DVD Review: A Bug Collection DVD Box Set (Vol. 1)

This is where it all began! The first three DVDs from the best-loved Max Lucado’s Hermie & Friends® series!!
Hermie, a Common Caterpillar—its all about being special.
Flo, the Lyin’ Fly—its all about telling the truth.
Webster, the Scaredy Spider—its all about being brave.

We own another DVD from the Hermie & Friends series, so I knew that Justice and I would likely enjoy the A Bug Collection DVD set with three more stories, and I was right! While my son Justice is just 3 years old, he is beginning to understand emotional and spiritual things in a greater way and these DVDs were a great way to introduce some important subjects.

He has dabbled with lying to us and we are trying to teach him about the difference between telling a lie and telling the truth, so the video about Flo, the Lyin’ Fly was a great story to help us with this important lesson!

And while my son sometimes seems fearless to the point that it scares me, the video about Webster, the Scaredy Spider is a great story about conquering our fears and trusting in God.

But I have to say that our favorite one was Hermie, a Common Caterpillar which teaches us about how God creates all of us unique and special in our own way. It seemed that this one impacted Justice the most as well, since afterwards he kept telling me that “God made me special”.

I would definitely recommend any of these videos from the Hermie & Friends series – they are well made with fun characters that the kids like and they teach valuable Biblical lessons.

This DVD set was provided to me by Booksneeze.com at no cost for my honest and unbiased review.

Book Review: Love Amid the Ashes by Mesu Andrews

An epic story of love and forgiveness, suffering and restoration

When her beloved grandfather Isaac dies, Dinah must follow his final command: travel to Job’s household to marry his son. After Job’s world comes crashing down, Dinah finds herself drawn to this great man brought low. What will she risk to fight for his survival?

Mesu Andrews weaves an emotional and stirring account of Job and Dinah. Love Amid the Ashes breathes life, romance, and passion into the classic biblical story of suffering and steadfast faith.

I was looking forward to reading a Biblical fiction account of Job in this book Love Amid the Ashes by Mesu Andrews, though I was immediately skeptical of the author’s choice to set Job in the time of Jacob and Esau. I had at one point been told in Bible school that Job likely lived before Abraham, so at first this was a hang up for me, but then at the end of the book, there is an Author’s Note where Andrews explains her research and her choice to put Job in this point on the timeline. If something like this might trip you up as well, I might recommend reading her Author’s Note first, as it was helpful to explain where she was coming from, but there is a plot spoiler, just to warn you.

All that aside, it was an excellent story and was fabulously written. The characters were well thought out and her creativity combined with extensive Biblical and historical research really helped bring the story of Job to life. She introduces many interesting elements and relational dynamics that I had never considered when reading Job’s story in the Bible that gave new meaning to his suffering and his relationship with God. Though it is nearly impossible to imagine enduring the type of pain that Job experienced, his story and his faith continues to be an inspiration and an encouragement to all of us as we faced our own trials. Weaving Job’s story together with Dinah’s adds another thread of redemption and love, as she was a woman with a shameful past who had experienced her own tragic loss. Though I may have ultimately chosen a different ending to this story, it was still very enjoyable and I would recommend it.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Book Review: Angel Sister by Ann H. Gabhart

I LOVED Angel Sister by Ann H. Habhart! It is not often that I find a fiction book that I really enjoy, but this was one of them. The characters were believable and ones you could relate to. I was drawn in by their stories and their struggles, finding myself feeling their pain and caring about what happened in their lives. It was a book that was able to make me both laugh and cry, which is a rare pleasure.

As the characters endured trials such as poverty, loss, war, addiction, and just plain difficult people who are hard to love, I was able to even learn from them as they sought to lean upon God for strength and grace in their times of greatest need. I really don’t think there is too much else I can say except that I would highly recommend this book – it was a very enjoyable read! And though I have not read any other books by Gabhart, I heard from a friend that her other stories are just as delightful, so I am definitely curious to check them out.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Book Review: Bonhoeffer by Eric Metaxas

This time around, I gave my husband Joe the opportunity to review a book for my blog, since I knew the subject would be right up his alley!    Here are his thoughts on the book “Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy” by Eric Metaxas.

