21 Things the Devil Cannot Do by Duane Vander Klok

"21 Things The Devil Cannot Do" by Duane Vander Klok is a book where the title tells you what it is about.  This book is not at all on the same level as the previous book I read about satan and demons.  The author is all over the place to me.  They were some good points in it such as not dating an unbeliever so that you can bring them to Christ as that can cause big troubles. One point he made that told that is was more about his opinion than scripture that the devil cannot understand the Bible.  My understanding is that devil will and does twist scripture looks at the first sin with Adam and Eve or even the temptation of Christ the devil knew the word of God twisted it to his liking.  Then in another chapter of the book the author talks about how the devil can't harm you but if you are negative you are cursing yourself.  Excuse me where does it say that we are more harming that the devil.  Also if being negative is a sin then why did Jesus himself call the pharisee white washed tombs that doesn't sound positive to me.  So this book is a big thumbs down for me.

I was given this book by Chosen a division of Baker Publishing Group for my honest review.

50 Things You Need to Know About Satan and Demons

 "50 Things You Need To Know About Satan and Demons" by Mark H. Muska is compressed book that answers the most asked questions about Satan and Demons. At first I was leery of this book as I was wondering if the author was going to give more credit to satan but he did not do that.  He points out that satan is a created being that rebelled not at all equal with God.  Which in today's society people seem to think he has equal footing with God, so not true.  He backs everything he writes with scripture and not just his opinion which is very nice as some on this subject just go with their feelings about it not scripture.  He even touches subjects that most people won't for example, Is fortune-telling demonic or the question is it wrong to watch movies or read books about the occult.   I was very impressed by this book so I highly recommend it especially for quick reference guide.  But always use the scriptures as your finally authority.

I was given this book by Bethany House Publishers for my honest review.

The Patmos Deception by Davis Bunn

Before Reading

About the Book from Amazon
The Patmos Deception
Nick Hennessy, a young Texas journalist yearning for his big break, finds himself in Europe--his assignment, to investigate the alarming disappearance of invaluable Grecian antiquities. Nick has the credentials--and cover ID--to unearth the truth. And he knows just the researcher to help him...

Carey Mathers, fresh from her studies in forensic archeology, has accepted a job with the prestigious Athens Institute for Antiquities--a dream come true, really, particularly when the Greek isle of Patmos, where the Apostle John received his vision of the Apocalypse, was a particular focus of her research.

Dimitri Rubinos, for whom the Greek islands represent his life, holds on by his fingernails to the family charter boat business. But his country's economic chaos isn't the only thing that has turned his world on its head...

My expectations

I was expecting a solid mystery with what is the norm in almost all Christian literature a little romance. If I remember right I have never read any of this authors books so I was not sure what I was getting into with him (I read a lot of different authors so I don't always remember which ones I have read).  The cover was part of the reasoning I requested this book from Harvest house as it really appalled to me. 

Critique

Were my expectations met?
No the story did not develop enough or go fast enough for me.  I would start getting into it and then the tone would change just slightly but enough to slow me down.


Prose & Dialogue 
The author did write an excellent story that flowed well.  One point that bothered me was that for first third of the book I kept getting reminded over and over again that the story was in Greece and about Greek artifacts.  I started thinking I am I watching My Big Fat Greek Wedding listening to the dad talk non stop about Greece. Other than that portion it was well written but just not my style.


Characters 
The character of Carey Mathers was kinda of dull except when discussing her obsession/crush as a little girl to her childhood friend's big brother Nick Hennessy.  While Nick was a little more interesting even when he was discussing when he went from seeing Carey as his little brother's friend to a beautiful adult women.  Dimitri was the wild card character as he is a local man who has an interest in Carey.  One set of characters that was at the beginning of the book I would love to have read more about was Carey's grandparents.  Her grandmother was the over bearing type while he grandpa had a good clear head on his shoulders, the interaction of those two characters were fun.

Pace & Romantic Tension
The pace of this story for me was very slow, I just had a hard time getting into. The main plot moved too slow for my taste not enough action, I am a fan of mysteries with a lot of action.  Truthfully there really wasn't much if any romantic tension which is what I would expect in any book that was supposed to have some romance in it.  Thankfully there was nothing inappropriate in the romance which is actually starting to be common in even Christian novels.

Audience and entertainment
This book would be good for Christians and non-Christians alike it is a good clean slightly romance story just not my cup of tea.  I will admit if the story had a little tweaks to the story added I could see it as a great movie.

Conclusion
I had a real hard time getting into this book it was well written but the story fell flat for me.  The three main characters at first where interesting especially their back stories but then when I got into more of their current issues together now the story just fell apart for me.  At first I thought the mystery/suspense would take over the story like other stories have done when the characters are dull and lifeless. But nope not in this case.  The romance portion of the story just wasn't there and it needed to be there (this is unusually for me to write as I am not a romance type reader).  However to each their own it is an ok clean read just not my type.  So I will recommend it as one for people to try out for themselves.  3 Stars (great cover, ok story and had potential)

I was given this book by Harvest House Publishers for my honest reviews and was not required to give it a positive review.

Refinery 29 Style Stalking

"Refinery 29, Style Stalking" is a very neat fashion books that is all about breaking most of the fashion industries rules with our own different rules. I picked this book to review as it seemed to be a way to encourage women to be confident in their style like the book "Advanced Style" does with senior women.  This book breaks down different section of style like jeans, good vintage, tomboy style and other styles.  I really enjoyed this book as it gives tips on each style but doesn't tell you how to dress but gives you suggestions on to style your look to be you and unique.  Even tips on each season and using one item in three different ways.  I loved how it did not tell you that you have to wear things certain ways but how to style yourself to be class with funkiness but not blandness.  My style has always been different and usually fashion books discourage uniqueness but this does not it encourages it.  I highly recommend this book its a fun read especially after reading advanced style.  

I was given this book by Blogging For Books for my honest review and was not required to give a positive review.

Weird post/thought

This is just a weird post and thought.  Well after ten years of being skirts and dresses only while rarely ever wearing pants I am back to wearing jeans on and off.  A couple months ago  my hubby bought me a pair of pants from Goodwill to wear while hunting with him.  Well anyway while I was hiking around with him and it dawned on us that my hip did not pop out of place once while hiking like it usually does when I wear skirts hiking or walking a lot.  So now I am back to wearing jeans but  I still wear skirts and dresses.  Now when we went to Goodwill and Walmart around the same time to buy a couple of cheap pairs at first I was like ugh I will have to deal with low waist jeans not knowing that they would work best for me.  Ok women's high waisted jeans have always been to short in the legs for me so in the past I used to only buy jeans in men's before going skirts only.  I have a weird shape, long legs and long torso with broad shoulders (men's clothes used to fit me better than women's even when I was anorexic as a teen I know weird).  So I was shocked that the style of low waisted women's jeans actually fit me very well and are modest for me (shirts are still an issue getting them long enough so I just layer but that was problem when I was skirts only also).  Such a blessing.   I know odd out there post but I just wanted to post this.

