40 Days of Prayer and Fasting - Day 1

Today begins our annual 40 Days of Prayer and Fasting at church. This year is so different from last year. Last year I was in such bondage from World of Warcraft it's all I could focus on. This year I feel like it's so much NOT about me at all. God wants to use me to help others and in that, I will be rewarded. And rewarded with what God has in store, not what I can ask for. I'm excited this year to see what God can and will do. I've grown so much and just want to praise God for the miracle He gave me last year and celebrate what only He can do for others!! I am physically fasting from texting. Knowing that I've been holding onto some relationships that just need to be severed I feel like this is the time to do it. I know that by not putting the effort into keeping in contact with them, they will not make the effort into contacting me. The people who want to be in my life and should be in my life will make the extra effort to get in touch with me. I'm also going to be attending the services at church during the 40 days. It's going to be a stretch to discipline myself to get there every night but I want to be there.

Intentions for 2012

You know the suckiest part about growing up and being an adult is the moment you realize that you don't always get to sit back and wait for things to happen. Sometimes you have to muster up your own motivation and just do somethings yourself. I'm a smart girl, I promise, but somethings just seem to take awhile to click for me.
I'm now 31 and I'm just really getting that if I want to have that super model body or even that sleek dancer body, I'm actually going to have to do more than daydream about it. If I want to get out of debt and stay out of debt, I'm actually going to have to work with a budget, not pretend I can do math in my head. If I want to be a knowledgeable Christian, I'm going to have to actually read my Bible and study it. If I want a healthy relationship, I'm going to have to do things to promote that, not things that destroy it. I'm not sure where my lack of cause and effect started to break down but I have had my eyes opened to it and can say there are several areas of my life that I tend to not put the effects (consequences) with the causes (actions...my actions..actions that I actually come up with on my own).
I have someone in my life that has recently been hurt emotionally from my actions and I can't tell you the pain it causes me to think that my own thoughts and then actions effected someone this way. The good thing that has come out of it is that once again my eyes have been opened to something I really need to work on. That I need to be so much more intentional in my life instead of sitting around waiting for things to just happen. Don't get me wrong, I don't think you can "make" somethings happen or even control everything, but I do think that if you put effort into an area of your life you definitely increase the chances of what you want to happen to actually come to fruition. So with the New Year here and a chance to start with a clean slate this is My Intentions for 2012:
*Remove people from my life that have no other function than to keep me from being alone.
*Actively read my Bible and journal/blog.
*Be honest to myself even when it hurts and it's easier to excuse my behavior.
*Be honest with others even when it hurts and it's easier to ignore the truth.
*Find that internet site that helps minister to the lost that was talked about on Missions Sunday.
*Finish the Couch to 5k program.
This is just the beginning of my list. There's a lot I want to do and this year, I'm going to be intentional about doing it.
To the person I hurt, I'm sorry. You and I both know that all things happen for a reason and I know you were placed in my life for several reasons. Opening my eyes is another one. Thank you for your support and continued grace.

An Amish Wedding By Beth Wiseman, Kathleen Fuller, & Kelly Long

Book Description

Three Amish women yearn for the perfect wedding.

"A Perfect Plan" by Beth Wiseman

Priscilla King has been planning to marry Chester Lapp since she was sixteen years old, and when Chester proposes on Priscilla’s nineteenth birthday, wedding plans begin immediately. What wasn't planned was all the problems the couple encounters as their big day approaches. A house disaster, a ruined wedding dress, and a sick attendant all make the couple wonder if God's sending them signs to call things off.

"The Perfect Match" by Kathleen Fuller

Naomi Fisher has had great success at matchmaking her family members and friends. Now with her sister’s wedding right around the corner, Naomi wonders why she’s able to find husbands for her friends and family, but not one for herself.

"The Perfect Secret" by Kelly Long

Rose Bender has recently become engaged to handsome but somber Luke Raber. She agrees out of a sense of duty and a willingness to settle for solid friendship as a basis for the engagement. But as she watches her friend's excitement over her soon-to-be wedding, Rose wonders if there shouldn’t be more to her relationship with Luke. She begins to examine Luke and his life more closely and is amazed when she stumbles upon an exciting, secret side of him that engages her mind and heart.

Book Review

I have to admit I'm a sucker for romance novels. I was excited to get a 3 novel in 1 book all about L-O-V-E. I have to say after reading the first novel, A Perfect Secret, I was left disappointed. The characters lacked depth and the plot itself was weak. By the second novel, A Perfect Match, I had little hope for anything better but was happy to finish it was a thought of, “well that wasn't as bad.” A Perfect Plan finished the book and I was finally able to finish it and feel like reading the three books weren’t a complete waste of my time. I can’t say I’ll be recommending this collection to anyone but I will be looking out for something else by Beth Wiseman.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Heroes and Villains of the Bible By Thomas Nelson

Book Description

50 true-life adventures of real people from the Bible—stories of good versus evil, right versus wrong, and heroes versus villains—and their life-shaping lessons that point children to God—the greatest hero of all!

