Book Review: Plugged-In Parenting

I received the book Plugged-In Parenty: How to Raise Media-Savvy Kids with Love, Not War by Bob Waliszewski from Tyndale Publishing for review. This is a great book for parents who are wondering what went wrong with their teenagers that are acting up. If you don't believe that media has an influence on little ones, then you need to read this book.

This book talks about the many ways that the media influences us and our children. It really made me think about my current choices as an adult on the types of movies I watch, music I listen to, and television I watch. If these sources can influence adults, what more of an influence do they have on young children!? Not only is the content staggering, but the amount of hours that is spent texting, tv, movies, games, etc is staggering!

This book will sober you with the reality of media's influence, and how parents can fight against it by setting family standard on all media. Even if parents don't apply every suggestion to their family, this is still a great read to understand what you are fighting. Highly recommended for all parents.

Making Pound Cake from a Yellow Cake Mix

2/3 cup of water or milk

½ stick (or ¼ cup) of melted butter

2 eggs

1 yellow cake mix

Whip all ingredients together and pour into greased and floured pans.

Bake at 350 degree for about 45 minutes for two 8'' round pans.

Baking time will vary based on size of pans. Bake until golden brown.

This was a delicious way to make quick pound cake if you don't have a pound cake mix but have a yellow cake mix. :)

Book Review: God Gave Us Two

I received God Gave Us Two by Lisa Tawn Bergen for review from Water Brook Press. This is such a beautifully illustrated book with such a great story! This is perfect for your child when you are preparing to have a second child. Little Cub is worried about having another baby, common questions are addressed that most kids ask when a new sibling is on his or her way: returning the baby if they don't like him or her, will the first child be remembered, will they look like the first child, and many more. This is such a sweet book. I would definitely recommend it any expecting mother with children.

Book Review: God's Love Letters to You

I received God's Love Letters to You by Dr. Larry Crabb for review from booksneeze.com. This is a very small paperback book. I like the texture of the cover and the design of the pages. This is a 40 day devotional, each day covering a theme pulled from 1 book of the Bible. The devotional only quotes a couple verses from each book, and the actual devotional is written as though God is speaking to the reader directly. Each day includes a "Take a moment to reflect" section some questions to think about and a "Take a moment to pray" section that provides suggestions on what to pray about.

Reading a devotional written as though God is speaking can be very moving, but I would caution readers to use the Bible to judge for themselves on what God's promises to us truly are. This is Dr. Crabb's interpretation of God... only the Bible and the Holy Spirit can truly reveal God's love for us. The actual devotional takes less than 5 minutes to read. Quick daily reads. I would be cautious about giving this devotional to new Christians but would be good for long time Christians who have some Biblical knowledge and interested in reading a different perspective.

Book Review: PrayerWalk

I received Janet McHenry's PrayerWalk from Water Brook Multnomah Publishing. McHenry discusses the physical and spiritual benefits of prayer walking, suggestions on time management/prioritization, the importance of proper footwear, and her prayer life.

I really enjoyed McHenry's honesty and openness about her own struggles in life and the healing God brought into her life through her prayer walks, both physical and psychological healing. She reveals the power of prayer for not only her life but also testimonies of others who participate in prayer walks. McHenry is very encouraging but not pushy at all. She provides only suggestions, from shoes to topics of prayers. Her excitement about the power of prayer walk is contagious.

McHenry includes a questionnaire reviewing each chapter and a 30 day challenge at the end of the book. Each challenge includes a prayer focus, fitness challenge, and a notes section which includes some questions. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to shape up and improve their prayer life. It will encourage and challenge you.

Book Review: The Dragons of Chiril

I received the book The Dragons of Chiril by Donita K. Paul from Water Brook Multnomah for review. I really enjoyed this fiction novel. The book is about a young girl, Tipper, who's father has been missing for years. To support her and her mother, she sells her father's art. One night, her father returns with some interesting characters, a wizard and a librarian. They are looking for 3 pieces of art that were created from a special stone, a part of the foundation that would be the key to sharing the news of Wulder. Tipper must help the 3 men to find the 3 missing sculptures to save her world.

This book is definitely captivating. I enjoyed the fact that they use Wulder as a representation of God and bringing the good news to people who may not be ready to receive the message. I found the characters to all be very interesting. Dragons, giant talking parrots, crazy wizards, they all keep the book very fun and interesting. I recommend this book to young adults who enjoy fantasy novels.

Book Review: We Shall See God

I received the book We Shall See God by Randy Alcorn from Tyndale publishing. This is a 50 day devotional book on heaven. The book is actually a collection of sermons by Charles Spurgeon on the topic of heaven. Each day is broken down into when and where the sermon was given, the overview of the sermon, the actual sermon given by Spurgeon, and also a commentary by Alcorn.

I had a really difficult time staying interested in the book, especially the sermons part. Alcorn does a good job explaining the sermon and providing scriptural references, but the topic was not my favorite. This could be a great book for someone who is struggling with the loss of a loved one or just seeking to find out more about heaven.