Sword Study for II Timothy.

About the Sword Study

Organized into different levels according to age, each study provides in-depth material from the same book of the Bible. Each study book is synchronized to cover the same truths at the same time but with graphics and learning tools appropriate for the age group. Level 1, for ages 4-7, is an activity book with coloring, drawing, matching and other fun learning tools. Level 2, for ages 7-10, contains light reading, fill-in-the-blank, and application sections. Level 3, for ages 11-14, involves more investigation and questions for the student to answer. Level 4, for teens and adults, steps up the reading and the depth of study including the definition of several Greek or Hebrew terms. Level 5 is for the parent or study leader with guidance and background to lead a group of all ages.  The Sword Study series, originally created for competitors in The Shelby Kennedy Foundation's National Bible Bee, is now available to everyone for the first time. Families no longer have to compete in the Bible Bee to establish family discipleship in the home with this one-of-a-kind study. The Sword Study available for this tour is II Timothy. I John is also available to the public and I Peter is scheduled for release in the fall of 2013. A new study is scheduled to be released each year. For more information visit www.swordstudy.org.

About the Shelby Kennedy Foundation

The Shelby Kennedy Foundation exists to help families strengthen their personal relationship with the Lord.  They do this by coming along side parents as they disciple their children through in-depth study of the Word of God, Scripture memory and prayer. For more information visit www.swordstudy.org.     My Take:  This was a great study to include the whole family so that everyone is studying the same thing at the same time.  Each book is great for each age groups and the level 3 on up could be geared to where the student is spiritually also.  I would recommend this to homeschool families for Bible Class .  it could be used for youth groups that cover multiple ages.  The studies are easy to follow for the students and easy to facilitate from the teacher leader point of view.  Great Study.

Rescuing Hope by Susan Norris

Rescuing Hope by Susan Norris

From Goodreads.com
 Every two minutes, evil strips innocence from a child and sells her into slavery for sex. Not in a third-world country, but in the United States of America. Before you take another breath, the next victim will be tricked or taken from her family by a profit-hungry criminal.

She could be a neighbor. A friend.Your sister. Your daughter. You.

At fourteen, Hope Ellis is the all-American girl with a good life—until the day she tries to help her mom with their cross-town move by supervising the movers. When they finish, one of the men returns to the house and rapes her. Held silent by his threats, darkness begins to engulf her. But the rape proves to be the least of Hope’s troubles. In a gasping attempt at normalcy, she succumbs to the attention of a smooth-talking man on the subway. He promises acceptance. He declares his love. He lures her out from under the shelter of her suburban life.

Hope’s disappearance sets a community in motion. She’s one of their own. They determine to find Hope, whatever the cost, before she’s lost forever.

Will you?

My Take:  This is a fiction book that is based on what is really happening in the US.  As a mother of two girls this book spoke to my heart.  I have been hearing and reading alot about sex trafficking over the last year or so.  It is something that is not really spoken of much in America.  This happens in other countries not here in America. 
Wrong it happens here in America especially around big sporting events (the Super Bowl is a main event).  It happens to good girls who are told to believe the adults around them especially those in authority.  
This is not an easy book to read but it is an important book to read.  I would encourage parents who have girls of any age to read this book then if you feel lead to have your girls read the book.  This is a subject that we should not be sweeping under the carpet any more.  

I received a review copy of this book from Glass Roads  in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Return of Cassandra Todd by Darryl Nelson

 The Return of Cassandra Todd by Darryl Nelson

From Goodreads.com
When the popular girl whose friends bullied him in high school suddenly reenters his life, little son in tow, Turner Caldwell must put the past behind him if they are to survive. Turner Caldwell works at a local motel as a handyman while attending college full-time. On his way to class one day, he is shocked to see Cassandra Todd and her young son in town. The sight of her brings back powerful memories of being bullied in high school—she was the popular head cheerleader and he the target of her friends’ mean-spirited pranks. When Cassandra and her son check into the motel where he works and she asks for his help in eluding her abusive husband, he finds himself entangled in a dangerous drama that will require him to forgive and draw on every skill he has if they are to survive.

