A book review: Sheila Walsh

"Beautiful Things Happen When a Woman Trusts God", by Sheila Walsh, did not enlighten, inspire, encourage, or challenge me, as I was hoping it would. While it was hard to even finish this book, I did receive it for free in exchange for my review, so I did read it cover to cover. Overall, this book gets 2 stars. I know that sounds a little harsh, but her message missed me - big time.

The entire book is about trust. It's about her personal struggle with depression, how she went from a successful 700 Club TV co-host to being in a mental hospital, and basically her recovery afterward. I am a Christian woman, but I did not relate to her book much (if at all). Maybe we are at different levels in our faith, I don't know. I'd hate to say "Don't read this book", because it might help someone... but I'm not recommending it.

One excerpt from the book I can relate to: "..can you harbor a private trust in God - is it possible to be a secret disciple?" I think this is an important question, and honestly the one part in the book I would have liked to delve deeper into. If this were a Bible Study book, I think it would've gotten 3 stars. This is the type of book you want to sit down and discuss with others. A lot is left up to question, to talk about. Reading it alone, you don't get to go any deeper and I feel that is where her message was lost.

I think Sheila Walsh tried, I really do. I also think Sheila Walsh needs to hire a better editor (Hey, Sheila, I edit! Email me! *wink*).

I'd love to hear your opinion of the book. Maybe it was a great book and I just really didn't see it. Open my eyes, please. I'd love nothing more than to realize the book is great and I did not waste two evenings reading cover to cover, hoping for it to get better.

I received compensation (the book) for doing this review for Thomas Nelson Publishing. The opinions are honest (obviously) and solely mine.

I am giving this book to one lucky (?) woman -- visit our Facebook page and leave a comment on the post to be entered. If you like Sheila Walsh's books and writing style, you will most likely love this book. I have been told it's her best book so far.

Revolve 2010: A book review

Guy Tips, Girly Quizzes, Real Stories, Txt Tlk... everything you'd expect from a teen magazine, right? What more could you ask for?!

Well, I'm glad you asked, because that is what sets Revolve 2010 (NCV) apart from the other magazines on the market. Revolve 2010 is the complete New Testament, broken down into ways even a teen can understand. Not only will they understand, they won't want to put it down!

On some pages of this Biblezine, you will see cool "txt" Bible verses. Try "d Lord sez, Ill mke u ys & sh0 u whr 2 go, Ill guyd u & woch ovr u'//ps32:8" Ya got that, right? I bet your teen did. :)

The best feature in this zine? The "Truth or Dare" sections. They start out with a Bible verse, and then give the reader straight talk (the truth). Then, they give teens the dare, such as "Welcome someone on the outside into your group today. Eat lunch with a girl who doesn't have many friends, invite a new person to your weekend hangout, or get involved with a club outside of your normal group of friends." What a great example that all teens should follow.

Hollywood stars are also in this 281 page Biblezine! Most teens buy magazines for beauty and makeup tips (check!), embarrassing moments (check!), fitness tips (check!), quizzes (check!), and stars (check!). One star even talks about being a Christian in Hollywood.

I would definitely recommend Revolve 2010 to ANY parent of a teen girl. It will give them a definite reality check when it comes to boys, cliques, and other teen "drama". It will encourage them to stay faithful to God, the One who will never leave nor forsake them. Help them get grounded in their faith now, before they go off to college and don't have you as an every day influence in their lives.

"cre8 n me a pure hart, God, & mke my spirit ryt agn//ps51:10"

I received a copy of Revolve 2010 free for agreeing to post a review. This review is my honest opinion.

A book review

I've never written a book review, and quite frankly I'm usually bored with book reviews.. so I will keep mine short and sweet!

While My Sister Sleeps gets 4 out of 5 stars, for sure! It was a great book, a definite page turner. The only thing I didn't care for was the ending - it was expected and kind of boring. This is one of those "Lifetime movies" waiting to happen. I recommend it for the mushy types.

Rachael Ray Yum-o gets 4 out of 5 stars as well. It is a family cookbook, and has some GREAT recipes in it. Some of the ones that make you say "yum" include the Bottom-of-the-Box Breakfast Sundae (1/2 cup berries, 1/2 cup yogurt, 1/4 cup cereal from the bottom of the box.. layer in a parfait dish), Tortilla Scrambles (tortilla chips, eggs, cheddar cheese, and salsa), Jerk Chicken with Roasted Veggies, and the Peanut Butter and Jelly french toast (basically pb&j sandwiches dipped in egg mixture and cooked up like french toast, then sliced with syrup on top).

Some that made me go "What were they thinking?!" were the Tuna Salad Pinwheels, Fish tacos, Creamy Tuna with Tarragon and Egg Noodles, the Chicken-Eggplant Steak Roll-Up salad (really??) and the Penne-Wise Pumpkin Pasta.

A nice surprise that we might just try -- Pretzel-Crusted Chicken Fingers and Zucchini Sticks with Cheddar-Spicy Mustard Dipping Sauce!

The book is cute because there are recipes that readers contributed, plus it's full color and has LOTS of pictures. We could easily use at least half of the recipes in the entire book, which is unheard of in this picky icky household! Definitely recommend.

Not sure which of the 100 goals I should work towards first. I started organizing my craft stuff yesterday and made a little progress, but I don't have the energy to tackle the other two totes. I'm kind of bored with knitting. Considering adding "learn to crochet" to my list.. just because I know it's hard and will be an actual challenge. I did send out two more swaps today, so I guess that's a little progress. I worked on inchies a little bit, too. Hmm. Maybe a bag would be a good project to do next.

What do you think??