This book was a biography chronicling the life and message of Dietrich Bonhoeffer from his childhood to his execution.  Bonhoeffer lived in Germany during the second World War and the story details his transformation from a theologian to a pastor to a conspirator against Hitler and the Nazi regime, as well as the inner and outer turmoil that he endured as he struggled to figure out God’s will in a time of godlessness in his country.

I thought that the information was very clear and at the end of the biography, I felt like a had a good understanding of the life and thoughts of Dietrich Bonhoeffer.  The author made a great effort to include multiple excerpts from letters and historical documents to support the telling of the story, which was very informative, but which at times felt excessive and more detail than was perhaps necessary.  I didn’t find the book deeply riveting and it was sometimes difficult to continue to plow through, but because of my interest in World War 2 and the compelling nature of Bonhoeffer’s journey, it is still a very interesting read.  If the author was seeking to be thorough in this telling of Bonhoeffer’s life, he was definitely successful, but it may have been more compelling had it been more concise and fast-paced.

I was deeply impacted by the insights I gained from understanding the Church’s struggle in Germany leading up to and through World War 2.  As a theologian, Bonhoeffer’s Biblical revelation and his stand on various issues, including his thoughts on what the role of the Church should be in the midst of an evil governmental regime, were very thought-provoking and probably ahead of his time.  It was sobering to see the parallels between that era and the day we live in today and the necessity for the Church to be deeply founded in prayer and operating in power.  I would recommend this book because of the detailed knowledge of living in a time of war and Church persecution from the perspective of a Christian leader that would be difficult to find elsewhere. 

Book has been provided courtesy of Thomas Nelson and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available now at your favourite bookseller.

Book Review: 66 Love Letters by Dr. Larry Crabb

Book Description
Written in a conversational first person, as if God is speaking directly to us, Dr. Crabb looks at each individual book in scripture and boils it down to a one- or two-sentence message to us from that particular book. He then unpacks each sentence in a short chapter answering the question, What does God want me to hear from this love letter? The book’s epilogue then fits all sixty-six pieces of the jigsaw puzzle together into one coherent paragraph and reveals the beautiful picture of what God has been about since the creation of the world. Far from being comprehensive, this is a personal approach to helping readers know God and his great love for them, his message for all mankind, and how their lives fit into His larger story.

I have been reading Dr. Larry Crabb’s book 66 Love Lettersfor the last several months – not because it was unenjoyable or boring, but because it was thought-provoking, heart-stirring, and just plain thick!  Plus, I got derailed for 3 months when I decided to read through the Bible in 90 days.    This is not a quick or an easy read, but I think its message is one that is necessary for the current culture to hear – both inside and outside of the church.  In a day and age where we expect and even demand that God bless us, prosper us, and make our lives happier and better, it is not common to hear a voice pipe up and say that God is ultimately more interested in making us holy and committed to fulfilling His plans – not ours!

I’ll admit that reading this book felt a little heavy at times, as the author highlights God’s messages to us from the Bible that speak to our sin and selfishness, but sometimes you have to shout to be heard and I think the repetition of these themes are a good reminder to us of the iniquity within us that we’d sometimes rather ignore.  While this book may feel extreme on the side of expecting pain and suffering in our walk as believers, I think the author’s message needed to be so strong in order to break through our culture’s message of “me, me, me – now, now, now”.  Ultimately, God’s plan and His purposes for us are absolutely and 100% to bless us, prosper us and make our lives happier and better, but He will do it on His terms and in His way and in His timing!  Sometimes, in order for Him to be able to give us the things we long for and are asking for, it requires a deep work in our hearts that is often accomplished through painful circumstances, but which are ultimately for our good and which are achieving His greater purpose of making us holy.

