Forever Beloved

Faith, Love & Truth

bathsheba bathed in grace {book review}

BATHSHEBA Bathed in Grace
How 8 Scandalous Women Changed the World

By Carol Cook

the description on the back of the book reads:

Adultery, lies, deception, scandal, murder, cover-up, heartache, pain, and loss—stories with these sordid elements are relevant today. And women with shady pasts—labeled, shamed, and linked with tragedies—are part of our heritage. Bathsheba, a victim or temptress, Eve outside of Eden, Tamar posed as a prostitute, Leah stole her sister Rachel’s fiancé…Sarah gave Hagar to her husband and Rebekah masterminded a grave deception. How well do you really know the women of the Bible?

i love this book!  again, i absolutely LOVED this book!    i loved how this book was written from the perspective of the women.  it seriously kept my attention from beginning to end.  and i was kinda sad when each story ended, i wanted to keep reading.

i think the thing i loved most about this book was seeing how God can take a woman the rest of the world might view as scandalous and use her for His glory!  God thought so much of each of these 8 women that He put their stories in the Bible.  think about that for a minute.  sarah had her husband sleep with hagar to produce a son, yet God went on to honor His blessing to her AND put her story is the most amazing book ever!  i loved reading of the faith these women had and about their own personal relationship with God.

i would highly highly recommended this book to every single one of ya’all.  it will definitely hold your attention and entertain you.  it has strengthened my faith to delve into these deep parts of their lives.  and it amazed me to see that the women of the Bible that i’ve always looked at as strong pillars also had doubts, jealousy and fears and that they dealt with the same day to day issues and you and i do.

this book was provided to me free of charge by booksneeze.com in return for my honest review. the opinions i have expressed are my own.

out for now
~kisses

prayer warrior mom {book review}

Prayer Warrior Mom
Covering Your Kids with God’s Blessings and Protection
By Marla Alupoaicei

i was so super excited when i read the description of this book. i knew straight away that it was one i just had to read. having two teenage littles of my own, i crave being a prayer warrior mama.

the description on the back of the book reads:

Moms, are you struggling with patience? Worrying about your children’s spiritual development? Concerned about their social or behavioral issues? Wondering how to get it all done when there’s just never enough time?

Today’s Christian moms want to be prayer warriors, standing in the gap for their kids.  But many  mothers haven’t been equipped with the prayer skills, scriptural knowledge, and practical strategies needed to fight the spiritual battle.

“The only real power we have on earth is the power of prayer.  Our potent prayers for our kids connect them with the reality of God and His will for their lives,” Marla says.

this book was absolutely amazing and not only met but exceeded, far exceeded, all my expectations of it.  i am a self-proclaimed “bad prayer”.  i know there isn’t such a thing, but i’ve always felt like one.  i know that God knows my heart and he hears my prayers before they even leave my lips.  i just feel like a times i stumble through them, not quite knowing what to say.  this book has helped me more than i could have ever dreamed.
what is a prayer warrior mom?  being a prayer warrior mom means we release control to our Father and trust Him with every aspect of our children’s lives and well being.  that means giving Him our children’s future, even though our dreams for our kids might not align with His plan for them.  God longs to honor our prayers for our kids, isn’t that sooo comforting?
each chapter beings with an encouraging quote then dives into the subject.  it ends with a prayer, a few Bible verses relevant to the chapter (call the Sword of the Spirit) and small group discussion questions.  this book could oh-so-easily be used for a ladies Bible study or a moms group.  and the discussion questions would prompt some amazing, helpful discussions.  
i would recommend this book to every single mom.  all of ya’all, whether you are an experienced prayer veteran or new to the program.  this book will walk you through, step-by-step, how to stand in the gap for your children.  it’s an extremely well written book that was a joy to read, from front to back.
this book was provided to me free of charge by booksneeze.com in return for my honest review.  the opinions i have expressed are my own.

out for now
~kisses

no small change {book review}

No Small Change
by Charles E. Johns
when i read the book description, i was super excited to receive this book and start reading it.  
the description on the back of the book reads:

we often act as if God hides so well that signs of the divine presence are reserved for Hallelujah moments: burning bushes, transcendent music, sunsets, benign test results or rescue of one kind or another. this book contains tales of people, places and things that can either pass unnoticed or can become elemental moments to change the way we experience God. each of the stories illustrates a way in which the ordinary can open the door to an engagement with the divine. No Small Change is an invitation to pay attention to the grace that envelops us, God’s persistent presence which longs to be embraced.

when i read the first story, i was absolutely confused.  as i read through the whole book, i was equally disappointed in the content.  i thought the book was going to be a collection of stories involving other people and their encouraging experiences.  but this book was a collection of hard-to-read short stories of only the authors experiences.  it seemed like a collection of his stories, thoughts and life.  i was expecting a book full of inspiration and encouragement.  what i got instead was a book that couldn’t hold my attention for more than a few minutes.  
while i do think there are some amazing points made in this positive book, they didn’t really stick with me.  if you want to read a book about a Methodist Preacher and his experiences, this book is recommended.  but if you are looking for a book giving you encouraging experiences of different people about God (as i thought it was), this is not the book to read.  
i received this book free from the publisher through the BookCrash.com book review program, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive, review.  the opinions i have expressed are my own.

out for now
~kisses