Book Review: A Woman's Guide to Reading the Bible in a Year

I have never read the entire Bible. I have read bits and pieces but there are books of the Bible that I honestly have never even read the first verse from. I know it is a sad thing to admit but it is the truth and it is also the reason that I wanted to read A Woman’s Guide to Reading the Bible in a Year. I figured that I could review the book and then continue to follow along and journey through reading my entire Bible in the span of only 365 days.

Needless to say, my plans did not match up with my reality and I realized that for a mother of three who works full-time and attends school full-time and who writes online articles and book reviews and who enjoys recreational reading and is involved in other activities, that reading the Bible in a year is probably not a good goal for me. Reading the Bible in, say, three years, may be a more realistic goal. 

With that all said, I suppose I should begin my actual review, huh? Well, this book has a beautiful cover and is a welcoming read, making you want to dive in and begin your study. The book is created to be a guide and also a journal to log your experiences as you read through your Bible. The book touts to be a good choice for individual and group study but after reviewing the book, I found that it would be better suited for group study although I do plan to use it for my own personal study as I attempt to read through my Bible at a slower pace.

I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

 

Adventures in Odyssey FREE podcasts!

Last week I posted about the ACTS challenge and the awesome giveaways that I will be participating in this summer but didn't have a chance to tell you about Adventures in Odyssey.

If you are unfamiliar with AIO, you are missing out. Adventures in Odyssey is a radio program for kids that teaches moral stories in a way that children will pay attention. The best part of all is that AIO is available for free in podcast form!

Just click here to head to the podcast page and start listening today!

Book Review: Candles in the Dark

 From the Reggae Priest to the Ghetto Priest, Father Richard Ho Lung's vocation has never been a boring one. He began his life in Jamaica, the son of two Chinese Buddhist immigrants. His parents later converted to Catholicism and, at the age of ten, Richard Ho Lung became a Catholic, too. He went on to become a priest, a list-topping pop music artist, and most importantly, the founder of the Missionaries of the Poor, a brotherhood that cares for the poorest of the poor in Jamaica and around the world. Fr. Ho Lung owns nothing yet his radiant smile proves that his work with the unwanted and unloved is all he needs to feel joyful in Christ.

Although Father Ho Lung has been referred to as a "male Mother Teresa", he considers his ministry different from the Missionaries of Charity. He wanted the brothers to build communities where the people cared for one another as opposed to Mother Teresa's ministry of caring for the sick and dying. He is also very adamant about evangelization, not shying away from telling people that they need to attend the Catholic Church.

Reading this book was tremendously inspirational to me. I have a special place in my heart for children with special needs so reading the stories about Father Ho Lung and the work he does with the handicapped children really touched my heart. Also, the humility of Father Ho Lung is inspirational as well. The Missionaries of the Poor own nothing. Everything they have is brought to them through donations and everything they buy goes to those that they serve. This is an amazing story.

Candles in the Dark by Joseph Pierce is the second book I've read by this author and I must admit that I plan to purchase more of his books in the future. He has a way with words where, as the reader, I am reading an intellectual piece of literature but feel as if I am reading a novel. The words flow and everything makes sense to me. I not only recommend Candles in the Dark but I recommend that you check out other work by this author as well.

For more information about Father Richard Ho Lung and the Missionaries of the Poor , watch this wonderful hour-long interview with Father Mitch Pacwa:



I received this book free of charge in exchange for my honest review from Saint Benedict Press/ TAN books.

Summer of Service Launch Party Announcement

I am really excited to announce to my readers that I will be participating in the Summer of Service ACTS blog tour this summer! Each month this summer I will have something exciting to share with you directly from Adventures in Odyssey and I will be hosting two giveaways that you will not want to miss!

What is the ACTS challenge?

ACTS stands for A Call To Service and it is a challenge to encourage kids to act selflessly and start serving others. Participants can stop by a participating Christian bookstore and pick up a service log, or if you’re like me and live too far away from a participating location, you can download a free printable service log at the ACTS site! At the end of summer, kids can record and upload a short video telling how they serve and why they’d like to become an Adventures in Odyssey Ambassador.

Why should my family participate?

First, there are some awesome prizes: 100 winners will get the brand new AIO Album, and after online voting, 2 grand prize winners will get to travel on an exciting Good-Goers Mission Based Adventure trip to another country with a parent. The destination will be announced on  a live podcast May 22!

