If You Have A Craving, I Have A Cure Book Review



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If You Have a Craving, I Have a Cure: Experience Food, Faith, and Fulfillment a Whole New Way by Sheri Rose Shepherd. I really enjoy anything that Sheri has to write and this book was no exception. I had no idea what this book was really about or how she would tie food in with faith. To my delight I discovered that this book is completely full of healthy recipes and quotes that Sheri writes to encourage readers on a daily basis. This is not a devotional, but it could defintely be used as one. Each chapter is about a different important part of our life, not necessarily about food but about God's part in our lives.

Sheri includes tips on how to be healthy as she has lost over 50 pounds and grown in her relationship with God. This book is easy to read and understand and I highly reccomend this book, even if you already eat healthy!

 

With her many recipe's I can't wait to try the corn chowder, spinach cream soup, or chamomile vanilla ice cream!!

 

"No food is as satisfying as the energy to enjoy life."

 

 

 

 

Here is a recipe from Sheri:

 

HONEY-BAKED ALMOND BRITTLE
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1/4 cup honey
1 cup almonds
Dash sea salt

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Heat honey in microwave for 30 seconds.
3. In a bowl, pour honey over almonds and mix evenly so every almond is coated.
4. Coat sheet with non-stick spray, spreads almonds on cookie sheet, and sprinkle with sea salt.
5. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes, or to desired taste. Let cool, and enjoy!

 

 

 

I love the seasons of love and laughter, but I have discovered that it is the seasons of loneliness and pain when I experience real faith. The best way to taste faith again is to become salt in someone else's life when you feel lifeless. What I mean is, take that very thing that you are craving in your life, and turn it into a gift to give into someone else's life.

New Life Recipes
1. Try a New Flavor
Taste and see that the Lord is good.
Oh, the joys of those who trust in him! Psalm 34:8

If you are craving more flavor in your faith walk, pick up a new Christian book to read or find a new Christian friend to hang out with. If your church does not help you grow closer to God, don't be afraid to try a new church.

The great thing about all the different ways and styles of Christian churches is that you and I have the freedom to look for the one that stimulates our faith and works best with our gifts and personality.

2. Sing a New Song
Sing a new song to the Lord! Let the whole earth sing to the Lord!
Psalm 96:1

Worship should bring joy and flavor to our faith. Find some new worship songs that fit the style of music you love to listen to. If you're craving closeness with God, sing a new song or better yet sit down and write a song to the Lord, putting it to your own melody.

3. Purify Yourself
Then he went out to the spring that supplied the town with water and threw the salt into it. And he said, "This is what the Lord says: I have purified this water. It will no longer cause death or infertility."
2 Kings 2:21

Many times we can't taste God's goodness because we feed our soul salt substitutes instead of real faith. In other words, we watch, read, and listen to things that go against everything we want to become in Christ. We lose our craving for the Word and attempt to satisfy our soul with unhealthy, man-made forms of entertainment. Just like a whole food diet makes you crave healthier foods, a pure soul food cleanse will get rid of the junk in our spirit so we can taste God's goodness again.

4. Power Up with Prayer
Let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
Matthew 5:16

Dear God,
I pray you will increase our craving for You and fill us up so full that salt and goodness spill out onto those we love. Show us the artificial things in our lives that are keeping us from tasting and becoming your salt to this world, Amen.

Taste of Truth
Life will lose its flavor if it is not seasoned with faith, hope, and love.

Watch today's message and laugh a lot and fall in love with your Lord all over again! View the first week of my Bible Study at http://biblelifecoaching.com/2013/01/day5/ and enjoy the recipe below! (From Sheri Shepherd)

"I received this book for free from Tyndale Publishing in exchange for an honest review."

 

 

Unglued Devotional Book Review

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Unglued Devotional by Lysa Terkeurst is set up as a sixty day short read devotional.

Lysa writes on many topics such as marriage, deary days, kids, family, disappointments, and self control. I do not have kids yet, so some of the topics I couldn't relate to. Lysa includes different verses for each topic as well.

My personal favorite devotional was the one on husbands. The title is Advice to Unglued Wives: Stop Praying which is followed by the "thought for the day" God isn't looking for me to be a "fix-him" wife. God is looking for me to be a "love-him" wife. At the end of her devotionals she often asks questions. This question is a good for any wife to remind herself: Am I praying about my husband or for my husband? 

How do I pray for my husband? Do I pray for him or ask things to be different in some way? Even with praying you have to understand what you are really praying about.  

I have not read any other books by Lysa Terkeurst but have found that she has written multiple other books. She also a part of Women of Faith. Along with this devotional she has also created a DVD and an entire Unglued package.

I enjoyed this devotional, it was easy to read and understand, short, meaningful, and to the point.