Portlandia Cookbook

"The Portandia Cook Book" is an excellent cookbook for fans of the show Portlandia.  Now most of my readers will have not heard of the show so I will warn you right now not all the skits are decent (I have learned which characters to skip).  Portlandia takes the uniqueness of Portland, Oregon and makes fun of it.  And I love the city of Portland I know as a conservative Christian how can I love a city that is so very liberal and out there.  Well number 1.  I love the unique aspects of it, 2.  The mission field there is huge 3.  People that live there are more honest about what they believe than where I am at right now (fake fronts are a big part of life here).  Anyway back to the book it has many different recipes some you were foods talked about in the show like the  Craig's Crazy Guac Tacs.  Plus other recipes that fit with the style of the show.  Also there is comments from some of the characters and other notes.  I have already tried one recipe and the part of our family that could eat it loved it. It was the Babysitter's Mac and Cheese oh so so good. Not the best picture but here is a picture of it.

I can't wait to try more recipes from this fun cookbook (how often can you call a cookbook fun?). I recommend this cookbook for anyone who wants an odd cookbook or is a fan of Portlandia.

I was given this book from Blogging for Books for my honest review and not required to give a positive review.

Just a thought post nothing big

Yep my very few readers I have posted very little already this month. Be warned this is scattered brained for me.  For some reason I have gotten into a funk where I am not wanting to read plus lots of other things have been happening in my life right now (for example my washer is about dead and this is the time of the year our vehicles have minds not like to run very well if at all) and I just don't want to write either.  We all get into a funk sometime in their life. I am still trying to put myself out there and be a friend which is hard since I am introvert. Some days its harder than other days as it seems like I have more acquaintances friends than close friends.  Cause of our schedules and finances I can't do a lot of the things like other moms I know do.  When other mom's are available to get together I am usually at work or its when my husband is off work.  Besides I don't run in the same circles as most of the women I know except at our home school co-op.  I have always been an odd duck and it usually does not bother me until I get into a funk.  Then I really miss having close friends near by as my best friend lives in another state. And she understands my weirdness and all my odd likes. I am though very blessed to have a husband who is also my best friend. Just sometimes us women just need another woman to talk to or hang out with.  I remember I must cling to Christ and I do.  I wanted to write this as I know we all go through this at one time or another but we have a tendency not to talk about it as we want to put out the good things and not mention the hard times in life.

The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo

"The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up" by Marie Kondo is a book on organizing and decluttering from an Asian viewpoint.  I am always looking for an organizing book from a different stand point.   The first few chapters of the book are interesting about the author's life from her youth on her organizing her life around her.  I will admit this portion of the book was slow.  The rest of the book is hands on tips on organizing.  It was helpful some but I just couldn't get past where the author tells you to thank your clothes as you put them away and the letting your things talk to you as you decide what to keep. Also the author's advice on what papers to keep is very lacking as we must keep some important papers for awhile not just throw everything away right away.  This was one of those books where I am having to spit out the bones to get to the meat but there was not that much meat.  If you want a quick read with some good tips then I will recommend this book but with caution.

I was given this book from Blogging for Books for my honest review and not required to give a positive review.

"A Mom's Prayers for Her Son" by Rob & Joanna Teigen

"A Mom's Prayers for Her Son" by Rob & Joanna Teigen is a book where its title says what it is.   Each chapter has a subject title, then has scripture and the actual prayer.   Some chapters have personal stories from different moms with their sons.  To be honest this book was not what I thought it was, I did not think that it would be actual prayers in it I was thinking it was more about teaching prayer.  I don't know why but I can read prayers that are in scripture but have issues reading other peoples prayers. However,  I did enjoy the stories from other mom's and their sons. It does deal with prayers for serious issues such as addiction which is nice as not all books do that.  I do recommend this book even though I am not a fan of it.

I received this book from Revell a division of Baker Publishing Group and was not required to give a positve review.

"50 Women Every Christian Should Know" by Michelle DeRusha

"50 Women Every Christian Should Know by Michelle DeRusha is about learning from heroines of the faith.  I was excited when I first heard of this book but when I started reading it, I lost all excitement with the first women I learned about.  The first women was Hildegard of Bingen a Catholic Mystic who said God spoke to her and told her to write everything down to share with others. I have seen her writings as considered as visionary theology in my opinion that is not right, if its a vision of God then it should have been added to the scriptures.  The author also brings up another a Roman Catholic mystic Teresa of Avila who was another woman who said she had visions.  Yes there are some great women of faith in this book like Corie Ten Boom, Fanny Crosby, and Katharina Luther (which this one is interesting to me as the author put a lot of devout Roman Catholics in this book and then here is a woman who supported her husband in the Reformation) but that does not help this book for me.  I don't like the idea of having to spit out bones to get to the meat.  So this book goes on my no way list it had potential but flopped in my opinion.

I was given this book by BakerBooks publishing and was not required to give an honest review.

"Keepers of The Covenant" by Lynn Austin

"Keepers of the Covenat" by Lynn Austin is the 2nd book in her Restoration Chronicles series which takes the stories from Ezra and Nehemiah to life.  I like how Lynn Austin takes the stories from the bible and does not make them such the main part of the story that its like she is adding to the scriptures.  In this one one of the main characters is the Prophet Ezra but its not just about him but also about also other Jewish people and even gentiles during the time which also happens at the same time of the story of Esther.  I will admit at first I thought oh another book that the author tries to add more to the story of Esther but this did not do that.  I really like the side story of Amina a gentile child/women since this book takes place over many years.  In a way I wish her story was its own book.  I was very impressed on the use of stories from scripture without making me feel like the author was adding to the scriptures.  So many do that in this type of Christian literature.  There were multiple stories in the book but they all flowed very well together.  I can't wait for the third book in this series.  I highly recommend it.

I was given this book by Bethany House publishing and was not required to give a positive review.

