A bride in store...not as good as seen on cover

It's been far too long since I last posted a review and I hope I have not kept y'all waiting!

A Bride in Store sounded like a great book from what I read in the preview and on the back of the cover. Stories of mail-order brides have always fascinated me, reminding me a little ways of the old fairytales of princess having a husband chose for them, and fighting to not be wed only to find out he is the prince of your dreams, or sometimes he's not.

The story begins with Eliza Cantrell coming to her new hometown by train. Coming earlier then her future husband had planned, and sadly her train is robbed and she loses all of the dowery she received from her brother. Not a good way to start the day

Now further on from here we meet a lot large variety of characters, some from Melissa Jagears' previous book A Bride for Keeps. These two books do connect so if you plan to read this one get A Bride for Keeps before you even touch the first pages of this one. The story in this book is a good one, a story of beauty, sacrifice, and love. Yet I found writing style of the book monotone. It went on and on and on in the same manor for an uncounted amount of pages, making me feel like I was reading the same scene over again for  and never getting to the point of the story.

As I said before the story itself is good, it's execution is another story, but maybe it's just not my cup of tea. Try it for yourself and form your own opinion of the book, then return here and tell me what you thought of it.

I received this book for free from Bethany house in exchange for an honest review, which I have given

A time for somethin Greater

what do you do when you feel like you have put all your faith in nothing? I had hoped this blog would reach more people and help more grow in their faith, but I barely get four hundred views a month, and even that is a big "IF"

Now I know this is a book review, but what I wrote up there will make sense in just a moment.

As some of you may know I  have ead and reviewed Steven Furtick's book Crash the Chatterbox (click on my Reviews page and follow the link to see it) I thought that was the greatest book I had ever read. But when I requested this book,because I have become a fan of Steven Furtick, I found something Greater.

You wouldn't believe how many times  I cried while reading this book. Not because it's sad (though some parts are) or because it made me feel like a horrible Christian, but  because it's like reading a sermon God had your pastor write just for you. It touches every part of your life, firmly grounded in scripture

.

And the way Steven wrote the book it feels as if he is standing right beside you while he talks to you about his stories, all real life events, and tries to help you make sense of this broken world we liv in. Now he doesn't have all the answers, and he makes sure you know that, but he does his best to hep you out. I also love how he puts little sub chapters in all of his books, perfect for all us late night readers or if you just need to stop for a moment.

Now onto the reason for my rather oddball opening, I think the part that helped me the most from this book was chapter seven: Wasted Faith. In this chapter Seven addresses so many problems I, and probably many others, are struggling with.on a daily bases. For me it's feeling like all my efforts are worth nothing, and no many how much I pray it's never going to get better. But this book heped me look at God's promises and to realize no matter what I feel or what happens my faith is NEVER wasted.

So please next time you go to the bookstore or the library pick up this book and find more then you could have expected.

I received this book for free from the blogging for books program in exchange for an honest review which I have given

A Christian Fantasy that will take the world by Storm

If you are looking for an epic fantasy and christian series that can grip you and your children then look no further then Mary Weber's Storm Siren series

The story takes place in the kingdom of Faelen. In this medieval setting we find our main character, Nym, in a slave market being given up for sale by her latest cruel owner. And whomever buys here this time will become Nym's fourteenth owner. Fourteenth!!! and each slave is given a mark by their new owner, a small circle on the ir arm which is burned into their skin, then filled with a special berry juice to make it permanent.

I could hardly believe my eyes, how could this girl still be sane? well Nym had her ways to deal with not only the constant shift of owners, but also the guilt that would not leave her be.Sadly most of her owners were evil, and her latest one was no different, and Nym's kind, elementals, are suppose to be males only. So Nym shouldn't even have these powers, but she does. What's worse is elementals are suppose to be killed at birth, but Nym has managed to avoid that.

When under pressure we all do things we shouldn't have. Nym couldn't control what happened with her powers, and it ended in a lot of deaths.How can anyone stand that much guilt? Well Mary Weber brought some salutations many modern girls use today. What I found interesting about the book is how Mary infused parts of the Bible into Storm Siren. I won't tell you what parts in hopes you will see them for yourselves. Maybe you will see them right away, or after reading the book like I did!

Another reason why I loved this book so much is Mary Weber that when in war the line between right and wrong blur so heavily that they are nearly impossible to see, and most times people will be hurt, but you can choose not to kill, you can make the right choices even in a war. Nym thought of the foot soldiers who, like her, were just following orders and fighting for their kingdom. It was heart warming at times, heart wrenching other times.

I guess I will leave you with thoughts of this book as a storm pelts my roof with raindrops. May we meet again soon for another review

I received this book free for an honest review which I have given

A review for a witty and charming book

hello everyone, its time for another review, and this one if for a Match of wits by Jen Turano!

now when I requested this book I wasnt sure what to expect. The overview did little justice for this treasure of a book.

The story starts out in a rather humorous....with a pig ready to charge at our main character, Agatha. And this takes place in a hotel, mind you.

This scene had to be the best throughout the book, I didn't see it coming, and I actually thought the book was going to be boring, I was sooo wrong! I guess I should remember this verse next time

"look beneath the surface, so you can judge correctly" John 7:24

Now for our male lead, Zayne (I love that name) he had a pretty bumpy start in this story, nor did he make the greatest impression upon seeing Agatha for first time in years, but the man had a lot still left on his shoulder, and he had given up on his faith in God, feeling he had been abandonded by Him. The book had the right balance of humor, love, and all wrapped up in some rather odd situations.

There are quite a few characters I would love to see made into books, such as Mary and her sisters and Mr. Blackheart and Drusilla. I would be so happy to see more books to this series, but sadly I believe this was the last book. Oh well, I plan to read the others as soon as I can get my hands on them

Giveaway Winner!

Hi everyone, I'm here to say a winner has been chosen for the Through the Deep Waters Giveaway I had the honor of doing last month. The book should already be on its way to the winner, Iliana, and I hope she enjoys the book as much as I did. I am sad to say that there wasn't very many entries in my giveaway so I am unsure if Blogging for Books will ask me to do another one. If they do then great, if not then I had the blessing of helping pass on a wonderful book to some lucky person!

Good night and have a Blessed evening!

