The Holman Christian Standard Bible

                                   

I really enjoy this Bible. I found out about it by doing Beth Moore's Bible study on the Psalms of ascents, and I liked the translation. It has a few more of the original Hebrew words than the NLT, which is the translation I use, and as a study Bible has some great notes. If you would like a Bible that has a little bit of the original writing, and has detailed information about the words and the books. I would suggest this Bible to anyone who is wanting a translation that is easy to read, meaningful, and great to study and research with.

I received this book free from http://www.bhpublishinggroup.com/ for a honest review.
10 out of 10 stars ... :)

Your Beautiful Heart

                                     

         ~31 reflections on love, faith, friendship, and becoming a girl who shines.~

Lauren Scruggs does a wonderful job showing many issues that girls face constantly. She points out  many things that girls turn t, which is the world's idea of beauty, compared to God's plan. From issues of body image, self-worth, and many others, Lauren shows us problems we face, and what the Scriptures say about them. At the end of each chapter are discussion questions that help you consider ways to grow in Christ. I really enjoyed this book and the many lessons that it taught.

For those who are wanting to continue to grow in their relationship with Christ, than I would suggest this book to you.

I received this book free from Tyndale Blogging Network for a honest review
I would rate this book 5 out of 5 stars.

The Pharaoh's Daughter

Summary: “You will be called Anippe, daughter of the Nile. Do you like it?” Without waiting for a reply, she pulls me into her squishy, round tummy for a hug. 
I’m trying not to cry. Pharaoh’s daughters don’t cry.
When we make our way down the tiled hall, I try to stop at ummi Kiya’s chamber. I know her spirit has flown yet I long for one more moment. Amenia pushes me past so I keep walking and don’t look back. 
Like the waters of the Nile, I will flow.

Anippe has grown up in the shadows of Egypt’s good god Pharaoh, aware that Anubis, god of the afterlife, may take her or her siblings at any moment. She watched him snatch her mother and infant brother during childbirth, a moment which awakens in her a terrible dread of ever bearing a child. Now she is to be become the bride of Sebak, a kind but quick-tempered Captain of Pharaoh Tut’s army. In order to provide Sebak the heir he deserves and yet protect herself from the underworld gods, Anippe must launch a series of deceptions, even involving the Hebrew midwives—women ordered by Tut to drown the sons of their own people in the Nile. 
     When she finds a baby floating in a basket on the great river, Anippe believes Egypt’s gods have answered her pleas, entrenching her more deeply in deception and placing her and her son Mehy, whom handmaiden Miriam calls Moses, in mortal danger.
  As bloodshed and savage politics shift the balance of power in Egypt, the gods reveal their fickle natures and Anippe wonders if her son, a boy of Hebrew blood, could one day become king. Or does the god of her Hebrew servants, the one they call El Shaddai, have a different plan—for them all?

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 As pharaohs daughter, Annipe, struggles with the death of family, her fears, and friendships, she will soon face her greatest fear. When she is able to get around it at first, others soon come into her confidence. As she continues a dangerous game of deceit, the love of El Shaddai draws her to him. As well as rescue her from those who wish to harm her. 

The Pharaohs Daughter was an amazing book. I love Biblical fiction, and when I saw that this book was during the time of Moses I knew I had to read it. I loved how the author, Mesu Andrews, shows what it may have been like in Egypt. The facts and creativity are really cool and unique, and the storyline keeps you turning page after page
I definitely would suggest this book.

I would rate this book 5 out of 5 stars
I recieved this book from Blogging for Books free for an honest review.

Rise of the Fallen

Back Cover:A six thousand year war rages and now the demonic Fallen are coming for him—the one man shrouded in mystery. Only Validus stands in their way.
Validus is the last and least of God’s angels, but he’s seen much across the millennia since his creation. Empires have risen and fallen as angelic and demonic forces battle in a raging war that will determine humanity's fate – and the fate of his defeated brothers.
Eventually called to be an earth-bound warrior, Validus rises to a position of power and respect, commanding legions of angels through impossible battles and overwhelming odds. But when orders arrive from the Creator's most elite Messenger, he finds himself suddenly demoted to a task of apparent insignificance considering the fierce war they are waging against the demonic Fallen – the covert protection of one unbelieving man. 
Validus soon finds himself on a mission that will push him beyond his abilities as he battles to protect Drew Carter, for the Fallen are coming for him. Legions of them. 
As Validus races against time to discover why Drew is so important to humanity's survival, can he stand between Drew and all who would destroy him?

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I just love Chuck Black's books. So when I saw I could get his new book I jumped at the chance. (Again) :)
In the first book, the story is shown through the eyes of Drew Carter, who, after an accident, was able to see the spiritual realms of angels and demons. In this second book of the Wars of the Realm series, you see the story from the perspective of Validus, an angel who is sent to protect Drew from the fallen angels. As Validus struggles to understand God's plan for humanity, and why Drew is so important, you get to see "behind the scenes" of what Drew Carter is only beginning to see, and understand.

I really enjoyed this book, though with each chapter switching from the past to the present, it sometimes was confusing. Chuck Black did a great job writing this book, and I really enjoyed how realistic the fighting was, as the author was once a pilot in the airforce. 
I would definitely recommend the Rise of the Fallen.

I received this book free from Blogging for Books for an honest review.

I would rate this book 9 out of 10 stars. 

The Fire the Revelation and the Fall

Back Cover:Paul’s third missionary journey is underway as he heads to Ephesus where he’ll establish a ministry base for Asia, and as Max, Liz and Nigel work behind the scenes to make vital connections, uncover plots and inspire the formation of a New Testament. Little does Paul realize that his letters to the Philippians, Romans, and Corinthians will become the seminal letters of the Christian faith. Reunited with Dr. Luke, Paul uncovers a plot on his life by the Jews yet boldly travels on to Jerusalem where he is arrested and imprisoned in Caesarea for two years. Luke takes advantage of this time to interview Mary, John and other eyewitnesses of Jesus to capture in his journalthe greatest story ever told. All the while murder plots and power struggles abound in Rome with the rise of the infamous Nero as emperor.