Turning Points With God by David Jeremiah

"Turning Points With God" by David Jeremiah is a daily devotional.  I was excited to get this devotional but I quickly remember why I am not a big fan of devotionals.  I know devotional's are supposed to be quick but I still expect more bible verses than one quick verse sometimes in the days commentary there were more but not always.  Then I was just not a fan of a lot of the quotes on the bottom of each days devotion.  I also did not expect to see quite a bit of qoutes from catholic mystics like St. John of the Cross and others.   I just had a hard time using this devotional.  I will leave this one up to you if you want to use it or not.

I was given this book by Tyndale Publishers and was not required to give a positive review.

"A Promise to Protect" by Patricia Bradley

"A Promise to Protect" by Patricia Bradley is the 2nd book in the Logan Point series.  This was a murder mystery novel with the hero of the story a Sheriff Ben Logan protecting a woman he knows from his past named Leigh Somerall. It starts with the murder of Leah's brother and Sheriff Ben who found her brother who told him before he died to protect his sister.  That's all I will write without giving away much more. First off before I give my opinion I want to say I don't think I have ever read any other books by this author so I am not familiar with her style.  Well here goes I just did not like this book. It did not flow easily where I thought it should have it jumped and skipped to much for me.    I would start getting into the book then things bounced around too much for me and I just could not get into the book. I also prefer more mystery than romance and this book was so intertwined with the past romance of the main characters to the current story with them.  If you like mysteries that are romance stories also then this book is for you.

I was given this book by Revell a division of Baker Publishing Group for my honest review.

Stolen by Katarina Rosenblatt A must read!

"Stolen" by Katarina Rosenblatt is the author's story about recovering not only from being a victim of  sex-trafficking but also from an abusive past and marriage.  This has to be the most powerful book I have read all year.  I highly recommend this book to everyone out there.  The author explains how she was in the sex-trafficking world (one time almost at the age of 13 but she was rescued by remembering God would never leave her or forsake her).   This book is very intense and not just in details but in understanding the feelings of the author and even the story stories she puts at the end of other girls/women in the industry. She also talk about how we need to share Christ's love to all kinds of women no matter if they are strippers or any other women that society considers untouchable.  I think what part really impacted me the most was when near the end of the book which she explains some of the methods used today by these people to get young girls and boys into the sex industry.  I will quote the section that hit me the most right now "Through many methods, kids are seduced into trafficking.  It often begins with posing for pictures or videos.". She goes on for a little bit and then this section really hit me "By posting compromising photos online, children are letting traffickers know that they are easy targets for recruitment into false modeling scams, abusive boyfriends, or false-friend scenarios."  This really hit me as I have seen on Facebook (which she does mention being used by traffickers) many young girls and even boys posing in pictures in ways that are not appropriate but people think are cute and ok but in reality its setting up the child to be targeted. Also she brought up the point that many people think it only happens in big cities (I have heard that one a lot) but its not true it happens everywhere even in small areas such as the one I live in.  This book is very powerful and is such a serious topic it cannot be ignored or swept under the rug.  We need to wake up to whats happening around us.  This also made me think about how many of these girls especially the minors are taken to abortion clinics by their pimps and nobody says a thing.  Both industries breed off of each other and its sad.  Please read this book and I am very glad I requested it.

I was given this book by Revell a division of Baker Publishing Group for my honest review.

"Thunder" by Bonnie Calhoun

"Thunder" by Bonnie Calhoun is a "Christian" dystopian novel.  It is about Selah and Bodhi (a Lander don't ask me what a lander is I am still confused by it) and their romance/fight for life. It starts with Selah as trying to be a hunter of Lander's but finds herself getting into more trouble than she thought when she ended up helping Bodhi.  For most of the book I could not get into it and then about half way through it the book finally picked up for me.  I still did not like it and I just don't know why it was just one of those books that I did not enjoy.  Maybe for me is there were things in it that just struck me as odd or out of place for a Christian novel like noticing peoples aura's or the ability to read minds.  To me there were just a lot of little side stories that needed some explanation that I just was not getting.  Also the main point of this book to me seemed be a romance between Selah and Bodhi which is not why I picked this book.  Oh well depending the person feeling on this type of genre I would say it could or could be a good read.  I know very flighty on thoughts on this book I just could not get into and I usually like dystopian type novels.  

I was given this book by Revell a division of Baker Publishing Group for my honest review.

Doctor Who, The Crawling Terror by Mike Tucker

"Doctor Who, The Crawling Terror" by Mike Tucker is another Sci-fi Doctor Who book.  If you are not familiar with the Doctor Who series it is a wonderful British Sci-Fi television show.  Now the books are wrote by different authors which can mean each book is a different style. This one started out for me to be just like the shows which is what I was looking for but then the story seemed to get more mixed up.  The author did treat the main characters just like they are portrayed in the television show but the book itself had more bad language than I am used to in the show.  The story was a very interesting one about these bug aliens without giving away too much the Doctor and Clara ended going back in time to find out how the Nazi's have something to do with their present problem.  The story did drag at times but then it sped up so quickly I could not believe it was finished.  Even with these issues for me I still recommend this book for teens and older (as some of the description of the victims were a little too graphic for kids below teens) who are Doctor Who fans.

I received this book from Blogging For Books for my honest review.

Trying something new.

I have decided to try something new by adding video's to my blog. This first one is just a preview of the books I am reading.   I am not sure if I will ever film myself this is taking a huge step for me by just doing this one.

 
I hope you enjoy and if you don't oh well.

"Breathing Room" by Leena Tankersley

"Breathing Room' by Leeana Tankersley is book about letting go so you can live life.  First off I can't recommend this book at with a good conscience. I knew when I just started reading this book that I was not going to like it.  She right off the bat puts "The Awakening" by Kate Chopin as an excellent book.  I am sorry but that book was awful, yes I know it was wrote in the 1800's and was ground breaking at its time but I just could not stomach it.  So I was already on high alert when I started reading then not too much farther in the book she starts quoting Carl Jung a man who was the father of analytical psychology who also was a pantheist (the belief that the universe is identical with divinity).  She very rarely references the scriptures almost as an after thought.  Mainly she talks about her life (which is fine and what I was looking for) but then discusses how different people (personal friends, historical people or modern people like Stephen King) helped her learn to breathe (I am still confused by that).  I am sorry but I see in nothing about needing to learn to breathe in the scriptures but I see that we need to be born again by God himself.   I could go on but I will not as this was enough for me to know I do not recommend this book.

This book was given to me by Revell Publishing a division of Baker Publishing Group.