Computer blues :(

Hello everyone! I am coming to you live from my moblie blogger app. Sad to say that my computer is having a problem with plugging in and getting a charge. So until that is fixed I will be writing all posts and reviews from my Android smartphone. Hopefully I will be posting my next review, and perhaps pictures of my latest Crochet creations!
Thank you any and all viewers for waiting this long, and have a blessed evening.

Time for another review everyone, and I will start off saying that this has become one of my new favorite books on my growing bookshelf!

Overview:

Alice Chesterfield is a woman pursued. Having survived an attack that left her scarred and her father dead, she is never free from the fear and memories of the man who is responsible.  Texas seems to be an answer to Alice's prayers, and when she has the opportunity to relocate to a ranch near Dallas, Robert Barnett captures her attention. Unlike any man Alice has ever known, Robert doesn't worry about the obstacles that stand in their way--and he hardly seems to notice the scar she bears. But there are storm clouds gathering; devastating information about her family comes to light, threatening Alice's peaceful sanctuary. Disillusioned, Alice must learn to place her trust in God as she seeks a measure of peace for her future...and for her heart.


Alice has not had an easy time of it in the past. After her house being robbed and her father killed in the attack she was left to face the world with little money to her name and a scar on her face that bares the constant reminder of all she had lost and for everyone to see.

We all have scars from our past, some are invisible and others like Alice's can be seen clearly. Alice kept her head down in hopes to hide her scar, and thought that no decent man would want her with such flaws. Such as the cook where Alice worked part time tried to ask her out in a not so nice way, and when she said no he used her scar to hurt her feelings. Have you ever had to deal with that?

Alice also had her share of blessings, her friend Marty gave her a job helping around the house. Marty is the female lead from the previous book, and she and her husband bring humor and a lot of thought to the book, you'll love them

In my personal opinion the story is some ways seemed a little rushed, I wish the other had gone a little more into Alice's past, and the romance formed between Alice and Robert took hardly any time at all, I wish there had been a bit more between them. Now when I started this book I didn't know it was book 2, and that it does connect to the book before it, but it wasn't to hard to put the pieces together and that did explain some of what happened in the first book later on.

I would tell all of you more but i find that spoiling too much of the book in a review takes away the fun of reading a book, so I will leave all of you here. I highly suggest picking up this book series and nice cup of whatever your favorite drink is and just enjoy!

For the First time in...well Ever! A book Giveaway!

Hey all my wonderful blog followers, I've got something special for my 50th post just for you! thanks to the Blogging for Books program I give you my very first giveaway! and the book will be none other then Through the Deep Waters by Kim Vogel Sawyer.

To enter all you have to do to enter the contest is follow the link below and fill out the web form. So now's your chance to read this book as well! The contest started on July 31, 2014 at 6:00am EST and ends on August 20th, 2014 at 11:59pm. One winner will be chosen at random on August 21st, 2014 and will be alerted by email. For a complete listing of the rules, please see below.

                              Enter Contest

      Good luck in the Contest ans may God bless your day!

Seagrass pier, a review for a great book

Book description
In a secluded corner of Hope Beach, one woman must decipher a stranger’s memories . . . before they cost her everything. Elin Summerall was one of the lucky ones. Not only did she get a heart transplant, but the donor was a perfect fit. A miraculously perfect fit.
But when Elin begins having violent flashbacks—and vivid dreams of being strangled—she realizes that she has been the recipient of more than just a new heart . . . Elin is remembering her donor’s murder. Her strange affliction has attracted some unwanted attention: from the press, from the authorities . . . and from the killer himself. Now, living alone with her young daughter and aging mother, Elin is being stalked—by a man she’s only met in her nightmares.
The police are dubious of her story, but one off-duty FBI agent is eager to help her: Agent Marc Everton, the father of Elin’s daughter. Of course, he doesn't know about that. Yet. Now, in a remote cottage on Hope Island, Elin and Marc must probe the secrets buried in her borrowed heart. And there’s no time to waste. One man is desperate to silence her—before she remembers too much.

Seagrass pier is one of Colleen Cobble's many romance and suspense novels, and it's book three in her hope beach series. Now I do recommend reading them in order, but you can read them out of order (I have done that with many of Colleen's book series) Now onto the real review!

Unexpectedly Colleen jumped right into the story, most times we get a little background before going into the main story, but it was very being thrown into the fray of this marvelous story! and it makes one think of the possibilities that must of us write off as pure craziness, such as inheriting the memories from another, such as the previous owner of Elin's new heart. These memories are of Laura's murder, and Elin relives it all each night. Scary right?

Now most people thought this was crazy, and i admit I've heard cases of this on the news and thought it was impossible, but we all need to keep this verse in mind when we hear about these sort of things.
"For nothing is impossible with God" Luke 1:37

Now Colleen made a point that Laura's soul had passed on, so I was happy to see that pointed out when Elin started to fear she was becoming more and more like the true owner of her heart.

I found the full cast of characters a great mix, switching from the intense mystery of Laura's murder to the romance between two couples, and many other twist throughout the book. Colleen has once again brought us another great thought provoking novel. I highly suggest finding a big comfy couch to sit on and read this book!

I got this book from the booklook blogging program in exchange for an honest review, which I have given

Hacking into the unseen, a Review for Ted Dekker's Hacker

For all those action lovers out there then Ted Dekker is the author for you! His book Hacker is one of his latest books, and I say one of his best books yet.

Hacker in a way reminds me of the TV show 24, my family loves this action packed show, and even though i don't care for it myself I think people who do will love this book.

Nyah is smart, far beyond the normal means of the world, she could have graduated collage at the age of twelve, but her parents wanted her to have a semi normal childhood. But Nyah's world gets turned upside down when she and her family end up in a car crash. Her father and her brother dead, while her mother suffered serious brain damage that is slowly killing her, leaving only a shell of the woman she use to be. Nyah will do anything to save her mother, and that includes hacking into a huge company to get a job there, but when she sees pictures that were never meant to be seen, well, lets just say Nyah's life just got a little more complicated.

