STUCK {DVD Bible Study Review}

The STUCK bible study came to me in a very surprising way. After completing a book review with book sneeze I decided to browse the current selections of books. There was very little I was interested in at that time, but I did see there was a DVD bible study. I thought that we be perfect for my husband and me do together. So I selected it! Honestly I didn’t really have any idea what to expect. I was thinking that it would be a DVD with a little book to go along with it. A few days after selecting my book, my life had been turned upside down with emotion, I was feeling out of control, overwhelmed, sad and lonely. When the package arrived I was shocked at the size of it…larger than any other package I had ever gotten from Booksneeze. We were in the car so I waited until my husband was pumping gas before I opened it. The was not just a DVD and small little dinky book, this was a beautiful box with a Leader guide, a bible study book, a large package of discussion cards AND a DVD! I could believe it! I was so excited I started going through the book…and that when I realized that this was a bible study for Women! Not just for anyone and everyone but for ME! I opened up the cards {they are broken down into 8 sections} including Overwhelmed, Sad, Stuck! EXACTLY what I needed…I burst into tears, not only because that it was clear that God had put my in the right place at the right time to get the amazing study…but because after my husband was done pumping gas we were going to Lifeway book store so I could choose a Bible Study specifically for women! Wow God Wow!! Always amazing me!

Stuck is fantastic! First of all, I love the versatility of this study. The language is simple enough to be done by a new believer. The content is deep enough to challenge the long-time Christian.

It speaks to those who have simply lost the joy and those who are trying to get the hang of the whole thing altogether, like I was feeling at the time I got the Study! The whole premise for the study is living the abundant life God intended for us by leaving behind the less abundant things we’ve been holding on to….things that have no eternal value.

I adore Jennie's casual style in the videos. The study guide itself is unlike any I’ve seen, it is exactly what I needed! It’s not ho hum or anything like that! Jennie mixes digging into Scripture passages with introspective journaling and actual service projects. This isn’t just a head-knowledge type of study. The homework is short enough to do the whole lesson in 30-45 minutes. It worked great for me, with the kids watching a movie or playing I can sit down and have a little time to do this study!

really excited about this study.  I’m can’t wait for more work by Jennie Allen.

I HIGHLY recommend this to any and every woman! This would be a perfect gift for you Wife, Mom, Sister, Daughter, ect!

Publisher's Description
We are often so stuck in invisible struggles in our hearts and minds, we barely have space for God. These deep struggles, these stuck places, are familiar to every one of us: brokenness, anger, discontentment, fear, and sadness.Stuck takes on these struggles within us so that we can encounter God. Because until we recognize that we are stuck and in need of God, we will miss what He has for us.
Designed for use with the Stuck DVD-based study (9781418548735), this companion study guide breaks the mold of typical women's curriculum. Story, Bible study, and simple but highly interactive projects play a major role. From drawing, journaling, or interacting with the homeless, women will have the opportunity to connect with each other and Scripture in deep and authentic ways.
Features include:
8 sessions
Simple but highly interactive projects
Story-driven teaching
Scripture study

* I was given this book for free in return for my honest feedback. This review is in my Opinion!

A Vision of Lucy By: Margaret Brownley

I completely loved A Vision of Lucy by Margaret Brownley! Such a wonderful story in the Rocky Creek Romance series! Taking Place in 1882, in Rocky Creek, TX - A Vision of Lucy is about Lucy Fairbanks, a young lady who has a passion for photography. I loved Lucy from the very first paragraphy! She longs to do something important with her talent as a photographer! Then there is the hero David, I  adored/fell in love with him from the beginning. He is a quiet, rustic man who lives with  emotinaol pain and is struggling with what to do about the past that is haunting him. Lucy and David meet and the truths they discover will forever change their lives and the lives of others!

I couldn't get enough of this wonderful book, I could barely put it down and when I did I found my mind wondering off wondering what was going to happen next! Margaret Brownley does such an amazing job with connecting the reader to the plot and to the characters. The plot was very different than what I thought it was going to be and I never wanted to put the book down. The characters were all fantastic! I loved the way that each chaper is started with a fun little quote - I found my self laughing outload many times!

Chaper Two-
"Never say "Shoot" when you mean "photograph" especially when talking to a trigger - happy gunslinger."

Chaper Twenty - One-
"A man imagines himself more handsome then his photograph; a women believes herself more homely."

My favorite character was David. - the half breed (half white man - half indian) this is near and dear, at the same time the story takes place, and in the same state of Texas my Great Grandmother (a half breed) married my Great Grandfather. I felt a connection with David from the moment his story unfolded!