"Steel Will: My Journey Through Hell to Become the Man I Was Meant to Be" by Shilo Harris

"Steel Will: My Journey Through Hell to Become the Man I Was Meant to be" is about the life of retired soldier Shilo Harris.  As you can tell by the cover Mr. Harris was severely injured by an IED (improvised explosive device) in the Middle East.  First off I really appreciate that at the beginning of the book our author gives a run down of  what the military terms he uses mean.  Also I am very thankful that Mr. Harris  does not hold anything back about what our men and women go through in war.  This book is not for the faint of heart as he talks about his rough children, young adults years and goes into detail of horrific things our soldiers have seen in the middle east. Also details on sufferers of PTSD which he description has really helped me to understand more on what our soldiers are going through.  Yes, I will never completely understand but now I can be more caring with knowledge.  I highly recommend this book for anyone to read.

I was given this book by Baker Publishing and was not required to give a positive review.

Deceived by Irene Hannon

"Deceived" by Irene Hannon is the third book in the Private Justice series (don't worry its a series you can read out of order).  Our main character Kate Marshall has lost her son and husband in a tragic drowning accident.  Then a couple years later she sees a boy that looks identical to what her son would look like if he was still alive. So she hires private investigator Connor Sullivan who finds a mystery that neither could have guessed.  This was a mystery romance story however, the romance portion of the story did detract from the mystery.  While I was reading I even forgot about the romance portion as I got so into the book that once I picked it up I could not put it down.  The mystery at first was a little bit confusing but then it cleared itself up (I know ironic).  The characters in the story are not one sided we have well rounded characters with twists and turns in the story.  A very good and intriguing story.  I know now I have found myself a new author I really enjoy.  I highly recommend this book.

I was given this book by Revell a division Baker Publishing Group for my honest review and was not required to give a positive review.

Good News For Weary Women by Elyse M. Fitzpatrick

"Good News For Weary Women" by Elyse M. Fitzpatrick is about freeing Christian women from the extra rules we and society add to us that are not in the scripture.   The following is an excerpt from the book just to give you a taste of what its about "I have a daughter, two daughters-in-law,and two granddaughters, and if there is anything I want them to know, it is this:  There is good news for you. You don’t need to learn secret steps, try harder and harder, wear yourself out in an attempt to be beautiful, snag Mr. Perfect, or raise perfect children. You are already welcomed, loved, forgiven, and completely okay. You can laugh and rest and resist all the ways the world lies to you and tells you you’re not good enough. And you can love God because He has already loved you. You can be free to fail, to rest, to love, to be weak, to grow, and to know that everything is already given to you in Him." Most of these type of books say what we are not supposed add rules that above and beyond scripture then they add rules but this author did not do that.

I was very impressed by this book when I requested it I did realize how much I needed it.  The author really helps to remind us women and even men that just cause one thing is good for us we don't need to make it legalistic type of thing.  Also how we have a tendency to add things we see or hear that are not in scripture to our life/beliefs such as karma.  She does not mixes words and even breaks down sacred cows of Christian society and women.  For example like all Christian women have to have a perfectly clean and organized house (come to my home you will not see perfectly clean or organized home its not that I don't try but I work partime, homeschool, and I am a bit of a slob). This book was a perfect book for me at this time in my life as I was starting to fall into the trap of trying to be like other Christian women I know but I know I need to be the woman God made me which is a unique person.  I highly recommend this book for any woman especially women book studies.

I was given this book to review by Tyndale Publishers and was not required to give a positive review.

The Story Keeper by Lisa Wingate

"The Story Keeper" by Lisa Wingate is about a New York publisher Jen Gibbs trying to find an author of a story that has appeared on her desk but the area the possible author lives is also the area she ran from so she has to face her past also.  This book takes place in the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina and a little bit in New York City.  This book is really 2 story's in one.  One story is Jen's and why she ran from her family.  The other one is the book she is researching which is called The Story Keeper which is about a mixed race girl named Sarra.  I really felt that both stories would have been better as their own books.  I started to get into the story of Sarra but then I was switched back to Jen's stories. Jen's story was very interesting but at times it seemed be lacking.  Her family was very abusive and extremely legalistic. She talks about their legalistic Christianity but nothing about Biblical Christianity and that is where I think it was lacking the most.  This book was a mix bag for me one moment I enjoyed the next I didn't. It could have been a much better book with each story as their own books.  However, I still recommend this book as a good fun book to read.

I was given this book by Tyndale Publishers for my honest review and not required to give a positive review.

The River by Beverly Lewis

 "The River" is Beverly Lewis's latest fiction book involving the Amish.  I have to admit I kinda tired of the non-stop Christian Amish books.  But this one was actually refreshing.  We have two sisters, Tilly and Ruth going home to the Amish to see their parents on their anniversary.  But they both are now English and not Amish no more so there is a lot of open wounds with people back home.    While home Tilly has to come to terms with why her dad is so strict with her and Ruth on if she wants to go back to being Amish for an old love.  Also the whole family is coming to terms with the tragic death of the youngest daughter whose death is what triggered Tilly and Ruth leaving the Amish.  Some of the book followed the common them I see in books about the Amish but most of it didn't.  The one area that I was really glad the author touched upon is that the Amish have tendency to add our works to salvation.  The Christian love affair to the Amish as tendency to forget this part of their beliefs.   I really did enjoy this book as it was not a Amish romance book (yes, there was some there but not the main focus of the story) and it really developed more of the characters beliefs and life.  I do recommend this book for anyone to read please don't assume its the normal Amish novel it is not.

I was given this book by Bethany House Publishing for my honest review.

"Doctor Who The Blood Cell" by James Goss

"Doctor Who: The Blood Cell" by James Goos is a science fiction book that is about of course Doctor Who specifically as of this writing the current Doctor and his companion Clara.  Ok Doctor Who fans (yep our whole family are fans) this book takes place with the twelfth doctor in a prison for the most extreme and worst prisoners and Clara trying to help him.  It is written from the governor of the prison's viewpoint.  To me this book was at true to the show adaptions of the Doctor and Clara which was important to me.  The story was interesting but it also was choppy and confusing at times.  I know I know Doctor Who itself can be choppy and confusing but this was a little more than normal. I really enjoyed the banter though of Clara and the governor. The book did have some good twists but overall it was just blah which bummed me out.  However I still enjoyed it as I needed a light hearted weird break from other books and this one gave it to me.   I still recommend it for Doctor Who fans or who are interested in trying a lighthearted/weird science fiction book.

I was given this book by Blogging for Books for my honest review.