The book theme's around surrendering. It's hard to surrender when it has become our nature to want to be in control of everything and have all the answers at our fingertips. And how do we know we've truly surrendered it to God? it's hard to say. Sometimes it seems we're just doing everything we can to protect the people we love, to fix the problems around us we believe no one else can fix, and even though we pray and say we give it over to God do we truly we mean it? or are we fighting His will because we are scared to let go of what we love? We need to remember the promises God gave us to help through these hard times ahead of us.

"He will remove all of their sorrows, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. For the old world and its evils are gone forever." Revelation 21:4

Be prepared for the tears, laughs, suspense, and the many promises God to be in this book. I loved adding this book to my growing Ted Dekker collection, and I can't wait to see what will happen in the Outlaw chronicles, and so you other readers know you don't have to read the books in any order, but if you want to know more about the character in the book called Outlaw then read the book titled after him. I plan on picking it up from the store soon!

Getting the Devil off your shoulder; Take two!

Okay, the devil is getting on my last nerve this week! just when I thought things were going to calm down and even get a little better he rears his very ugly head and tries to take away the happiness my family and I have found, again using people that are near and dear to my heart

He managed to get me down, but I knew he had to be laughing somewhere cause he knew that he had taken my joy. Well I am sick of him and his very annoying smirk (sorry i'm ranting a bit but dang it doesn't he get on your last nerves too?) Well I preyed that God would fix this once again, and I brought out the Bible (AKA the bug spray for the devil if you have read my post Getting the little devil off your shoulder) and I found peace with Him. God would not give me more then I can handle and I know there is nothing He can't handle. So I have given it over to Him, and I will continue to live my life in the love and joy he pours into me daily. So if the darn devil is trying to climb back onto your shoulder just remember to ask for God's help and grab the old Bible, that will knock him a few inches down and send him running!

The Family of Jesus by Karen Kingsbury

Okay, this was my first book by Karen Kingsbury I've ever read before, and I admit I was a bit weary of it. When some author is super popular it tends to turn me off a little, this little fact about myself was true with Karen's books, but I decided after reading about this book I would give it a try.

I was blown away.
The book takes place from when the angel Gabriel visited Zechariah in the temple to give him the news of John, to before the birth of Christ, and ending just after Jesus returns from the dead. The six short stories are of Joseph, Zechariah, John, Elizabeth, James, and Mary. All of which will turn your soul to the love of Jesus Christ and will make you weep with joy and understanding.

The story line was beyond amazing, and as Karen had hoped it drew me as a reader and fellow christian closer to the people of the bible, it made a connection I had never felt before with them, except for maybe Mary. The others, like John the baptist, I had a hard time understand what their roles were, and why such sorrow was brought upon them. Karen did an amazing job filling in the blanks with fiction she studied long and hard for to put into place, making sure it would all fit even if it may not have really happened, Karen did her best. For hours I cried and prayed, for my family, for myself, and even for these people who have long been in heaven! They now have peace and they are together, and i felt my heart rejoice for them at having the happiness we will all have with our Savior one day.

The study guide in the back of the book is great for groups or just for yourself, it is great for any type of bible study you might be apart of. I could not recommend a better book for anyone to read, and i know I will be getting this for my friends and family this Christmas season!

A Review for Fair Play by Deeanne Gist

It's time for another review folks. But i'm afraid to say it won't be as jolly as my other reviews.

When I read fair play I was prepared for a good christian book, but i was kinda disappointed with this book. The story line as a whole was good, don't get me wrong about that, the author made a good wholesome story with humor and wit, what I didn't like so much was that there seemed to be little to do about God, even though this is a christian fiction book.

The story reminds me a little of Doctor Quinn, medicine woman (If you haven't watched the TV show then you are missing out on the greatest show in TV history, at least that's my opinion). Billy (our female lead) Is a woman doctor trying to work her way in a man's profession, and with so many not even giving her a chance it's hard to do her job. But she asked to work at the women's building at the world fair, and makes more then she ever could. And she also meets a rugged and sweet cowboy from Texas. Their first meeting was awkward, their second time even more so, but I won't spoil that for y'all.

As their relationship grew so did their troubles. Now a lot of these troubles are of an extreme personal and mature nature, and while it is a shame that these things have happened and continue to do so I believe the author could have backed off it a bit. It made me think too much of the teen fiction novels you find on the bookshelves nowadays, and again this is suppose to be christian fiction, she didn't go into any detail but the most people can put two and two together, and there is too much of it. I think the envelope was pushed a little too much for me.

All in all I would give this book three out of five stars, the story line was great, the writing even better, but I was put off by the mature subjects popping up all over the book.

Table by the window, what a lovely view, now it's time for the Review

Book Description 

Heirloom recipes, family secrets…and a chance for love
The youngest heir to a French-Italian restaurant dynasty, food writer Juliette D’Alisa has spent her life negotiating her skill with words and her restaurant aspirations. When her brother Nico offers her a chance to open a restaurant together, she feels torn—does she really have what it takes? Should she risk leaving her journalism career? After the death of her grandmother, Juliette discovers an antique photograph of a man who looks strikingly like her brother. As the truth behind the picture reveals romance and dark secrets, Juliette struggles to keep the mystery away from her nosy family until she can uncover the whole story.

Inspired by her grandmother’s evolving story, Juliette resolves to explore the world of online dating. To her surprise, she finds a kindred spirit in Neil McLaren, a handsome immunologist based in Memphis, Tennessee. With a long-distance relationship simmering, Juliette faces life-shifting decisions. How can she possibly choose between a promising culinary life and Neil, a man a world away in more ways than one? And is it possible her Grandmother’s story can help show the way?


"You cause grass to grow for the cattle. You cause plants to grow for people to use. You allow them to produce food from the earth -- 15 wine to make them glad, olive oil as lotion for their skin, and bread to give them strength." Psalms 104: 14-15

Okay, I will start out my actual review by saying this; have a snack near by or lock your fridge when reading this book, you will be hungry after reading the recipes at the end of almost every chapter of this book. I know I will be trying out a few of them! Now Juliette was youngest in her family, something I can relate to, and her family of cooks was...how to put this nicely...pushy. Some had expectations of her and thought they should be met, and that can put a lot of stress on someone. And stress is all Juliette seem to have for company when returning home to her empty apartment. But God changed that for her.

