Waking Up In Heaven by Crystal McVea Book Review

*Disclosure- I received a free copy of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions are 100% my own.

About the book:

The remarkable story of a woman, plagued with guilt and skepticism, dramatically changed by the nine minutes she spent in heaven.

"God let me see me through His eyes. And in that instant I knew that God had always loved me, through all of those dark and difficult years when I doubted His existence, through every crisis and every heartbreak that made me turn away from Him more. I knew, in that instant, that His love was endless and boundless, and that if He loved me so much, how could I not love myself?" 

For most of her life, Crystal McVea was a skeptic whose history of abuse and bad choices made her feel beyond the reach of God--who questioned if God was even real. She had all but given up hope. Then came December 10, 2009--and the moment that changed everything.

For nine minutes that night, Crystal went into full respiratory arrest. She was unconscious and unable to breathe on her own, unaware of the crisis happening around her as the hospital staff rushed to save her life. Crystal doesn't remember the trauma or losing consciousness; she just remembers waking up in heaven, next to God.

Waking Up in Heaven invites readers to witness the relentless pursuit of God in a life that was broken and seemingly beyond hope, an awe-inspiring account of love, forgiveness, and redemption, and the healing power of God's presence.

My thoughts:

I think any Christian probably wonders what exactly Heaven might be like. Of course, it is beyond anything we can imagine, but there have been several books like this one out in the last few years and I am always interested to read about other people's experiences, what they remember of what they saw and what they have to say about it. I thought this was a very interesting account. McVea definitely had a troublesome past, starting with abuse at an age that she could not possibly have understood at the time. That seem to lead to a life of low self esteem and hoping from men to men as a result and also caused her to be a skeptic when it came to God. Still, she prayed. He was there all  along and for her, it took dying and meeting Him to understand and truly believe that. I read this book in just a couple of days and I definitely sympathized with McVea and the things she went through in her life, no one, especially a child, should have to go through the things she went through. However, I found the book to be 90% about her life and 10% about her account in Heaven. I know she was not there long and that her story needed to be told so we could understand where she was coming from and why it was a miracle for her to be able to experience Heaven. I do love that she is sharing her message and helping other victims of abuse get through the feelings they have to feel and embrace God. This was a fast and uplifting read, but I would not recommend it to the faint of heart, as there are some pretty heavy subject matters brought up that may make some people very uncomfortable. For those that like to read a story of someone who was down and out and has now figured out a way to use their past to help others, this is a book you will enjoy.

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Etched...Upon My Heart by Jill Kelly Review + Giveaway

About the book: Our lives are made up of moments. Some we hope to remember forever and some we long to forget. But it's the tapestry of these moments that come together to write the story God is telling in each of our lives.

In Etched...Upon My Heart, Jill Kelly shares some of the unforgettable moments in her life- some sorrowful, others filled with joy-as a "living epistle" to her daughters. Kelly's raw and honest replections provide encouragement and inspiration for women and mothers who long to pass on hard-won knowledge of God's stedfast love and healing grace to their children.

As she writes, "God will break our hearts, but He will hold the pieces. He will cradle us and redeem every tear we cry." Although great personal pain informs these pages, Kelly's story is ultamtely one of forgiveness, reconciliation, and hope. Through the moments in time that Jill Kelly recounts, you will recognize the daily reality and eternal value of God's plan for your own life.

My thoughts: I found this book both heartbreaking and inspiring. Jill Kelly is wife to NFL Hall of Famer Jim Kelly and they have faced some heavy trials together, the biggest being the loss of their very young son Hunter. Kelly is open and real as can be opening her heart and sharing some of the most painful times she has been through and how God got her through it. I love the weaving of her personal stories with the chapters different focuses. The chapters are divided by different subjects,  Love, Suffering, Prayer, Forgiveness, Giving, Death, ect. Each chapter contains Kelly's personal story relating to the matter, as well as insight from the Bible relating to the subject. At the end of each chapter, there is a prayer relating to the subject as well as several Bible verses to encourage you and "Etch  Upon Your Heart. I like the way the book was laid out and felt just like Kelly said she wanted readers to feel at the beginning, like I was talking to a girlfriend over coffee. The thing I like about this book is how honest the author is about the things she talks about. She doesn't deny her struggles and she also talks about profound moments she has had spiritually. I felt it was a very well rounded book. I think this is a great book for a mother or any woman really. It's a reminder that we all face some big moments, sometimes big ugly moments, sometimes unbearably sad moments, sometimes joyous moments. Sometimes it good to be reminded we are never alone and even when we feel we are, God is working on our lives in that very moment.

About the Author: Jill Kelly is the wife of former Buffalo Bills quarterback Jim Kelly. In September 1997, months after their infant son, Hunter, was diagnosed with a fatal disease called Krabbe Leukodustrophy, Jim and Jill founded the Hunter’s Hope Foundation. As chairman of the board of Hunter’s Hope, Jill helps children suffering from Leukodystrophy, and their families by raising awareness and research funds to fight this devastating disease. She and Jim live in Buffalo, NY, with their two daughters and three dogs. Hunter’s Hope Foundation can be found online at www.HuntersHope.org. Jill is also the author of Without A Word.