"Nowhere To Turn" by Lynette Eason

"Nowhere To Turn" by Lynette Eason is the second in the Hidden Identity book series.  Don't worry about reading the book out of order as this series is ok to read out of order.  Once I picked up this book I could not put down.  Right off the bat we find out our main character Danielle Harding is in a very abusive marriage and is planning on running with her son Simon. That same day starts a whole chain of events starting with her husband's death (no this is not a giveaway in the story) to long list of things happening to Danielle and her son. It was very good mystery yes it did seem to have the normal for Christian novels a little bit of romance but not enough to turn me off of reading it.  When I was most of the way done with book the author brings a twist to the story I did not see coming.  This is a very good mystery I plan now to read the first one in the book series and anymore this author writes.  I highly recommend this book.

I was given this book by Revell a division Baker Publishing Group for my honest review and was not required to give a positive review.

"A Light In The Wilderness" By Jane Kirkpatrick review and giveaway

"A Light In The Wilderness" is the latest historical novel by the talented Jane Kirkpatrick.  In this novel we follow the adventures and friendships of three different woman, Letitia (a free slave), Nancy (a white woman), and Betsy (A Kalapuya Indian).  One thing I thoroughly enjoy about Mrs. Kirkpatrick's novels is she uses real people with their stories that existed in the time frames of her books and this one is not an exception.  What I really enjoyed in this book is she did not hide the parts of Oregon history that most don't know about. For example that when Oregon became a state if you were African American or mixed you were supposed to leave which does affect our lead story of Letitia and her child.  Also we also see the racism of people on the Oregon trail and even in Oregon itself. Or the fight for woman to have their name on land.  I don't want to giveaway anymore of this book.  I will admit though that it did take me a couple of chapters to get into this book but I still highly recommend this book or any of Jane Kirkpatrick's.

I was given this book by Revell a division of Baker Publishing Group and was not required to give a positive review.

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What Your Heart Needs for the Hard Days by Holley Gerth

"What Your Heart Needs for the Hard Days" by Holley Gerth is 52 day devotional.  Each day has a little scripture, a devotional section, and a little section for your prayers and notes.  I have to admit when I requested this book I was not sure why I did.  Now I am very glad since it is a devotional not a book I did not do a complete reading of it since it is a devotional and I like to take my time with them.  However I did read  a good chunk of it and was very impressed.  This little devotional could not come at a better time as my family is going through some hard days right now.  I was really encouraged and blessed by this little devotional already.  I highly recommend it for anyone to keep on hand and read no matter if times are going good for you right now.

I was given this book by Revell Publishing a division of Baker Publishing Group and was not required to give a positive review.

A Curious Man by Neal Thompson review and giveaway.

"A Curious Man" by Neal Thompson is the biography on Robert Ripley.  If the last name sounds familiar is he the man behind the famous Ripley's Believe It or Not.  Ripley's Believe It or Not was always something I loved to read or go to the tourist spots to see.  I have always been a fan of odd and weird bits of life and history. So reading the biography on the man who created one of my favorite things as a child and adult caught my attention big time.  Ripley's life is very interesting I will warn you though he was not clean cut guy.  I love to read about some of the people that he inspired or some of the people he discovered.  I think my favorite was him inspiring a young cartoonist who is now more well known than Ripley (I am not going to give away the name of the cartoonist, you need to read it yourself). I highly recommend this book.  I recommend it so much  that I am giving away a copy of this book. Be warned this is my first giveaway hopefully it works correctly.

I was given this book from Blogging for Book for my honest review and was not required to give a positive review.

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The Atheist's Fatal Flaw By Norman Geisler & Daniel McCoy

"The Atheist's Fatal Flaw" By Norman Geisler & Daniel McCoy is written to explain to a Christian what most atheist's believe.  Why I say most is atheism is not belief that is unified completely by its beliefs each atheist is different.  Ok I had a hard time reading this book it was very dry reading.  I am a person who loves to read non-fiction and even textbooks at times.  But this one ugh it was reading sand paper. I did enjoy the information the authors gave us but it was still very dry.   It may not be dry to someone else so I do recommend but just be warned it could be dry.

I was given this book from Baker Books a division of Baker Publishing Group for my honest review and was not required to give a positive review.

"Captive In Iran" by Maryam Rostampour & Marziyeh Amirizadeh

"Captive In Iran" by Maryam Rostampour & Marziyeh Amirizadeh is a very powerful book.  It is the story of the two authors and what happened to them in a Iranian prison that they were in for spreading the Christian faith.  This book was a big eye opener to what happens to Christian women in prison in Iran.  This book was a very good book for the most part.  The first half I was very enthralled by it but the 2nd half it seemed to be a repeat of the first half.  Also there is something I just couldn't put my finger on that seemed off.  However I still recommend it as a good read.

"The Prayer Box" by Lisa Wingate

"The Prayer Box"  by Lisa Wingate is a novel about a single mom learning about not only herself but her elderly neighbor that has recently passed away.  This book is a good book on reminding us to share life experiences with others.  The elderly lady in this story could have shared and taught the people in her community so much but also the community could have shown her more respect.   I did like this book but it did take a little while to get into.  It really went along with my posts about the elderly and our respect for them.  I do recommend this book as it was a good solid story not all fluff like some books I have read lately.

Update on my weight loss/getting healthier journey

Ok I haven't update in awhile on my health journey so here goes.  I have lost about 8 pounds since May.  Yeah I know not much but I am doing better with exercise and diet.  Thankfully all my blood work is good and I am healthy except some unseen health issues (not related to my weight one I have had for over 20 years).  I know its going to be struggle and will take time as I am post menopausal (I know for a 36 year old woman that's crazy but it is genetic) and have a low thyroid. Also I have a had stressful last couple months.  I know no excuses but I am learning.  Also I have to keep a mental hold that it is not going to be easy otherwise I have tendency to revert back to my anorexic days.  Yes I did say anorexic days see I was anorexic before I got pregnant with my oldest as soon as I found out I was pregnant with him I knew his health was more important than me being skinny and I started eating.  I still struggle with seeing my self 3 times bigger than I am so its a constant mental battle.  One thing that has been helping is getting back to my normal style which is odd in its own way but it makes me take the time and I have to work out some so my favorite clothes will fit correctly.  Also I want to be healthy for my family.  So anyway that's my health update.

