Sarah Holman's Blog, page 91

Adventure Between the Pages: Colliding with Destiny: Finding Hope in the Legacy of Ruth by Sarah Jakes

Buy it HereAge Appropriate For: 16 and up for some subject matterBest for Ages: 16 and up
Description: The story of Ruth is a journey of transformation. By allowing God to transform her circumstances, Ruth went from a widow who would be excluded from society to a wife with a secure and protected future, a future that ultimately paved the way for the birth of King David! Her story is full of collision--loss, heartache, poverty, even shame--but she never let her past define her. Instead, the most painful time of her life became her most pivotal, propelling her to a destiny she never imagined. Perhaps you have a past you're struggling to overcome. If disappointments, whether a result of your own choices or the actions of others, have kept you from being your true self, this book is for you. Follow Ruth's life and discover the hope available to each of us. Your yesterday does not have to dictate your tomorrow. Despite your past pain, you, too, can find redemption and restoration.
This is my first book by Jakes, and I really am impressed. She has found a great balance in sharing about her broken past, without going into so much detail that the message of her book was lost in the gritty details. I applaud her honesty and her message.
Ruth has always been a favorite character of mine in the bible, second only to Joseph of the Old Testament.  I was very excited to see Jakes’ take on this story of love, forgiveness and second chances.  Though not exactly what I expected, I felt she did a good job.
Each chapter begins with some verses from the book of Ruth. Jakes than draws from her life and crafts a lesson from each chapter. The format, although not what I expected, was nice and made for easy reading. Some of the lessons that she drew from the verses were a bit of a stretch – such as, Jakes says that when Boaz first noticed her, it was because she conducted herself confidently. However, most of the book is very biblically sound.
This book, while good, was not a real challenge for me. It seemed to contain the same information I had read elsewhere and did not add to my understanding of life or the Bible. I also felt the writing was a bit weak. It wasn’t terrible, it just wasn’t as strong as I like in my non-fiction.
I recommend this book for those who love Ruth, honest non-fiction, and non-fiction that is easy to read.
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I received this book from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review. I was under no obligation to write a positive review. The opinions in this review are entirely my own.

A Different Kind of Courage blog tour begins!

A Different Kind of Courage blog tour is here!
September 8 ~ The Destiny of OneSeptember 9 ~ Adventures Beyond the HorizonSeptember 10 ~September 11 ~ Shannon McDerrottSeptember 12 ~ Claire M. Banschbach- Thoughts and RantsSeptember 13 ~September 14~ Jaye KnightSeptember 15 ~ Stardust and GravelSeptember 16 ~ The Rode of a WriterSeptember 17~ September 18 ~ Into the BookcaseSeptember 19 ~ Christ is WriteSeptember 20 ~ The Destiny of One

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Adventure Between the Pages: Dirty Faith: Bringing the Love of Christ to the Least of These by David Z. Nowell

Buy it HereAge Appropriate For: 13 and up for some subject matterBest for Ages: 16 and up

Description: Put Your Faith Into Action. Do you ever feel like something in your faith is missing, that going to church, studying the Bible, and tithing just aren't enough? There has to be more, right? What would it look like to truly "follow" Christ and not just believe in him? David Nowell asked the very same questions, and was led to minister to the "least of these," whom God loves deeply. In "Dirty Faith," Nowell shares powerful stories of faith in action, and encourages us to move with him from the sidelines to the front line, to get our hands dirty helping the hopeless, the disenfranchised, and the poor. Loving as God loves is central to the gospel, whether that means taking in foster children, ministering to inmates at the local jail, or something else God has in mind just for you. Let this inspiring book help you find what's been missing in your faith.
I was really excited when I saw the title and description on this book. I spend every Saturday working at the local food pantry. Many of the people who come through the doors there would be considered some of the ‘least of these’. God has really convicted me about loving these people right where they are, and I thought this book would really help.
It didn’t take long into this book for me to start skimming. I really disliked the tone of the book. It didn’t feel loving it all, it felt like a lecture on everything Americans are doing wrong. All of the book I read really wasn’t about loving others, but about how selfish Americans were. Although I agree with some of the points he was making, I really was disappointed in the book.
The tone of this book was what bothered me the most. The author, instead of sharing the things he has learned, came across as thinking he had it all figured out, while we were all selfish and lazy. I do not think that it was intended to come out this way, but that is what it sounded like to me. He seemed to take no joy in the work he has done, but just looked at it as something he had been required to do.
Overall, I felt this book really wasn’t about loving the least of these, it was about trying to wake American Christians up and get them to start putting their faith into action. Although I applaud the message, I think it could have been done a lot better.
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I received this book from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review. I was under no obligation to write a positive review. The opinions in this review are entirely my own.

