Amazing Love by K. Dawn Byrd A Review

When Valentine's day was fast approaching, LOVE was in the air!

 I was looking for a good book about love. 

The title of this book, "Amazing Love", 

first caught my eye because I do believe in God's amazing love

 and it's one of our very favorite worship songs to sing any time of day!

"Amazing Love! How can it be? That You, my King, should die for me?
Amazing Love! I know it it's true! Now it's my joy to honor you, in all I do!"

(For your listening pleasure!)

But back to the book!

The cover was a little more intimate than the typical books I read, but the story intrigued me as it is presented as a modern day tale of the Bible's story of Hosea and Gomer.

I remembered bit and pieces about Hosea's story about how God told him to marry a prostitute and so I thought it might be an interesting read to see what a modern day interpretation might look like.

 I was not disappointed!

This book covers so many difficult topics including rape, incest, abortion, prostitution, all things I know nothing of but since I knew it was a Christian book I decided to keep reading.  It was easy to get drawn into the character of Dee, named after the Bible character Delilah, and really feel for her horrible past and her desire for the all American dream to be fulfilled.

This book is definitely for mature readers and may be a bit too edgy for some. Overall, though, it helped me to understand the Biblical story of Hosea and Gomer better as the character, Gabe, the local pastor wrestles with his feelings and learns the harsh truths that love is often painful and requires a sacrifice. A far cry from the "Valentine love", I was hoping for, but still a good read, nonetheless!

About the Author:

 K. Dawn Byrd is an author of inspirational novels in several genres, including, historical, suspense, romance, and young adult. Some of her favorite things are chocolate, cars, and her pets. Her hobbies include reading, writing, and riding down country roads in the passenger seat of her husband's Corvette Stingray. When asked why she writes, her response is, "For the simple joy of placing words on the page!"

Email: kdawnbyrd@yahoo.com

Blog: www.kdawnbyrd.blogspot.com

Twitter: kdawnbyrd

Pintirest: kdawnbyrd

Facebook: kdawnbyrd

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLtz_kGEFFk&feature=plcp

I received a free ebook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations. I am part of The CWA Review Crew.

A Little Faith Can Move A Mountain

"I've seen dreams that move the mountain,
Hope that doesn't ever end,
Even when the sky is falling.
I've seen miracles just happen,
Silent prayers get answered,
Broken hearts become brand new!
That's what faith can do!"

-Kutless

My oldest daughter, now seven, was picking out this tune on the piano this morning and it hit me again, SHE is my dream come true! I remember after my tubal reversal and suffering a miscarriage hearing this song by Kutless and it brought me so much more hope. I would work hard to raise the three amazing boys God had already blessed me with but I would not give up on my dream to have a daughter. I remember looking out at the White Mountains of New Hampshire as I drove my son to another baseball game.

     I was thinking about how this song tells us our faith can move mountains.

Well, I don't think my faith actually moved THIS mountain but it did overcome fear and doubt. The day God gifted me a precious baby girl I had prayed so hard for was a dream come true for me.

Every baby is a precious miracle and gift from God. Some gifts arrive, however, after a long walk in the desert of the unknown.

What dream has God placed in your heart that you have yet to see fulfilled? I believe if it is your dream and doesn't go against God's will, your dream is God's gift to you and only He will fulfill it when He knows you are ready to receive it! Often we are the ones standing in our own way of receiving the very thing we are longing for! 

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."
                                                                                                                                      Matthew 6:33

A God For All Seasons by Patti Tingen A Review

With Winter upon us I am pleased to know a few moms like me who love to read AND talk about the books they've read. We love to share books we have enjoyed that are shaping our lives! Winter in Maine is taking on new meaning for me...

BOOK CLUB SEASON!

We read fiction and non-fiction and learn and grow from each book chosen and discussed. Before our next book club meeting begins and since we are now in a new season of Winter, I was pleased to be chosen to review this book for CWA, A God For All Seasons by Patti Tingen.

Hope for all seasons. Encouragement for all times. Love from God for all year. “There is a time for everything, a season for every activity under heaven.” Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NLT) 

ISBN: 978-1621417705| List Price: $13.95|Format: Softcover | Page Count: 110

My Thoughts on this book:

I really loved this book. It is a quick read but jam-packed with wonderful words of wisdom from Patti as she shares her life's lessons in different seasons while weaving scripture though out.

