Fashioned by Faith

Fashioned by Faith is a book written by Rachel Lee Carter, an international model, who discusses how to dress modestly in order to portray the right image to others. Rachel Carter modeled for many famous designers, and she took a stand early in her career that she would not model certain things, such as liengere, alcohol, cigarettes, and clothing she feels are inmodest. In the book, each chapter begins with a short section entitled “he says” which gives a boy’s point of view about modesty. Then, the chapter details such topics as Fashioned… by Freedom, by Forgiveness, by Favor, by Faithfulnesses, to be Feminine, for a Frame, to Bear Fruit, to Follow Through, and Forever. At the conclusion of each chapter there are Bible Verses and questions to answer.

I really liked this book, even though it’s more intended for teens and tweens. I enjoyed the personal examples of how Rachel responded to situations when modeling. She also brought up topics and things about clothing that I had never considered before. I think this would be a great book for a middle school or youth group to read as a Bible Study.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

The Dawn of a Dream

The Dawn of a Dream is the third book in the At Home in Beldon Grove series of books written by Ann Shorey. The book begins with Luellen O’Connell being abandoned by her husband, who she married after knowing only a short time. Facing the prospect of moving back in with her parents to the house she grew up in, she decides to pursue her dream of becoming a teacher. Throughout her education, she is faced with many different obstacles: love, illness, friendship, family relationships, prejudice, and money troubles.

Although this was the third book in the Beldon Grove series, it is possible to read it as a stand-alone. The characters were very realistic, and the character of Luellen is someone I could relate to and felt I would be friends with if she was a real person. These realistic characters spread throughout Luellen’s entire family and also those she had friendships with. The setting of the book also added to my interest, as I haven’t really read many books about people living in Illinois. I think what I really liked about this book was that Luellen wasn’t looking for a husband to solve all of her problems, rather she wanted to get her teaching certificate in order to make a life for herself. I think this is an important theme to show people; you don’t have to look another person to solve your problems, rather through faith and hard work, everything you want will eventually come to you.

“Available April 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

April 27

so I haven't posted in awhile because of Easter and just being busy with work stuff, but I stopped doing Tracy Anderson :-/ I don't really know why, I just felt like I couldn't go to them gym when I'm doing her workout, and I couldn't make myself wake up early to do the workouts before work. I think I am going to try and focus on some 10 minute trainer by Tony Horton. I am all over the place with my working out :-) But, for good news, I've been back on my healthy eating the past few days :-) If I keep it up for the next 2 months, I'm sure I'll be ready for my friends wedding and my trip to the beach. And I'm really excited because I bought some cute shorts and a hat to wear to the beach :-) Any excuse to go shopping!!! Now my next thing to work on is stopping spending so much money!! Gas and groceries are killing me!!! I'll work in phases...exercise, then eat healthy, and once I do both of those 2 things all the time, I'll work on saving more money!!

Max on Life

In Max on Life, Max Lucado delves into some Answers and Insights to Your Most Important Questions. The book is set up like an advice column, where a question is asked and Max gives an answer to the tough question. The book is broken up into Hope, Hurt, Help, Him/Her, Home, Haves/Have-Nots, and Hereafter. Each of these chapters contained pertinent questions such as What is God? How should I react to poverty? How can I select the right mate? And Does Hell last forever?

I really liked the straightforward way in which Max Lucado answered some very tough questions, and the questions he chose to respond to. For the most part, they were questions any person can have in their everyday lives, and I think this made the book especially poignant. I would definitely recommend this book to my friends and family, and I think it would make a great gift for a High School or College Graduate.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Tomorrow's Garden

Tomorrow’s Garden is the third book in the Texas Dreams series and was written by Amanda Cabot. The book tells the story of Harriet Kirk and her newly acquired job of a schoolteacher in the town of Ladreville, Texas in the year 1857. Her younger siblings, who she is responsible for after the death of her parents in a fire, move with her to the new town where she begins to move forward from her past. In the new town, Harriet finds herself falling in love with Lawrence, the sheriff of the small town who is eagerly awaiting the end of his employment in Ladreville.

Although this was the first book I read in the series, I was able to follow the story, and I really enjoyed learning of the life of Harriet. I especially enjoyed the relationship that grew between Harriet and Lawrence. They are both looking to move forward from their past experience, and they are able to face their future together. Although the book wasn’t the most fast paced, there were moments within the book that had some tension which kept me wanting to learn what would happen next. I also think I enjoyed this book because it reminded me of instances in the past where I have read book or watched movies about an older sibling having responsibility for those other children in her family. I like this focus on family and seeing an older child have a strong sense of responsibility and love for her family.