The Midwife by Jolina Petersheim

"The Midwife" by Jolina Petersheim is a powerful book.  Its about a young woman named Beth on how she had given up one baby then became a surrogate for a couple and takes off to save the baby she is carrying.  Then it takes place in the present where she is the head midwife of Mennonite home for young pregnant woman.  In this home she finds her past and present end up getting mixed up together.  I don't want to give anymore away but I will say this is a very powerful book.  It deals with so many different issues but the one that stands out to me is one we are starting to see more and more lately of surrogates being asked to abort the baby they are carrying cause of what and ultrasound shows.  I will admit the first few chapters of this book were hard to get into I almost stopped reading it but decided to keep reading and I am so glad I did.  Very powerful and a good fiction novel to read.  I am glad this book was on the Tyndale Summer Reading program this year.

Just 18 Summers by Rene Gutteridge & Michelle Cox

"Just 18 Summers" by Rene Gutteridge & Michelle Cox is a very good book to remind us that our children are only with us for a short time and to spend time with them.  I really liked this book to the point I would love to see a separate book about each of the different families portrayed in the book.  First family is of Butch a man who tragically lost his wife and now is trying to be dad and mom to his children. Second family is Beth's who happens to be Butch's sister in law, she and her husband are learning how to deal with soon to be an empty nest family and deal with Beth's sisters death.  Then we have Helen. Beth's neighbor and friend, who wants her family to be perfect must learn that no family can or will be perfect.  Finally we have Tippy who is pregnant with her first child and wondering how to be a mom.  We also have the viewpoints of the husbands but to me I was more interested in the viewpoint of the mothers (except in Butch's case). Now I  will admit I was not getting into the book at first cause I am not a fan of multiple stories but as I kept reading I really got into the story.  

I think part of the reason I got into the story is my oldest will be 18 in a month and it really brings to life what I have been thinking this summer.  Which is that this may be my last summer with him before he starts his life completely without us.  Its not been a summer of just hanging as he has an almost full-time job but since he doesn't have his driver's license (I know weird but he loves to walk and can walk to almost everything he needs to go except work) different people in the family have been giving him rides.  During these rides to and from work its been nice to connect with him about his life and his future.  This book for me was another reminder that time is short with our kids and to take advantage of it even if that means the house is a mess or other things don't get done.

Dynamic Women of the Bible by Ruth A. Tucker

"Dynamic Women of the Bible, What We Can Learn From Their Surprising Stories" by Ruth A. Tucker.  I am going to just put it out there right now I don't recommend this book at all. It had potential but failed from the start. My brain was put on high alert with this book when the author talks in a positive way about the organization Job's daughters.  They are not a Christian organization they are masonic group.  If you believe the masons are a Christian organization then please stop reading right now as they are not.  She takes some scripture then adds a lot of what if's and her imagination to the stories of different women in the Bible.  I will admit I could not read this entire book as the author I thought took to many liberties in areas that are not mentioned in scripture probable for reason (for example the viewpoint from Potiphar's wife).  Not recommend at all.

I was given this book by Baker Publishing and was not required to give a good review.

Part 3 The blessings of the Elderly. The bad

Ok like I said in the previous one in this series where I was talking about the good examples of the elderly.  Now I will be focusing on the bad.

Now I will be first to admit I don't trust people automatically just cause they are elderly or even young.  I have personally known, or have read about elderly that are physically, sexual or emotional abusers.  Our society has a tendency to automatically think oh that elderly person is harmless when in realty the person may be a registerd sex offender or even worse one that was not convicted of it (not all offenders have been caught). You will hear people say no way that elderly person could be an offender and also they will say the person is nice (Hello bad guys don't have scarlett letter on them to warn you and also sexual abusers are usually very charismatic).  I have heard of people saying oh that person is in the their 70's they are harmless when that is not the truth. Just cause someone is advanced in years does not mean that they are a safe person now that they are elderly.  I have read police reports of people in their 60's and older being arrested for rape, murder, and even drug dealing.  Age does not make a person less of an abusers or less of a jerk.  They are still sinful humans.

So whats my point in all of this? Its that we need to respect people no matter what their age is.  And we need to be leary of people no matter what their age is.  Just to remember people are people and as a Christian all ages need the Gospel not just the young and middle aged but also the elderly also.

Surviving Henry by Erin Taylor Young

"Surviving Henry" by Erin Taylor Young is a memoir about the family boxer named Henry.  This book had me laughing out loud literally.  The misadventures this dog goes through and has done to his owners is so funny.  Some people might not be able to believe all the things he has done but I can as I have had some unique dogs that have done things people would not believe also.  Even Henry's birth story is very unique and funny.  I have only know one other Boxer breed of dog and I knew she was a high energy dog with unique characteristics.  Well after reading about Henry I realize some of her uniqueness must be common in Boxers.    Reading about Henry's adventures even though they are wild make even more me want a Boxer one day. I will not give away any of his adventures as you just need to read them for yourself just be prepared to laugh very hard. 

I was given this book by Revell Publishers and was not required to give a positive review.

Debt Proof Living By Mary Hunt

"Debt-Proof Living" by Mary Hunt is a book that is about getting out of debt and investing.  Now if you notice I did not say its about staying out of debt, that is one of my big issues with this book.  She talks about getting out debt and says we should stay of it but then in one chapter she talks about how to keep a good credit score.  If the main portion is getting out of debt then why do we care what our debt score is.  Also I was looking of more tips on how to keep my budget down besides the why to be debt free.  Overall I still did not like this book, it seemed like a book that was rehashed likes its been written before.  I had a hard time reading this book.  I just don't recommend it.

I received this from Revell a division of Baker Publishing Group for my honest review and was not required to give a positive review.

Answering Your Kids' Toughest Questions by Elyse Fitzpatrick and Jessica Thompson

"Answering Your Kids' Toughest Questions" by Elyse Fitzpatrick and Jessica Thompson. Is an excellent book on how to answer some of the tough questions kids can ask about such as sin, divorce, death, etc.  The author not only talks about the question and lays out her beliefs with the Bible about the question, she also gives ways to answer them with for different age groups.  That is what I liked the best about the book that its helps you word answers for different age groups.  Now I agreed with the authors stances on a lot of the issues.  However, if you do not come from a conservative Christian viewpoint then this book is not for.  I do come from that viewpoint so I will highly recommend this book as an excellent resource not just for parents but for anyone with questions on some tough questions on life.

I received this book from Bethany House Publishing and was not required to give a positive review.