About the Author

Darrel Nelson recently retired after thirty-seven years as a schoolteacher so he could devote himself to writing full-time. He now spends his time writing novels, articles, plays, and music and soaking up time with his ten grandchildren. Nelson has bachelor's degrees in English and education from the University of Lethbridge in Alberta, Canada where he lives with his wife Marsha. The Return of Cassandra Todd follows Nelson's highly praised debut novel Anniversary Waltz.

My Take:  What an exciting book.  I had to keep reading way to late to keep turning just one more page, one more chapter to find out what happened next.  Although the subject matter of spousal abuse is not one that I like to read about this book kept me going to find out more of the story and it had me holding my breath at parts for fear that if I breathed that would somehow give away something to the bad guys.  Excellent book.  I highly recommend it. 

The Runner by A. Wayne Gill

About the Book

The Runner by A. Wayne Gill   What happens when a brilliant attorney combines his legal knowledge with his insight into relationship? Well, imagine Nicholas Sparks and John Grisham got together and decided to write a novel. Wayne Gill's The Runner is the story of a preacher's son who foregoes a path to the pulpit for law school in the city.    ----   Michael Knight has the perfect life - a perfect family, a perfect relationship and a perfect future. Groomed to follow in his father's footsteps, Michael's career as a preacher is laid out before him. But he has a secret that will take him from being a small town preacher's kid to the heart of the big city, where everything seems golden, glittery and glamorous. When he gets the opportunity of a lifetime, Michael glimpses a future of power, influence and wealth. The whole world is his for the taking, but at what cost? Will he trade in all he has been for all he could become?

About the Author

When he isn't crafting legal dramas, Wayne Gill serves as CEO and Managing Partner of Gill Dion & Forsyth P.A., a law firm with offices in Florida and Georgia that serves some of the top companies in the world, including AT&T, Hilton Hotels Corporation, SunTrust Bank, and American Express.   This husband and father earned his B.A. in English from Trinity College and law degree from George Washington University. His first book, Tales My Grandma Told Me - a Business Diversity Fable, has been referred to as the "Bible" of supplier diversity. Wayne has been recognized among the 50 Most Powerful Black Professionals in South Florida and the Who's Who in Black South Florida. He's received Macy's Crystal Award for Outstanding Minority Business Advocacy, and he's received several honors from NMSDC affiliates and the local Bar Associations. In 2002, he received Northwood University's Arthur E. Turner Excellence in Entrepreneurship Award for Outstanding Commitment to the Betterment of Mankind. He is a board member of the Black Chamber of Commerce of Palm Beach County and Secretary of the Board for The Southern Florida Minority Supplier Development Council. While practicing law, running a successful law firm, and writing novels keeps him super busy, Wayne is also a passionate, committed co-founder and legal advisor to Oasis Compassion Agency, a non-profit empowerment agency for the disadvantaged.       My Take:I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the others in the series.  I read this book in one day.  I just kept coming back to it because I wanted to see what would happen next.  this book just shows you that even though you may be doing what you think is your dream, God may have other plans for you.  this book also had a very straight forward presentation of salvation.  Although this is a Christian book not everything is wrapped in a tidy little bow at the end.  The Christians in this book come up against some very real problems and some not so nice people.  Very refreshing read. Enjoyed it very much.    I received a review copy of this book in exhcnage for my honest opinion from Glass Road.

Escaping the Cauldron by Kristine McGuire

Escaping the Cauldron by Kristine McGuire

From Goodreads.com
An eight-year journey through the occult and into freedom
Though Kristine McGuire was raised in a Christian home, at an early age she became fascinated by the occult. At sleepovers she and her friends told fortunes and held séances. As a teenager she was convicted and put all games of mysticism aside. She went to a Christian college and married a Christian man. But despite her decision to follow God, a longing for the occult persisted, leading her to leave her church and husband and to fully embrace witchcraft.
 
Escaping the Cauldron takes you deep inside Kristine’s eight-year journey as a witch, medium, and ghost hunter. Part Bible study, part memoir, it exposes the subtle occult influences that affect us as it reveals how God mercifully delivered her out of the occult altogether and restored her faith and life in Christ.


