The Help Meet Wife

It's hard to believe, but Easter season is already (quickly) approaching! With that in mind, I decided to check out Liz Curtis Higgs' latest book, The Women of Easter: Encounter the Savior with Mary of Bethany, Mary of Nazareth, and Mary Magdalene. Liz is a prolific writer and I've read many of her books. She never fails to encourage me with her open, honest, and encouraging writing style. The back cover says: "This Season of Grace, Deepen Your Faith in God Who So Loved the World that He Gave Us His Son. You’re about to meet three women named Mary, each of whom has a life-changing encounter with Jesus. Mary of Bethany prepares the way for the Lord’s burial when she anoints His feet and fills the air with her perfume. His mother, Mary of Nazareth, remains by His side from His first breath to His last, her loyalty unwavering. Mary Magdalene, delivered of seven demons, bravely supports her Teacher through His darkest hours, then proclaims the glorious news of Hi...

The Dawn Of Christianity by Robert J. Hutchinson promises to be a comprehensive look at the beginning of Christianity, using the most recent studies, archaeological finds, and scientific discoveries. The back cover says: "Drawing upon the most recent discoveries and scholarship in archaeology and the first-century Near East, The Dawn of Christianity reveals how a beleaguered group of followers of a crucified rabbi became the founders of a world-changing faith. How did Christianity truly come to be? Where did this worldwide faith come from? The Dawn of Christianity tells the story of how the first followers of Jesus survived the terror and despair of witnessing the one they knew to be the messiah—God’s agent for the salvation of the world—suddenly arrested, tried, and executed. Soon after Jesus’ death, his relatives and closest followers began hearing reports that Jesus was alive again—reports that even his most loyal disciples at first refused to believe. Using the most rec...

I absolutely loved the first two books in A.H. Gabhart's The Hidden Springs Mysteries series - Murder At The Courthouse and Murder Comes By Mail - so I absolutely couldn't wait for the third installment, Murder Is No Accident, to come out! The town of Hidden Springs is cozy and quaint with a small-town feel, with plenty of secrets, mystery, and intrigue. The back cover of Murder Is No Accident says: "Young Maggie Greene may be trespassing in the old, empty Victorian mansion on a quiet street in Hidden Springs, but all she wants is some private time in the magnificent tower room to write her stories. Certain she'll be in trouble if caught, she hides when a realtor shows up. But someone else is in the house too, someone even more worried about getting caught. When Maggie finds the realtor's body at the bottom of a flight of stairs and the other person gone, Deputy Sheriff Michael Keane is called in. He assumes the realtor's death is a tragic accident--until a ...

Home To Paradise is the third and final book in Barbara Cameron's popular Coming Home series. I hadn't read the first two books in the Coming Home series, but the third can definitely be read as a stand alone. The author gives a good synopsis of the series in the beginning, the end, and the first chapter of the first book is included in the back as well. The back cover says: "Rose Anna Zook has watched her two older sisters marry two Stoltzfus men and has always thought she and John, the third Stoltzfus brother, would marry, make a home together, and have children. But John has other ideas. He’s enjoying his Rumschpringe in the Englisch world a little too much and isn’t interested in returning to the Amish community—especially to marry. Rose Anna is determined to bring her man back into the Amish fold. John is equally determined to live his life free and unencumbered. Who will win this battle of wills? Will love prevail?" Home To Paradise was a sweet, fun Amish...

I was originally interested in reading Scot McKnight's new book, The Hum Of Angels: Listening for the Messengers of God Around Us because I've always been interested in learning more about angels. Angels are mentioned quite a bit in the Bible, but in general people have so many misconceptions about them. Additionally, many people just kind of ignore them completely, even though in the Bible they hold quite important roles. The Hum Of Angels promises to clarify and answer common questions about angels. The book description says: "Would You Recognize an Angel if You Saw One? The majority of earth’s inhabitants believe in Angels. Yet so few of us can claim to have seen one. Why? Perhaps it’s because in order to encounter one, we first have to learn what to look for and how to look! We live in a world where the natural and supernatural overlap. Angels are constantly on mission from God and constantly at work in this world. From the Garden of Eden to the Book of Rev...