The book begins in Winter with December and coincidentally that is right where I am at in the calendar month! What I liked about this book was it isn't just another book about the "seasons of life". As I read along with the author she not only describes the different seasons of life but she walks you through each MONTH of the seasons bringing hope and inspiring her readers to keep looking for God every day no matter what season He is bringing you through! In Winter's darkest days, "Hope, renew, and wait on the Lord". In the Spring she encourages the reader to "change, plant, and trust". In Summer, we should "give, celebrate, and rest". In Autumn, we should practice "harvest, believe, and thank".

I think this is a wonderful little book every woman should read to inspire and reflect on life, no matter what season they are experiencing right now!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtBpV4bVWag

About the author:

Patti Tingen is an award-winning author and speaker. She also serves as an elder at her church and is involved in various ministries including prayer and teaching. Patti’s nonfiction inspirational books have offered hope and encouragement to many. Her book, A God for All Seasons: Inspiration and Reflection for All Times, won the 2014 Readers’ Favorite Silver Medal for Christian Non-Fiction. Patti’s prayer is that her words of personal experience, humor and testimony will continue to bless and inspire others. Patti lives in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania with her husband Doug and their cat Braveheart. Please visit http://pattitingen-author.blogspot.com/ to learn more.

Patti's BLOG

A God for All Seasons at AMAZON

Follow Patti on TWITTER

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations. I am part of The CWA Review Crew.

When Chicks Hatch by Heather Randall A Review

ASIN: B00OZQP3OS| List Price: $2.99 kindle (on Amazon) or $10 print (on author website)|Format: Softcover or Kindle |

I write reviews for Christian Women Affiliate and when I saw that our very own Heather Randall, the CEO of the company was offering up her own book for review, I jumped at the chance to deviate from Day Planners and historical fiction to a good "chick book"! I was not disappointed!



"She had prayed for it in secret, exposing her loneliness only to God. She knew God had heard her, just as he’d heard every other prayer, whether it was a silent prayer from her heart or spoken out loud. Could it be that a door was opening and her life would soon be moving at a faster pace with love front and center?"

This is just one of the heart cries of the five women in this book who come to realize that life has ups and downs. No one is perfect. But there is a God who forgives and when we walk in God's amazing grace, we can find hope once we break free of our shells and cast our cares on Him.

In When Chicks Hatch we meet Nicky, who finds out her boss is having an affair. Sydney, a college student, who gets involved with a married man and lies about it and has to pay the consequences for her actions. Then there's Alexis who's marriage is falling apart and has no happy ending in sight. Alexis' sister, Kristen, a nurse, who has always had guy friends but has she pushed them all away leaving her to be alone the rest of her life? And don't forget the "princess", Jennifer who desires one thing that her husband hasn't been able to give her but maybe her friend can?

At first this book was a little hard to follow because of the five different story lines. But I quickly found it amusing as I learned to follow the lives of these five different women as their stories began to slowly intersect. I won't give away much but I was in tears near the end. The author has written this book so beautifully that you feel so much love for the characters that you wanted to hate in the beginning of the book. There are a lot of life lessons learned in this book. One of my favorite lines comes from the mother of Sydney, Mrs. Flannery.

“You'll learn. It takes time to kill the flesh, honey. It's kind of like those candles your father used to put on Mitchell's cake--the ones that relight when you think they're out. You've got to keep huffing and puffing and maybe even use the help of water before it's over, but eventually it's over, and that candle can't be lit even if you try
-Mrs. Flannery”
― Heather Randall, When Chicks Hatch

That line really drove home the lesson for me about how we don't change overnight. As much as we would love to see others make a 180 in their life or see a 180 in our own life, it takes time to see the results we want. Often God has a bigger plan and the answers to our prayers may not be at all what we were expecting!

If you like a fairly quick read and a good, clean, Christian, chick book, full of twists and turns and want a greater sense of how God works out every last detail of your own life for His greater purpose, you might want to pick up a copy of this book! Better yet, download a copy, now!

About the author:

Heather Randall began her writing career with baby steps, literally. In 2003 she started blogging about her mommy adventures and connecting with like-minded women online. During this time she was also preparing the final bits of a novel that had been written with pen and paper. A friend typed it all up properly for her and, at last, in 2011 When Chicks Hatch was published.

In 2013 He paved the way for her to purchase Christian Women Affiliate.

She now serves as the CEO of Christian Women Affiliate, LLC and all of its divisions including the CWA Radio Network and The CWA Review Crew. She especially enjoys serving fellow writers through her company. Heather still leaves time for God to fill her up with stories and she is currently working on a second novel.

Heather's hobbies include spending time with family, writing, reading, creating and trading mail art, homeschooling and blogging. Heather and her husband, four children, Mom, three cats, a dog, and a frog all reside in Oklahoma.