Hillary Manton Lodge did a good job making you feel the emotions Juliette was experiencing at the time, the confusion, the hurt, the joy and laughter, all of it. Though some parts were a little slow they usually picked right back up. And most girls will probably fall for Neil (he is such an awesome character!) and I say he is the kind of guy I would be looking for in real life. Hillary also makes many good points in the book about finding yourself, what you want, and what God wants for you. There is so much clutter and noise in this world sometimes we forget to listen for the little voice inside us whispering the way to Him. This is a good book and I will be getting it for some of my friends

Now at the end of the book you'll think that is the end, do not be fooled! There is a book two coming out called Reservations for two, and I look forward to seeing what is to come.

I was given this book for free from the blogging for books program in exchange for an honest review, which I have given

Thanks to you!

Well, everyone i just wanted to say Thank you. Because of all you amazing people I was able to get into some awesome book reviewing programs, and yesterday I was accepted for Booklook! So from now on you will see this badge at the end of each review I do for BookLook

Thank you all soooooo much! My first book has been requested and should be here in the next two or three weeks.

Time for more Crochet patterns

I haven't done anything about Crocheting in a while, so I thought I would come back and give y'all a little come back and show off some great patterns!

This adorable collection of pokemon is done by an amazing Devianartist who goes by the name of Aphid777. I couldn't help showing off some of these awesome patterns made public for all us crazy crafters. All the pokemon you see in the picture above you will be able to make for yourself and your friends! and here are a few more I am sure you will love!

You can get these and other patters following this link:  Aphid777's Patterns and tutorials

Hope y'all enjoy!

Meant to be Mine

Meant to be mine was a book I looked forward to reading very much. It sounded amazing, and again my sense of good books did not fail me!

We are started out this story with Celia Park and Ty Porter meeting for the first time since high school, and the spark Celia felt then was stronger then ever. A few days spent in blissful love Ty prepose's to Celia and the elope in one of those shabby little places in Vegas. Celia couldn't be happier, she is married to the man of her dreams, but the next morning her world comes crashing down. Ty is in love with someone else, only this other woman wasn't ready for marriage just yet. Heartbroken, Celia vows never to see the man who took and shattered her heart. But God had a much larger plan for these two.

"Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of malicious behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you." Ephesians 4:31-32

Becky Wade focused on forgiveness in this book, when you have someone hiding something like that and then confessing he truth after you're married it takes a lot of strength to forgive them. Now Celia made her share of mistakes too. She let her pride and her pain cloud her good sense, she did not tell Ty he had a daughter, even when he came to see her she tried to hide it from him. She did not want to share her little girl. I understand her feelings, but she needed to have thought of what her daughter would want, and what was the right thing to do.

Now there is one thing I did not think was right is that Ty's money got him too much, even when Celia told him he couldn't buy love it still seemed to get him just about whatever he wanted. I think Becky Wade should have addressed this a little more. Other then that i have nothing else negative to say about this book.
I look forward to more of her books, and I want to read the one that came before this one called Undeniably Yours.

It's the first book in this series so I recommend reading it first.
Well folks this is all for today, I hope your day is full of good blessings and good books!

Beaches and Brides romance Collection Review

As you all know from former posts I am now a member of Netgalley, and with them I am able to give you this review! Let us begin.

The beaches and Brides collection was a fun read for me. I am a huge fan of these collections and i can't get enough of these amazing short stories. My favorite story in this books would have to be The Captain's Wife by Mary Davis. It begins not at all how i expected it from the sounds of the title, and as i read along I became more impressed with this story of Christ's forgiveness, and also as human beings how stubborn we are. I liked how the friend of our female lead used the verse John 8:1-11 to knock a bit of sense into our male, writing it upon a stone and putting it in front of him. Oh how many times I would have loved to do that in my life! But I also felt the inner struggle he felt after she left him with those verses, that upon reading them his life would forever change, and he didn't want to let go of the hatred he felt. I too have been in that position and I am slowly learning to humble myself. We as sinners have no right to judge others for the sins they have committed, only God has that right.

Now another one of the interesting stories would have to be The Castaway's Bride by Susan Page Davis. Being shipwrecked on a deserted island for five years can change anyone for the worse, but our main character Edward Hunter managed to stay on the path of God in those fives years, and helped those with them to see The lord as well. But upon finally returning home things were not all what he expected them to be. But even though life threw every curve it had at Edward he still kept to The Lord, and he was rewarded well indeed. This story was a true inspiration to the hardships we wall face, and that with the word of our Lord we can get through the strongest tempests.

All the other stories in here were great as well, though I had already read the Lightkeeper's daughter by Paige Winship from another book i had bought earlier this year. I highly recommend this book to anyone who needs a bit of fun and laughter, but most of all Love. I hope you all enjoy this book.

A review for Gathering Shadows by Nacy Mehl

When I read the back cover of this book i was sure it would be an amazing book, and I was right! Gathering Shadows by Nacy Mehl is about a young woman named Wynter (I love that name) a reporter with a haunting past. Her little brother was taken when she as only nine, and after that horrible day her family fell to pieces. She hardly recovered from it, and somewhere inside she knew her little brother was still alive. So when she sees the picture of a young man that shockingly looks exactly like an older version of her little brother she doesn't hesitate to set out to find him. But the town that he calls home has a bigger population of secrets then it does people!

I didn't expect this to be written in first person, but when i began i found it more then enjoyable. It gave me plenty of detail without going too fast or too slow. The author gives you clues about who it was who took Wynter's brother, but I still found it impossible to put all those little and weird little pieces together, so you probably won't find out either unless you have superpowers. And like any good mystery anyone could be the suspect, even with the town of Sanctuary seeming to be the perfect little country town, but some people there are just what they seem. I will leave it to read the book and find out the truth.
The cast of characters was amazing too, they were all so amazing. My favorite would have to be the cameraman who joined Wynter, i found him easy to relate to and very funny! The book also made me find this verse, which is somewhat fitting to the book.

"Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance." 1 Corinthians 13:7

Never give up hope, no matter what you go through, no matter if you are lost while others have been found, Love is with you for God is love and he will never leave you to face these challenges alone.

It's time to start the Spark...well at least the review for it anyways!

