The Help Meet Wife

I'll be honest - I read a LOT of marriage books. Each one promises something unique and different, and each one is written from a different point of view or theological standpoint. However, many (most?) marriage books rehash the same topics and same solutions over and over again. I wasn't sure what to expect from Dorothy Littell Greco's new book, Making Marriage Beautiful: Lifelong Love, Joy, And Intimacy Start With You, but it sounded like it might be new and different, so I wanted to give it a try. The back cover says: "What makes a marriage beautiful? Honesty? Compatibility? Physical and emotional intimacy? All of these are important, but there’s one component that determines the quality and longevity of a marriage more than anything else: a willingness to grow. Because a wedding joins together two imperfect people, all couples experience disappointment, conflict, and pain. How husbands and wives respond to these challenges determines the kind of people they wi...

I'd heard of Melissa Ohden before in pro-life circles, but I'd never heard her whole story in-depth before. Therefor, I was super excited to have the opportunity to review her book. You Carried Me is a small hardcover book that I was able to read in two sittings. It's a short book, but it packs a powerful punch within its pages. The back cover says: "Melissa Ohden is fourteen when she learns she is the survivor of a botched abortion. In this intimate memoir she details for the first time her search for her biological parents, and her own journey from anger and shame to faith and empowerment. After a decade-long search Melissa finally locates her birth father and writes to extend forgiveness, only to learn soon thereafter that he has died―without answering her burning questions. Then her birth mother’s parents say they are unable to pass along Melissa’s letter. Years later, when she finally hears from the woman who carried her and gave her life, she finds out why. ...

I was so excited when I saw that Patricia Bradley was coming out with a new series. I loved her Logan Point series, so I couldn't wait to get my hands on the first book in her Memphis Cold Case series, Justice Delayed. Justice Delayed promised the same twists, turns, suspense, mystery, intrigue, and hint of romance that was present in the Logan Point books. The back cover says: "It's been eighteen years since TV crime reporter Andi Hollister's sister was murdered. The confessed killer is behind bars, and the execution date is looming. But when a letter surfaces stating that the condemned killer didn't actually do it, Detective Will Kincaide of the Memphis Cold Case Unit will stop at nothing to help Andi get to the bottom of it. After all, this case is personal: the person who confessed to the crime is Will's cousin. They have less than a week to find the real killer before the wrong person is executed. But much can be accomplished in that week--including unc...

I initially decided to pick up The Jesus Club by Brian Barcelona because my oldest son is a freshman in high school, and happens to currently attend a public high school in California. I was curious to see how Brian was breaking in to share Jesus with high school students because my experience has been that public schools in California are very anti-Christian and it is very difficult to share anything about Jesus, the Bible, or prayer in public schools. The book description says: "How a Simple Act of Obedience Is Igniting Revival in Our Nation's Schools What happens when a teenage convert from atheism hears a challenge from the Lord--and decides to act on it? This true story is the catalyst for a move of God that is taking the high schools of America for Jesus. Brian Barcelona, a dynamic leader on the forefront of youth evangelism, recounts how he answered God's call on his life with dramatic and miraculous results. Just a few months out of high school, Brian obeyed...

I don't think of myself as a controlling person in a typical way - I'm not the type of person who tries to control other people or other people's lives. However, I can be controlling in other areas of my personal life - my house, how things are run in the home, my personal life, etc. My tendency toward control tends more towards trying to keep my life under control, causing me to rely on myself to make my life perfect instead of trusting in God to work in my life in His will and His timing. Therefore, I thought Control Girl: Lessons on Surrendering Your Burden of Control from Seven Women in the Bible by Shannon Popkin might be a good book to read. The back cover says: "Little fights with your husband and kids. Unhappiness when things don't match your version of perfect. Tension, anger, fear, anxiety--it all begins with a heart that craves control. When your perspective of how life should go replaces God's, you doom your quest for security, peace, and joy bef...

Maybe It's You is the third and final book in Candace Calvert's newest Crisis Team series. Candace Calvert is a popular Christian fiction writer and fan favorite, writing medical dramas/suspense novels. Medical suspense is a personal favorite of mine, and to combine it with Christian themes makes it that much better. Candace is an excellent writer and has an uncanny ability to draw you into the story and make you feel like you know and personally care about her characters. The description of Maybe It's You reads: "ER nurse Sloane Ferrell escaped her risky past―new name, zip code, job, and a fresh start. She’s finally safe, if she avoids a paper trail and doesn’t let people get too close. Like the hospital’s too-smooth marketing man with his relentless campaign to plaster one “lucky” employee’s face on freeway billboards. Micah Prescott’s goal is to improve the Hope hospital image, but his role as a volunteer crisis responder is closer to his heart. The selfless wo...

I've enjoyed the Seer series by Rachelle Dekker, daughter of prolific and talented author Ted Dekker. This trilogy has included The Choosing (book one), The Calling (book two), and now, finally, The Returning (book three). I was excited that the last book finally came out so I could find out what happens to Carrington, Remko, Elise, and the other characters I've grown to love. The Returning occurs twenty years after book two, so a large gap of time has passed. The back cover says: "They say the Awakening is coming. That she’s the key. But can she find her identity in the light Before she perishes in the dark? Twenty years have passed since Carrington and Remko Brant’s baby, Elise, was kidnapped and they were forced to leave her captive in the Authority City. Though they fled with the Seers far from Authority reach, they’ve never given up hope of rescuing their daughter from the man who betrayed them. Now Authority President, he’s ushered the city into a new era of ...

I was really excited to get a copy of Happily Homemade: Cooking With Love by Rachel Schultz. I love cooking, and I love cookbooks, and this one looked great - a beautiful cover and the promise of 100 homemade, delicious recipes. The description reads: "Cook up some love in your kitchen. Does the question “What’s for dinner?” fill you with dread? Is the thought of looking for something to cook every day overwhelming? Popular food blogger and Pinterest celebrity Rachel Schultz has you covered in Happily Homemade, with 100 tasty recipes even a beginner can serve with pride. Reinvigorating familiar dishes with interesting and unexpected flavor combinations, Rachel shares her go-to creations that always get rave reviews. Even with so much variety, Rachel’s approachable recipes include only ingredients you can find at your local grocery store. This gorgeous cookbook includes a photo of every recipe, plus essays and tips from Rachel (and her friends) on hospitality and making life...

The Chamberlain Key: Unlocking the God Code to Reveal Divine Messages Hidden in the Bible by Timothy P. Smith sounded super intriguing, so I decided to pick it up and read it. The description says: "Imagine you are a young, ambitious, successful appraiser of artifacts and antiquities—your services in demand by many of the most powerful individuals and branches of government in Washington, D. C. Your future could not seem brighter—except for a troubling dream...with the same mysterious message...on the same exact date...three years in a row... A True Story...Better Than Fiction "Timothy P. Smith, heir to a renowned family business responsible for construction or renovation of some of America’s most cherished landmarks, struggled to understand the significance of his recurring dream...until he had another dream--one that identified a specific location where it seemed he might find answers to his questions. So Timothy drove to a remote spot in British Columbia. There t...