Website: http://www.heatherrandall.com/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeatherRandallBooks

Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/CWAreviewCrew/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeatherMRandall

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/pub/heather-randall/19/8bb/b61

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+HeatherRandallCWA/posts

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/heathermrandall/

Instagram: instagram.com/cwaheather

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11475687-when-chicks-hatch?ref=atw

I received a free Kindle download of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations. I am part of The CWA Review Crew.

A Cause To Be Thankful by Yolanda Shanks- BOOK REVIEW

Thankfulness. This is something I am trying to cultivate in the hearts of my children. With so many blessings in this world it can sometimes be hard to remember to give thanks to God and to the people who have blessed us. Using her own life as a suicide attempt survivor and through her healing process, Yolanda Shanks wrote this book to help others walk through the thankfulness process and to see that we really do have reason to reject living in ingratitude and discover a cause to be thankful.

This book is a fairly short read at only 110 pages but there is plenty of material to meditate and reflect on.While I would not use this book with my children as there are some very mature subject matters discussed such as a suicide attempt, I can definitely use many of the scripture passages and references in this book to help me in teaching my kids to live with a thankful heart toward God.
 This book is written with a suicide attempt survivor's heart in mind, but as Yolanda writes many of us may be able to remember a time when we felt lost and things seemed hopeless. Yolanda walks the reader through a study of thankfulness by first studying what thankfulness is and to whom are we to be thankful.  After studying what leprosy is and sharing her own personal testimony of her teenage mom experience and what led to her suicide attempt in chapter three, Yolanda dives into the heart of this book in chapter four and begins her in depth study of  the ten lepers and how they approached Jesus for healing and how only one of them came back to thank Jesus. She gives scripture references throughout the book and pauses often in the middle of the chapters to pray for the reader. She wraps the book up with a powerful message of salvation and help for the new believer in Christ. If you know someone who is hurting and feels lost and hopeless this might be a good book to either give to or study alongside them, for there truly is good reason and a cause to be thankful in Jesus Christ!

Yolanda Shanks

About the Author: Yolanda Shanks

Multi-published author, speaker, blogger, teacher, wife, grandmother—Yolanda Shanks wears many hats, but the one she most resonates with is her role as an advocate for living life to its fullest.

Shanks’ award-winning first book, Destined to Live, Despite Me, continues to be a source of hope for those battling effects from a prior suicide attempt. It garnered an enthusiastic Kirkus review, which stated the book was “a commendable guide for finding meaning after considering suicide.”

Her second book, Not Just a Hearer but a Doer (released June 2012) challenges the body of Christ to act upon scripture. In the Fall of 2012, she released a third project, entitled Destined to Live, Despite Me – A Cause to Be Thankful.

Check her website (www.YolandaShanks.com) for book events in your area and for weekly wisdom from this lover of life and committed Christ-follower.


From the back of the book, A Cause To Be Thankful,
"Have you ever considered how often we neglect expressing genuine gratitude?

The Bible gives an account of how Jesus healed ten lepers.

But only one returned to express thanks.

Using the Biblical story of the ten lepers as a reference, A Cause to Be Thankful by Yolanda Shanks will unpack the Biblical model for thankfulness, showing how a spirit of entitlement has overshadowed our spirit of thanks. In this straightforward and challenging book, you will not only learn how to return as the one leper who expressed gratitude, but you’ll come away with a clear plan for including consistent and genuine thanks in your prayer life and day-to-day encounters."

ISBN: 978-0985361600 | List Price: $12.95 | Format: Hard Copy | Page Count: 110


Follow Yolanda on Twitter:
Follow Yolanda on Facebook:


I received a free copy of this book to review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations. I am part of The CWA Review Crew.

On A Quest For Christ Review

 

"Understanding your personal journey opens a door to new spiritual growth. "On a Quest for Christ," a 30-day devotional, will help you trace your steps from the first whispers of faith to resting in God's arms. Gentle questions guide the telling of your story while prayers and comforting scripture enrich your reflections. The "Christ Quest Time Map" helps you see the path ahead as you look back on your journey. Experience healing and hope as you deepen your spiritual self-awareness and find Christ at critical points in your life.

Lisa Are Wulf is a fresh voice with a pure and transparent heart. "On a Quest for Christ" invites you into her own journey with personal vignettes to guide you in tracing your spiritual path. Let her lead you to places along the way where Christ was at work in your life. As she says, "Your spiritual story is significant. Who you are makes a difference. The impact of your life is incalculable."

About the author:

As a ministry leader and Fuller Seminary graduate, Lisa Aré Wulf has a gift for creative communication that touches hearts and transforms lives.