When Paul finally appeals to Caesar before Governor Festus, so begins a treacherous voyage to Rome and a surprising encounter with the next generation of the Roman family of Antonius, Julius the Roman
Centurion. After months at sea and a harrowing shipwreck on Malta, Paul arrives in Rome yet must spend two years under house arrest before his trial before Emperor Nero. Julius arranges for his brother
Theophilus to be Paul’s legal counsel in Rome, and Luke writes two letters (Luke and Acts) to help him prepare Paul’s case. Hope abounds when Nero releases Paul and drops the charges of the Jews. He is finally free to continue his mission to spread the good news of Jesus. But the Enemy has other plans, and manifests once more as the evil lion Lucifer to come after the Christians. A wave of persecution sweeps across the
Roman Empire as believers are forced underground and face horrific death through Nero’s cruel whims or in the arena with lions. Peter and Paul are finally arrested and sentenced to death in Rome, but not before they write several last letters to strengthen the church. Nero’s excesses spell his doom, and a new era of emperors is ushered in with the rise of the Flavian Dynasty. With the rise of Domitian comes increased  persecution of the church and the exile of John on Patmos. He laments being the last remaining disciple but his hope is restored by the Revelation and release from Patmos.

This heart-gripping, action-packed adventure concludes a two-book saga that brings to life the events of Acts and the birth of Christianity while showing how each book of the New Testament came to be.

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This book is one of my favorites. Jenny has done another wonderful job weaving the story of the New Testament, and bringing it to life. I feel like I'm right there as Paul is writing his letters to the church, and how the Fire is spread throughout the world. This book holds so much within it's pages, and shows you what it's like to follow Christ. 

I would encourage everyone to read this book. You won't be able to put this book down, and I am sure you'll have quite an adventure.

I would rate this book 10 out of 10 stars.

The Wind the Road and the Way

                             
                                 

This post is long overdue. Sorry for the long delay...
Back Cover: Eleven terrified disciples cower in the Upper Room, wondering what is to become of them. Jesus is dead, crucified on a cruel Roman cross. It’s only a matter of time before the Jewish leaders come after them to crush what their self-proclaimed" Messiah started with ‘The Way’ movement. Little do these men know that soon they will boldly turn the world upside down as they fulfill Jesus’ Great Commission. A self-righteous, model Pharisee named Saul sets out on a zealous quest to arrest and murder as many followers of ‘The Way’ as he can, beginning with Stephen. Little does this Christian killer know he’ll soon be stopped in his tracks on the road to Damascus to become the greatest Christian that ever lived. Through his pen he’ll prove that no one is beyond hope: ‘if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation.

After a brief, joyous reunion with Jesus and the exhilarating arrival of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the Order of the Seven animals split up for multiple missions as Christianity explodes onto the world’s stage. Max, Liz and Nigel set off with Paul as he faces beatings, rejection and imprisonment to bring the Good News to the world. Al accompanies his favorite fisherman-turned-Apostle Peter to find the first Gentile convert while creating a perfect secret symbol for the Way. Kate is blessed to protect Mary and John in Jerusalem where the Church gets its start. The team must face a dark, pagan world riddled with false gods, arrange crucial introductions, assist with jail-breaks, and plan risky escapes while overseeing the writing of a New Testament that will inspire and guide believers for centuries to come. But they still find time for fun and games with a monkey named Noah and a lizard named Nate as the Animalympics are born during the human Isthmian Games.

This heart-gripping, action-packed adventure begins a two-book saga that brings to life the events of Acts and the birth of Christianity while showing how each book of the New Testament came to be. The Wind, the Road, and the Way covers Resurrection morning through Paul’s second missionary journey. The Fire, the Revelation and the Fall (2015) completes the events in Acts, Peter and Paul in Rome, Roman Christian persecution in the arena and John’s Revelation on Patmos. Watch the miraculous rise of the Church through the fiery trials sent by an Enemy who will stop at nothing to kill anyone who dares to be called Christian.

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 From Jesus' ascension to Paul's letters you are on an adventure of a lifetime

 Jenny does such an excellent job bringing biblical times to life. Her research is thourough and her creativeness is exciting to read. She is such an amazing person, always enerjetic and taking time with her readers. I would definitely recommend this book, and the sequel coming out in March.

I would rate this book 10 out of 10 stars.

Wild Thing

                 
Back Cover: Twelve-year-old Winnie Willis has a way with horses. She can gentle the wildest mare, but other parts of her life don't always come as easily. Along with her dad and sister, Lizzy, Winnie is learning how to live without her mom, who was also a natural horse gentler. As Winnie teaches her horses about unconditional love and blind trust, God shows Winnie that he can be trusted too. Readers will be hooked on the series' vivid characters, whose quirky personalities fill Winnie's life with friendship and adventure. In #1 "Wild Thing, " Winnie's fearful heart finally begins to trust God again as she tries to gentle the horse of her dreams, Wild Thing.

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As a horse lover and having a younger sister in love with horses, Winnie the Horse Gentler was a great series to read, and for young girls who love horses. I loved reading about Catman and all of Winnie's friends, and the tips they offer through their program at the pet store. 
The first of 8 books, Wild Thing is about Winnie after another hard move to a town where she doesn't know anybody. With her love of horses she soon helps a horse everyone else deems unbreakable and call her "Wild Thing". 
This book is definitely a great read for girls who love horses, and love to read. 

I would rate this book 4 out of 5 stars

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