I Was Blind (Dating), But Now I See: My Misadventures in Dating, Waiting, and Stumbling into Love...

::Goodreads Summary::
Eight setups. Eight awkward dates. Eight things God tried to teach her along the way. (Some of which she’s still trying to figure out.)
Stephanie Rische was starting to feel invisible. All around her, her friends were getting married, and she found herself decidedly alone. Stephanie couldn’t help but wonder if there was something broken in her—was she not pretty enough? Not fun enough? Not date-able enough (whatever that meant)? So she started praying in earnest for God to bring the right man into her life. And instead, He brought her matchmakers. Eight of them, to be precise.

Beloved blogger Stephanie Rische debuts with this charming, vulnerable, and (who are we kidding?) often mortifying true story of a girl who tried really hard to find someone to fall in love with—even when she mostly just ended up falling flat on her face. But amid the most cringe worthy setups and awkward encounters, Stephanie found God’s grace and love meeting her there in ways she never could have imagined—once she opened her eyes to see.


::My Thoughts::
This is such a great book! It is also so much more than just stories of blind dating. This is a book that anyone can benefit from. Whether you are single or married there are great lessons within the pages of this book.
I have always been intrigued by memoirs, and this book held my interest with no problem. I was pulled right in, and felt like I was right there beside Stephanie every step of the way!
Stephanie not only is on a journey to find a true man whose beliefs match her own, but not settle for anything less than she deserves. Despite her times where she felt lonely, hopeless, or just wanted to give up she held fast to her faith and left it in God's hands. I highly commend her for holding onto her belief even through tough times, and not giving in even though she struggled with it.
Stephanie knew what she wanted, and did not give up until she found it!
This book is about community, friendship, faith, love, family, and so much more.
This book has a bit of everything happiness, laughter, suspense, sadness, faith, gratitude, etc. There is just so much you will feel taking this journey through reading.
The author holds nothing back which is amazing when you are reading a book. Every reader wants to know it all! It makes you feel as if you are close friends with the author. I definitely felt that way. I love that she even went so far as to talk about moles, personal insecurities, etc. 
As a married woman myself I believe I now understand my single friends a bit more. Not only that but I value my marriage even more than before. I also was able to see so much more of God's love, and learned some valuable lessons through this story.
I believe for single women out there it can also shed hope and renew faith.
I definitely recommend this book.


My Rating::: 5/5 Stars
Goodreads Rating::: 4.56/5 
Amazon Rating::: 5/5 Stars
Barnes & Noble Rating::: 5/5 Stars


Find this book in paperback, on kindle, or on nook.


::Product Details::

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Tyndale Momentum (January 1, 2016)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1496404815
• ISBN-13: 978-1496404817

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale House in exchange for my unbiased review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

Be The Best Mom You Can Be

::From the back of the book::
What if you could sit down with a wise, experienced mom--someone who has dealt with her child being bullied, who has seen the impact of permissiveness, who has been forced to depend on God for every single day, and still talks with grace and compassion?
Through many years of tested faith, and her close walk with God, Marina Slayton has written this amazing book to help guide mothers through today's often times impossible expectations. In her book, Marina will help you to write a life-changing family vision statement, break the cycle of generational sin, and explain why you don't have to measure up to many of the difficult expectations society has created. With every move across the country, every illness she's struggled through, Marina knows more in heart, as to what it truly means to rely on the only trustworthy source of life. What is the source to being a good mother, and the strength to go through life's hardships? Quite simply, Jesus Christ.
 
 
In an age when brokenness abounds and cultural voices only add to the confusion, Godly mothers have never been more crucial. Many parents--and children--feel lost amidst the decaying family values in the culture, and the ever increasing amount of "best" parenting practices in the market place of ideas. With all of these issues and struggles being raised in today's modern family, some questions are raised by many mothers:
 
How can we avoid the pitfalls of a secular culture?
How do we raise children who are healthy emotionally and spiritually?
What if we're doing it wrong? 
 