Then there is Lucy, sweet, loveable Lucy. There were times, many times, I literally laughed out loud with the hilarious predicaments that Lucy found herself in.

"Like her mother, Lucy felt compelled to capture the world around her and preserve moments in time that would never be repeated. The only difference was their choice of expression." - Page 28

I enjoyed the history on photography - since I am a photography business owner:)  I also enjoyed all the other historical lessons throughout the book and the spiritual threads as well. It was fun how there were little mentions of companies that we still know and love. The romance between Lucy and David was sweet although very passionate at times. This story has everything- romance, mystery, suspense, and history!
I highly recommend A Vision of Lucy, along with the other Rocky Creek Romances.


Product Description
Trouble follows Lucy wherever she goes. So does a vision of second chances . . . and love.
Lucy Fairbanks dreams of working as a photographer at the Rocky Creek newspaper. Her deepest hope is that her father will see her as an artist, the way he thought of her deceased mother, whose paintings still hang on their walls.


But disaster follows Lucy on every photo assignment: a mess of petticoats and ribbons, an accidental shooting, even a fire.


When Lucy meets David Wolf-a rugged, reclusive man who lives on the outskirts of town-she thinks she can catch the attention of the town with his photograph. She doesn't count on her feelings stirring whenever she's near him.


Two things happen next that forever change the course of Lucy's life. But will these events draw her closer to God or push her further away? And how will David accept this new vision of Lucy?

Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (June 28, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1595548114
ISBN-13: 978-1595548115


*I received 'A Vision Of Lucy' for free from the publisher through BookSneeze®.com. The opinions I have expressed are my own.*

Game Plan for Life By: Joe Gibb

Joe Gibbs - the man behind Joe Gibbs Racing (NASCAR) and two stints as head coach of the Washington Redskins - has released a book with his new "team" of experts.
Game Plan for Life is written for men. I think that there are some women who would find a book all about sport references a little boring, then others would enjoy it. I do think that this would make a fantastic gift for the man in your life! Every Christian sports fan would love this book! I know I did!
Sometimes in the sports world there seems to be so much corruptions and hatred. It was so nice and refreshing to read about a man who lives for the LORD and isn't afraid to show it. I wish more could be this way.
I really enjoyed the way each chapter is devoted to an area of life men are concerned about. Gibbs asks 11 different people to address each topic after he shares a few pages from his own life.
The topics include:
Finances by Ron Blue
Health by Dr Walt Larimore
Relationships by Don Meredith
Vocation by Dr Os Guinness
The Bible by Josh McDowell
God by Dr Ken Boa
Creation by Dr John Lennox
Sin and Addiction by Ravi Zacharias
Salvation by Chuck Colson
Purpose by Dr Tony Evans
Heaven by Randy Alcorn

I am a HUGE NFL fan and a NASCAR fan! So I really enjoy reading about when the men involved are walking with Christ in the national media, I greatly enjoyed reading about the struggles and success of Coach Gibbs and how he became a devoted man of God.
You will too! I highly recommend!

Product Description

Three-time Super Bowl and NASCAR champion Joe Gibbs’s Game Plan for Life is an “average Joe’s” guide to what the Bible has to say about the 11 most-important topics for men. Topics such as: finances, relationships, living a life of purpose, finding the right vocation, physical, emotional, and spiritual health, and overcoming sin and addictions. Edited by Jerry Jenkins, and featuring contributions from Randy Alcorn, Ravi Zacharias, John Lennox, Tony Evans, Chuck Colson, Josh McDowell, Don Meredith, Walt Larimore, Ron Blue, Ken Boa, and Os Guinness, Game Plan for Lifeshows readers how to live a balanced, God-centered, purpose-filled life, using examples of Coach Gibbs’s own storied championship careers as a backdrop. A perfect blend of sports and basic theology, Game Plan for Life is designed to bring God’s word home to sports fans of all generations.

Hardcover: 336 pages Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.; 1st edition (July 21, 2009) Language: English ISBN-10: 1414329792 ISBN-13: 978-1414329796

Pujols: More Than the Game

Product Description:

After a decade starring for the St. Louis Cardinals, Albert Pujols is already compared with names in the highest reaches of baseball's pantheon: Ruth, Gehrig, Aaron, Mays.

Authors Scott Lamb and Tim Ellsworth spare no tale of this growing baseball legend, all the while accentuating "the unseen hand of divine providence" that has shaped the man Albert Pujols has become.

My Review:

Pujols: More Than the Game is probably the best sports book I have ever read. It is a must read for any Pujols fan (even if your team is not the Cards). The book is a great example of a professional athlete who is also a Christian and how he glorifies God through the way he plays, his work ethic, and his demeanor. I was really blown away when I read how Pujols actually witness’s to players from opposing teams while at first base. What a great example for all of us. He has even led a couple of his own teammates to the Lord.

