Book Review: From the Heart of a Woman


I. want to start off with an an apology to Thomas Nelson. Due to some unforeseen issues, i was unable to review this book within a timely fashion.

Well. This book is one woman’s journal entries as she walks with God. A sort of Psalm book if you will. It is personal. She takes passages of Scripture and makes them her own.

I struggle with writing this review, not because I feel pressure to give it a good one but because I don’t want to discourage the author. There were letters that were heartfelt and biblically solid.

Yet when an author begins a faith based book with a statement that says basically I am not a biblical scholar so therefore I can’t be held accountable for whatever I might say that is unbiblical. (Those were not her exact words but it was the idea) . It leaves a bad taste in this Pastor’s wife’s mouth. It communicates to those who are new in the faith that they can interpret scripture however they please, and THAT my friends is very dangerous territory!

There were some letters that didn’t play hermeneutical gymnastics with the text and those were both moving and encouraging to say the least but then there were ones that made me so upset because it was inappropriate! I know that one of the most falsely interpreted pieces of scripture in the Song of Solomon. It is not intended to be a picture of our relationship with Christ. It is a picture of love and the struggle to stay pure and love both before and after marriage. So when one of the most intimate love scenes in Song of Solomon is turned into a love scenario with God, i was sickened. I have a relationship with Christ, but the provocative language was not how one should view it. God is my Father, not my lover. He loves me but not as a husband does.

I cannot in good conscience give my stamp of approval for this book. I really wanted to, but I base my review first and foremost as being biblically sound.

(Note: i received a free digital copy of this book from the publisher for reviewing purposes. I am under no obligation to give a positive review)

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Review and Giveaway: The Astonishing Adventures of Missionary Max!

Hey fellow readers….
I wanted to share with you about a book that a friend of ours wrote. He is a missionary out of Brazil, and boy did he do an amazing job! I was thrilled when he asked me to review his book a few months back, but i have a confession….we accidentally started reading the wrong part! I was confused!


It took me a month to get back into it and that’s when i discovered my mistake! So I started at the beginning…a very good place to start! Hubby and I read it together. It was great on long trips because it was so suspenseful that it kept us intrigued and AWAKE!

On our last long trip hubby was sooooo hooked that he stayed up late to finish the last few chapters!

The story follows a young man…..Maxwell Sherman, a relatively young believer as he steps out in faith to help a small church on the island of Cabrito with some construction. But what Max finds out as he arrives is the American missionaries are leaving to return to America for unexplained reasons and they are in a BIG hurry!

As Max takes on a huge undertaking for the most seasoned of missionaries, let alone someone who has been a believer for just a year, he realizes that there is far more going on here on the tiny island of Cabrito. We learn about Max’s past both in job and relationship’s, and he is not a man easily intimidated.

There is suspense, crime, love, and laughter…..and a sincerity I don’t see very often in fiction. (Hence the reason I don’t review fiction often!)
I highly recommend this book! I can’t say enough about it. Andrews ability to describe the situations, characters, and surroundings transports you to the island of Cabrito. His character development is such that you feel that you have known certain characters for a long time.

After serving as a missionary myself, I can see how well he understands the culture and language….it truly is authentic. I look forward to sharing this book with our kids, especially our sons as they get older.

And here is great news…book two is written and in the editing stage!

Sooooo who’s interested in winning a free digital copy of the first part of MISSIONARY MAX BOOK 1 (it was originally written in three parts)?
You can find all the parts in this link…here

Andrew is giving away 3 digital copies of the first part of the first book (that is 1/3 of the first book) to the first 3 people who comment on this blog saying they want it.

And secondly any blogger who contacts Andrew on the MISSIONARY MAX FACEBOOK PAGE, And commits to writing a blog post and a review on Amazon, AND mentions this blog post will get a free full copy of the first book!

I hope you enjoy this book as much as we did!

(Note i received a free digital copy of this book for reviewing purposes from Andrew Comings)

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The better mom Monday- my first go around!

As i sit here tonight pondering my first link up with the better mom, i find myself really unsure what to write about! A year ago it would have been very different I am sure! But tonight. I am one worn out exhausted momma to four kids.

My house looks like a tornado hit it…ok lets be honest four tornados! We have completed homework, made three meals, done chores, done dishes and it still needs a lot of work!. Earlier this week i read a blog post that was something along the lines of getting you energy back. I took notes and am trying to put one major concept pt into play!

At a certain time in the evening be done with technology! I have done that for the last few nights and oh how true it is! And i promise as soon as i am done writing this I will do the same. It gives us a chance to unwind. To enjoy some peace. Instead of getting caught up in all that is happening in the world, whether it be on the news channel or on the news feed! This wasn’t one of my original goals for this year but it is something I definitely plan on implementing!

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Happy homemaker Mondays….it’s been awhile

The Weather:::
It has been unseasonably warm this past weekend end but no wrries *SIGH*. Temps will drop again!

Right now I am:
Dressed in a purple scrubby sweatshirt and jeans an sneaks, laying across my bed propped up on one arm feet dangling off the edge.

Thinking:
I am utterly exhausted. I want to go to bed this instant but that is just not going to happen.

On my reading pile:::
A bunch of books to be completed.
The bible

On my tv:::
Cosby show reruns

Favorite Blog post this week (mine or other)::
On a friends blog…..sistersnfriends, she was talking about her stay in NYC for her second bout of cancer treatment. The post was called Corner of Provision and 67th.

Something fun to share:::


On the menu for this week:::
Monday- pizza rolls…one cheese burger and one pepperoni
Tuesday – pasta
Wednesday – chef salads
Thursday – Chicken and baked potatoes
Friday – pizza night
Saturday – meatball subs
Sunday – leftovers

On my to do list:::
laundry- wash, dry, fold put away
Dishes
Organize games
Put away Christmas decorations (yeah its pretty late for us!)

What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating:::
Curtains
Skirts for the bug

Homemaking Tips:::
None for now

Looking around the house:::
Ugh….it feels as though i am still trying to regroup from Christmas and the tummy bug that hit us! Lets just stay its not what i would like it to be!

From the camera:::
Weasel and the slinky dog hubby made for him!


On my prayer list:::
Friends and family.
Situations at church
Our kiddos

Bible verse, Devotional:::
Proverbs 3:5&6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your pathes.

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Our new normal……

This post has been a long, LONG TIME COMING! I’m sorry i haven’t been around much!

I love to blog and write and all this great stuff but, i am also a Pastor’s wife and mom to four amazing kiddos! One of those kiddos we just recently discovered has some form of autism. We are in the process of filling out mountains of paperwork, getting past medical records, and just trying to cope until we can get some help for out little guy.

He is such a joy and we love him deeply as we do our other kids but Weasel is different. Most people don’t see it. They just think he’s disobedient or high maintenance. We have people telling us we don’t discipline him enough. And we have people who won’t follow our instructions, and raise their voices at him…then after i spend 20 minutes calming him so his little hands and feet stop shaking so much i have to deal with questions like…”mommy why don’t people like me?” Yes we are still dealing with repercussions of that weekend.

He is a runner. When he gets overwhelmed he takes off. We have modified our house. We will install a fence, one he can’t climb.

I plan on blogging more about all of this but despite all of this God is here with us. Through the verbal tics, the frustrated yells (of weasel, not hubby and I), through the tears of watching our son struggle through life. God is here. He understands, He loves, He comforts. He never ever leaves!

Please pray for our family. Pray especially for our older children even though they are older , they are still young enough to not really comprehend.
Tornado prays nearly every day that weasel would become normal. Ahhh out of the mouth of babes! Oh if God would only make it so!

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