A Woman Overwhelmed {Book Review}

This book is a light-hearted yet thought-provoking women's devotional/autobiographical/study. I think it would be a great book for new Christians or women who are still trying to figure out what a relationship with a personal God looks like. It's also a nice book for the 'seasoned' Christian, as it provides a refreshing and fun look at insights that too often fall into a rote 'Christianese'. I enjoyed having someone so honestly discuss life as an overwhelmed woman and what it means to turn that over in total surrender to being filled by God and allowing him to have your complete heart.

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher, but was under no obligation to write a review. My honest opinion has been provided without any requirement to write a positive review.*

A Woman Overwhelmed: Finding God in the Messes of Life (Abingdon Press, August 2017)

“A Woman Overwhelmed” is a phrase with which many women can relate.

But what would happen if we could see the insanity in our pace and embrace our overwhelming God?

There is a reason they say that a woman’s work is never done— because it isn’t! As women, we often are overwhelmed by the demands and circumstances of life, resulting in stress, fear, worry, impatience, fatigue, frustration, and even depression. The truth is that we were created to be overwhelmed . . . not by life but by God! When we learn to be overwhelmed by God, the fruit in our lives goes from rotten to fragrant—filling our days with peace, hope, love, and joy.

In A Woman Overwhelmed, best-selling author Hayley DiMarco shares biblical insights and personal stories to offer a glimpse at the comedy of an overwhelmed life while encouraging us to discover the depths and heights of God’s love and power.

Be empowered to find freedom in becoming overwhelmed with who God is—by learning to focus on what we know about God so that we can hold onto faith even when it seems that all is lost. For it is when an overwhelmed woman gives up the mission of me and exchanges it for the mission of God that being overwhelmed becomes a good thing.

Choose to bask in the abundance of the Father instead of the abundance of life as his unfathomable depths can surely replace our fathomable messes.

Learn more and purchase a copy.

Hayley DiMarco is the best-selling author of more than 40 books, including multiple books in the God Girl line, "The Fruitful Wife," "Obsessed," "Die Young" and "Own It." As the founder of Hungry Planet, a company intensely focused on feeding the world's appetite for truth, DiMarco speaks regularly for women’s groups and events, including Women of Faith, dotMOM, Precept National Women’s Convention and MOPS International. Hayley and her pastor husband, Michael, live outside Nashville with their daughter and four dogs.

The Gift-another great book by Shelley Shepard Gray {The Amish of Hart County book 3}

The Amish of Hart County series continues to be a winner for both Gray as well as her readers. Even though this is a series, each book stands very much on its own; The Gift is no exception, as anyone could read this and be fully drawn into the storyline without any confusion or missing information. The Gift is great in the way it looks at how finances and hardships affect even the Amish. The main storyline revolves around the Vance family, who had to sell their beloved farm, and the Schwartz family, who was able to buy the farm at a very reduced price. One family feels they have lost everything, the other feels they have gained the world. The complexities of the novel take place when the reader sees how the children within each family--specifically Neil Vance and Susanna Schwartz--are affected by the hurt, confusion, jealousy, and rejection that surround the farm transitioning from one family to the other. The tension increases when misfortune & accidents keep befalling Susanna and her family. The plot continues to weave through the various aspects of Neil & Susanna's relationship, has very solid secondary characters, and keeps the antagonist a secret until the very end of the novel. It's a wonderful novel, and I look forward to book number four!

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher, but was under no obligation to write a review. My honest opinion has been provided without any requirement to write a positive review.*

The Gift: The Amish of Hart County(Avon Inspire, November 2017)

A special Christmas story about love and blessings in the next book in the Amish of Hart County series

The Schwartz family is happy to be spending Christmas on their new farm in Hart County. But when Susanna Schwartz hears gunshots that causes her buggy to overturn, and then her little sister falls through a wooden bridge into the icy creek, it becomes clear from these dangerous “accidents” that someone wants them gone.

Neil Vance has been heartbroken ever since his parents lost their family farm. He knows it’s not the Schwartz family’s fault, but he can’t help but be resentful. Until he meets Susanna. She is kind-hearted and bold, and Neil can’t stop thinking about her pretty green eyes.

Neil thinks the accidents are just that, but Susanna’s father is convinced the Vance family is responsible. Susanna refuses to believe Neil would do anything to harm her. She’s fallen in love with him and knows he is a good man. But her family is ready to pack up and move, and time is running out to uncover the truth before someone gets hurt . . . or worse.

Learn more and purchase a copy.

Shelley Shepard Gray is a "New York Times" and "USA Today" bestselling author, a finalist for the American Christian Fiction Writers prestigious Carol Award, and a two-time HOLT Medallion winner. She lives in southern Ohio, where she writes full-time, bakes too much, and can often be found walking her dachshunds on her town’s bike trail.