 

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Where God Finds You by Anita Higman Book Review + Giveaway

About the book:

“Have you ever longed to crawl into the pages of the Bible? To walk on the Judean hills or feel the spray of the Red Sea? To know what it’s like to confront a king or pour perfume on a Savior’s feet?

 “In forty devotional tales, Where God Finds You breathes new life into ancient Bible characters. Through reflection on Scripture and prayer, you’ll discover a place in each of these lives of vulnerability, tenderness, truth and love – a place where you can find God….and where God finds you.”

My thoughts:

I was really excited to find out a devotional book like this existed. I have never seen one quite like this where the Biblical characters are brought to life through first person narratives of their stories. It feels so much more personal when you can really immerse yourself into someone's story by imagining how they might tell it. I really enjoyed that aspect of this devotional book and have really enjoyed reading each of the 40 stories presented. I also like that Higman follows up each of these narratives with the Bible passage they were taken from and that there are several thought provoking discussion questions as well. These stories are short and easy to follow, making them enjoyable to read and easy to get through. This is one devotional book that will definitely keep you coming back for more. I highly recommend this book to someone looking for a refreshing look into many people of the Bible. I hope that Higman writes more devotionals like this in the future, opening our eyes in a new way to even more of the stories we have read in our Bibles. I would recommend this book to small groups or the individual who just wants a view from a different sort of angle.

About the Author:

Anita Higman has over 30 books published for both adults and children and has six books due to come out over the next two years. She won the 2011 Reader's Choice Award and has also been honored by Barnes & Noble as an author of the month- Houston.

She has a Bachelor of Arts degree that combines speech communication, psychology, and art from Southern Nazarene University, and she is a member of both  The Writer's View and American Christian Fiction Writers.

Other titles by Higman include Love Finds You in Humble Texas, Another Stab at Life, The Celestial Helix, and Big Book of Holidays and Holy Days.

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*Disclosure- I received a complimentary copy of Where God Finds you via  publisher. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own.

The Bridesmaid by Beverly Lewis Book Review

Joanna Kurtz is a 24 year old Amish woman who seems to always be the bridesmaid for her friends wedding. Joanna wonders if her turn for love is going to come or if that ship has long past sailed for her. She also happens to be a closet writer of fiction- something that is frowned upon in Lancaster county among her fellow Amish.

Eben Troyer falls for Joanna immediately, but he has things in Indiana where he lives standing in the way of making her his bride the biggest being his brother who has chosen to leave the Amish way of life and left Eben to take over for his parents. Joanna doesn't want to move away from her home. Will they be able to find love in the end or will Joanna always be a bridesmaid?

I always enjoy a good Amish fiction book. Since Beverely Lewis invented the genre, I always expect to really like her  novels and The Bridesmaid is no exception. I enjoyed the plot and it was an easy read. There was tension as each page unfolded Eben and Joanna's story and I wasn't sure how it was going to end. I also really wanted to find out more about Joanna's aunt- her namesake- a mysterious woman that no one has said much about until Joanna starts asking questions. I don't think I have ever read an Amish fiction novel where the main characters had so much distance standing in the way of their happily ever after, so I thought that brought a new twist on the typical Amish love story and I really enjoyed that refreshing difference. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys love stories, Amish culture or inspirational fiction. This was an easy read sure to please any romantic.


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*Disclosure- I received a complimentary copy of The Bridesmaid from Bethany House Publishers. I was not required to render a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own.

12 Unlikely Heroes by John MacArthur Book Review

Book Description:

What kind of people does God use to accomplish His work? Far from the children’s tales depicted in picture books and nursery rhymes, the men and women highlighted in the Bible were unnervingly real. They faltered. They struggled. And at times, they fell short. Yet God worked through them in surprising and incredible ways to accomplish His purposes. Scripture does not hide their weaknesses, caricature their strengths, or spin their stories as a display of human nobility. Instead, it describes these heroes of the faith with unflinching honesty and delivers an unexpected ending: “God is not ashamed to be called their God” (Hebrews 11:16). In Twelve Unlikely Heroes, pastor and best-selling author John MacArthur uses his deep knowledge of the Bible and history to take us back to see these three-dimensional men and women in their own times and cultures. In doing so, it becomes clear how their dramatic stories apply to us today. People who might at first seem foreign quickly become familiar and unforgettable—particularly as they reveal the true Hero behind every witness, the power counterbalancing every weakness, “the Author and Finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:1).

My Thoughts:  I knew right away that I would like this book, it just seems you can't go wrong with a title by John MacArthur. Our society has a tendency to proclaim famous actors or athletes as heroes, but the Bible is full of every day REAL heroes. 12 Unlikely Heroes highlights many of them. One might go into this book thinking it is a rehashing of the exact story of these heroes from the Bible, but there was new information regarding each story that brought a more in depth look at these people of the Bible. There are several stories you would expect, among them John the Baptist, Jonah and Joseph, but a few you might not have even considered might be included- Miriam, James,  Gideon and Samson. I found this novel to be an interesting read that I felt brought a new level of understanding to many people I have read about in my Bible. I would recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in the Bible or just wants to read several stories of true heroes.

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*Disclosure- I was provided a complimentary copy of Twelve Unlikely Heroes  by the publisher via BookSneeze. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own.