The LORD is my light and my salvation -- so why should I be afraid? The LORD protects me from danger -- so why should I tremble? When evil people come to destroy me, when my enemies and foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will know no fear. Even if they attack me, I remain confident. The one thing I ask of the LORD -- the thing I seek most -- is to live in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, delighting in the LORD's perfections and meditating in his Temple. For he will conceal me there when troubles come; he will hide me in his sanctuary. He will place me out of reach on a high rock. Then I will hold my head high, above my enemies who surround me. At his Tabernacle I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy, singing and praising the LORD with music. Listen to my pleading, O LORD. Be merciful and answer me! My heart has heard you say, "Come and talk with me." And my heart responds, "LORD, I am coming." Do not hide yourself from me. Do not reject your servant in anger. You have always been my helper. Don't leave me now; don't abandon me, O God of my salvation! Even if my father and mother abandon me, the LORD will hold me close. Teach me how to live, O LORD. Lead me along the path of honesty, for my enemies are waiting for me to fall. Do not let me fall into their hands. For they accuse me of things I've never done and breathe out violence against me. Yet I am confident that I will see the LORD's goodness while I am here in the land of the living. Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD." Pslam 27:1-14

I know i don't normally start out with so many verses, an entire chapter in fact. But I feel this Pslam written by David fits the book Spark by Evan Angler so perfectly I just had to share it with all of you! Now i don't want to spoil too much of the book for all of you since it is book four, and I haven't had time to tell you all about the amazing other books in this series (Since I haven't read book 3 yet) But I will say that you could read this book without reading the first three, but it wouldn't make as much sense if you didn't read them.

Now for those of you who have read the books, this fourth one is about a whole new character Ali, a beggar living in the Dark Lands city of al-Balat. When a little device in the shape of a rat leads her into a whole lot of trouble this little beggar is brought into a world she never knew. Ali herself is a interesting character, how Evan Angler came up with her I would love to know, but I think he's still in hiding (For those of you who've read the book you'll get this, for these who haven't don't worry he hasn't done anything bad!) and I found it funny how the very author of these books managed to put himself in the story, though only in mentioning, so seamlessly, it was very funny and a great little perk in the book.

Now as I said I can't tell too much or i might get in trouble with newbies to this series but I would like to say that Evan Angler has once again made a book that has captured my attention, and kept me hooked on it. So I can't wait to see what will come next in the swipe series, i must be off with The Dust, the end is coming! (Again if you have read the books you will get this)

Liebster award.....I've been nominated!

Hello everyone! I address you today because I have been nominated for the Liebster Blog award by the creator of one of my favorite blogs: Victoria W. of Miss Tadoodles Corner. Thank you so much!

What is this award you ask? Well it's an online only award for bloggers! Now it's not a chain award, or like the contests of figment for whoever has the most hearts (oh so very annoying) anyways I am honored to be nominated for this award!

Now as or the Rules, here they are:

1. Post the award on your blog

2. Thank the blogger who nominated you and link back to their blog

3. Write 11 random facts about yourself

4. Nominate 5-11 bloggers you feel deserve this award and have less then 1,000 followers

5. Answer the 11 questions posted b your presenter and ask your Nominees to answer  11 questions.

Here are eleven random fact about myself!

1. Everything about World War II freaks me out beyond normal reason, don't ask me why I still haven't figured it out!

2. I read probably 200 pages of a book each day.

3. I. LOVE. COFFEE!!!!! a lot...

4. When I get really really tired on Christmas eve I wake up my sister and annoy her with lots of crazy things I see in Disney movies.

5. I'm trying to learn to knit...it's not going very well.

6. I actually don't like being on the computer for long periods of time.

7. I watch old Disney movies more then anything else!

8.  I use to hate reading Ebooks, now I'm actually starting to like it.

9. When my family and I went to Disney World for the first time ever I went on a Lilo and Stitch craze, most of the stuff i got was of the awesome little blue alien!

10. While in Disney World a duck stole my ice cream cone, no joke, has to be one of the funniest moments of my life.

Here are my answers to Victoria's questions!

What's your favorite time of the day and why?
Okay, I am 100% a night owl (Though I am trying to change that lol) The night is so peaceful, there's little noise and I just feel closer to God at night.

How would you describe your eye color in a book?

Oh geez, you aren't going to make this easy for us are you? well if I had to describe them I would say... Deep brown, and in low lighting hard it's hard to see, but they have tiny specks of light brown closer to the Sclera then the Iris.

If you had three wishes from a Genie whay would you ask for? (And the three rules apply: you cannot make anyone fall in love with you, You can't bring someone back from the dead, and you can't kill anyone)
Okay,  wish 1: world peace! (It may sound cheesey but I am tired of chaos!!! Let peace reign!) Wish 2: start up a church in Texas Wish 3: I wish I had wings so I could fly!

What's your favorite Band and why?
Hm, I have so many. But if I had to settle on one it would have to be FireFlight. They are one of the best Christian bands ever! They always manage to come out with something new that speaks to my heart, and makes me want to dance and sing at the same time. I never get tired of their music

Favorite childhood memory?
Playing Baseball with my two older sisters has to be one of my very favorite memories. Playing with them outside in the warm sunshine and chasing after the ball when it went out of m reach, the one time I actually managed to hit a home run, I will never forget those times.

Would you marry someone twice your size?
If it was God's will and I loved him then there would be no doubt about it; I'd marry him!

What's your top six food/drinks that you couldn't live without?
Okay. My favorite drinks are Diet soda, milk, and sweet tea. My top three foods would have to be fried chicken, chocolate chip cookies, and black olives.

Okay, now cut that in half! Which three of the six would you live without forever!?
This question is hard!!!!!! (cries in corner for ten minutes, then returns with all the strength I can muster) I would have to live without sweet tea, diet soda (Though I love it oh so much) and black olives......I don't like this question

Which do you like better, heat or cold?
I like cold better, it's easier to warm up then to cool down, and it's just easier to breathe with cool air!

When was the last time you had peanut butter?
Last week....I had chocolate chips with it too....so yummy....

Do you Love/Follow Christ?
Yes I do! and I am proud to be one of His many followers!


Here are my Nominees!

Sabrina Giles at Sabrina Giles

God Girl at Forever changed Network

Brianna at Bri's literary Giants

EEB at EEB writing

Ashlyn James at Busy Bee



Now for my questions for the nominees....hehehehe...