After reading Jana Kelley's first book, Side By Side, I absolutely couldn't WAIT to pick up the sequel, Door To Freedom! I loved the story of Michael, Mia, and their children living and working in Sudan while trying to (covertly, as it's illegal there) share their Christian faith. Side By Side and Door To Freedom are based on true events. If you haven't read Side By Side yet, do pick it up and read it before reading Door To Freedom! The book description of Door To Freedom says: "It's rough and it's smooth. It's dark and it's light. It's a masterpiece. It's us. Here in Sudan. We are scared of it and drawn to it. There is an open door, and there is much opposition. In the dusty, Islamic country of Sudan, Mia, who is raising her family in a Muslim country, has learned to boldly share her faith. Rania, the daughter of a wealthy Sudanese Arab, seeks to find the reason for her sister's sudden disappearance. Mia holds some of the answers, b...

I was interested in reading Angels: God's Supernatural Agents by Ed Rocha because I'm always interested in learning more about biblical topics. Angels aren't taught on very often, and I was interested in learning more about them. The back cover says: "After a powerful experience in the presence of the Holy Spirit, Ed Rocha began to witness healings, signs, and wonders--and angels. Now he shares remarkable insights about these holy messengers. This practical and biblically grounded book is packed with real-life stories about supernatural encounters. Through an exploration of Scripture, Rocha answers questions like · Where do angels live? · How do angels deliver messages to me? · Are guardian angels watching over me? · What does it mean that healing is "in their wings"? · Can I pray to see angels? Angels--God's Supernatural Agents will stir your heart to realize these powerful and majestic servants of God are bringing you his healing, strength, an...

If you want a funny, down-to-earth book about marriage, motherhood, and everything in between, Lisa Pennington's new offering, Tight Ropes and Teeter-Totters is definitely the book for you! The fun and attractive cover was what first drew me to the book, and once I opened the pages and read the introduction, I had trouble putting it down. The back cover says: "Lisa Pennington knows how to get up after losing her balance, even with a full house, a not-so-full bank account, and never enough energy. In her latest book, she offers readers: Strategies for finding balance in marriage, motherhood, and bad moods Playful yet biblically based tips for turning hard days around Inspiration for shaping obstacles into opportunities Ways to respond to irritations with gratitude Enthusiastic encouragement for living out God’s purpose. For every woman who wonders if her satisfaction in life will ever match her dreams, Pennington has real-life answers full of hope and humor." I ...

I selected Treasures In Dark Places: One Woman, a Supernatural God and a Mission to the Toughest Part of India by Leanna Cinquanta because I'm interested in missions work and the cover was captivating and haunting. The back cover reads: "Captivating True Story of God's Supernatural Love at Work As a child, Leanna's young world pulsed with adventure, including emergency moves across the country in an old Dodge Dart with a dismantled airplane strapped to the roof. By age fifteen, she had become an equestrian champion with sights fixed on the Olympics. Then, in a series of stunning revelations, Jesus appeared to her and revolutionized her life. A few years later, not expecting to return alive, she wrote a will for her parents, left everything behind, and embarked for northern India with a one-way ticket and a mission: to rescue people trapped in darkness. This firsthand, often-supernatural account follows the rigors, heartaches, and miracles of a life propelled b...

I read and reviewed Karen Ehman's book Keep It Shut: What to Say, How to Say It, and When to Say Nothing at All back when it first came out. While I liked it, it just felt like there was something missing and I had trouble truly connecting with it. Zip It: The Keep It Shut 40-Day Challenge provides the missing piece to the puzzle that Keep It Shut just didn't provide - and that's the take-away action plan. The back cover says: "Zip It empowers readers to put into action the advice and commands of Scripture concerning the tongue. The New York Times bestselling book Keep It Shut covered many topics, including anger, truth-telling, people-pleasing, our digital tongues online, and gossip. Because there are more than 3,500 verses in the Bible that relate to our words and our silence, Keep It Shut only scratched the surface of these issues. Karen Ehman now takes a deeper look and offers practical how-to’s that will inspire you use your words to build, to bless, to encoura...