 "I received this book for free from Zondervan through the Booksneeze program. This is my honest opinion of the book." 

Puffed Up Chickadees

These are little puffed up Chickadees. It was a tad chilly and they are so cute when they are all puffed up.

Jaydon One Year

 Jaydon's First Birthday!

 We attempted to make chocolate cake...and it was an epic failure. We have no idea why but we just poured icing on top and enjoyed it anyway!

Wishing On Willows Book Review

Wishing on Willows by Katie Ganshert is a good read that deals with many issues that people can easily relate.

A three-year old son, a struggling café, and fading memories are all Robin Price has left of her late husband. As the proud owner of Willow Tree Café in small town Peaks, Iowa,  she pours her heart into every muffin she bakes and espresso she pulls, thankful for the sense of purpose and community the work provides.
                                     
So when developer Ian McKay shows up in Peaks with plans to build condos where her café and a vital town ministry are located, she isn’t about to let go without a fight.

As stubborn as he is handsome, Ian won’t give up easily. His family’s business depends on his success in Peaks. But as Ian pushes to seal the deal, he wonders if he has met his match. Robin’s gracious spirit threatens to undo his resolve, especially when he discovers the beautiful widow harbors a grief that resonates with his own.

With polarized opinions forming all over town, business becomes unavoidably personal and Robin and Ian must decide whether to cling to the familiar or surrender their plans to the God of Second Chances. (Goodreads Description)

I have not read anything by Katie before though I know her book Wildflowers From Winter was a big hit. Honestly this book was really difficult for me to get into and I had to push myself to finish it. I did like the fact that it discussed real life issues such as infertility and the life of a single mom. I also liked the characters and the small details that Katie added into the story. This was not my favorite book but still a decent read.

Wishing on Willows will be available March 19, 2013.

Learn more about Katie here.

 "I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group in exchange for a review."



The Tutor's Daughter Book Review



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The Tutor's Daughter by Julie Klassen is a delightful read with a beautiful setting on the Cornwall Coast.

Emma Smallwood, determined to help her widowed father when his boarding school fails, accompanies him to the cliff-top manor of a baronet and his four sons. But soon after they arrive and begin teaching the two younger boys, mysterious things begin to happen. Who does Emma hear playing the pianoforte at night, only to find the music room empty? And who begins sneaking into her bedchamber, leaving behind strange mementoes?

The baronet's older sons, Phillip and Henry Weston, wrestle with problems—and secrets—of their own. They both remember the studious Miss Smallwood from their days at her father's academy. But now one of them finds himself unexpectedly drawn to her....

When suspicious acts escalate, can Emma figure out which brother to blame, and which to trust with her heart?

Filled with page-turning suspense, The Tutor's Daughter takes readers to the windswept Cornwall coast—a place infamous for shipwrecks and superstitions—where danger lurks, faith is tested, and romance awaits. (Author's Description)

There has been a lot of outstanding reviews for Julie's new novel and I was eager to see what all the fuss was about. I did enjoy this book, though it took me a little longer to get into. I must admit, I had just finished watching the most recent season of Downton Abbey and there were so many similar things between the book and show such as how they spoke and whatnot. After I got through chapter five I completely fell in love with the characters and the ongoing mystery of the story. The romance is sweet and Julie fit all aspects into the book perfectly. There is a lot of  humor in the book that I found myself laughing out loud a couple of times. I give this book five stars and highly recommended!

Please stop by Julie's Website where you can watch a book trailer and read an excerpt from The Tutor's Daughter.


"I received this book for free from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for this review"

All for a Song Book Review



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All for a Song by Allison Pittman is set in the flapper era of the 1920s. The story goes between two time periods in Dorothy Lynn Dunbar's life. At the start of the book Dorothy is in a nursing home and over one hundred years old, having survived multiple strokes. The story then goes back to the time when she was 19 and her life took a different turn for a few weeks. Her life is set in place, she is engaged to the pastor and will settle down in the same town where she grew up. Dorothy visits her sister in St. Louis and discovers an entirely different world in the big city. Her talent with playing the guitar and writing music makes her stand out and she is offered an opportunity with evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson. Dorothy must decide between her life back home or evangelizing with her music.

I have read most of Pittman's books and some have made it to my favorite list-this was not one of them. I was extremely disappointed with this book and the story line. For the entire book Pittman writes as if Dorothy has a great secret and did drastic crazy things on her six week traveling spree. There is no mystery, no secrets, and nothing that you wouldn't expect. I understand that it is difficult to write a Christian story that is set in the '20s, but I have read other books set in this time and I was simply not impressed. I am disappointed with this novel but I look forward to what else Pittman has to offer in the future.

For more information about Allison head over to her website.

"I received this book for free from Tyndale Publishing in exchange for this review."