1. If you had three wishes from a Genie what would you ask for? (And the three rules apply: you cannot make anyone fall in love with you, You can't bring someone back from the dead, and you can't kill anyone)

2.  What's your favorite time of the day and why?

3. Favorite childhood memory?

4, Which do you like better, heat or cold?

5. If you could any one superpower what would it be?

6. which do like more paperback books or Ebooks?

7. Out of the three which piece of technology which one do you think you could live without, TV, smartphone, or computer?

8. Why did you start our blog?

9. If you inherited 20 acres of land and a million dollars what would you do with it?

10. What's your goal in life?

11. Do you love/follow Christ?

The Lost loves of World War II

The Lost Loves of World War II collection was an amazing book. I'm sad to say I couldn't finish this. I'm sure you're wondering why I would stop reading it if I say it's so good. Well I have this strange fear of World War II. When I hear someone speak about my goes an unnaturally fast speed, and I don't know why I am so afraid of it. Anyways my sister wanted me to read the book For Such a Time by Kate Breslin. It is set in World War II, so I thought I would try this book to see if my fear was just me over reacting, and the book jut sounded really good. As you guys can see it didn't go so well, but enough about me. Let me get to what I read of the book.

The first story of this book starts out with the student Madeline in 2004. A majoring in journalism Maddy was given the chance to interview and write down the life of a woman who was alive during WW II. The slightly strange older lady was a bit of a mystery to our Maddy, just as Maddy was strange to her. I can say I laughed out loud more then once with this short story, I also cried as well. It also didn't rise up the fear of WW II as much, I think because it did flashback to the time period as much. There is something my dad says a lot, that i really didn't understand for a long time, "Do not become of this world" In my days as a blind sinner i could not understand these words, and even in my first few days reborn in Christ I still couldn't wrap my head around it. But this story helped a little with that. My dad meant not to let myself become absorbed into the things of this world, like my Android, my computer, even myself, for there is so much more beyond it. Thanks Dad for always reminding me not to be of this world. Now I say all this to say that is what this story represents. I also think of the one verse that I'm sure a lot of you have heard, 1 Corinthians 13:11  "When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.". The author blended the story perfectly, I actually loved it and think I could read it again.

Now the second story picks up a few years after the end of our first story, I'm sad to say in the middle of this story I had to stop, the pressure in my head combined with my heart going too fast was more then i could handle. But from what i did read it was another wonderful job by the author. Please pick up this book and read it. I wish I could have read more.

I received this book free from the publisher an exchange for an honest review, which i have given

Crochet that Pokemon

Okay, so many people are pokemon fans, and I am one of them. Now I look around deviantart probably more then i need to, but there is so much i can't help it! I have found quiet a few fake pokemon on there and i would like to know what you guys think I should crochet next!

There's Monzuit by Dragonith

Cubliff, DruVulf, and Vulfsage by CunningFox

Kaminagi by Dragonith

Snew by Smiley-Fakemon

Tell me which one you think i should try! please leave a comment below

#pokemon #fakemon #crochet

A Broken kind of Beautiful review

Here is another review for another amazing book!

A broken kind of beautiful was far from what I was expecting, and much better then I ever could have imagined. I thought it would be a feel good book, like a few of mine have been, and though in the end it does make you feel good there is a lot of stuff that makes me questions myself. Am I living the life God want's for me? Or am I straying from the path? 

Book description

"Sometimes everything you ever learned about yourself is wrong. Fashion is a fickle industry, a frightening fact for twenty-four year old model Ivy Clark. Ten years in and she’s learned a sacred truth—appearance is everything. Nobody cares about her broken past as long as she looks beautiful for the camera. This is the only life Ivy knows—so when it starts to unravel, she’ll do anything to hold on. Even if that means moving to the quaint island town of Greenbrier, South Carolina, to be the new face of her stepmother’s bridal wear line—an irony too rich for words, since Ivy is far from the pure bride in white. If only her tenuous future didn’t rest in the hands of Davis Knight, her mysterious new photographer. Not only did he walk away from the kind of success Ivy longs for to work maintenance at a local church, he treats her differently than any man ever has. Somehow, Davis sees through the façade she works so hard to maintain. He, along with a cast of other characters, challenges everything Ivy has come to believe about beauty and worth. Is it possible that God sees her—a woman stained and broken by the world—yet wants her still?"

As I read over this book i laughed and I cried for the main characters of this story, and it was interesting to see them from the male lead's point of view. It's hard to imagine what is going on through a guy's head, and he was a very very interesting character, and I loved how he saw the world through his Camera, it was truly inspiring. Now the stepmother of our main character Ivy. She wasn't the normal wicked stepmother I assumed her to be, not even close. As a woman whom could have no children she had to face many struggles, including a Husband who cheated on her in their earlier years of marriage. When she learned her husband had a daughter with his mistress she insisted that he bring her over, and the moment she met that little girl she fell in love with her. She tried to give the love Ivy didn't get from her mother or father. I think she truly remembered many of the promises God had given her, like this one in Deuteronomy 28:1-6 "If you fully obey the LORD your God by keeping all the commands I am giving you today, the LORD your God will exalt you above all the nations of the world. You will experience all these blessings if you obey the LORD your God: You will be blessed in your towns and in the country. You will be blessed with many children and productive fields. You will be blessed with fertile herds and flocks. You will be blessed with baskets overflowing with fruit, and with kneading bowls filled with bread. You will be blessed wherever you go, both in coming and in going."
She remembered God's promises, but she did not act to gain something in return, she acted with the love God placed in our hearts and only out of love, nothing else. I want to be like her so much.

Now be forewarned, there will be many tears throughout this book, but God can turn anything that has been broken into something beyond any kind of beauty we understand. So please pick up this book and read about a broken kind of beautiful.

Read Chapter 1

I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review, which I have given.

BFFB (Blogging for future books)

I have so many books my family wonder's how I am going to read them all! And thanks to the two blogging programs I am in I have more books coming in once or twice a month, so I have a lot to read, yet I still manage to run out of books. That's the only problem with being able to read so fast, you read all your books! But I hope to join two more programs!