A mid-life convert to Christ, Lisa's articles have appeared in dozens of Christian publications. She has spoken to women's groups and churches across the country.

Before entering the ministry, Lisa served eight years on the Colorado Springs City Council. She is also a retired CPA, a former radio talk show host, an accounting professor, and was a violinist.

She and her husband, Calvin, have four children and are happy empty-nesters. They currently reside in Colorado.

My thoughts:

I really liked the set up of this book. It opens with, "Whether you know it or not, you're on a quest....What is a quest? It is simply a journey toward a worthy goal, the seeking of a noble end." The author explains that there's a catch though when you're on a quest for God, there are bound to be obstacles and challenges. The author seeks to help the reader to trace his footsteps and map out their quest for Christ. Through 30 chapters that can each be read easily in 30 days such as "Birthing", "Belonging", "Striving", "Turning", to "Healing", "Losing", "Serving", "Moving Forward", and many other great titles, the author draws the reader in to explore our past, mistakes, triumphs, and really listen to times of spiritual self-awareness and reflect and document our thoughts right in the book. At the end of every chapter is space to log our own story, reflect, and a special prayer to help us give the issue over to God. The author closes the book by quoting Augustine of Hippo,

"God, you have made us for yourself,

and our hearts are restless,

till they find their rest in you."

She encourages us to fulfill our journey to press on even after the book has been finished to complete our journey until we meet Jesus face to face! Maybe we've made some wrong turns, but we can always turn back to Christ. I like how she sums up chapter 30, "It's never too late to discover God's purpose for our lives and to walk the path he has laid out for each of us." This was a great book to walk through. I recommend it to anyone wanting help in tracing their own steps of their spiritual journey. I think it would be a wonderful way to share with our children how we have walked out our faith and help our children as they begin their very own journey with Jesus!

You can purchase your own copy at Amazon. 

I received a free copy of this book to review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations. I am part of The CWA Review Crew.

My December 14th

Every year at Christmas time I struggle.

Even though I love the sights, the sounds, 

the reason for the season!

I fall in love with Jesus all over again!

 As I have become a mother myself, I ponder what Mary must have thought as she felt my Saviour kicking inside her womb. So young, and not having been known by any man, yet with child. What courage! What faith! What pain and hardship she endured to bring us our Redeemer. She could never have fully understood when she said "yes" to God how her actions would effect so many lives for eternity. I love Christmas!

But just eleven days before Christmas, when I was just eleven years old I was faced with something no eleven year old should have to go through. I was home alone for the morning babysitting my two younger brothers when my mischievous four year-old brother accidentally set fire to our house. He never escaped the home. The fire fighters found his body hidden under his bed in his bedroom upstairs. The smoke was too toxic. The heat was too intense. My eight year-old brother and I made it out alive though. Despite my best efforts to reenter the house twice, I could not save my baby brother.

For 27 years I have lived with this horrific memory. This is the reason for my struggle with the holiday season. I do love this time of year though. I love to celebrate Jesus, but I am also reminded that my brother didn't make it out of that house alive. I have faith however, that he is now WITH Jesus.

This is my December 14th.

Last Spring, I had a nightmare. I have not had, thankfully, any really scary dreams since losing my brother. But this dream was vivid and in full color. I was being chased by a woman with long dark hair. She had a gun.

I was running from her.

I realized I would not outrun her.

I stopped.

I decided to face her, even though I knew she had a gun.

She stopped chasing me and walked closer.

She smiled, a twisted, evil smile.

She raised her gun and pointed it at me.

I shuddered.

She shook her head as if to say, "no".

She smiled again, that same twisted, evil smile.

She began to hand the gun to me.

I refused!

She forced the gun into my hand and raised my hand up to the side of my head.

She wanted me to pull the trigger on myself!

I immediately dropped the gun and cried out...

and then I woke up....

When I got up that morning and told my dream over to my family it was then that I realized that the woman in my dream was my guilt. She chases me and hunts me down, she tries to get me to destroy my own life at my own hand. I refuse to live in guilt even though she is always there. I have guilt not only because I was the one babysitting when my brother caught fire to the house, I have a second form of guilt, survivor's guilt. How can I live when I know that my brother is gone? It makes me sick in my stomach some days. A piece of my heart is stripped from the fabric of my being. My brothers tiny little voice echoes in my head, "Jen!" The last words he ever called to me before he drew his last breath.

Just in the last few weeks, my nightmare has begun to stare me in the face. In other words, I can see my dream of the woman chasing me while I am awake as clear as I did when I was dreaming it. My dream is haunting me even while I am staring at the t.v. watching a show. It isn't all the time, but it's enough to take me back, and remember, and pray. I move on. I take another breath. I live.