I would highly recommend this book as a fresh approach to interpreting the overall story that the Bible is telling us and what God is desiring to speak to us in His love letters.  I think this book is written in a very approachable, easy to understand way that could appeal to those who are unfamiliar with the Bible and who might like the conversational style between the author and God.  At the same time, it has truths that are far beyond being introductory or beginner and there is much depth for the mature believer.  At times, I found the parts where the author is speaking to God less enjoyable, simply because I could not always relate to his personal struggles or questions, but I usually really enjoyed reading God’s response, feeling that the things written resonated with my heart and were confirmed by the Holy Spirit. 

If you get this book, plan to give yourself a lot of time to read through it at a nice, slow pace, giving yourself time to enter into the conversation yourself and see what God is saying to you personally through His 66 Love Letters.  While not everyone would have the time to do this, it would probably really add to the benefit of the experience to actually read each book of the Bible in conjunction with the chapters in this book.  While I believe this book was written to attempt to show a consistent flow of thought as it tells the story from beginning to end, I found that it could not be read as a novel and that each chapter had a distinctly unique message to be digested on its own.  Take the time to ask your own questions and listen to hear God’s answers – that is truly what He wants as we read His Word!

Book provided by BookSneeze – I was not obligated to give a positive review.

Book Review: Masquerade by Nancy Moser

From the Jacket…

1886. Charlotte Gleason embarks from England with conflicting emotions. She is headed for New York to marry one of America’s wealthiest heirs – a man she has never even met. When her doubts gain the upper hand, she swaps identities with her maid, Dora. But what begins as the whim of a spoiled rich girl becomes a test of survival beyond her blackest nightmare. For Dora, it’s the chance of a lifetime. She is thrust into a fairy tale amid ball gowns and lavish mansions, yet is tormented by the possibility of discovery – and humiliation. And what of the man who believes she is indeed his intended? Is this what her heart truly longs for?

While I usually enjoy a nice easy-read romance novel, I found that Masquerade by Nancy Moser left me wanting something more.  These two young women switch identities in an attempt to find love and adventure, but their youthful selfish outlook and somewhat shallow personalities made them difficult to like as characters.  Now, over time, they did grow in maturity through the circumstances they encountered and they were open to the direction and work of God in their hearts, yet I wish these areas would have been further explored in the story.  I particularly enjoyed a thread in the story where Charlotte Gleason is exposed to issues of poverty and social justice, and I found myself really being touched by this aspect of her journey, but I think I would have enjoyed it even more if this had been a larger focus, since it added depth and emotional impact.

As for the girls’ romantic endeavors, I think the historical setting makes the development of the relationships difficult to relate to, as courting and marriage were approached so differently in those days.  The important decisions about love and marriage seemed to happen based on emotion and infatuation, more than on God’s leading or on discovering a person’s heart over time.  Again, this is probably largely due to the culture of that era, but it made the romance portion of the story less enjoyable for me.  In the end, I think there were several ideas in this novel that were really good or had a lot of potential to be developed, and I still found the story entertaining to read, but I wouldn’t list it among my favorites.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.  Available now at your favorite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Book Review: Sacred Parenting by Gary Thomas

A friend of mine lent me their copy of Gary Thomas’s book Sacred Parenting several months ago and I finally finished it!  It didn’t take me this long to read because it was unenjoyable - on the contrary, it was so full of depth and rich words that I needed the extra time to chew on what he wrote.  In fact, now that I’m done, I think I’m going to read it again and perhaps write some further posts on how this book spoke to me personally on the subject of “How Raising Children Shapes Our Souls”.  Seriously, if you have ever thought that you might want to have children, if you are married and considering having kids, if you are currently pregnant, or if you already have children, I would absolutely and totally recommend this book!  In fact, go out and buy it right now – for real!  This book has really encouraged and challenged me as a mother and many of the author’s points struck home for me.  I’m now asking myself a lot of questions…

How is God making me holy through parenting?

Am I allowing my kids to experience challenges and pain for their own spiritual good?

How do I deal with mommy guilt and my failures as a parent?

Am I listening to the Holy Spirit for His guidance as I mother my kids?  How can I take advantage of the benefits of prayer as well as enter into my responsibility and calling to pray for my kids? 