The Bible is packed with stories of courageous people who loved and served God, and how He used them to do great things in the world. It is also filled with villainous people who disobeyed God and did horrible things. Heroes and Villains of the Bible encourages its readers to aspire to become great, courageous, and heroic servants of God, and reject all that is evil in the world.

With Heroes and Villains of the Bible, children will realize some of their favorite heroes aren’t from the movies, but are real people from the Bible.

Book Review

What I loved about receiving this book is that it is not just your normal kids book filled with tales of the Bible, but the Bible itself! What better way to get a child interested in reading the Bible?! The size of the book, illustrations, fonts and styling of the book would appeal to any young adult I know. I would definitely recommend this book to parents in need of a gift for their own child or even as a gift for their kid's friends. I can't wait to pass mine on to my nieces!!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

His Steadfast Love by Golden Keyes Parsons

Book Description

The Civil War - a defining time of great sacrifice, change, and betrayal which determined the fate of the Nation.

It isn’t until it comes into her very home that Amanda Belle must face impossible choices of love, loss, and loyalty.

It's the spring of 1861 on the Gulf Coast of Texas. Although Amanda never thought she would marry because of her promise she made to her dying mother, her attraction to Captain Kent Littlefield is undeniable.

When Texas secedes from the Union, her brother Daniel marches off to war to fight for the Confederate States and Kent remains with the Union troops.

Her heart is torn between the two men she loves and the two sides of the conflict. When she turns to God for help, Amanda expects direction and support, but hears nothing. Is God listening to her anymore? Where is God in the atrocities of war—and whose side is He on?

Amanda senses her life is at a turning point. But she must trust God to bring her family through the chaos that threatens her home, her family, and the beloved state of Texas . . . with her heart, and her faith, intact.

My Review

I have to admit, this book took me a few days to get into reading but once I did it was hard to put down. I loved the historical time period this book takes place in and I love how the author immerses you in it. There were several times I felt myself imagining places and scenes from Gone with the Wind though the main character, Amanda, is nothing like Scarlett. If you love a good Christian romance book this one is a good choice.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Billy Graham in Quotes by Franklin Graham

Book Description
A note from Franklin Graham: "My father, Billy Graham, is known for speaking out about the one and only thing that matters in this world: the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. He remembers the call of God seven decades ago to preach the Word of God to all those who would listen about salvation that comes only through Christ. He took this high calling with seriousness and boldness in obedience to God and once said, 'I will travel anywhere in the world to preach if there are no strings on what I am to say.'

"My father has always prayed that his words would reflect God’s standard of truth as the basis to claim, 'I have given them Your word' (John 17:14). In this book, I believe you will see that he has faithfully spoken God’s Word that quenches the thirst of those seeking to draw from the wellsprings of Life. It is highly meaningful to see these statements now collected in one volume."

Drawn from an unparelleled collection of both personal and published works, Billy Graham provides input on more than one hundred topics, such as suffering, joy, money, addictions, peace, and many more.

My Review
This book is a token of the wisdom Billy Graham has shared with people for so many years. I love having this resource at my finger tips. The book is divided up into categories depending on the subject of the qutoes. I will be able to use this for years to come whether it be for facebook status', for helping drive a point home when witnessing or even checking my own life and how I'm living it. I think Franklin Graham did a wonderful job selecting quotes that still stay in context and match up with the Word of God. I would recommend this book for your personal library or even for a gift.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Falling to Pieces by Vannetta Chapman

Book Description:
In this first book of a three-book series, author Vannetta Chapman brings a fresh twist to the popular Amish fiction genre. She blends the familiar components consumers love in Amish books—faith, community, simplicity, family—with an innovative who-done-it plot that keeps readers guessing right up to the last stitch in the quilt.

When two women—one Amish, one English—each with different motives, join forces to organize a successful on-line quilt auction, neither expects nor wants a friendship. As different as night and day, Deborah and Callie are uneasy partners who simply want to make the best of a temporary situation. But a murder, a surprising prime suspect, a stubborn detective, and the town’s reaction throw the two women together, and they form an unlikely alliance to solve a mystery and catch a killer.

Set in the well-known Amish community of Shipshewana, Falling to Pieces will attract both devoted fans of the rapidly-growing Amish fiction genre, as well as those who are captivated by the Amish way of life.

My Review:

This is the first time I've read what's considered to be an Amish novel and I have to say, I loved it. I'm normally one to skip and read the last page of a book to make sure I have a Happily Ever After to look forward to but this time I actually waited to solve this mystery book with the rest of the characters. Vannetta Chapman did a wonderful job with the development of her characters. By the end of the book I felt like I had made a new circle of friends, not to mention she has peaked my interest in quilting. I definitely counted it a pleasure to read this book and would recommend it for casual reading.

This book was kindly provided to me by Zondervan Publishers for my honest review.