Then in the midst of planning my husband's 40th birthday party my Facebook began to light up with comments about yet another school shooting. This time it is children, lots of little children. Children my own children's age. Children similar to my brother's age when he died. There is a man, with a gun. And he is real. And the horrific events that followed are just tearing me up inside. My own vision of a woman with a gun tries to press in, guilt mixes with grief. A deep, deep grief.
I draw my beautiful daughter closer.

 I hold her tight and try to study her. Try to make every single moment of her life matter to me. Her smile, her laughter, her likes, her wants, her needs, her graceful dancing, the way she hugs her baby brother, and takes her younger sister by the hand for tea parties, how she begs her older brother for piggy back rides, I drink it all in. I soak in my blessings of my daughter. I get to tuck her in at night knowing there are 20 families that won't get to do what I do each night as routine. It is all a miracle. Our children are all blessings.
Why God? Oh why? We all cry it, we all want answers. But no other answer can comfort more than the fact that I have faith that God knows us. He sees us. He meets us, right where we are at. He put on human flesh and came into our stinky world in order to save us from it. To save us from ourselves.

  "And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God." (Luke 1:35)



So we put on our faith. Faith that God was there even in the midst of the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting. Protecting many from harm and holding the wounded. Yes, God was there. Evil may have raised it's head, but God was there.

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1).

There is evil all around us. But its days are short lived. God will be victorious. These children no longer suffer but rest peacefully in the arms of our Heavenly Father's loving embrace.

But as so many of us weep for the tragic loss of twenty little precious lives...who weeps for the more than 3,200 babies who are murdered EVERY DAY before they ever get to take their first breath? Who weeps for the baby torn limb from limb every 23 seconds in AMERICA? Who weeps for the little ones, unplanned, unwanted, yet still perfect, created in the image of our God, yet tossed in the garbage bins? Since Roe v. Wade it is estimated that there have been more than 54 MILLION babies lost to abortion. Who weeps for them? God does. God cares. God sees. He says vengeance is His alone.

"Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord." Romans 12:19

 I will trust God does not stand silently by allowing our country to murder our own children, there will be Justice. In what form, in what time, I do not know.

Residents of Newtown, CT will heal with time. They are a beautiful community and they will find a way to honor the dead and move on, even though their lives may never be the same.
Twenty-seven years have passed since the loss of my brother. Time does heal a great deal of the pain. Special dates force us to remember. My December 14th is now America's December 14th.
We will never forget.

Justin R. Chute

January 9, 1981-December 14, 1985

We will never forget!

Carrie and Bandit by Vicki Watson Book 2 in Sonrise Stable Series

Christian Horse Books For Children

I have been reading and reviewing a lot of great inspiring Christian books recently but when I found that I had the chance to review a Christian book written for homeschooling families about horses I jumped at the chance to be on the review team!
I had the opportunity to review the second book in the series of Sonrise Stable: Carrie and Bandit by Vicki Watson.

"The Sonrise Stable series is the heartwarming, continuing story of an extended homeschooling family as they live, learn, and love together. Mixing adventure, life lessons, and realistic horse experiences, the series is a must for readers who enjoy family values, Christian faith, and, of course, horses!"

Carrie and Bandit continues where Rosie and Scamper left off.

Carrie can't believe it—she has a horse of her own and is only weeks away from being adopted by the most loving family she's ever known. But Bandit is harder to manage than she first imagined—and the adoption might not go as smoothly as she thought either. When a bad decision jeopardizes everything, Carrie learns what it means to be forgiven and truly loved.

Scriptural themes: Our adoption as children of God, Romans 8:14-17

Read an excerpt from Carrie and Bandit

My Thoughts:

My daughters and I really loved this book, the second in the series. I loved the fact that the girls in the story were homeschooled and my own daughters could relate to them. My daughters also love horses but we do not own a horse. The author, Vicki Watson weaves her real experiences with riding and training horses right into the stories so we found it was a lot of fun to learn more about horses as the story unfolded!

I also loved the story line in this book. Carrie is preparing to be adopted into a new family. Just as Carrie can compare adopting a new horse to her own adoption into a new family, we could compare the book and being adopted into God's family through the shed blood of Jesus Christ!

There is an important part of the story that occurs, I won't give it away here, but this really impacted my daughter. She is only five but could relate to the sin that was committed. Being able to read about a character's flaws and how the circumstances are resolved Biblically and lovingly really helped my daughter to see that everyone makes mistakes but we can be forgiven!

