4 winners. Including: books, dvd, $50, beauty package and Sennheiser earphones! Join now!” (To tag, type the “@” symbol then follow it with “Marriage and Beyond”, wait for the menu box to appear and select “Marriage and Beyond,”  then type in the rest of the required phrase).
5. When you’re done sharing on your Facebook wall, go to the comments section of this post and enter the following:

• Full Name
• Email Address
• Link of your blog post
• Link of your Facebook entry with your name and email address.

4. Contest is open to everyone who has a local (Philippine) address. Free Shipping.
5. One entry per person. Only those who follow the mechanics will be included in the raffle.
6. Contest ends on our 10th wedding anniversary December 8, 2011 at 11:59 PM.

As with our previous giveaways, we will be requiring the drawn winners to send us a scanned ID for verification. Let us do this to be fair with the rest of the contest joiners. The 4 Winners of MarriageAndBeyond.com’s 4th Anniversary Celebration will be raffled via random.org the week after contest ends.

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.

1. The Ownership Question: Is my dream really my dream?
2. The Clarity Question: Do I clearly see my dream?
3. The Reality Question: Am I depending on factors within my control to achieve my dream?
4. The Passion Question: Does my dream compel me to follow it?
5. The Pathway Question: Do I have a strategy to reach my dream?
6. The People Question: Have I included the people I need to realize my dream?
7. The Cost Question: Am I willing to pay the price for my dream?
8. The Tenacity Question: Am I moving closer to my dream?
9. The Fulfillment Question: Does working toward my dream bring satisfaction?
10. The Significance Question: Does my dream benefit others?

Here’s a snippet from the book, pages 260-261 from the e-book version uploaded in my iPhone.

Removing nonessentials from your daily routine will be a constant struggle, but it is worth fighting for. Why? Because most people who fail to reach their dream aren’t stopped because an insurmountable barrier confronted them. No, they often become worn out trying to carry too many things on their journey.  If you want to reach your dream, you need to let go of the things that don’t really matatter so that you can accomplish the things that really do.

Completely makes sense, right? I love that this book is NOTHING LIKE what we are all so exposed to nowadays – prosperity gospel. We are not being positive because of what new age motivational speakers would have us believe that “If you believe it, you can achieve it.” The phenomenon of this new age belief is all over the place. I even heard it once incorporated in a senior life insurance talk. The positivity pull of this book is to see the path that God has for us, which leads to prosperity in every aspect of our lives. The minute we wallow on negativity is the time that let go of the possibility that God will ever see us through. Put Your Dreams to the Test by John Maxwell is a highly recommended book!

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.

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.

My first impression of The Invisible World by Anthony DeStefano as I unwrapped the packaging, was that it has somehow something to do with Demonology – the study of demons.  Interesting. But I had to put it down since I was then busy working just so I won’t have to leave any job unfinished before we flew to Davao.

Now that I’m having a closer look, even as I am barely half of done, I love how this book attempts to uncover deep theological insights in a style of writing that’s easy to understand.  Although, Calvinists are sure to have issues over it. I think I already have a few I might point out in a review I am meaning to do of this book.  Watch out for that. Meanwhile, allow me to finish this in one of our Adirondack chairs. This book can be engaging. An easy read. The author’s presentation of Heaven and Hell, the devil and the demons are Biblically correct. But there are a few things that don’t have verses to support his claims.

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.

Velveteen Bible (New King James Version)

Jed’s favorite Picture Bible was a gift from his Tita Rose. He’s had it since he was around 5 months old. So you can just imagine its now already tattered state. We can also see that our son is ready for a “real” Bible because he has started to borrow his father’s every time he will go look for a verse.

The Velveteen Bible nestled in a cute treasure box

He has yet to memorize the proper sequence of the books of the Bible, but Jed already knows how to use the Table of Contents to look for a particular book and go to the exact chapter and verses from within.

“Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” Psalm 119:11

Christ’s speech in red text and a yearly reading plan towards the last pages

Thomas Nelson Bibles come with Lifetime Guarantee

Suggested guidelines for the care and use of your Bible.

• With the first use of your Bible, carefully open it by placing the spine of the Bible on a flat surface. Open both the front and back covers and, with light pressure, run your fingers up and down as close to the binding as possible. Continue this process by pulling back a few pages at a time as you work your way to the center of the Bible.