Skip Rock Shallows Book Review



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Skip Rock Shallows by Jan Watson has a great setting and good characters, for the most part. Set in the hills of Kentucky, Lilly is working as a doctor in the mining community. This being her first real doctoring job she wonders if she would much prefer to live in Boston with her fiance. Many characters fill her days with delightful mishaps. The odd and mysterious Tern or known as Jo seems to pop up whenever she is around. In the end there is a love story that is not what Lilly planned.
I love most everything about this book except for Lilly's relationships with her fiance and Tern. Her sudden love interest in Tern is so quickly thrown together and then the story ends. It was really difficult for me to get into this story, though I really wanted to.

I received this book through Tyndale Rewards! If you haven't heard about this program I would check it out. If you use the link I provided you will get extra points to start out with.

Also, hop over to Jan's Website to learn about all of her books.

Threads of Grace Book Review

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Threads of Grace by Kelly Long is part of the Patch of Heaven Novels. I have not read anything by Kelly Long before, and this is not the first book to the series but it can be read alone. 

"Grace's autistic son needs a life that is safe and consistent. Seth wants to leave his flirting days behind him and settle down.

Deep in the heart of the Allegheny Mountains of Pennsylvania, the beautiful and weary Amish widow, Grace Beiler, is not looking for a husband-especially one so much younger than her. But handsome and smitten Seth Wyse stumbles upon a way to help her and they marry to keep Grace's autistic son safe from his ill-intentioned uncle. Grace soon discovers that she is far from immune to her young husband's experienced charm and realizes that her first marriage has not destroyed her capacity for love." (CBD)

Grace Beiler is a woman with a long painful past that made me mad as I read this book. She had been forced into an awful marriage to a terrible man who was abusive and crushed her spirit. Grace has so many doubts and doesn't trust anyone, in a way she was easy to relate to as her story unwound throughout the book. Seth Wyse is a wealthy man who has had many girls after him, but he enthralled by Grace. An unwelcome guest shows up and Grace is yet forced into another marriage. I tried to put myself in her shoes and I just simply can't imagine how difficult it would be for me! The story builds on itself and then takes an unexpected turn at the end that I actually enjoyed. This was a good Amish story that promotes the fact that God knows what He is doing. 

 "I received this book for free from Thomas Nelson through their Booksneeze program. This is my honest opinion of the book." 

Check out Kelly's Website to learn about more of her books. 

Goodbye to Yesterday Book Review



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Goodbye to Yesterday by Wanda E. Brunstetter is the first of six in the Discovery series.

Join Meredith and Luke Stoltzfus, an Amish couple who are faced with the greatest challenge of their young lives. Financial struggles. Arguments. A suspected pregnancy. A last-minute trip to Middlebury, Indiana. A drug addict on the run. A deadly encounter at a Philadelphia bus station. Will their love and faith be enough to bring them back together again, against all odds? (Goodreads Description)

I have read many of Wanda's books and I like the idea of spliting up this story into six books. When I received the book in the mail I was a tad confused simply because I hadn't done my research on this series. This book is tiny, about half the size of a normal book, and only has eight chapters.You could easily read this book in an hour. I like where the story is going but Brunstetter wrote it to keep the reader interested in the next book. The end of chapter eight leaves you hanging and I now have to read the rest of the books that follow. Starting in February there will be a book from this series released each month.

I reccomend this book to read because the story is good so far, but I wouldn't buy it yet. I would wait until all of the books come out.

"I received this book for free from Handlebar Direction For Publishing in exchange for an honest reveiw."

One Glorious Ambition Book Review

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One Glorious Ambition: The Compassionate Crusade of Dorothea Dix by Jane Kirkpatrick is a historical novel based off of the true life story of Dorothea Dix. The start of the book drew me into Dorothea's life as I watched her grow from a young girl to a woman. The story starts in 1814 and ends after the civil war, so it spans over quite a few years and travels to many places. Dorothea is not interested in focuses all of her gifts and life on finding a husband, so she decides to teach. Teaching becomes her passion and she continues to teach in various ways throughout her life. Different characters and friendships come and go in her life and the end of the book centers on her effort to help those considered "insane". This took her to politics as she saw a need for those people to be recognized as more than crazy people. 

I really enjoyed this first part of this book. Though it is fast paced, an entire lifetime summed up in one book, I did enjoy the overall story of her life. The book is split up into three main sections, the last was my least favorite because it dealt with a lot of politics. I find this story more fascinating because Dorothea was a real person in history who made a huge change for those who needed treatment in mental asylums. 

 Jane Kirkpatrick is not a new author to me but this is a very well researched book that must have been quite a task to finish.

This is not a typical historical novel, it is not romance, it is simply a life beautifully written about.

I recommend to those who enjoy biographies.  

 

This book will be available for purchase April 2, 2013.  

 "I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review."