My Take:  Everywhere you look there is evidence of occult interest.  People are told that white magic is good and there are good witches and bad witches.  Tv shows with occult themes are very popular like Long Island Medium and Ghost Whisperer.  Sad to say they are even in our fairy tales and in some of our most beloved movies like The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and Cinderella.  Seemingly innocent things can get you interested and can draw you in further and further until you are a participating witch.  This is a story of how this exact thing happened to this lady.  She brings to light what Satan is during in our world.  She speaks from personal experience and uses scripture to show how God really feels about these practices.  
This is a perfect book for this time of year since these things are more prominent during this time.  I think every Christian should read this book to make themselves away of what the enemy is during.  

I received a review copy from Glass Roads in exchange for my honest review. 

Five Miles South of Peculiar by Angela Hunt

Five Miles South of Peculiar

Darlene Caldwell has spent a lifetime tending Sycamores, an estate located five miles south of a small town called Peculiar. She raised a family in the spacious home that was her grandfather's legacy and she enjoys being a pillar of the community . . . until her limelight-stealing twin sister unexpectedly returns.

Carlene Caldwell, veteran of the Broadway stage, is devastated when she realizes that a botched throat surgery has spelled the end of her musical career. Searching for a new purpose in life, she retreats to Sycamores, her childhood home.

Haunted by a tragic romance, Magnolia Caldwell is the youngest of the Caldwell girls. Nolie spends her days caring for her dogs and the magnificent gardens she's created, but when she meets a man haunted by tragedy, she must find the courage to either deny her heart or cut the apron strings that tie her to a dear and familiar place.

About Angela Hunt

With nearly 4 million copies of her books sold worldwide, Angela Hunt is the bestselling author of more than one hundred books, including The Tale of Three Trees, Don't Bet Against Me, The Note, and The Nativity Story. Her nonfiction book Don't Bet Against Me, written with Deanna Favre, spent several weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. She and her husband make their home in Florida with their dogs. Learn more about Angela at AngelaElwellHunt.com.

My Take:  I haven't finished this book yet as I didn't receive it till late last week and I had other books to finish. To find out what others are saying about this book please go to the goodreads page found here.  It sounds like a good book and I will post my opinion as soon as I read it. 

I received a copy of this book for review purposes.

The Anniversary Waltz by Darrel Nelson

The Anniversary Waltz by Darrel Nelson


 About the Book
 The Anniversary Waltz At their sixtieth anniversary party, Adam Carlson asks his wife, Elizabeth, for their customary waltz. After the dance they gather the family and share their story-a story of love and courage overcoming adversity and thriving in the face of overwhelming odds. It's the summer of 1946, and Adam has just returned from the war to his home in Reunion, Montana. At a town festival he meets Elizabeth Baxter, a young woman going steady with his former high school rival and now influential banker, Nathan Roberts. When Adam and Elizabeth share a waltz in a deserted pavilion one evening, their feelings begin to grow and they embark on a journey, and a dance, that will last a lifetime.



 


 About the Author
 Darrel Nelson is a graduate of the University of Lethbridge in Alberta, Canada, with bachelor's degrees in English and education. He is a schoolteacher by profession, with thirty-three years of teaching experience, and currently teaches fourth grade at Raymond Elementary School. Nelson has had an article published in Lethbridge Magazine and has written several dramatic plays, two of which won provincial recognition and were showcased at a drama festival. He won the CJOC radio songwriting contest two years running and has had one song receive international airplay. Writing has always been a passion, and over the years he has written four novels intended for the juvenile market. They are unpublished as yet, but he reads them annually to his fourth-grade students. The Anniversary Waltz is his first novel intended for the adult market.

My Take:   I really enjoyed this book.  We know that Adam and Elizabeth get together as the book starts out at their 60th wedding anniversary.  Even though we knew that they ended up together the author threw in some bumps along the way.  I thought that the relationship that Adam had with his dad was an interesting one as most people are proud that their sons go to fight for their country and are really happy when they come back alive.  I just thought that his father's reaction was different.  I thought the author did a really good job as this is his first book.  I will be looking for more books by him in the future.