Many mothers can agree, that wise counsel from a friendly corner is desperately needed. And Marina Slayton is here to do just that, sharing her experiences, her struggles, and her faith as she walked with God through it all. 
 
Marina has spent the past thirty years as a mother raising four kids. From California to Bermuda, from public school to homeschool, Marina has been there, and she's not afraid to share her mistakes, epiphanies, and practical ideas. But she doesn't stop there. In this incredible book that Marina authored together with her husband Gregory, Marina demonstrates how the power of God's Word, and the work of the Holy Spirit can give direction and freedom to parents who need it most. In this practical book for mothers, you will gain a deeper understanding of what it really means to Be The Best Mom You Can Be.




::My Thoughts::
I am always on the lookout for parenting books. Especially those geared towards mothers. This one grabbed my attention right away with the title BE THE BEST MOM YOU CAN BE because what one of us doesn't want to be the best mom we can be? I always look for ways to improve not only myself but my parenting style. Especially during these ever changing times. It seems like everything bad is acceptable these days while everything good is being pushed aside. So it's great to find a holistic book such as this that gives practical advice on bringing our children up whole.
This book doesn't lecture or drag you down. It doesn't focus on any faults per say but rather shows you how you can grow during your mothering journey. Once a mom always a mom, and we can always find room to grow.
I love that the author gives advice from her experience as a mom herself! Because let's face it while it's still good to take on information in general it's even more useful to often take advice from a fellow mom!
Communication and encouragement is focused on in this book. These are things that parents can sometimes forget to do. In a highly competitive world we can find ourselves lecturing more than encouraging. The world tends to get more and more busy and so do we. So we can forget to always keep that communication line open. We are the key to guiding our children through life experiences such as education, dating, drugs, world events, peer pressure, etc. Children are getting stressed and mothers are getting stressed. Through it all we must communicate and shower plenty of love on one another.
My absolute favorite thing about this book, though, is the talk on generational curses. We often pick up parenting styles from our parents who got it from theirs and so on. Not to say they are all bad, but we tend to use those styles also and may not realize it. We have to break the bad ones and stick with the good.
This is a great book for all moms no matter the age. This is great for moms of all kinds, and even dads who want to learn some great parenting advice. I highly recommend it.
There are also questions and reflections at the end of each chapter that you can go over, and will get you to take a deeper look into yourself while keeping you encouraged.






::Product Details::

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson (April 14, 2015)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0718022149
• ISBN-13: 978-0718022143

::Find this book::
Kindle   Hardcover   Nook 



Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book as a BookLook Blogger in exchange for my unbiased review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

What Your Dreams Are Telling You

Paperback: 176 pages

Publisher: Chosen Books (September 1, 2013)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0800795652

ISBN-13: 978-0800795658

::From the back of the book::
Why Waste One-Third of Your Life Only Sleeping?
Have you ever wanted to receive wise advice about a business proposal, a relationship or a direction in life? Tonight you will have several dreams. Did you know they could contain the very advice you need?It's true.
Join dream interpreter Cindy McGill as she shows you that sleep is so much more than just a time to rest your body. If you pay attention, you can uncover a secret weapon for success--and the keys to unlocking your full potential.

Not only is it possible to remember your dreams, but when properly interpreted, they bring guidance, hope and strength to achieve what may seem impossible. Here Cindy gives you the tools for discovering and decoding these hidden messages, including

-- how to get the most out of your dreams
-- historical and present-day examples of life-changing dreams
-- common dream themes and what they mean
-- 3 steps to discover the genuine message from your dreams
-- a quick-reference guide to common dream symbols
-- how to reawaken your dream life

Solutions to your problems can come on any given night. It's time to listen to what your dreams are telling you.