Do I find great joy in parenting my kids?  How can I enter into greater levels of joy as a mom?

God, how do I deal with anger when my kids are driving me to the point of boiling, burning rage?

How can I look past the mundane, the puke and poop, the temper tantrums, and see the eternal glory and rewards on the other side?

How can I learn to embrace the challenges and trials of parenting, knowing that it is producing in me great perseverance? 

What truly matters in the things I give myself to daily?  What kind of spiritual inheritance am I leaving for my kids?

What characteristics, good and bad, am I reproducing in my kids?  What areas do I want to change so that my kids don’t have to suffer from the same character flaws that I do?

What am I willing to sacrifice for my children’s benefit?  And can I sacrifice these things joyfully, without holding it against them? 

Can I trust God with my children’s lives?  Can I trust God with their next breath, with their future, their destiny, and even the possibilty of my own death?

Wow.  I know that’s a lot.  There’s a lot to think about and pray about.  I can get a little overwhelmed at times, feeling like I am so inadequate as a mom and like there are SO many areas that God needs to work on in me, but in the end, I am left feeling encouraged that God knows exactly what He is doing and that He has designed my parenting journey perfectly, just for me!  My kids have been handpicked by God and lovingly placed into our family so that we can be made holy.  As the author says to close his book, “Being a parent is a sacred calling”.

Book Review: Abigail by Jill Eileen Smith

I recently had the opportunity to review the book “Abigail” by Jill Eileen Smith, which is the second book in the series “The Wives of King David”.  This book follows the Biblical story of Abigail who was married to a foolish man named Nabal and became the third wife to David after Nabal died.  It begins at the time when David was fleeing for his life from King Saul and continues until he becomes King over both Judah and Israel, uniting the conflicting tribes, meanwhile acquiring four more wives in the process. Understandably, it centers around Abigail’s struggle with sharing the man she loves.

The first thing I really appreciated about this novel was Smith’s obvious effort to accurately portray the time period and the culture of the Israelites.  I felt like I was getting a closer, more intimate look into the lives of the characters and how this story could have potentially played out.  It is often difficult for us to imagine what it may have been like to live in that day and age, but I found myself intrigued and drawn in by Smith’s description of what it was like for David and Abigail in the difficult years of running and hiding, followed by the years of success and the fulfillment of God’s promise to David that he would be king. 

Another thing I enjoyed about this book was how Smith took the limited amount of detail that the Bible provides about Abigail and used her creativity to bring her to life.  This woman who was described as having wisdom, beauty, intelligence, discernment, and a heart after God became real and relatable as the story took us into her personal struggles and weaknesses as a woman who wrestled with being one wife of many.  Similarly, David who is so easy to put on a pedastal as a picture of perfection is revealed as having his own struggles with the burden of responsibility as the leader over a divided and disgruntled people, the difficulties of balancing his roles as a husband and father, along with his desire to pursue God wholeheartedly.

Smith succeeded in capturing my attention with her intriguing storytelling, yet I did find my interest waning towards the end as I waited for her to bring resolution to the story’s conflicts.  Also, since Abigail’s primary struggle was with jealousy of the other wives, the subject of which wife would succeed in gaining access to David’s bed became an overriding theme that I probably wish didn’t have to be so dominant.  It was perhaps unavoidable, since that was reality for them, and I believe Smith was tasteful in her writing about it, but it unfortunately made for a slightly less enjoyable read for me personally.

Overall though, I found this book to be well-written, challenging, and it definitely piqued my curiosity about the other books in Smith’s series on the wives of King David.

Book is courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.  Available at your favourite bookseller.

What I’m Reading…

So, I have a really bad habit of starting a book, but then not finishing it and moving on to another book.  I kind of like having several books on the go at the same time, but I really need to actually finish them!  I thought I would tell you all what I’m currently reading and then maybe that’ll motivate me to keep at it and perhaps write some reviews on these books to let you know what I thought of them.