While The World Watched by Carolyn Maull McKinstry

"While The World Watched" By Carolyn Maull McKinstry is a very very powerful book.  The author was actually in the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church that was bombed in 1963 which killed 4 young girls (one happened to be Carolyn's best friend).  She writes about her life growing up during Jim Crow laws, the bombing, her helping during the Civil Rights Movement, her struggles with alcohol, and the trials of the bombers.  She wrote details about the bombing I had not heard about and even at the end gave us list of some of the old Jim crow laws.  This book is very powerful and I plan on using it in my homschool curriculum.

I really would like to see more people read this book it really helped understand the civil rights movement of the south.  See I know I am white (technically mixed raced but that's beside the point) girl from a small Pacific Northwest area but what I do know about that time era I learned from a former black panther party member who mentored me when I was 15.  So I did know some of another person stories of what happened in that time frame but not from the southern view point. So I really appreciated Carolyn Maull McKinstry's knowledge.  What really made me mad reading this book is that I still can hear some of the same type of racism being said in the area I live in except its more hidden than it was in the Jim crow days.  Yes as a nation we have came a long way from the 60's civil rights movement but still have work to do.  Especially as Christians as we still have a lot of segregated churches and why is that?  In small areas of the country we still let racism fester under the surface which does bubble up sometimes, why?  We are all one in Christ and we are all related as we all come from Adam and Eve.  Racism makes me mad and its sad to know that it is still out there on all sides.  If you can't tell by my rant that I highly recommend this book then I am sorry.  This was not even one of the books I was required to write a blog post on but to me the book is so important I needed to write one on it.

Death Takes A Ride by Lorena McCourtney

"Death Takes A Ride" by Lorena McCourtney is the third book in the the Cate Kincaid files series.  Now this is one book that you can read out of order and still enjoy.  Cate Kincaid is a part-time private investigator in Oregon and this one involves a death that seems on the surface seems like an open shut case but as with any death mysteries its not.  That's all I am going to say about the story as I don't want to give any of it away.  I really enjoyed this book especially since I know the area she writes about which always makes a book special to me.  I really got into like the main character Cate.  Now I do admit I did about half thru the book figured out who did the crime but even after that I still wanted to keep reading it to see how Cate figured it out.  This was very clean not graphic mystery just the kind I like.  I plan on reading more of this author's books. I highly recommend this book for anyone even non mystery fans its that good!

I was given this book for my honest review from Revell a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Part 2 Blessings of The Elderly. The Good

Part 2 of Blessings Of The Elderly

People my age (36 or 37) and even younger have forgotten as a whole that our elderly are blessing to us and to be respected. We can learn so much from them either good or bad and in this part I will be focusing on the good.  In the  next part I will be focusing about the bad.
 Both sets of my grandparents lived through the great depression 2 as children and 2 as adults.  They all taught me by example how or by how they taught my parents to make things stretch whether it be clothing or food. Most of my memories involve the stretching of food, gardening, or preserving food.  One set of grandparents depending on the property they lived I remember vividly their garden they had, to provide their own food. Funny story I got yelled at once by my grandma S. for eating a carrot straight out of the ground without washing it as my grandpa would put manure on the plants. As a child I would pick berries for jams and pies, or even go to the farms and pick or pick other fruits and vegetables.  The blessing of them sharing these skills to my parents and even to me has helped me to this day.  Just a few years ago my father and I was given about 5 - 7 case of tomatoes that were close to going bad or had bad spots. Well anyway instead of throwing them away like most would do we cut off the really soft spots and made tomato sauce and then canned it, that helped stretch my families food for many months to come.   I still own many homemade blankets and even a doll my grandmothers have made.  If it wasn't for them passing down their skills to my parents and me some days my current family would not have been able to eat (I am not a knitter, crocheter, or sewer I would love to be but I get confused easily by it). 
I have learned about World War 2 from one Grandfather (the other one was not able to join the military as he was flat footed).  I learned about some of the history of the community I live (not always pretty stuff either).  I learned the love of playing games together (I used to watch my family play cards a lot).  Also being content with what you have.  The love of the outdoors (One Grandpa was a fire watch/logging equipment watcher when he was in his 60's and we would take supplies up to him in the mountains).  To work hard and that life will not be handed to you on a silver platter and not to ask for help unless you really need it.  Now trust me I know my grandparents were not angels my family is not one to hide the bad parts of people but that also helped me to be honest and to know the truth about life.  We need to be as a society willing to be open to learn from others whether they be a young child to the 80 year old at our church. My life has been blessed by the elderly I have learned from personally or from a far.

If the elderly kept their knowledge, life skills, and hurts to themselves what a sad and scary world would our world be.  Now like I said not all elderly are good examples or should be followed or even trusted but I will focus on that later.

"All For A Sister" By Allison Pittman

Summary

"All For A Sister" by Allison Pittman is the third in the "All For" series.  One nice thing about the "All For" series is that you don't have to read in any order as each book is their own story with each taking place in the roaring twenties.  "All For A Sister" is about Celeste DuFrane a movie star who finds out her mom left half the estate to a women (Dana Lundgren) who was accused of killing Celeste's older sister when she was an infant.  Celeste and Dana find out each other stories which bring up other questions.  This was an intense and interesting book.

My Thoughts

"All For A Sister" is my favorite book in the "All For" series.  Through out the book we have Celeste's mom's story of what happened to her baby girl "Mary" to all the way up to right before her own death. We also have Celeste's story of her childhood which was not all peaches and cream.  Finally we have Dana's story of being a twelve year old girl put in jail for the death of little "Mary" to her life in the present time of the book.  Each chapter at the top tells us who this chapter is about and what time frame it is in. If you are going to read any of the books in this series read this one at least.  It is a very well written story, I was so into it and could picture everything happening.  I highly recommend this book.

I was given this book by Tyndale Publishers for my honest review and was not required to give a positive review.

"Dear Son" By Dave Bruskas

"Dear Son" by Dave Bruskas is a book meant for young unmarried men each chapter starts with a letter to the author's son who died in infancy then speech on manhood.  I did not enjoy this book, I will admit at times it was interesting but overall not for me.  Yes I know I am not the target audience of this book but even for men its not that good.  It is advice book with some scripture thrown in it.  Most of the book seemed to me a like do this and you will be the best parent/husband out there (Yes I know the author mentions that we can't be perfect but he sure made me feel like we should be).  The section that annoyed me the most was when he was talking about work,  he talks about jobs that in his opinion can't support a family.  For example he mentions theater managers, retail associates, etc, those positions depending on the area can easily support a family maybe not in this author's area but in other areas they can.    Then another section he discussing how a preacher he has listened to extensively does not repent of any of his sins publicly then goes on to discuss this preachers former members that have moved.  He then says that they are great doctrinally but proudly self-righteous like their leader, well if that is such a problem why does he listen to the preacher.  I just cannot recommend this book.