I was checking out the Sonrise Stable website and I saw that there were some fun contests my daughters could enter and that they also sell jewelry to go along with the books!

I am thinking of purchasing this necklace to go along with this book for my daughter. This necklace plays an important part in the book and I know it will have significant meaning to my daughter as she was really impacted by this story.

This book is a great read. Young girls ages 8-12 would have a wonderful time reading this on their own. My girls are five and three so I read the book to them but it this made our reading time all the more enjoyable. A good Christian, homeschooling tale about horses and adoption into God's Kingdom!

Here we are reading Carrie and Bandit.

I think this book would make a wonderful Christmas gift when bundled with a piece of jewelry too!

Sonrise Stable Website

Follow Sonrise Stables on Twitter.

Purchase the book here or at Amazon.

ISBN: 978-0984724215 | List Price: $9.95 | Format: Softcover | Page Count: 149

I received a free copy of this book to review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations. I am part of The CWA Review Crew.

Crowned By The King

I was sitting in church this past summer and had the most incredible experience. 

I was standing there, eyes closed, hands raised, and as I sang praises to Jesus, I encountered Him in a very personal way. 

Now this wasn't the first time God had met me here like this. I had had two other very emotional visits with Jesus and the Holy Spirit over the last few months. One of those I received the gift of tongues, and another, Jesus set me free from some sort of a prison I had been unaware I had kept myself locked in. But back to this moment.

I saw Jesus, step down off the stage where we were worshiping him. He was smiling and swaying with all our praises, keeping step with the beat of the music. He was so happy with us! He started coming down the center aisle and began to sway and walk in my direction.

 Again, still smiling. I looked away as he locked eyes on me. He couldn't be looking at me! I opened my eyes and looked to my left and saw my family standing there worshiping God, so I closed my eyes again and lifted my praise to God even higher. Jesus was closer than ever! He came down the center aisle and stopped at my row! He leaned in and began to lift the most amazing crown from his head.

photo credit

(It didn't look anything like this, but you get the point!)

 It was royal and clearly the most amazing crown anyone would ever lay eyes on, covered in jewels and very regal looking. Jesus, smiled, and began to lift the crown from his head and toward me!

I opened my eyes and again looked away from my vision to my left where my family was still standing and worshiping. "This can't be!" I thought, so I closed my eyes again wondering what on earth this was all about and sang and worshiped my Jesus with all my heart and soul and strength. But Jesus was closer than ever this time! He leaned in and placed His crown on my head!  

"This can't be!" I thought again, but Jesus kept smiling and said, "this is for you!"

So I have been trying to process this "crowning moment" all summer. I've been trying to figure out why Jesus wanted to crown ME while also trying not to figure it out and just embrace the moment and relish the fact that Jesus wanted to meet me in a real way, even though no one would probably believe me! 

Then last month I was introduced to this amazing necklace ministry called, "Crowned By The King".

I was chosen to be a part of this amazing ministry to encourage women to remind them of their beauty, their value, and their purpose in Christ.

When I received my necklace I fell in love with it!

I wanted immediately to give one to every woman I know, including my daughters, my mother, my sister, my cousins, my friends! What an amazing necklace to remind us that we are daughters of the King of Kings! 

But the one woman I knew in my life whom I wanted to give this necklace to I knew could really use it. She had just recently had to step down from leading our moms group at our church in order to take a full time job. Sometimes life can be difficult and while her heart was still very much with us moms this amazing friend has stepped back from leading our moms group in order to provide for her family. I know this has been a difficult time for her. She has spent the last three years running our moms group and raising her two children while working part time. To work full time meant giving up all the things that she loves to do with her children like story time at the library and reaching out to new moms and inviting them to our moms group. While her children are in good hands, I thought my friend could really use a "crowning moment".

I pulled her aside after church today and thanked her for all she had done in the past for our church's moms group. She shared her joys and a few of her struggles with her new job. I told her about my own "crowning moment" and that I wanted to "crown" her. I was wearing the crown necklace and so I told her I wanted to give her my necklace. She told me she thought she was going to cry! As I took it off her she told me that she really needed this encouragement. My timing couldn't have been better and she asked me to put it on her. I was so thrilled she accepted my necklace!

I shared with her how much I appreciated her and all the things she has done to bless our church with our moms' group and thanked her. I shared with her that I thought she might be the perfect one to carry this "Crowned By The King" ministry forward, simply by being who she is and sharing her love for God and love for people. I shared with her how this necklace might just be the centerpiece and conversation starter she might use to help her at work or wherever life takes her! I gave her a  little bit of information about the ministry in case she wanted to know more about the necklace as a ministry.