Mourning for the Bridegroom – Dana Candler
I just finished this book and it was really good!  It has definitely challenged me in how much I claim to love Jesus, since one measure of a person’s love is how much they miss you when you’re gone.  So how much do I truly miss and long for Jesus in his absence from the earth?

Spiritual Authority – Watchman Nee
So far, this book is totally kicking me in the butt.  It’s all about how submitting to and honoring authority is directly connected to submitting to and honoring God, who is the Ultimate Authority and has set all authority in place.

Sacred Parenting – Gary Thomas
So far I think this book would be great for anyone considering having children, as it tells you about how God uses parenting to form and shape our character.  I’m really enjoying it and there are definitely things that are touching my heart and that I can totally identify with.

Hosting the Holy Spirit – Ché Ahn (General Editor) and 11 other authors
I’ve had this book on my shelf for years and had never even really looked at it. But when a spiritual awakening came to the International House of Prayer, I decided it would be a good idea to discover how I can personally position my heart to host a move of the Holy Spirit. 

Once I manage to finish these books, here are some more on my shelf, waiting to be read next!

1. The First Judgment – Wendy Alec
2. The Culture of the Kingdom – Billy Humphrey
3. Book of Revelation Study Guide – notes by Mike Bickle
4. Until He Comes – Billy Humphrey
5. Babylon – Peter Herder with Benji Nolot

What books are you reading or would you like to read?

Book Review: Love & Respect by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs

I recently had the opportunity (through BookSneeze.com) to review the book “Love & Respect” by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs, and coincidentally was also able to watch the 5 Disc Conference DVD set at the same time. My husband and I started reading the book together, but then found it much easier and less time-consuming to watch the DVDs. I finished reading the book on my own and found it interesting to then compare the book with the DVDs.

First of all, the book and DVDs introduce couples to the idea of “unconditional love and respect” from the verse Ephesians 5:33 which says, “However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.” As Eggerichs expanded on this idea, I was totally convicted by the Holy Spirit in areas where I had not been showing my husband the respect that he needs as a man. It was a new revelation to see how God had created and designed my husband to need this respect in a completely unique way from the way He created me to need love. This was followed by some fantastic teaching on how we can make our spouse feel loved/respected and the different ways we communicate and interpret our worlds based on our unique pink/blue lenses. It was really great to discover that we have different needs and that we’re not wrong to feel the way we do – we’re just different!

My eyes were opened to see the ways I was being disrespectful to my husband and it equipped me with ideas on how I can really build him up and be the helpmate God intended me to be through my respectful behavior towards him. On the other hand, I have also already been reaping the benefits of increased acts of love from my husband, which is certainly a bonus! We are both recognizing more quickly when we have gotten on the “Crazy Cycle”, as Eggerichs calls it, and how to work through those conflicts and get on the “Energizing Cycle”. (You can read the book for yourself to find out what those are all about!) We were also both really pleased with how the teaching series ended with focusing on the importance of making Jesus the focus and center of this message, since ultimately, the way we love and respect our spouse is directly related to our love and reverence for Christ.

I would absolutely recommend this book and/or DVD series to any engaged, married, separated, or divorced couple who wants to either build a great foundation for starting their marriage, improve upon a good marriage, or repair a badly damaged marriage. (I also know some single people who’ve really enjoyed this teaching, so it seems I could recommend it to just about everyone!) The many testimonies from couples that Eggerichs shares are proof that getting this revelation of what the Bible says about unconditional love and respect can radically change our marriages for the better! And while my husband and I found areas where we do not fit the typical mold of how most men and women communicate or react, we were still able to discover how to apply the principles to our relationship and the conversations we had while watching the DVDs were probably the highlight of it all!

As for the comparison between the book and the DVD series, I would say that I enjoyed the DVD series more because Eggerichs is a dynamic and humorous communicator in a way that doesn’t come through quite as well in the written form. But I am also really glad I have the book, because it allows me to go back easily to reference points I want to review. The content between them is virtually identical, but I’d say there’s more detail in the book as well, which you may benefit from if you’ve only seen the DVDs. For more info, you can also visit their website at www.loveandrespect.com.

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