Everyday Life: Praise God, missing Dr. Pepper

Hi everyone! Gosh, even though I have been posting on the blog, there hasn’t been a whole lot on the blog about me and what has been going on, so I thought I would stop by and share.
First off, I have some amazing news! My dad is doing better! God led my mom to an article and, as a result, my dad gave up all coffee and carbonated beverages. Within the last two weeks, we have been seeing an amazing improvement in my dad. Although he still isn’t back to where he was, we are praising God for the improvement we have seen.
A sad note, we all gave up coffee and carbonated drinks with my dad. Although my dad is seeing some wonderful health benefits, I am missing my Dr. Pepper. A lot of people have told me how awful sodas are and how much better I will feel without them, but that isn’t helping.  I haven’t seen many benefits, but I have been missing them a lot. Now my secret is out, I am not even close to a health nut. However, I am determined to stick this out for at least a couple of months to see if there really are a lot of health benefits.
On a healthy note, my sisters and I have started doing Zumba using our Wii system. Every morning at nine for the last three weeks, at least some of us are out there, doing the silly moves that keep us moving and leave us out of breath. I think I have lost a couple of pounds of fat, but I also think that it is helping to make my body stronger.

Thank you all for your prayers for my dad, keep them coming.

Faith to Start Your Week: Proverbs Project Week 3

Adventure Between the Pages: Whispers from the Shadows

Buy it Here Age Appropriate For: 15 and up for violence, and romanceBest for Ages: 15 and up
Description: Treachery causes Gwyneth Fairchild's world to crumble. The daughter of a British general, she just barely saves her life by fleeing London aboard a ship to America. Her goal is to find refuge with the Lane family in Maryland, having been told by her father she could implicitly trust Winter and Bennet Lane, even though their nations are once again at war. After meeting their son, Thad, she soon discovers they are a family much like her own. The Lanes trade in a dangerous commodity--espionage. Not long after Gwyneth is on his ship, Captain Thad Lane experiences the tug of love, though he fears it may blur lines of loyalty. With family playing the part of enemies and enemies proving themselves friends, a future with Gwyn is uncertain. But at this moment, with the British advancing on Washington and Baltimore, they have only their shared faith in God as a shield about them.
Whispers from the Shadows was even better than the first book! White took on a time period that is not as well known in history: the War of 1812. With this historical backdrop, the story that unfolds was heart-pounding, charming, and gripping.
I loved Gwyn. White wrote her so vividly that I felt as if I had met her. As she flees England with a secret, my heart just broke. Her drawing and painting?  Wow! I felt as if I was looking over her shoulder when she drew. The paintings were described so vividly and each of them had a piece of Gwyn in them.
Thad was a bit confusing to me. Don’t get me wrong, he made an excellent hero for the story. However, I think his secret past was kept secret almost too long. Something didn’t fit, and I couldn’t figure out why. Thad had so much compassion and sweetness about him that I loved him despite my confusion.
Seeing Winter and Bennet was a delight. Although they play minor roles in the story, it was a treat to see this couple happy years later, watching their children find love.
The romance in this book was sweet even with its bumps. I love how Thad really seemed to understand Gwyn’s needs and helped her deal with the pain in her past. I also loved how Gwyn forgave Thad when he failed and accepted the help she needed.
I highly recommend this book to historical fiction lovers, those who like romance, and anyone looking for a well told story.

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Other posts you might enjoy:          Adventure Between the Pages: Just Jane by Nancy Moser          Adventure Between the Pages: Once Upon a Prince by Rachel Hauck          Adventure Between the Pages: Prize of My Heart by Lisa Norato

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A Different Kind of Courage is on sale for $1.99 on Kindle! 

Faith to Start Your Week: Proverbs Project Week 2

Adventure Between the Pages: Fairchild's Lady by Roseanna White

Get it Here for freeAge Appropriate For: 15 and up for romance including passionate kissingBest for Ages: 15 and up
Description: In 1789 General Isaac Fairchild travels across the Channel on a very special assignment. After surviving the American Revolution, he is now gathering information on life at King Louis XVI’s court. But he must also locate a countess and her grown daughter and escort them back to England before revolution explodes in France. He knows danger is in the task set before him, but when he meets the beautiful Julienne, a new peril beckons him deeper into the intrigue of Versailles.If I had read this as a standalone book, I probably would not have enjoyed it. It is very heavy on the romance and not a lot of substance to back it up, unless you have read Ring of Secrets.
I felt sorry for Isaac Fairchild in Ring of Secrets. He was such a nice guy and honorable, but he didn’t have a happy ending in the book. This short story gives him a happy ending and is the bridge between the Ring of Secrets and Whispers from the Shadows.
This story has a fairy tale feel to it. Isaac meets Julienne at a ball and, before he finds out her name, they are separated again. This story is a light read full of pretty costumes, gorgeous settings, and romance, perfect for a fairy tale lover, or someone who wants a light read.
I highly recommend this novella for anyone who has read Ring of Secretsand his planning on reading Whispers from the Shadows.

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Other posts you might enjoy:          Book Review: Jennifer: An O'Malley Love Story by Dee Henderson         Adventure Between the Pages: Love in Disguise by Carol Cox         Adventure Between the Pages: The Messenger

Faith to Start your Week: Proverbs Project

God has really been using Proverbs to encourage, teach, and mold me the last few months. For a while, I would like to share a verse from Proverbs on Monday.

Other posts you might enjoy:          It is all in the Roots          Devotionals          Where Destiny and Faith take you: an update on me