It is so refreshing to see and read about a celebrity that doesn’t just profess to be a Christian or use the title “God” loosely. He is not just a hearer of the Word, but a doer also. I find it so fascinating to read about how he grew up and the tribulations he often faced as a child. When you read about when his family moved to U.S. and he got started playing baseball you can really see how special of a ball player he was. He seems to have been born with a clear God given talent to play our national past time. More important and impressive than his baseball playing however is the way he so open to glorify Jesus - and he is very specific about it. He is not afraid to say Jesus is his Lord. Once again what a great example for the rest of rest. If only we were all so bold in our faith.

If you are a baseball fan, in particular a Pujols fan you will enjoy this book. It is chalked full of baseball stats and batting averages (mostly Pujols) as well as quotes from various articles and interviews sports writers have written about him over the years. The book also mentions a lot about his wife and children. Pujols has been blessed with a Godly wife is very supportive of his career and they both share a passion for different charities/organizations and sharing the love of Christ.

I have been blessed by this book and it gave me some great examples to apply to my own life. I highly recommend this book to any Christian or non Christian baseball fan. This would be a great gift for a loved one that doesn’t know the Lord but loves to read.

Hardcover: 272 pages Publisher: Thomas Nelson (February 22, 2011) Language: English ISBN-10: 9781595552242 ISBN-13: 978-1595552242 ASIN: 1595552243 Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 1.2 inches

God Loves Me More Than That

From the Publisher:

How much love does God have for me?
More than the letters between A and Z. More than the bumbles in a bumble bee.
God loves me more than that!

As your child revels in each lively rhyme and engaging illustration from this delightful picture book, they’ll learn that God loves them deeper than a wishing well, wider than a semi-truck, louder than thunder, and softer than a kitten’s sneeze.

Each question, presented with charming child-like faith will help your child grasp the great love of God through comparisons and descriptions they can easily understand. In short, they’ll discover that His love is bigger, wider, higher, and deeper than anything they could imagine!

God Loves Me More Than That is an adorable little children’s book with fantastic illustrations. I enjoyed reading this book to my children and showing them each page. The author uses several topics to express how much God loves me (us) using a rhyming writing style teamed with beautiful illustrations on every page that everyone will enjoy. It is a great book for anyone with young children to affirm the wonderful truth of God’s amazing love. Here is one of my favorite lines from the book: “Just how much does the Lord’s love weigh? More than elephants munching hay.” I would definitely recommend this book to any family.

“so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

~ Ephesians 3:17-19

The WALK by: Shaun Alexander

from the Publisher:

Are you walking with God, dragging your feet, or running ahead of Him? Take the first step in living at God's pace.

When you start walking with God, it’s easy to misplace the emphasis. You might think it’s about seeking perfection or impressing God with your level of commitment. But God isn’t looking for perfection, and no matter how hard you try, you will never be able to impress him.

Walking with God is exactly what it says: God invites you to get in step with what he is doing in the world. When you walk with God, you allow him to set the pace for every aspect of your life. And that is when you discover faith and strength that overcome doubt, fear, and temptation.

Let Shaun Alexander help you get started on the greatest adventure possible. If you are ready to know God as your Walking Companion, you are ready to begin The Walk.

　

I am a huge Seahawks fan. So when I heard there was a book written by former Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander I was very interested to read it. He was one of our family’s favorite players while he was on the team. We even have a couple of his jerseys. I was very excited to discover that he is a devout Christian man who believes what the Bible teaches and seeks to honor God with his life.

As I began to read his book The Walk, the first thing I was struck with was his knowledge of scripture and how genuine he is. Shaun illustrates his book with examples from his own life and stories from his days of playing football - not just for the NFL but also when he was in high school. He demonstrates how God has been an important part of his life since childhood. In the book he takes us through the differences between the “wanderer” and the “wonderer” and how they think about things - which helps to realize the obstacles that need to be overcome as we pray for people like that in our own lives and desire for them to become believers. I was impressed to read that Shaun disciples young men and after I read about one of the boys he had been working with I remember thinking something like “does that boy know who’s car he is in? That is Shaun Alexander!” - of course these thoughts were replaced with the realization that Shaun is just a man and that no matter who someone is or isn’t we are all equal brothers and sisters in Christ.

This book has great examples for how to walk closer with God and live the Christian life. I would recommend this book to any believer or non-believer - especially the sports fans. If you know anyone that loves God and is a huge football fan this would be a great gift.

　

Please note I was given this book by the Publisher for free in exchange for my honest review.