I received a copy of this book for review purposes.

Book review of The Opposite of Art by Athol Dickson

The Opposite of Art by Athol Dickson

From Goodreads.com:

A great artist is cast into the icy Harlem River by a hit-and-run driver. His heart stops, and he sees something that defies description. Presumed dead by all who knew him and obsessed with the desire to paint the inexpressible, he embarks on a pilgrimage to seek help from holy men around the globe. But is it possible to see eternity without becoming lost within it? After a quarter of a century, when the world begins to whisper that he may be alive, two people come looking for the artist: the daughter he never knew existed, and the murderer who hit him on the bridge all those years ago.


About Athol Dickson

Athol Dickson is the publisher of the popular news website, DailyCristo.com, and the author of seven novels and the bestselling memoir, The Gospel according to Moses. His novels of suspense and magical realism have been honored with three Christy Awards and an Audie Award, and compared to the work of Octavia Butler (by Publisher's Weekly) and Flannery O'Connor (by The New York Times). He and his wife live in Southern California.

My Take:

As with many books that others absolutely love, I found this book just ok.  I liked the concept of an artist seeing the other side and trying to capture it in his art and his journey along the way.  The author did a good job of making one stop and think.  The book just didn't touch me like it did many others.  I will put it back on my shelves and will try it again later and see if it affects me differently.  I would suggest reading what others at Good Reads and Amazon and Shelfari have to say.  It was just a three star book for me.

River's Song by Melody Carlson

About River's Song


Her relationship with her daughter in shambles and tensions mounting with her mother-in-law, Anna Larson returns to her childhood home on the banks of the Suislaw River to sort out her parent's belongings and put the pieces of her own life back together.

Embracing her native heritage for the first time since childhood Anna transforms her old family home into Shining Waters Inn, a place she hopes will give her family a new beginning.

River's Song is Book One in the Inn at Shining Waters series.







About the Author







Melody Carlson published her first book in 1995 and she has been writing prolifically ever since. To date, Melody has published over 200 books, making her one of the top 20 most prolific authors of all time. With total sales of over 1.4 million her award-winning books include: Homeward, Love Finds You in Sisters, Oregon; Limelight; the Diary of a Teenage Girl series; the True Colors series; and the Charter House Girls series.


In her professional life, Melody has worn many hats: from pre-school teacher to political activist to senior editor. Currently, she writes full-time, and freelances from her home. She has two grown sons and lives in Sisters, Oregon with her husband, Chris, and Bailey, her chocolate lab. They enjoy skiing, hiking, and biking in the beautiful Cascade Mountains


My Take:  This is a wonderful start to a new series. I haven't read any books that are told from the viewpoint that this one is, that of a Native American woman.  I have recently been discovering the wonder of nature around my home and this book seemed to fit in with this new found joy of both this new series and of nature.  Highly recommended. 
I was provided a copy of this book to review by Glass Road PR.  Opinions are my own.

For Time and Eternity by Allison Pittman

For Time and Eternity by Allison Pittman

From Publishers Website:
All Camilla Deardon knows of the Mormons camping nearby is the songs she hears floating on the breeze. Then she meets one of them—a young man named Nathan Fox. Never did she imagine he would be so handsome, so charming, especially after Mama and Papa’s warnings to stay away. Though she knows she should obey her parents, Camilla can’t refuse her heart. But even Nathan’s promises cannot prepare her for what she will face in Utah.


My Take:  This was a really good book that takes a subject that I haven't read much about (Mormon's) and brings it to life.  I must admit that I have always been curious about Mormon's ever since I was a young and had a crush on Donny Osmond.  I read the book the 19th Wife last year and really enjoyed it (I liked the historical parts better than the modern day parts). 

This book introduces us to Camilla and Nathan.  Both of them are young and susceptible to outside influences.  Nathan has been drawn into the Mormons because he was orphaned and they took in he and his sister.  Camilla falls head over heels in love with Nathan and decides to go with the group when they move on.  The rest of the story goes into Camilla finding out what the Mormons really believe and it goes into the developement of the whole mutiple wives philosphy.   



Allison Pittman