A very wonderful mystery novel {Murder in Disguise Book Review}

Murder in Disguise is the 3rd novel in the series, and I can say it's truly fantastic & stands alone because I have yet to read the first two novels in the series. In fact, this is the first book by Donn Taylor that I have ever read. It was clear that I was missing some info that would've provided more depth and detail to the key characters, but rather than making me disappointed in what I was reading, it has me planning to go back and read the first two novels because I really enjoyed protagonist Preston Barclay.

Preston Barclay is a 'quirky' character; he reminded me of my junior high & high school days of reading Agatha Christie and being totally amused and impressed by Hercule Poirot & Miss Marple. Preston is a protagonist who is brilliant and yet so unassuming, and most people upon first meeting him would consider this college professor to be a fuddy-duddy, when he is actually a very calculated, insightful, strong & smart man. My biggest difficulty in getting into this novel is the fact that various music will run through Preston's mind when goes about his day--the music displays his subconscious, from how he views people to the mood of his day. After a couple of chapters I got used to it and was able to more easily focus on the storyline. I liked how Preston is looking deeper into the supposed suicide of a friend. The plot and characters are very well developed, and the layers of conflicts, mystery, danger and protagonist v antagonist carry until the very last page of the book. 

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher, but was under no obligation to write a review. My honest opinion has been provided without any requirement to write a positive review.*

Murder in Disguise (Lamplighter Mysteries, October 2017)

Official verdict: Suicide. 

But why would that vigorous department chairman kill himself? To avoid disgrace? Those rumored ventures on the dark side? Some other secret life? Visiting professor Preston Barclay wonders. But his questions bring no answers, only anonymous threats. He has enough problems already, proving himself on a strange campus while radical faculty do all they can to undermine him. Worse yet, that sexy siren assigned as his assistant complicates his courtship of the beautiful Mara Thorn.

While Press keeps asking questions, Mara’s research reveals a cancer of criminal activity that permeates the community and even the campus itself. The more Press questions, the more dangerous the threats against him become, and the more determined he grows to clear his friend’s name.

But can Press and Mara’s stumbling efforts prevail against the entrenched forces of the police, the campus radicals, and an unseen but powerful criminal organization that increasingly puts their lives in danger…?

Learn more and purchase a copy.

With a PhD in English literature (Renaissance), Donn Taylor taught literature for 18 years at two liberal arts colleges. Now retired, he has published suspense novels, mysteries, and poetry. His historical novel "Lightning on a Quiet Night" was a finalist for the 2015 Selah Awards. He is a frequent speaker at writers' conferences. In a prior incarnation, he led an Infantry rifle platoon in the Korean War, served with Army aviation in Vietnam, and worked with air reconnaissance in Europe and Asia. He now lives in the woods near Houston, TX, where he writes fiction, poetry, and essays on current topics.

Counseling Under the Cross {Book Review}

Counseling Under the Cross: How Martin Luther Applied the Gospel to Daily Life is a great resource for true Biblical Counseling. The book itself is a blend of the life of Luther & provides a historical account of the man himself. It then looks at him in a more personal way, showing the what/how/why he utilized the Bible and its truths to make the Bible the key resource in counseling others. I enjoyed both the history as well as the applicable insight that is still quite relevant today.

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher, but was under no obligation to write a review. My honest opinion has been provided without any requirement to write a positive review.*

Counseling Under the Cross: How Martin Luther Applied the Gospel to Daily Life (New Growth Press, September 2017)

Martin Luther not only reformed theology, but his understanding of the gospel revolutionized soul care.

In Counseling Under the Cross, biblical counselor and noted author Bob Kellemen explains how Martin Luther’s gospel-centered and cross-focused pastoral care transformed his own approach to soul care.

As Kellemen mines Luther’s own writings and other first hand accounts, readers will gain a new understanding of how Luther richly, relevantly, robustly, and relationally applied the gospel to suffering, sin, sanctification, and our search for peace with God. Counseling Under the Crosswill guide pastors, counselors, lay leaders, and friends toward a rich understanding of the gospel that will directly impact their personal ministry to others.

Through lively vignettes, real-life stories, and direct quotes from Luther, readers will be equipped to apply the gospel to themselves and others so together they find their hope and help in Christ alone.

Learn more and purchase a copy.

Robert W. Kellemen, PhD, is the Vice President for Institutional Advancement and Chair of the Biblical Counseling Department at Crossroads Bible College and the founder and CEO of RPM Ministries. He is also the author of many books, including "Gospel-Centered Counseling" and "Gospel Conversations." Bob and his wife Shirley have two children and two grandchildren.