Secondly and most importantly, serving is one of the most important things we can do as Christians and it is something we need to instill in our children at an early age. We should take to heart the words of Pope Francis in his homily on April 21, 2013: “Keep always before your eyes the example of the Good Shepherd who came not to be served but to serve, and to seek out and save what was lost”. This ACTS challenge will be a great way to begin to reinforce the idea in our children this summer!

What can we do to get started?

 First, check and see if there is a participating Christian bookstore near you and get a service log or print one from home. Next, check out these awesome summer service ideas for kids to see if there's anything that motivates you to get started and listen to this free mp3 download, "The Business of Busyness". Finally, get out and get started! Don't forget to listen on May 22 to the live podcast for more information about the mystery destination and check back here often for some great giveaways and more service ideas!

Have a wonderful day!

Alicia

Book Review and Giveaway!! This Little Light of Mine

I’ve mentioned before that when I became a Catholic in 2006, I had no real religious foundation at all. I was completely new to “religion” in general so when I first became a Catholic mom, I immediately began searching for resources to help me to instill my new-found faith in my children. 

Since then I have found a few good resources but useful sources are still hard to come by. When I started reading This Little Light of Mine: Living the Beatitudes, I knew instantly that this small book was going to be placed on my shelf with my other Catholic parenting books for future reference. As a matter of fact, I am planning to use it this summer with my boys to continue their faith formation while religious ed classes are out.

The title of this book is a little deceiving. This book not only covers the beatitudes but also covers all of the Ten Commandments. Also, you may be thinking this book is only for families with young children but, in fact, this book can be used for families with children of all ages or no children at all! Each chapter covers the specified subject for the adult first, then for children, and then there is a “just live it” section for adults and children to get out and use the information gained in a practical way.

This little book is jam-packed with information and ideas. I love that it is small and only takes a few minutes to complete a chapter, making it perfect for family use since children hate to sit still for too long. The practical ideas at the end of the chapters are perfect for my kinesthetic boys, two of whom have ADHD and learn better by doing.

 I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in simple ways of increasing their faith. Whether you are a mom of several children or a single woman with no children, this book is for you!

You can also win your very own copy of This Little Light of Mine: Living the Beatitudes by leaving your email address or Facebook address below! I will use random.org to choose a name on May 15!

Book Review: An Unholy Communion

I love a good mystery. Among my favorite mystery/suspense authors are Agatha Christie and Mary Higgins Clark because of their panache for placing twists in just the right spot so I never know who to suspect. There is something about ending a long day curled up with my light blanket and a good mystery that helps me to unwind from all the stress and to wrap my mind up in the make believe world inside the pages of the book I am reading and I am always on the lookout for a new great mystery/suspense author, especially one who writes wholesome fiction that is not riddled with sexual innuendos and foul language. In comes Donna Fletcher Crow.

An Unholy Communion is a Christian novel based on the Anglican religion and is set in Wales. The main character, Felicity, is an American country girl who is studying abroad and has a tendency to find herself involved in solving murders. This time, it is a Deliverance Minister who is visiting her college who finds his untimely death at her feet on Ascension morning. Although Felicity tries to flee from involvement, she finds herself mixed up in solving the murder along with her fiancé, Father Antony.

This book was truly a great mystery and had me guessing throughout the entire book. It was full of twists and turns and I learned a great deal of new information about the occult and spiritual warfare as well. The author most definitely did a lot of research and, although this book is a work of fiction, has included much fact in here so that it is not only a fun read but also a learning experience. I think this book would be a good choice for a teenager to adult because it is a clean and wholesome book. I highly recommend that you place this book on your summer reading list!

Links to visit:

Donna Fletcher Crow's Blog

I received this book free of charge in exchange for my honest review!  

Book Review: Rescuing Hope

This book sucked me in within the first few paragraphs with the engaging nature of the plot. The book continued along this path, making me want to keep reading to see what happens to the dear main character, fourteen year old, Hope Ellis. First Hope is abandoned by her father, then she is raped, and then she is sucked in by a smooth-talking pimp. It seems like all hope is gone for a girl like Hope but true love in Christ never ends and Hope finds this out. I wish the author could have taken a little more time on the ending so that it was not so clean and easy and maybe made the book a bit longer so that she could add more detail to the ending. Other than that, this book was first rate and one that all teenage girls need to read this summer!

After reading this book it is no surprise that the author, Susan Norris is an international speaker who helps teens and women find freedom in the area of sexual purity and has worked directly with victims of sex trafficking. This book was well written and some of the information presented could only be known by someone who has been on the inside or who has spoken with someone who has. Overall, this book is an inspirational look at what we can accomplish if we work together to eradicate the evil of sex trafficking beginning in our own country and moving throughout the world.

