Forgiveness

The Truth About Forgiveness

By: John MacArthur

John MacArthur’s Truth About Forgiveness lays out the fundamental importance of God’s forgiveness for the believer and the non-believer. MacArthur addresses several important issues in his seven simple chapters. What I found to be most fundamental and important was the emphasis MacArthur placed on the story of the Prodigal Son. MacArthur went into much detail how God’s forgiveness is undeserved and how God truly wants to forgive, just like in the story of the Prodigal Son.  MacArthur writes about God’s forgiveness simply yet exactly.

The other chapter I found crucial was the last chapter that addressed the need to forgive others. I have struggled with this in my closest relationships, the need to forgive as Jesus has forgiven. I know that the Lord will give me the strength I need to forgive and to be forgiven by Him.

I have enjoyed reading The Truth About Forgiveness and The Truth About Grace by John MacArthur. His way of writing is quick and easy to read and understandable.

Thank you Booksneeze for the opportunity to read this book. 

The Truth About Grace

The Truth About Grace
By: John MacArthur

The Truth About Grace by John MacArthur is a wonderful, easy read. John MacArthur uses scripture to state the truth about God’s grace in a way that is focused for even the “rookie” Christian. Each page is saturated with scripture that you want to look up as you are reading to get the full context. You can use this book as an easy devotional or simply read it straight through.


MacArthur helps us to gain focus on God’s grace by asking specific questions and allowing us to see Grace for what it is…undeserved. From The Truth About Grace: “Just thinking about the fact that God, by His own sovereign plan, decided to be gracious to me is overwhelming. There is nothing greater than receiving grace upon grace." Isn’t this the truth? God’s grace is forever ascending upon us even though we are sinners and it is undeserved by all of us. Thank the Lord for his never-ending grace!

Thank you Booksneeze for the opportunity to read this wonderful book, The Truth About Grace.

Wildflowers from Winter

Wildflowers from Winter

By: Katie Ganshert

Wildflowers from Winter by Katie Ganshert was a very enjoyable book to read! I love reading stories where there are characters that have a firm faith in the Lord and by their actions they lead others to the Lord. This is such a great model for me and something I need to strive to work harder at, especially when I am very shy about sharing my faith.

Anyway, the book begins with Bethany, an architect, who lives in Chicago. She has a great job which she loves. She moved away from Peaks, Minnesota to get away from the life that she lived there. When she did this, she left her mother, grandfather, and a best friend behind. When her best friend’s husband gets sent to the hospital, she decides to go back, even though she hasn’t spoken to Robin in about 10 years. She goes and stays with her grandfather on the farm and meets his hired hand, Evan. She has nothing in common with Evan, but as all fiction stories seem to go, you know they are going to find their way to each other.

Through a series of events, she loses her job in Chicago, and moves back to Peaks for a short time. She has no desire to stay in Peaks for long, but the Lord had other plans in mind. Doesn’t He always!?!

As I said, I really enjoyed reading this book. Katie Ganshert has also written a novel focusing on the best friend, Robin, which I am looking forward to reading when it becomes available.

Thank you to Waterbrook Multnomah for sending me an advanced reading copy of this book.

Wasting Time...

So tonight, I have done NOTHING....actually that is not true. I have been reading online articles from Money Saving Mom about how to be more frugal! I am looking to lower my budget so that I NEVER have to teach again! hahah Unless it is an exercise class! :)

So, if you have tips and tricks that will save me time let me know...SHARE! Let's be frugal together! :)

PapaMoose would be so proud...haha...He always enjoyed hearing my coupon savings! :)

Garden of Madness

Garden of Madness

By: Tracy L. Higley

Garden of Madness by Tracy L. Higley was intriguing. Based off of the book of Daniel from the Bible, Higley, weaves historical facts into a fictional story quite beautifully.

A couple of pointers I recommend before reading this book are to first read the Book of Daniel in the Bible before starting so that you have some background, especially if you have never read it before. And secondly, the author gives a note in the back of the book which does not give any of the book away. I read it after reading the entire book through and thought that it might have helped me have a better handle on things as I was reading if I had read it first, or simply referred to it from time to time.

In the book of Daniel, King Nebuchadnezzar has different dreams, which Daniel interprets for him. Because Daniel interprets them, Daniel becomes the King’s chief advisor. Finally, King Nebuchadnezzar has a dream in which a huge tree is cut down and stripped. When Daniel interprets this, it is a prophesy of King Nebuchadnezzar’s coming madness that causes him to live in the gardens for seven years, basically stripped of his title, until he can humble himself before God, the Most High. This is the background for Garden of Madness which takes place seven years after this dream and one year before King Nebuchadnezzar’s death.

In the book, Tiamat, the King’s daughter has just lost her husband (whom she was forced to marry at the age of 14). She is an ambitious woman who does not like to be told what to do, including marrying again. She simply wants to be free and she wants to help her father, the King, from his madness. With a death in the palace, she begins to investigate who the killer is, which leads her to many findings she is not ready for.

The first part of this book, for me, was quite long. Several times I did want to put it down, because it wasn’t quite what I was expecting. However, about half way through I was hooked and I wanted to know the end of the story. I also was very grateful for the author’s note at the end which helped to clarify some questions for me. I am ready to go back and reread the book of Daniel so that I can find some of the hidden messages in that book!

I received this copy from Booksneeze for my thoughts.

Need You Now, Part Two

Need You Now, Part Two

By: Beth Wiseman

Was this book written for me? That is the question I had to keep asking myself as I read Beth Wiseman’s Need You Now, Part Two. I had already completed Part One and was thrilled to receive Part Two in order to finish the journey that I had begun with Darlene and her family.

We left off in Part One with Grace, one of Darlene’s children, cutting herself in order to “relieve” her of her pain. Her brother Chad found her and told her he would keep her secret. However, as Part Two begins, Darlene and her husband Brad, find Grace covered in blood in her bedroom and their whole world begins to fall apart. The story continues with the implications of trying to get her daughter help and save her marriage in the process. I am not a mother, Lord willing it will happen soon, but I know first hand that the last thing you want is for your child to be hurting. And I have heard that many marriages suffer when there are disagreements based on how to raise children. We see this and many other real life situations in this second part of Need You Now.

Again, I do not want to give anything away, but I could see myself walking in Darlene’s shoes every once in awhile. Darlene has questions she wants to ask, questions asked to her, death to overcome, issues with her marriage, and more, so much more. The underlying premise in this story, is that God is whom we need to lean on and rest upon. It is God who will deliver us from any and every situation. And it is Him we MUST run to rather than from when our world begins to shake and rock. This is a powerful message to recognize and put to practice every day of our lives. It is vital that I remember this when difficulties surface in my own life.

Thank you to Booksneeze for the opportunity to read both parts of this novel.