::My Thoughts::
Definitely an eye opening read!
Dreams...it's something we all have, and we all try to make sense out of most of them. Usually our dreams are too complex, or we chalk them up to nothing more than a dream as we sleep. However, who knew that every dream good and bad had such a deeper meaning? Every little action or object in a dream can actually have a deep meaning. God speaks to us through our dreams. Our dreams are meant to give us advice, solve problems, and guide us.
This book has been a wonderful read for me. I have learned many things about dreams, and sleep in general that I did not know before. It has been eye opening. This book shows you many examples of common dream themes, what they mean, and how to discover the message of your dreams.
I love that this book gives examples of dreams, follow up of what actually happened, and explaining what that dream meant. This book also gives historical examples as well as the present.
The writing is very easy to understand and not at all hard to follow. I would say this book is perfect for those of you, like me, who dream often and then think about their dreams but don't know what to make of them. All of us are different and because of that even if we all had the same dream it could mean different things to each of us.
There are many object examples, theme examples, and a takeaway section to each chapter. There is also a handy dream journal in the back of the book so you can start recording your dreams and interpreting them.


::About the author::
Cindy McGill has interpreted thousands of dreams at expos, festivals, workshops, radio and TV. She travels internationally, teaching on the subject of dreams and dream interpretation and leading "dream teams" of interpreters to events such as the Olympics, Sundance Film Festival, and Burning Man. In 2011, she was featured in Dreams, A Documentary, which chronicles live dream interpretation encounters that took place at the Sundance Film Festival at Park City, Utah, and won awards at various independent film festivals around the world.



Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Chosen Books in exchange for my unbiased review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

Desperate: Hope for the Mom Who Needs to Breathe ~Book Review

Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (January 8, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1400204666
ISBN-13: 978-1400204663

:::Book Description:::

"I just can't be a mother today."

These words have been whispered to God in quiet desperation by mothers who love their children to the depths of their soul, but who are struggling with how hard motherhood is.

Motherhood turns you inside out. Sometimes you feel overwhelmed by how tired you feel; the days go on and on, and you want to be a "good" mom, but you feel like a failure so much of the time. What happened to all your ideals? When did you end up feeling so...lost?

Sarah Mae and Sally Clarkson have been to the edge and back. Desperate is the story of one young mother’s trials and one experienced mentor’s priceless exhortations. Desperate is not a book about despair, nor is it a rule-laden mothering manual. It is a bouquet from a friend who has been there, reminding us that we are not alone. Sarah Mae’s unvarnished account of her own struggles mothering three feisty young children is a lesson in learning patience, loving idiosyncrasies, accepting help, and—most of all—leaning on God.

Each chapter includes a brief Bible study with journal exercises to help you find your own quiet center, and get you back into the fray soul-filled and refreshed. Written with candor, empathy, and faith, Desperate is like coffee with a trusted girlfriend; one who knows how hard being a mother can be, and how to navigate the often turbulent road.

:::My Thoughts:::

This is a really good tool for all mother's to have. I can't even say how glad I am that I not only got the opportunity to review it, but read it. It is sunshine for the mother's soul. To know that you are not alone in the way you can feel. Let's face it, motherhood is not exactly what any of us pictured. Don't get me wrong motherhood is wonderful. I wouldn't trade it for the world. My children are my everything, and I love being their mommy. They are my little blessings and I count myself grateful for them everyday. But the fact of the matter is that motherhood is not as easy as I thought it would be. I devoured parenting and baby books while I was pregnant. While they are chock full of good information they don't quite prepare you for all the hardships, late nights, tantrums, etc. Everyone usually tells you that labor can hurt, that you will be tired once you have the baby, but they don't delve into the details of staying up all night long with no sleep, toddlers that throw tantrums in the middle of the grocery store, how it's so easy to get swept up and lose friendships because you find yourself with much less time to devote to anyone else, that it's okay if you can't do every little thing you expected to be able to handle all at once, etc. Nobody quite prepares you for that. This book holds nothing back, however, and gives personal accounts from the authors. Advice that is so truthful it's refreshing to hear.