• If pages are stuck together carefully rub the pages between your thumb and index finger to release them.

• To protect the spine of your Bible, do not bend the cover backward around the spine. This can cause the pages to fall out and break the binding.

• To further protect the binding, do not carry bulletins, notes, pens, etc. inside the pages of your Bible as this can weaken the binding over time.

• The pages inside the Bible are generally thin. Therefore, it is best not to use highlighters or felttipped markers to take notes or underline passages. Despite the fact that these writing utensils are often marked as “no bleed through” they will still be visible on the other side of the page. It is best to use either a ball-point pen or pencil.

• Protect your Bible from excessive heat or direct sunlight. Prolonged exposure will lead to fading and/or curling of the pages. Also, keep your Bible away from moisture to prevent the page edges from peeling, streaking, or spotting.

• To clean your Bible, it is recommended that you use a lightly damp cloth. Do not use detergents or packaged Bible cleaning products.

• The best way to preserve the supple condition of your leather Bible is to handle it. The natural oils from your hand keep the leather from cracking or becoming stiff. If you decide to purchase a Bible cover, remember to remove it and handle the leather cover occasionally.

Our 6 year old son and his brand new Thomas Nelson Velveteen Bible

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.

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:

Mike Flynt played football for Permian High School in Odessa, Texas, where he helped start a winning tradition, inspiring Friday Night Lights. In 2007, at age 59, Mike received national attention by returning to his college alma mater, Sul Ross State University, to play his senior year, becoming the oldest contributing member of a college football team in NCAA history (he was 8 years older than his own coach).

In a nutshell, The Power Based Life is a book that inspires the reader to figure out what God has purposed for him to be and press on to work on his gifting to reach goals. What I love most about this book are the biblical truths and references that you cannot miss that are backed up with in Flynt’s claims. It is one thing to be encouraged to work towards a goal. It is another altogether when we know what we are pursuing is God-inspired.

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.

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

As Jerry Bridges talks about Devotion in the first few chapters of the book, he emphasizes the importance of having the proper motivation and how to arrive to that place. Each chapter thereon focuses on godly traits, namely: humility, contentment, thankfulness, joy, holiness, self-Control, faithfulness, peace, patience, gentleness, kindness, goodness and love. All these godly traits is not new to any of us. Even non-Christians are familiar with all these. But the lovely thing about this book is how Bridges is able to articulate the practical guidance on how we can develop that. It is downright amazing!

I so love this book that I am not only dropping the book I’m still not done reading about detoxification and natural diuretics. I am also soon to use this as a tool for my discipleship with the ladies in our church. My encouragement is for you to grab hold of it yourself. Use it as for study guide, Sunday school classes, small groups or discipleship lesson. It is anything but intimidating. The Practice of Godliness will do everything but force you to become godly against your will. It is so practical that I hope I could afford to give a copy to all my loved ones. I pray that The Practice of Godliness book is already locally available.

Disclosure: I received this book free from NavPress Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review.

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.

The book “Fasting” by Scot Mcknight inspired me right from the introduction where he mentioned about the fasting our early Christian fathers have practiced. To mention one, a writer about the Psalms, John Goldingay, tells about David on Psalm 35:13-14, “The psalm assumes that merely to feel sadness is not enough; because we are physical creatures and not just minds and spirits, it would be odd not to express sorrow in abstention from food and then afflicting one’s spirit and one’s self.”

Chapter after chapter, Mcknight reiterates the A–>B–>C Framework of fasting. It begins with A, the grievous sacred moment. That sacred moment generates a response, which is B (fasting). Only when the sacred moment is given its full power does the response of fasting generate the results, which is C. But not always. Simply put, fasting is a response to an encounter with God – whether it be of repentance from sin, a yearning for supplication or out of a grieving heart.

While I am no scholar to these things, as I went to read through the book, I have encountered examples of fasting brought about by a sacred moment, but not necessarily grievous. And while I do agree with the A–>B–>C framework that Mcknight shared, being not much of a fan of legalism, I am more compelled to believe that fasting should be a response to a sacred moment, God’s leading of a person to fast.

