God Gave Us You

I'm supposed to be cleaning the house for a department-wide party my husband planned to be held at our messy home.  But instead, I'm drawn to the computer (or is it the lazyboy?) to write about the book I've most recently read.  It was a fantastic read!  I love the biblical emphasis and reminders of God's love throughout.  I love that it reinforces a parent's love and authority.  I love the illustrations.  I love the book design.  I simply love this new book!

I've read the story "God Gave Us You" by Lisa Tawn Bergren before this reading.  My sister received the book as a baby shower gift. Even then, I loved the story about how God brought a precious baby bear to Mama and Papa Polar Bears.

 But this new version is even better!  It's still the same story about God's wonderful plan to put babies in a family with a mom and a dad who love God and love their babies.  The new book is a boardbook...perfect for little hands to handle without fear of tearing pages.  Its size is great for little ones, too.  And the illustrations are just as bright and colorful on the new boardbook pages as in the original!

This boardbook version of the story "God Gave Us You" would be the ideal baby gift for a newborn -- great for mom and dad to read with baby to help explain their crazy-parent-love that comes from the crazy-God-love God showers on each one as He knits us together in our mother's womb!

Thanks, Multnomah Waterbrook Press, for the complimentary copy for purposes of review!  I loved it (SO much better than cleaning house!!)

Surprised by Weber in Surprised by Oxford!

I didn't have high hopes for the book Surprised by Oxford by Carolyn Weber.  It is a memoir by a person I'd never heard of before reading the cover.  It mostly takes place at Oxford, a place I've never been nor had great interest in being.  And, frankly, the cover didn't look too exciting.  But, it beat out the "business and culture" option for potential reading, so I chose Weber's book.

And, happily, I was surprised by Weber's memoir!  I found it fast and enjoyable reading.  I was intrigued by her journey to Christ.  Being reared in a Christian home and having come to Jesus as a child, I was fascinated by the logical and emotional journey Weber experienced in her own conversion. 

Weber was a literary student (now a professor), as I was (although her knowledge and intellect far exceed mine!)  So, I found her frequent use of literature, poetry and prose, pleasant and familiar.  She stirred a longing for more poetry and beautiful language in my own life (I found myself speaking/writing more poetically and with more flowery description as I read the memoir! :) )  Her style is light, even when the subject is deep.  It made for easy and enjoyable reading.

I'd certainly recommend this book to anyone experiencing their own journey to or with Jesus.  It's encouraging and interesting to read how He draws someone else in a method detailed especially for her own life...knowing that He does the same for each of us!

Thanks, booksneeze, for sending a complimentary copy for purpose of review.

Inspiration in PrayerWalk

I'm inspired!  I'm a walker, naturally (my daughter is right, running just isn't fun!), and I've been longing for a more intimate prayer life.  So, Janet McHenry's book has inspired me to become a prayerwalker, too!

McHenry outlines a few basics for beginning walkers--safety, apparel, etc.  She then spends a majority of the book providing insights into prayer--including biblical examples and instructions, as well as her own experiences with prayerwalking.  She covers aspects from solo prayerwalking or partner prayerwalking all the way to ideas about who and what to pray about.   While there are numerous books on the topic of prayer, this one is especially encouraging to me because it intimately combines something I need physically with something I desperately need spiritually (and emotionally, relationally, physically, etc.).  The author also provides questions suitable for a group study at the end of the book.

This book was reprinted for its tenth anniversary and McHenry includes a special update about her own life and prayerwalking.  I found her humble confessions convicting and inspiring for my own life!

Much thanks to waterbrookmultnomah's bloggingforbooks for the complimentary copy of this book for review purposes.