Another great feature of this book is that it points out how important it is to bond with all mothers young and old alike. No matter our ages we are not alone. I luckily have had my mother along my journey to help guide me in questions about my children, and within the last couple of years I was able to reconnect with some old friends that are also mothers as well. It is just so important to have a mentor that can remind you that you are not alone, and just be there for you. We were never meant to mother alone, families were created by God with us in mind. We must keep God rooted in our lives as well as our children's lives. We can't be wonder woman as much as we want to. There's only so much we can do and handle on our own. We can sometimes set such high goals for ourselves that when we don't always reach them it can bring us down.  But when we put it in God's hands, and confide in other mother's we can find kinship and a peace unlike we have known. This is one encouraging book, and I recommend it to mother's of all ages. Even if your children are grown and out of the house it can show you how you can help mentor a younger mother. It's truly a book for mothers of all ages with scriptures, reflections, journal exercises, QR codes and links at the end of each chapter that lead to videos with Sarah Mae and Sally talking about the chapter, and questions for yourself that will be sure to enlighten you.

Here is a video on the book:

This book is available in the following forms (among others):   Paperback   Kindle   Nook   a DVD companion study (coming soon, you can pre-order now)



 Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson Publishers in exchange for my unbiased review. All opinions expressed are my own.

When Someone You Love Is Suffering From a Chronic Illness Virtual Book Tour

Glad you could join me today! Today I am participating in the Virtual Book Tour through Nurture Your Books to promote Tamara McClintock Greenberg's book When Someone You Love Has a Chronic Illness.

::My Thoughts::
It can be emotionally, psychologically, and even physically draining when someone you love is diagnosed with a chronic illness. I have been through it 3 major times myself.
My grandmother suffered from cancer and died right before I hit my teen years, my mother in law suffered from cancer and passed away a couple years ago, and now my mother has been diagnosed with cervical cancer and Lupis. It's very taxing on us and we all take different approaches to dealing with our grief and concern. Some of us pray, some push the thoughts away and try to forget about it, and some of us do everything we can to learn about the illness and try to encourage our loved ones to fight it. But the one thing remains that we all have in common: our loved ones still have the illness so it really doesn't change a thing.
The author writes in a very understanding, easy to understand, engaging way. I felt as if I was sitting at the kitchen table sharing a cup of tea with her talking about things. She talks about how to deal with doctors, coping with a loved one's pain, dealing with loss, talking about illness, getting support, addressing denial, post traumatic stress disorder, living longer, among many other topics.
This book was a bit difficult for me to read at times because it doesn't sugar coat anything. Sometimes when we are told the nitty gritty it scares us, but instead of scaring me this book helped me deal with many topics I have struggled with.
When your loved ones are going through an illness your emotions often go misunderstood by others and sometimes yourself. This is a perfect book to help deal with that. We can't change a chronic illness no matter how much we may want to try. What we can do is deal with it as it comes, and support our loved ones.
The author teaches how to care for yourself as well as caring for your loved ones.
Considering that the author, Tamara McClintock Greenburg, is a licensed clinical psychologist makes me trust her insight all the more.
I recommend this book to anyone who has a loved one suffering from a chronic illness. Even the strongest of us who think we need no help or insight on subjects such as this can use a little extra wisdom on the subject. There is even a coping checklist at the end of each chapter which I found to be very helpful.

Published by: Cedar Fort Publishing
Publication Date: February 2012
Recommended Age: Any
Format(s): eBook, Trade Paperback
ISBN 13: 9781599559391
Number of pages: 176

Purchase this book @ Barnes & Noble,  Amazon.com,  Amazon.co.uk,  Amazon.ca







To check out the other blog tour links and read their thoughts you can click here






Visit the author's website to learn more
You can also follow Tamara McClintock Greenberg on Facebook, Twitter, PsychCentral, The Huffington Post, and Psychology Today.










Disclaimer: I received this book from Nurture Your Books in exchange for review. I was not compensated for this review and all opinions expressed are solely my own.