Allow me to close with what Scot Mcknight mentions in page 11:

Fasting is the body talking what the spirit yearns, what the soul longs for and what the mind knows to be true. It is body talk – not the body simply talking for the spirit, for the mind or for the soul in some symbolic way, but for the person, the whole person, to express himself completely. Fasting is one way you and I bring our entire selves into complete expression.

My encouragement is to make sure to have your Bible with to reconcile teachings as you read these kinds of books. Scot Mcknight’s book on Fasting is a thought provoking one and it sure has satisfied a lot of my questions pertaining to this particular spiritual discipline.

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.

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

Robert J. Morgan’s Then Sings My Soul will be a great Christmas gift for the hymn lover like my mom is. I really have to apply for a credit card

. So I could shop via Amazon soon. Lots of great books!

Aside from being a wonderful devotional companion, Then Sings My Soul offers a lot of fun facts and stories behind these hymns of faith.  I learned from this book that the hymn “When the Roll Is Called Up Yonder,” was inspired by disappointment. This is also the same song that comforted a group of traumatized children in the Japanese concentration camp in Chefoo, China.

I also learned that the tune to “Jesus Loves the Little Children” was written as a Civil War battle song and that Handel wrote the Messiah in twenty-three days. There are so many insights and fun facts included in this book. Then Sings My Soul by Robert J. Morgan can also be a wonderful devotional tool packed with Christmas,  Easter and All-Time Favorite hymn stories.

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.

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.

I totally get Pat Boone when he said that Little Star is destined to be a classic.  Watch Pat Boone in the above video clip as he reads Little Star to the children.

Reading this book again today reminds me of my husband’s preaching last Sunday in church (www.sbcmakati.org).  The message was about the star that God used. The message coinciding with the very message of Anthony DeStefano’s book. I was surprised when I listened to him that morning. I even had to ask him if he already read DeStefano’s book. He hasn’t. I was convinced that there is that invaluable lesson in the star that God used.

Last Sunday’s worship service’s message had three points.

1. Shine like the star.
2. Lead like the star.
3. Bring joy like the star.

Matthew 2:1-10

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi[a] from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”  When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.  When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born.  “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’” Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.” After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.

We encourage our readers to get hold of this book in time for Christmas. Your children are sure to love it. Our family loves Little Star by Anthony DeStefano!

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!

As much as he has read the book already, Jed says he misses the times that I used to read to him. So I’m now off to give in to his request now even as I tuck him for his afternoon nap. Then I will be off to do transcription jobs in between stomach fat burning research that I need to work on for a client. I will post a review on the book soon!

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 Way Home” comes in the tradition of “Fireproof” and “Facing the Giants.” Both of which are also Christian movies that are packed with hard truth. We might easily judge the characters of sub-standard acting, sure. But the message that is conveyed has so much truth in it that I found myself shedding a tear or two (okay, more) throughout the movie.

In a nutshell, the movie is about a family preparing for a vacation and a two year old son wandering off in the woods as his father got distracted, as he always is, with work. The community, then comes together to support the family by praying with them and gets to their feet as they combed through the woods.

The Way Home is a true story of pain, fear, hope, love and God’s way of waking us up to see what counts in a man’s life.

Disclosure: I received this DVD from Thomas Nelson Publishing for review purposes. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

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. It is so easy to go with the flow and get those stuff under the barcode scanner without much care. But it is very important for us not to be distracted. We have a son we are bringing up and we pray that we will be able to impart him values that he will take with him as he grows up.

Your Money God’s Way
Readers discover the seven “counterfeit convictions” that keep them broke and encounter proven plans and for getting out of debt, building wealth, and finding financial peace.

Money habits. Where do they come from? Can you pinpoint when you started shopping to feel better, why you can’t usher grown children into financial independence, or why saving for the future is a priority in theory but not in practice?

Amie Streater, associate pastor of financial stewardship for the 10,000-member New Life church in Colorado Springs, has been there. From her own experience, she knows what it’s like to look at an impossible pile of bills and a pile of toddlers wrestling in the next room. In Your Money God’s Way, empowered by her own incredible journey to financial freedom, she leads readers to the dream of mastering their finances. She also expertly uncovers seven “counterfeit convictions” Christians believe that hinder their personal finance success.

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.