For More Information:

Susan Norris’ Site

Wellspring Living

Out of Darkness

Resolution Hope

Book Review: Lenten Reflections

I know I am super late posting this review considering that Lent has passed but I have had some personal issues and am running a little behind in my posting. Also, I had planned to try using this book as my Lenten devotional this year so that I could give the review from the perspective of someone who was attempting to actually put it into practice.

I must begin by admitting that I am a die-hard Scot Hahn fan. Before I entered into the fullness of the Catholic Church, I began attending a Bible study in our parish after Mass on Sundays and we studied “The Lamb’s Supper”. I was not only new to the Catholic faith but new to religion in general so it was a really deep study for me but totally eye opening and has made me a fan of Dr. Hahn’s work. I have never read A Father Who Keeps His Promises so I thought this book would be a great choice in that it would serve as my Lenten devotional and also give me a taste of a Dr. Hahn book I haven’t read.

The book begins with an Ash Wednesday reflection- there are no dates so this book can be used during any liturgical cycle- and it begins with an overview of God’s Master Plan. This is followed by the Creation story, moving all the way through the Bible to Easter Week covering the covenant between God and his Bride, the Church. Each chapter has a Bible verse, a reflection from the book A Father Who Keeps His Promises, a question to encourage further reflection, and a prayer. All of this can be read and accomplished within five minutes or extended into a Holy Hour depending on how the reader uses the information presented, making this book a great option for almost anyone.

Are you interested to know how I did with keeping up with my devotional this year? Well, last year I gave up something for Lent and also completed a devotional but didn’t do as well with the devotional as I would have liked. This year, on the other hand, I didn’t give up something, per se, but decided to read as much as I could from the Vatican II documents as possible during Lent. Trying to read all of that information and also keep up with a devotional was too much, especially when I ended up in the hospital for stress related symptoms and now found out that my dad has cancer. So, I will keep this book on my shelf and read it again next Lent, hopefully sticking with it better than I did this year!

This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Lenten Reflections. The Catholic Company is the best resource for all your seasonal needs such as First Communion gifts as well as ideas and gifts for the special papal Year of Faith.

Book Review: Lead Your Family Like Jesus

Lead Your Family Like Jesus by well-known authors Ken Blanchard, Phil Hodges, and Tricia Goyer is a roadmap for parents who are unsure where to go next in the Christian parenting journey. Whether your children are young or old, you have probably come to a point at one time or another where you wanted to throw your hands up in frustration because you just didn't know where to turn. Well, turn to Jesus.

Using the New Testament portrayal of Jesus as the model, the three authors each take their own perspective of the four most important parts of the ministry of Jesus- the Heart, the Head, the Hands, and the Habits. Ranging from a once-teenage single mom to a father of non-believing children, the authors make up the range of parents that represent real parents like me and you. They are not picture perfect models of faith, standing in a pulpit preaching down to the reader. They are like a friend, a father, a favorite preacher, offering encouragement and letting the reader know that they were once in the trenches too.

This book was a joy to read. I love that there were many anecdotes and there was a lot of new material presented. Some of the information was things that I already knew but wished that I could share with other parents (like not allowing your child to control you!) and now I have a great way to share that information- by gifting a copy of this book!

Each chapter has at least one pause and reflect section, making this book ideal for group study. I think this would be a perfect choice for a parents book club. There are also some practical suggestions that I began implementing immediately. I think that you should grab a copy of this book, especially if you are looking for some help in the parenting department!

Some useful links:
Lead your Family Like Jesus Website
Tyndale Rewards

Thank you to Litfuse Publicity and Tyndale Publishers for offering this book to me free of charge in exchange for my honest review!

Review: Band Angels

The Band Angels story is a simple one. Grandparents Tim and Tami West were comforting their four year old granddaughter who had juvenile diabetes one night when they started talking about how they wished there were a way to teach her about the Promises of God through the bandages that she repeatedly used. 

Now, we are blessed with the ability to share those very promises with our children through Band Angels!

Band Angels is a wonderful way to share God's word with children and also to comfort them when they are hurting. The little angels are adorable and the scripture verses are easy enough for children to memorize. These bandages also stick tightly to the skin so they do not fall off during regular play and routine hand washing but remove fairly painlessly. The quality is excellent!

I think that Band Angels should be added to your last-minute Easter basket gifts and are a definite must-have for those summer scrapes and cuts. Grab a box today!

Additional information:

http://www.bandangels.net 

www.facebook.com/bandangels

I was given a box of Band Angels free of charge in exchange for my honest review!