Rhonda's Doings !

180 Devotions for When Life is Hard:  Encouragement for a Woman's Heart  by Renae Brumbaugh Green Book Description:   Life Is Good. . . Praise God! Life Not Going So Well? . . . Praise God! . . .   Do you find that it's easy to praise God when life is going well—the bills are paid, family members are healthy and thriving, and every day is smooth sailing—but difficult to muster up genuine praise when life  isn't  going so well? With  180 Devotions for When Life Is Hard , you will discover just the comfort and encouragement your heart needs for the areas of life that truly matter to you, including family, finances, work, health, faith, and so much more. Whatever life brings your way—through every mountain and valley—you will encounter words that uplift and inspire your soul in this lovely devotional.  MY REVIEW:   This could definitely serve as a useful tool for women who are or have been facing difficulties i...

The Devoted Life: a creative journal by Marjorie Jackson Book Description: Come Experience It for Yourself. . . Life Is Good with a God Who Is Great! This topically guided creative journal for teen girls offers inspiration and encouragement for those who desire to live their lives fully devoted to Christ. Amidst the loud, confusing voices of the world, trying to tell them which way is the right way to go, girls need to stop, rest, refuel, and reflect in the presence of their truest Friend and most loyal heavenly Father. Whether it’s through creativity, meditating on scripture, prayer, or writing, readers will join young author and artist, Marjorie Jackson, for a time of life-giving fun, faith-strengthening encouragement, and God-glorifying growth. As girls connect with their first love, Jesus, they will begin to understand that life is truly good with a God who is absolutely great!  MY BOOK REVIEW:   What an awesome journal for young ladies....

The Case for Christ:   Review by Lee Strobel Using the dramatic scenario of an investigative journalist pursuing his story and leads, Lee Strobel uses his experience as a reporter for the Chicago Tribune to interview experts about the evidence for Christ from the fields of science, philosophy, and history. My Review:   The Case for Christ uses scripture and commentary to explore the existence of Christ and how to prove it to oneself or others.  The author uses theologically sound arguments based on a series of questions listed below:  Questions raised:   Can the biographies of Jesus be trusted? Do the biographies of Jesus stand up to scrutiny? Were Jesus' biographies reliably preserved for us? Is there credible evidence for Jesus outside his biographies? Does archaeology confirm or contradict Jesus' biographies? Is the Jesus of history the same as the Jesus of faith?  Was Jesus really convinced that he was the son of God? Did Jesus fulfill t...

Review of The Bible Promise Book for Hope & Healing by Karin Dahl Silver Barbour’s Bible Promise Books are perennial bestsellers, with millions of copies in print. Now,  The  Bible Promise Book  is available in a brand-new hope and healing edition. Featuring dozens of timely topics—including Addiction, Rest, Peace, Forgiveness, Eternity, God's Love, Salvation, God's Power, Prayer, Comfort, and Perseverance—you will find hundreds of verses from God's Word that will speak to your daily needs. The Bible Promise Book for Hope and Healing  is ideal for personal use and for ministries. MY REVIEW:  Looking for hope and healing? This book is a wonderful resource for those who are hurting, abused, damaged, or broken.  Looking for a good devotional. This would be a nice book for that as well.  Using appropriate scripture to fit each subject, the author speaks to them in a Biblically accurate fashion.  Topics are arranged alphabetically and ...

Review of My Mother's Quilts: Devotions of Love, Legacy, Family and Faith by Ramona Richards Inspired by thirty family heirloom quilts, each devotion shares the enduring legacy of faith, family and tradition in our lives. Rich, personal, sometimes heartbreaking, often funny, readers will find their own lives reflected in the author's memories and the lessons and encouragements drawn from the quilters whose legacy lives on in their work. Woven through it all is the message of God's grace and faithfulness, as strong as the bonds of the generations and as comforting as the oldest and softest quilt that your grandmother ever sewed. Beautiful, four-color photos of each quilt are included. MY REVIEW:   I am only an amateur quilter but it certainly gives a great deal of satisfaction to sew tiny stitches and piece beautiful fabric and patterns together to form a work of love, a work of love which can warm both the body and the heart.   I made a quilt for my oldes...

Review of Worship Changes Everything: Experiencing God's Presence in Every Moment of Life by Darlene Zschech An Invitation to Praise and Honor God in Every Area of Life It can be easy to have a heart filled with worship on a Sunday morning as the church band is playing your favorite song. But then comes Monday morning's commute and Tuesday afternoon's pile of laundry. How do we maintain a heart of worship in the daily grind? Darlene Zschech has spent her life thinking and teaching about worship. With wisdom and contagious joy, she shares her thoughts on what worship truly is and how it should invade every facet of our being. Everything we do can be an act of worship to the Lord, transforming our work, our friendships, our churches, our families. It's all about living in His presence--being aware of the Lord by our side and at work in our lives.  Learn to live a life of worship. You will be amazed by the purpose and freedom it will bring. MY REVIEW:   I fe...

Review of Journey to the Manger by Paula Gooder Journey to the Manger explores the New Testament's various accounts of the birth of Jesus: their origins in Old Testament prophecies, the genealogies, the angelic announcements, the journeys and arrivals, and the aftermath of Jesus' birth for the powerful and the poor alike.  Although many biblical scholars have puzzled over historical details in the accounts, Paula Gooder argues that doing this risks missing the point. Engaging seriously with biblical and historical criticism, she uncovers key similarities running through the Gospel writers' accounts and focuses on their shared understanding of the significant events they describe.  Her detailed exploration of the texts is a goldmine for preaching and teaching, and will breath new life into the familiar Christmas stories heard year after year in churches, carol services and nativity plays. Devotional reflections and discussion questions also make this ideal for per...

Review of Daily Wisdom for Women 2016 Devotional Collection by Barbour Publishing, Inc. Experience an intimate connection to your heavenly Father with the  Daily Wisdom for Women  devotional collection. Featuring a powerful devotional reading and prayer for every day of 2016 ,  this beautiful volume provides inspiration and encouragement for your soul. Enhance your spiritual journey with the refreshing readings—and come to know just how deeply and tenderly God loves you. MY REVIEW:   This book includes nice devotional collections with a scripture and short sentence prayer for each day of 2016.    The stories are applicable and Biblically sound but I would have liked to see more personal stories in the devotional readings.   The readings are short, about the length of one page each and would make a nice devotional to accompany daily Bible study time and prayer.    I would recommend adding some other scriptures to the daily collect...

Review of Doing Well at Being Sick by Wendy Wallace Based on her twenty-year journey through chronic illness, Wendy Wallace shares practical suggestions for dealing with illness, helping others understand the struggles of the chronically ill, changing personal attitudes, navigating the medical system, and relying on God for strength. She encourages her readers to draw as much as they can from modern medicine but focuses on truths about life, death, joy, pain, and eternity. The author reminds the chronically ill to keep their physical, emotional, and spiritual selves in balance while facing the daily challenges of loving others, working with vast medical bureaucracies, and growing in their relationship with God. My thoughts after reading Doing Well at Being Sick: Wendy Wallace is truly an inspiration to readers.   Having chronic illness myself and being forced to quit teaching at age 49 and go on disability was very discouraging.  I actually am dealing with grief at...