Saturday, December 27, 2014

I do....From this day forward

Are you married? 
Do plan to be married one day (if you are single).

What do you think contributes to high, 50%, divorce rate among those in the U.S.? 
Personally I think the high divorce rate is because people in the last 50-75 years or so have become super-lazy. They want their marriages to be like a hot pocket or like a Subway sandwich made to be exactly how they or they give it back or throw it away. People these days seem to only want marriage when it is easy. They don't want to get down in the trenches to put in the work to make the marriage work.


From This Day Forward: Five Commitments to Fail-Proof Your Marriage By Craig & Amy Groeschel explains five commitments that Christian couples can make to strengthen their marriage to lengthen their marriage and glorify God with their marriage.
 As a married woman with children. This is a book that I can and do appreciate.

The five commitments are: 
Seek God (We seek God in prayer. We need to pray regularly and consistently. All day every day! We need to pray alone at times AND we definitely need to pray together. It is intimate to pray for and with your spouse, knowing their needs from their lips.)
Fight fair (Many times in marriage, we argue to hurt not to solve problems. We lash out in anger and we want our spouses to hurt like we hurt or to prove a point to our spouse. It is not about who is right or who is wrong, when your marriage falls apart.)
Have fun (Many times we have forgotten to laugh. To take the time to have fun in marriage. I'll be honest there are times when I am in a funk and my husband coming to play with me changes my entire mood.)
Stay pure (Keep your mind and heart pure. Don't be out there lusting after people, don't be out there looking at pornography. Regardless to what anyone says, pornography DOES hurt your marriage and your spouse. Adultery starts in the heart, so nip it in the bud before it starts. Keep your heart on pure things. Meditate on Philippians 4:8)
Never give up (This is crucial. Just because you argue, does not mean you give up. Just because your feelings got hurt does not mean you give up. The only cause Jesus allows, spoken of in the bible, couples to divorce is adultery. There are some couples who have remained married and worked out their issues in spite of adultery. See Tina and Teddy Campbell of Mary Mary.)

The goal of this book is to aid married couples and singles alike. For singles and those who are engaged this is a preparation book to aid in their future marriages. For marrieds this book intends to aid them in their marriages, in not giving up or allowing their marriages to crumble. 

So whether you're single, engaged or married you need to read this book.
Kris




{FYI: I received this book through the Booklookblogger's program in exchange for my HONEST review.}



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Monday, December 22, 2014

A Father's Love


Every time I get new books to review for myself, I am always sure to get at least one book for my babies to read and tell me what they think...like their own book reviews.
This month that book is: A Father's Love From the I can Read/Adventure Bible Series.


My big girl, said she loves this book! This is the first time that the prodigal son story captured her interest. And the vibrant colors is what caught the interest of Caleb and Christian. 
I love the book for those same reasons. It is clear and gets across a beloved bible story. The illustrations are bright and catches the eye. 
The other thing that I enjoy is that Kaylee can read this book on her own without asking for help with pronunciation or knowing what a word means, which is really important to her.

The prodigal son story is one of a spoiled son who takes advantage of his position in life as a wealthy heir, he parties and spends all of his inheritance eventually falling so low as to WISH to be a servant in his father's house who have access to food to eat (he does not) and a place to call home (he does not). However what the prodigal son does not count on is the fact that his father loves him too much to allow him to be a servant. His father is so thankful he has learned and come home that there is a grand celebration of the prodigal son's homecoming and the son takes his rightful place next to his father. Then there was the older son who did everything right and asked why? Why does the son who does everything wrong gain a celebration when he returns? Mind you the older son never got such treatment. The father then reminds the older son, that he will inherit everything the father has and the older son never left or needed reminding that he was loved.

Don't our children go through that regularly? They get in trouble and are disciplined and they have to be reminded that they are indeed loved and the discipline is for their own good. This story is completely needed for our children to know that it is always wiser to do what is right. Your parent will always love you but they won't always be able to save you from the consequences of your actions. The Lord loves us and forgives us. However He will allow us to make our own decisions and bump our heads until we turn back to Him.



{FYI: I got this book from the publisher, Zondervan, in exchange for my honest opinion.}

Friday, December 5, 2014

The Duck Commander Bible

Now I will admit, I LOVE getting new bibles. It gives me the butterflies when I get ready to read the Word of God in a new bible, I get to make new markings, it's almost like I'm reading the Word of God for the first time. 

So when I get the chance to read the Duck Commander Bible, I am over the moon as I admire Phil & Al Robertson for holding true to their beliefs in the Word of God regardless to any and everything.


That being said this bible gets 2 thumbs up! 5 stars!!

I enjoy the readings penned by Phil & Al that are included in the bible based on their five core values: faith, family, fellowship, forgiveness, and freedom. This is my first NKJV bible ever and I enjoy this version much more than I thought I would. There are not notes, which I did not expect as it is not a study bible. Without the notes, it leaves the font large enough for me to be able to read without my glasses on (yay!!!). I love the quality of the bible as the paper is not too thin where I would think I could rip the pages just from turning the pages.

I think what has set this bible apart from every other bible I own is that it feels personalized by Phil & Al Robertson. None of my other bibles has that personalized feel to it, like they put their stamp on their devotionals and articles (not the Word itself).

I recommend this as an every day bible, I've been reading it in conjunction with my NIV Essential Study Bible to have the different bible versions to flip back and forth with. I also read it as an everyday bible when I want the Word of God without the interpretations or notes of anyone else below it.


So I ask, what do you think?

Tell the truth and love immensely,
Kris


{FYI: I received this book in exchange for my HONEST opinion.}


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