That's right everyone Netgalley and BookLook!  I have already signed up for Netgalley, I have had a few publishers accept my requests, some have been turned down, but I hope to be reading and review these E-books soon. I am waiting for replies to my other requests, hopefully I'll get something! The one I look forward to most at the moment is The Beast Within Serena Valentino.

I haven't heard from Disney publishing group about it yet but I hope they say yes, I want to read about the beast from Beauty and the Beast. As for BookLook at the moment I am only eight short followers away from reaching the required amount of followers needed to join this program, so I could really use your help here. If you know of anyone who might be interested in my blog please urge them to come and check it out! follow me on twitter or Google+ I only need eight more people for more book reviews! So can you help a girl out?

Sucking the Life out of you

Okay, everyone knows about Vampires, they seem to be the most popular mythical creature out there, right next to werewolves. But what do vampires represent to this generation? Most see them as sexy misunderstood human's with a craving they can't control, like the two in vampire diaries, Stefan and Damon. But we're not here to talk about the fictional vampires you see in the cheesey old movies our grandparents use to watch, like this guy

I'm talking about the everyday people around you like friends and family. How are they slowly draining the precious life energy given to you, and how can you fight off this attack that is killing you without even giving a hint that it's there?

I honestly don't know for sure. There are few things I have done that have ever really gotten those blood sucker's off my back, and even then it's only for a small amount of time before they want to bite into me again. This is one of those times where we really have to trust God for help, only with Him have I felt safe from the attacks coming on all around me. I am still learning to trust Him (Yes I have trust issues!) So I pray that he will get these vampires off of me and turn these sinners to him. But sometimes they are not all sinners, sometimes these vampires are believers. They don't realize what they're doing to you, and that it has to stop. If you are in the middle of such a thing then Pray to God for guidance, a calm heart and mind, and then tell them what they are doing to you. Speak with an open mind, listen to what they have to say, and try to resolve it as peacefully as possible. Now the Devil will try his best to keep his little unknowing vampires, they are some of his greatest weapons, and he may even try to use you to get them to stay that way. Lashing out in anger won't solve the problems faced before you, it's only giving the devil what he wants, and after so many attacks from him I am sick of him getting ANYTHING! So don't let the problem grow to the point that something so little turns into a painful memory, get the little blood suckers off before you become one of them. God will help you, he will heal the bites on your body, and he will restore the blood you've lost. Keep trusting and you will never lose the fight.

"So humble yourself before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you"  James 4:7

Becoming a crazy crafter!

Yep, it's very easy to become a crazy crafter, it only took me a few days, and now crocheting has become a serious hobby of mine! I love making little critters! My first one was perry the platypus from Pheines and Ferb,

From then on i was hooked! I am also going to try making my own patterns here and there, right now I'm working on a manticore for my best friend Ashlyn. And I have a file of my deviantart page with pictures of creatures I want to crochet, so I have lots of happy working ahead of me! I also would like to work with clay to make some cute figurines and such. I want to make some of the unversed from Kingdom hearts Birth by sleep, if you don't know what Kingdom hearts is then you are missing out on the best video game series ever, and if you do know kingdom hearts and down know the unversed then here's one of them i want to make from clay

I find this rather annoying unversed very cute and think it would be fun to make it from clay. Now I didn't come here just to tell you about myself, but about other great Crazy crafters I have found online! One of my favorites is Amigurumi to Go. These crochet patterns are so cute, and I cannot help making these cute little buddies. Her latest one is a little Easter bunny and a little mouse, 

I want to make the mouse for my friend so badly. There are many other cute patterns on this website so go check it out! I have many other's, but they are kinda scattered all over my computer, so it might take me a little longer, sorry! but I will post of more awesome patters I find!

Getting the little Devil off your shoulder

How many times do we have to swat away the little devil on our shoulder before he finally leaves us alone? How much pain do we have to go through before we finally get to the happy place? These are questions I ask myself every day, last night the devil used people very close to my heart to attack me, and at the time I didn't know what to do, I was so shocked it happened.  I wasn't sure what to pray for, strength, understanding, an unbroken heart? I didn't know so i asked for all of the above Learning to live in Christ has pealed away layers of my defensive walls I had up to protect my heart from from verbal attacks, but now that they have been stripped away I find my heart much more open to these attacks, and the devil is trying to use that as much as he can. But removing those layers has helped me turn to God even more, and the devil is kinda confused about that

He's use to my walls, and now he trying to get at me, but with the lord I am safe, reading His word I am reminded how close he is to me and all of the promises he has made to me! I read the book of Esther, and felt comforted that God did not let the plots of the wicked play out, instead everything they had built to take down the jews had been used for their own destruction. I like something Ashlyn and  said earlier when that little devil was trying to mess with me

"trying to get this darn devil off my shoulder, guess he's yelling cause I'm ignoring him" Me

"Mean Devil!!! *smacks him with flyswatter*" Ashlyn

"Thanks! I was just about to get the bug spray (The bible) out to make him shut up!" Me

The devil didn't like that part, but it helped make my day brighter, so thank you Lord for giving us Your Word to battle the devil, and thank you Ashlyn for swatting that nasty devil off my shoulder so i could get out the bug spray!

Caught in the middle of this review!

Here's my first review for the Bethany house blogging for books program!

                            

Caught in the middle wasn't all what I was expecting, it was much much better. I expected a quick read that was a bit rushd, but it wasn't. Caught in the middle brought about a great revelation for me, and I honestly believe God is trying to speak to me, making sure that I know that sometimes to do His will I will have to give up what I want, but always with the promise of something much better on the way. 

Anne was a tormented soul, haunted by the abuse of her dead husband and the lack of attention from her father. She became a buffalo hunter to escape the confines of a home. What she didn't expect was their cook to abandon her son with her! The experiences Anne faced throughout the book forever changed the young woman.

Nick wants a good life, a comfortable life. But such things can get us, as the title says, caught in the middle. Being is such a spot gives us the means to hear God's voice and to make the right choice, even when it could cost you everything you've known.