It was just about one of the most amazing moments of my life being able to not only thank this amazing woman but to also encourage her and lift her up before God and remind her how much God loves her!

We shared several hugs and then I had to leave. I plan to pray for my friend and her new necklace that she will cherish it enough so that one day she would be able to give it away to someone who desperately needs to know how much God loves them!

If you would like to hear another testimony to another "Crowned Moment" you can see the video below.

Here is one woman's testimony after receiving a necklace.

If you'd like to know more you can check out the website, Crowned By The King.
Here you will find out about How the ministry works.

You can also like them on On Facebook or On Twitter


 I received two free necklaces. One to give away and one to keep. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations. I am part of The CWA Review Crew.

Not Just A Hearer But A Doer by Yolanda Shanks-Review

"We sit in the pews. We sing the songs. We recite Scripture–Scripture we know by heart. And yet buried in the midst of this routine are commands and requests straight from the Most High that go ignored. We’ve become so reliant on God fulfilling His end of the bargain that we fail to follow through with ours.

WE’VE BECOME HEARERS.

In 31 days, Yolanda Shanks’ devotional study, Not Just a Hearer but a Doer, will help you find calls to action within scripture ... and then act upon them. Starting with small things, like seeing that the Lord is good and working your way up to bigger actions, such as being a bold witness for Christ, you’ll soon have the tools, desire and confidence to put scripture into practice. Just as God intended."

GOD WANTS DOERS.

About the Author: Yolanda Shanks

"Multi-published author, speaker, blogger, teacher, wife, grandmother—Yolanda Shanks wears many hats, but the one she most resonates with is her role as an advocate for living life to its fullest.

Shanks’ award-winning first book, Destined to Live, Despite Me, continues to be a source of hope for those battling effects from a prior suicide attempt. It garnered an enthusiastic Kirkus review, which stated the book was “a commendable guide for finding meaning after considering suicide.”

Her second book, Not Just a Hearer but a Doer (released June 2012) challenges the body of Christ to act upon scripture. In the Fall of 2012, she released a third project, entitled Destined to Live, Despite Me – A Cause to Be Thankful."

My Thoughts:

This may look like a short book at only 143 pages but it is filled with some really deep inspiration and thoughts to challenge your faith and help you move from being a hearer of God's Word to a doer!

This is a devotional book meant to be finished in one month over a 31 day period. Each day you open the book to a title followed by a paragraph or two to open the chapter then a Bible verse. 

Yolanda Shanks labels this first Bible verse, "Observation".

She follows this by a little background to help you get grounded in what this verse is talking about and a bit of history about the verse.

Then each day has an "Interpretation". This is where Shanks helps you apply this Bible verse to your own life. It is here in the "Interpretation" where Yolanda's heart spoke the most to me. From the very first day she invites us to taste and see that the Lord is good! I had read that verse many times in my life but I had never actually stopped to consider what "taste and see" really meant. Yolanda explains that while everyone's taste buds are different, we all will sample God in different ways, so why not at least try Him out and "Taste and see that the Lord is good"?

After the "Interpretation" follows the "Application". This is where we are challenged to become a doer and stop being just a hearer of God's Word. Day 16 she begins the "Application" with, "It is your destiny. What do you hear God saying to you? Have you chosen to obey and trust Him, or do you prefer to pay more attention to what others will think or say?" Her challenge then is this:

"1. Intentionally put distance between yourself and those who are not focused on God's will, especially in sharing the Gospel and making disciples.

2. Do that which you have been given a vision of.

3. Reach for that which the world says is impossible.

4. Go where you have not been."

How's that for a challenge?! To go where I have not been and follow what God has given me a vision of. This has really inspired me to complete my book I am writing. I've been working on it on and off for about three years. God isn't going to write it for me, but Yolanda's words have challenged me to just go and DO IT! The final chapter titled "The Importance of Telling Your Story" really cemented this in my heart to keep on writing because she explains, "The telling of your story, your testimony of deliverance by God, isn't just for you! God's grace has allowed each of us the privilege to be the bearer of good-news to someone who needs to know that with God "all things are possible"." Now not everyone has a book to write, but we do all have a story, a testimony we can share and should share with others!

After each "Application" the author encourages you to write down today's scripture texts in your own words. There is plenty of space to record your thoughts. It is in writing down our own definition of the Bible verses that I believe we really cement a new idea into our hearts, allowing us to become a DOER and not just a HEARER!

I definitely recommend this book as a Bible devotion. You will be challenged to grow and stretch in your faith as you move from being a hearer to a DOER!