I was given this book by Tyndale Publishers for my honest review.

"Atlas Girl" by Emily T. Wierenga

"Atlas Girl, Finding Home In the Last Place I Thought To Look" by Emily T. Wierenga is a memoir of the author's life.  The author gives a very detailed memoir of her life from her childhood all the way to her married life.  The author writes about her struggle with her faith and anorexia.  I was impressed on how well, in words, she was able to write her feelings of what has happened in life to the point I almost forgot I was reading a non-fiction book.  She finds the help she has always need help caring for her mom as her mom has a brain tumor.  All good until the point I am going to talk about now. The main reason I am on the fence of recommending this book.  In the chapter she goes into detail about her honeymoon not the so much the location but what happened that night.  I am sorry but I don't need to read her details about it.  Call me a prude but I don't care I just don't want to read that. From that point on I had a hard time reading the book.  So no recommendation from me.

I was given this book from Revell a division of Baker Publishing for my honest review.

"Truth Be Told" By Carol Cox

"Truth Be Told" by Carol Cox is about a young woman Amelia Wagner taking over father's newspaper after his death.  As you can tell from the cover it takes place in 1893 in Granite Springs, Arizona.  What Amelia does not know is that her dad has opened a huge can of worms by telling the truth about by a company called Great Western.  A Great Western employee named by Benjamin Stone is told by the company to keep tabs on her.

This first part of this book was very slow for me.  I did enjoy the back ground finding out her mom lives in Denver as she hated living in Arizona.  Which does play into the story as Amelia's mom gets married right after her husband dies.  We find out that Amelia is actually in danger and Ben will have to choose to help her or stay company loyal. The book did pick about half way thru when Amelia's step dad shows up in Arizona. We find out he is connected to all that his happening in Arizona.  When the book did pick I really did enjoy it, so I will recommend it to be read.

I was given this book by Bethany House for my review and was not required to give a positive review.

Parenting With Scripture by Kara Durbin

 "Parenting with Scripture" by Kara Durbin is a book that states what it is.  It has a topic and then scriptures that back each topic, a discussion section, a take action section and finally a parenting tip.  An example of the topics is death, crafty (a tricking person), ministry, prejudice, sadness, self-respect, and honesty.  I did enjoy the breakdown of each topic even a dictionary answers.  Question to ask and answer with your family. In the discussion section it does have you read more from scripture.  I do enjoy when scripture is taken out of context for example in the loneliness section the author has verse Luke 5:16 "But He would withdraw to desolate places and pray", well in context this scripture is about Christ seeking refuge and prayer not about loneliness.  I will recommend this book as it does have good uses but to remember to always check the verses in context and make sure that is what the verse is about.  We must keep scripture in context at all time otherwise we are twisting it to our needs and that is not what we should do.

I was given this book from MPNewsroom for my honest review and was not required to give a positive review.

30 Days To A More Beautiful You By Kylie Bisutti

"30 Days To A More Beautiful You" by former Victoria Secret Model Kylie Bisutti.  Her focus of this very quick devotional geared toward girls is the focus of inner beauty instead of outer beauty.  At first I was not sure about how quick this little devotional is for each day but she surprised me by packing a lot of info into each days devotion.  Each day has a scripture verse, a little bit of her story, how to grow our inner beauty and questions for the reader to answer herself.  This is a very powerful devotional it is perfect for pre-teen and teen girls, I highly recommend it. 

I was given this book Tyndale publishing for my review and was not required to give a positive review.

Wish by Jake Smith

"Wish" by Jake Smith is a very powerful book.  Wish is about a young boy fighting cancer and his wish not for himself but for his dad.  I will admit this was a hard book for me to read because the first part when Aaron is taken to a Children's hospitalization the author really describes how a parent feels going into their "new home" while their child is hospitalized.  I know my son did not have cancer but when he first went in the hospital we had no idea what was going and this author really accurately expresses the feelings us parents of sick children have felt.  I highly recommend this book for everyone. Now I will admit that it is heavy on the baseball as Aaron is a huge fan and his wish for his dad does involve baseball.  

Here is Where By Andrew Carroll

"Here is Where, Discovering America's Great Forgotten History" by Andrew Carroll one of the best quick facts on history books I have read.  This has been a very fun and entertaining book to read.  It has all kind of different facts about history that most people did not know.  Each chapter has a main topic and the author not only talks about it but also his trip to the area his talking about and any side stories.  Its a wonderful for history fans.

I will give a little teaser for this book without given much away.
1.  Like who is Richard "Tow Gun" Hart's famous relative?
2.  How did the Spanish flu kill the most healthy people?
3. What Happened at Caledonia Correction Institution?
And my favorite fact
4.  What does Madison Square Garden, the New York Public Library, Washington Square Park, and the luxurious Waldorf-Astoria Hotel have in common?

This book is my absolute favorite unknown history facts book.  I highly recommend this book its a good one.

I was given this book from Blogging for Books for my honest review.

Part one on the blessing of the elderly in our lives and world.

This post will be part 1 of a series I decided to write on the importance of the elderly in our lives and world.

I have been thinking lately how sad it is that older woman now days don't always mentor the young woman around them.  What really got me thinking was 2 elderly woman (one I knew personally and one I only knew through a book her Granddaughter wrote) passed away in the last few weeks.  The lady I knew from Church was such a blessing no matter how she was feeling she would encourage people of all ages, I looked forward to seeing her at church.  She left this earth at the young age of 95 (yes I said young cause her attitude was young).  Now the lady I did not know personally impacted me by reading her story (you can read my review of her story  here ), her faith and strength through everything she went through really encouraged me and yet again I will highly recommend her story in the book The Waiting.  I think its sad on how many woman who need someone to come around them and mentor them but no-one will or they are not open to it.  I have craved having an older Christian woman mentor but when I have tried most think I have it all together (trust me I don't) or I have tried to help other woman but I am brushed off as I am too different from them.  We need to humble ourselves as Christian woman and be willing to ask for mentor or be a mentor no matter your age there is a woman younger than you. Women are you open to be helped or to help others?  Remember these scriptures pertaining to older women.

Titus 2:3-10 3Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, 4and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. 6Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. 7Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, 8and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. 9Bondservants^b are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, 10not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior. (Copied from the ESV Version of the Bible)