I think the verse that would suit the story that would fit this story the best would have to be Ecclesiastes 3:1 "There is a time for everything, a season for every activity under heaven." Everything that that happened to Anne in the present time of the book there was a very good reason for it, all of them leading her down the path she needed t take to make sure she found The One she needed most. The story is paced well, giving you enough detail to keep you hooked, but not to bore you out of your mind. Prepare for a few tears closer to the end, so have a tissue box near by. I would definatly give this book a five star rating and highly recomend it to all of you!

I have gotten this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review, which I have given

Kim Vogel Swayer's Through the Deep Waters

I'm here to review another amazing book by Kim Vogel Swayer

I normally start out my reviews with a verse to help give a glimpse of the little gifts the story has waiting for us, today I will start a little differently today. I would to say that this is Kim Swayer's greatest book I have read so far, sure to bring a tear or two to anyone's eye. When I first came to Christ I wondered why the story of Dinah (See Genesis chapter 34) was put in there, it was such a sad tale, and we never knew what happened to her after such a horrifying experience. Did she find love? Did she get over what happened to her? Only God has those answers, but I feel that this story can give comfort to those who've ever wondered about Dinah.

"Now Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land. And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her and lay with her, and violated her." Genisis 34:1-2 NKJV

Dinah (Not the biblical Dinah) was born and raised in a saloon, being such a child brings with it many troubles, and as she neared womanhood it became harder to keep the men who visited the saloon away from her. The owner told Dinah that her mother was fatally ill, though she wasn't suppose to, to get Dinah to sell her purity. Dinah didn't know what she was meeting the man for, but fifty dollars was enough to care for her mother and to get out of the saloon, when Dinah finally understood she wanted to leave but the man would not have it, leaving deep emotional scars on Dinah's souls. Things like this happens right under our noses most times and I wish there was something I could do to change it, and there is something we can all do, pray for them. We all have scars from the past, though not as horrific as Dinah's they can still leave us scared, bitter, and distrustful of the world around us.

"Dear brothers and sisters, you are foreigners and aliens here. So I warn you to keep away from evil desires because they fight against your very souls." 1 peter 2:11

There was one character in this book I could relate to very well, Ruthie. She is the eldest daughter of the town's pastor, and I think like a lot of us do she struggled with her own feelings, most of all jealousy. She tried to become friend with Dinah when she became a chambermaid and her roommate, but Dinah's aloof nature made it hard to do so. When Amos, a man Ruthie was smitten with, showed feelings for Dinah instead of her it became a war inside her soul. She battled with the unwelcome feelings she knew she had no right to bare. But the devil is a crafty fellow. I find it easy to connect with this character the most and I was glad to see such a character in Kim Swayer's book. I hope she makes more characters like her in future books.

"For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11

The book ended well, like many of her others, though a little slow at some points, I will say that it was well worth it. I look forward to another novel by this great author!

I received this book from blogging for book for a honest review, which I have given

Read Chapter 1

Our time is Now

Faith is ever growing, and God is giving me the stepping stones to getting to the faith he wants for all of us. Speaking to Him through prayer has been hard for me, I've never been really good at talking to people aloud, so one of my friends suggested I write to Him, it was my way of telling him everything. But We're not here about that today! Today we are here to talk about trust and faith.

As Christians we are called to trust the Lord with everything we have and everything we are, to believe He can do anything and that He will do what is for our best. It's hard to remember God holds so much power in his hands, the power to do ANYTHING! more then we could possibly ever imagine. I have kept my prayers short and simple, thinking I couldn't ask for much else, but God can do the impossible, He can make any prayer I have come true in the most unexpected and glorious way possible. Recently I read the book Sinner by Ted Dekker while reading Sun Stand Still by Steven Furtrick (Which I will do a review on later) 

                            

But reading Sinner brought my eyes opened to a brand new world that's very much like ours, frighteningly so. In the book the first amendment, the freedom of speech, is altered! So that speaking outside of the church about your religion is considered Hate Speech, and therefore against the law. But what really got me was this one old lady near the end of the book, Holly, though was under the influence of a great power, still held strong

"The woman was trembling head to foot, as were five others, hands to their mouths, without being able to fully comprehend where the extreme emotion was coming from. Without realizing it, they were facing more then the simple fear of the National Guard

      "they're coming for you" Darcy said "You're all terrified for good reason, and you're going to demand that Johnny take you out of here" She gave them a gentle smile and stopped ten feet from them "Aren't you?"

      "Leave?" One of them asked. A thin brute.

      "Yes leave this valley"

      "No" Said Holly. She was crying earnestly now "No, you don't understand, we can't leave"

Darcy blinked "Oh? but you will leave"

       A moment of silent stalemate

       "No!" The woman screamed 'No, you can't make me leave. I will not be silenced! I will not deny the love of my Christ! Take my head, take my home, take my husband, but you won't take my heart!"

       Darcy was too stunned to reply. The woman was resisting her? Her brain scrambled for reasoning. Surely she could find and act on the morsel of doubt in this woman's mind. That sliver of fear. 

       That spot that resented God, even.

       "You've betrayed Christ before" She said

       "Yes!" The woman's hands flew to her face and she wept bitterly. "Yes! And I can't betray him again. Never!"" 

                    An expert from Sinner by Ted Dekker

After reading this one little scene I saw a glimpse of the strong faith that was more common in biblical times. It was the strong faith that I wanted in myself. I prayed to God, not in written letters, but in my heart and soul, for the faith Holly had even when slapped with the fact that she had betrayed Christ before. I feel He is giving me what I asked for, strengthening my faith with new tests, and though some of them have been very hard I more then happy with how I am becoming stronger through Christ.

Here's just a little verse I read that thought fit one of the characters, Black, in the story very well.

"He will use every kind of wicked deception to fool those who are on their way to destruction because they refuse to believe the truth that would save them"  2 Thessalonians 2:10

Another very interesting thing about the story of Sinner is the chapter of the bible Ted Dekker drew inspiration from Matthew 24. After reading that one chapter I saw what Dekker was trying to show us in his story. Jesus' love cannot be silenced. I will continue to speak of the love Christ offers to all his children, we shouldn't wait to speak up when it becomes a problem, our time to speak is now. Share the love you have been given, we don't know the day Christ will return, but every second on this earth counts for something. Don't wait too long, don't be silenced, and don't be discouraged. The Lord is with you and with Him all things are possible

None of the artwork belongs to me