You can read more about the book at the website here.

You can follow her Facebook page or  Twitter account.

 I received a free copy of this book to review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations. I am part of The CWA Review Crew.

Ramblings from the Shower by Faye Bryant-Review

When I read the title Ramblings from the Shower, by Faye Bryant, it made me kind of curious as to what this author might have to say about the issues listed in her subtitle, Integrity, Faith, and Other Simple Yet Slippery Issues.

My package arrived with a special little note card tucked inside. It read on the outside, "Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice" Phillipians 4:4. and inside Faye wrote to me, "Thank you for agreeing to review my book! I hope you understand "Southern", I'm afraid it's written in that language!"
-Blessings!
Faye

This made me even more curious to read her book!

About the book:

What do you think about in the shower?

And where do those thoughts take you?

In "Ramblings from the Shower," author Faye Bryant shares some of the thoughts that have come her way during the mundane task of everyday hygiene, and how those thoughts have compelled her to ask, "What about this, God? What do You think?"

Follow along as Faye shares through personal experience and revelation her conclusions on just what God does think.

About the author:

Faye Bryant at Living Real, Musings of Simple faith




One-Line Bio:
Author, Blogger, Scopist, Amateur Photographer, Church Communications Student, Wife, Mother, Step-mother, Grandmother

My Life in 140:
unaccepted. saved. stupid choices. married-abused/child/divorced. loved accepted. growing/serving/learning. live real, love raw

Faye was born in Florida and lived there until age 25 when she moved to Tennessee and has lived there ever since.

The first church Faye ever attended of her own free will was a fundamental Baptist church in Kissimmee, Florida. While she did meet Christ there, she says it was only as a Savior who wanted to redeem her soul, but who wanted to impose a ton of rules too. Now she says it's a joy to know Him as the One who loves me with a crazy, humanly incomprehensible love!

When Faye was 17, she worked at the Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World. A dream job, such fun for a teenager! Other jobs she's held include clerk in a bulk mail room for a small college, teaching assistant at a Christian school, Avon Lady, Tupperware representative, retail sales, bookkeeper and postal carrier. Her last "public" job was as data entry clerk that grew into inventory control clerk/systems admin for a convenience store chain.

While working there, God put Faye on her back -- literally. She had ruptured a disk in her back. While resting at home before surgery, and finding TV too boring for words, she started studying the Bible for myself, digging deep -- something she'd never done before. Faye says she heard God speaking to her very plainly, calling her to full-time service to Him. Funny thing was, the service He was calling her into -- the position -- it didn't exist at the time. He worked it out and she's never looked back.

In 2003, God called Faye and her husband, Jack, to join a group of others to start a new fellowship in Townsend, and thus Church of the Cove was born. She says it has been an amazing ride!

Now Faye serves as the Ministry Assistant and Communications director for the church and also own my business working as a scopist. Just ask, she'll explain that one. Faye loves being able to work from her home office most of the time.

What Faye Says:

"When reading through the Bible, I would ask questions of God, then head off to the shower. With all that thinking/praying time, I would then get out of the shower with an answer and saying, "Someone should write a book about that!" 

I wrote a book about integrity, abuse, grief, putting people on pedestals and even how a little toy poodle can teach us about worship. 

Weird, I know. I wrote these words like I would talk to the person who is sitting there reading. I simply shared the answers I got while seeking God. My hope to share with folks who need the answers, but haven't every looked for them.

Faye"

My thoughts:

I really liked Faye's book. I love her chapter titles and subtitles. Since taking a shower is one of the few times I have in my day entirely to myself, I could see myself standing in the shower scrubbing my hair and crying out to God with very similar questions. Her chapter on judging and being judged starts with a subtitle question, "God, why are people so amazed by the way our church just accepts them? Why does a person care so much more about how he or she looks when coming to church, as opposed to going to the grocery store?" I've wondered that before. Faye tells the reader up front in a disclaimer that she" is not a theologian, nor a doctor of psychology, nor any expert in any field other than her own life". When read from this perspective it is much easier to grab a cup of tea and sit down with Faye and read as though she is talking right there with you. Faye uses colorful southern style writing to share her life and how she has overcome painful things in life to offer a refreshing perspective on issues that Christians struggle with. From living to please God and not running from God, to overcoming hurt, grief, what people look like, to integrity, abuse, to love, I think many will find this book worth the read!

Be sure and "like" Faye's new Facebook site! And follow her on her Twitter!

You can pick up your own copy over at
Amazon or Barnes and Noble
















 I received a free copy of this book to review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations. I am part of The CWA Review Crew.