The Horse of My Heart - Stories of the Horses We Love

This was a collection of sweet, enjoyable stories about horses, and the people that loved them.  Honestly, I do not love horses.  My sister does...so I read this with her in mind.  I thought the stories were pleasant, and well-written, but I didn't come away wanting a horse.  I plan to pass the book onto her when I'm finished, and I have a feeling she will appreciate the stories much more than I did.

The individual chapters (stories) are not very long in length, but they did start to sound the same after awhile.  I would recommend this book if you are someone who enjoys horses...you will probably come away thinking that horses are even more amazing.

I did appreciate the Christian spin taken on the stories.

I was given a copy of this book by Revell Reads in exchange for an honest review.

A Reason To Stay - Kellie Coates Gilbert

Faith Marin's life has turned out exactly as she has planned it.  Until the end of the second chapter, when (spoiler alert!) she is shot.  The book from here on is her reflecting? dreaming? thinking? on her relationship with her husband Geary.

Geary.  My biggest complaint with this book.  While it is made clear that Geary is a stable, almost "perfect" man (with the exception of his large, overbearing, yet kind family), he is completely one-dimensional in this book.  You don't ever come to understand the logic of his falling for someone like Faith...unless it be purely physical, and it seems like it must have been (that, or the author just forgot about his character).  Also, the descriptions of their marital intimacy are uncomfortable for a Christian novel, and inappropriate for younger readers.

I felt like I was "suddenly" getting to the end of the book, and things were going to have to wrap up...and they wrapped up absolutely perfectly, with everything working out like a fairytale.  I suppose there's nothing really wrong with this, it's just...really predictable.

I'm not a huge fan of this book.  I was given a copy of it by Revell Reads (Baker House Publishing Group) in exchange for an honest review.

9 Thoughts That Can Change Your Marriage - Sheila Wray Gregoire

This book surprised me...in a good way.  I found Sheila to have a very practical, realistic, and Biblical view of marriage, and of men and women.  

Sheila's perspective is accurate: we can only change ourselves.  And in changing ourselves, we change the dynamic of our marriages.  We CAN change our perspective on our husbands: which in many, many cases is equivalent to "changing our husbands", because it forces us to look at him in a different light.  At the same time, she cautions against being blinded to sin, and instead wisely suggests that men who are sinning be able to reap the consequences of whatever their choices are...instead of women blindly "submitting" to his every whim.  

I very much appreciated her practical ideas for applying the wisdom in this book.  Each chapter has first a "thought that can change your marriage" (example: I'm Not in Competition With My Husband), and a number of "action steps" within these chapters, and then lists them all at the end of the chapter in summary (example: Find a practical way every day to put your husband's needs and preferences first).

In each chapter, she also has "pat answers", or: "incorrect thoughts we've always been taught", and then explains thoroughly what is the more accurate, Biblical solution to any one "pat answer".  For example, a pat answer would be: "The husband is the authority in the family.  In a disagreement, he decides, and she obeys.  When you do this, the family will experience God's blessing."  She then goes on to explain submission, what the Greek word actually means, and how it might practically apply to a marriage.

I highly recommend this book.  I plan to read it again and use it in my own marriage.

I received this book free from Blogging for Books, in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own.

The Photograph - Beverly Lewis

20 year old Eva Esch is left an orphan, and while she is flanked on either side by equally orphaned and single sisters Lily and Frona, they are all as different as three sisters can be.  This story follows the always-likable Eva and her perspective on about a month's worth of events following their mother's death.

This was a pleasant, if possibly slightly boring, read.  I found the plot quite predictable, and I personally am not a huge fan of these types of stories...even if you are, I would be surprised if you were kept on the edge of your seat, or were overly surprised by...anything that happened.  There was nothing dramatically wrong about the book, there was just nothing truly dramatic about the book.

I received this book free from Bethany House (Baker Publishing Group) in exchange for an honest review.

  

Taming the To-Do List - Glynnis Whitwer

I'm not sure this book is titled correctly!  I really enjoyed this book and found it helpful...but it speaks to so much more than just our "to-do lists"!  This book starts out discussing procrastination, what it is, and why we choose to procrastinate.  I found his book extremely helpful in assessing myself: what are the reasons I am putting things off?  What is the price I'm paying by continuing in the bad habits I might have?  Why should I change?

A few tidbits from the book to give an idea of her perspective:

On procrastination: "Procrastination is an intentional delay of something that is in our best interests to do."..."When we procrastinate on the things we know we should do, we are assuming a confidence in the future that is unwise.  In fact, the Bible even goes so far as to call it sin. (James 4:13-17)

On encouraging self-regulation: "Self-regulation is a critical development skill we acquire, starting in childhood, that underlies our behavior.  It's the capacity to control our impulses...without a strong sense of self-regulation, we will act in ways that can cause guilt, shame, and anxiety...self-regulation is critical for long-term well-being."

On bad decisions: "There is always a price to pay.  Sometimes we pay it. Sometimes others pay it. But there is a cost."

On valuing time: "Valuing minutes, not just hours, helps us become wise time managers."

On setting goals: "We must start by being very clear with ourselves.  Giving my children unclear directions is unfair to them.  And it's unfair to do that to myself. The more we can define our expectations, the more likely we are to achieve them."

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I would highly recommend this book for those of us who struggle with procrastination, setting goals, accomplishing what we wish we could, or even just making to-do lists.

I received this book free from Revell Reads (Baker Publishing) in exchange for an honest review.

Powerful Moments in the Presence of God - Lorraine Marie Varela

This book is a refreshing mix of photography, Bible verses, and short devotionals.  I find it relaxing to just page through and enjoy the scenery.  I would recommend this as an uplifting small gift for someone, or even just for yourself.

I thought the introduction to the book was interesting...but am not sure it really made sense to use, other than (I guess) a background into who the photographer/author is.

One very small negative note: some of the pictures don't exactly seem to fit the page (Overcome Anxiety: a picture of a couple snuggling, My Love is a Shield: pictures of ships docked at a wharf, etc.)

I received this book free from Chosen Books (Baker Publishing) in exchange for an honest review.

Girl Meets Change - Kristen Strong

We all go through change of some sort in our life.  This is why I chose to read this book.  Kristen is no stranger to change - though she has gone through periods of resisting it and strongly disliking it...much like me, and many others, I would guess.  Kristen helps this book feel more personal by including many stories from not only her own life, but those of her friends and children as well.

If you are going through change right now, this book is a breath of fresh air to help remind us of what is important in the midst of change, and who we are to look to.

I'll wrap this up with a thought I appreciated from the book: "No matter the tilt and whirl of change in this world, I am held together because of Christ.

I received this book free from Revell Reads (Baker Publishing) in exchange for an honest review.