I will definitely be reading the first two books in this series, and I am looking forward to reading other books written by Amanda Cabot in the future.

"Available April 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group."

Metamorphosis Day 11

So today was my measurement day...I lost 2 inches, but that could just be me measuring wrong although I had about 3 people tell me I look like I lost weight :-) I said this every day I've posted, but I need to work on my eating and I think the exercising will work soooo much better. I'm going to try to eat healthy for the next week and see how many inches I can lose!

The Final Summit

Andy Andrews newest book, The Final Summit: A Quest to Find the One Principle that Will Save Humanity, continues looking at the life of David Ponder, which began in The Traveler’s Gift: Seven Decisions That Determine Personal Success. From what I understand of the first book, since I did not read it, David Ponder travels back in time, and meets important historical figures. These individuals, each themselves travelers who went into the past during their lifetime, each give him a piece of advice which helps David Ponder have the keys to becoming successful. The Final Summit picks up near the end of David’s life. His wife is no longer living, and he questions what role he has left in life. He is then informed he will be leading all of the other travelers to answer a question, with only five attempts at answering correctly.

I really love reading, but I found this book to be not as exciting as I hoped. I have read other books by Andy Andrews and was really impressed, but I’m sad to say I did not enjoy this book nearly as much as I thought I would upon reading the back cover. I liked the concept of the historical figures, and I really enjoyed learning about some important people in history that I never heard about before. Other than the historical aspect, I didn’t really connect with this book. I didn’t find the historical figures particularly interesting, and I found many of them to seem arrogant. I guess this might be how they really were in their lives, but I always imagined King David as kind and Gabriel, the archangel, as powerful and personable. Rather, his character came off as condescending and unloving toward the individuals he spoke to. Overall, I found this book to be a very slow read, and I don’t think it will make my “must read” recommendation list, but I would tell someone interested in self-help and history to read this book if they have some spare time.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

The Deepest Waters

I recently finished reading The Deepest Waters by Dan Walsh, and it was one of the best books I have read in a long time! I finished it in a short amount of time, and I found myself not wanting to put the book down once I started reading it.

The Deepest Waters tells the story of newlyweds, John and Laura Foster, and their honeymoon journey to visit and meet John’s family in New York City. Unfortunately, there is a Hurricane along their course, and they are separated as Laura gets rescued and John is left at sea. The book tells of the journey for Laura to get to New York City and connect with her new family, and it looks at the struggle of John as he attempts to survive while stranded in the Ocean. This book reminded me a lot of the 1990s movie, Titanic, only with a better outcome!

I think my main reason for enjoying this book so much was the plain way in which it was written. It made it extremely easy to follow, and it felt as if I was being told the story from a friend who had firsthand experience of the event. There were not too many difficult sailing terms, and I liked the picture at the beginning of the book which laid out the names of the important parts of the boat. I also liked how all of the characters placed their faith in Jesus, but there wasn’t an overwhelming amount of references to how they came about having a relationship with Jesus. Rather, it seemed as if they grew up with faith, and the obstacles they were facing brought them closer to Christ.

In addition to the danger that was faced, there was also a romance aspect to the book. I liked reading about the deep love John and Laura had for one another and how they found each other at the time when Laura had all but given up on her chances of finding love. Although this was a romance book, it was done in a very tasteful manner which is really important to me when reading any type of romances. There was so much more than romance in the book also; it focused on family, slavery, faithfulness, and many other themes that stood out throughout my reading. I cannot wait to read more books by Dan Walsh!!

“Available April 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

Metamorphosis day 6

Finished my first week of Metamorphosis and tomorrow is my rest day. I'm sooo excited that I made it through! :-) I've been going to the gym on my lunch break the past few days too, so I'm starting to get really serious about the whole losing weight thing...I guess I have my motivation back :-) I have a few things going on this weekend (trip to NYC, my sisters HS play) so it might be tougher to find time to work out, but my goal is to not miss a day of the metamorphosis until my vacation in June.

The Lightkeeper's Ball

The Lightkeepers Ball, written by Colleen Coble, is the third book in the Mercy Falls Series, and tells the story of Olivia Stewart. Olivia is the daughter of a wealthy New Yorker in the early 1900s, but her life is about to become very complicated. Her sister is betrothed to be wed to a man named Harrison who she was introduced to through their parents’ plans for an arranged marriage. After Olivia’s sister is found dead under mysterious circumstances, Olivia becomes determined to find her sister’s murderer, and travels to Mercy Falls, California to investigate under the guise of being Lady Devonworth, since she fears for her own life.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, as I could tell I would from the cover. I liked the historical aspect of the book, as anything dealing with history always interests me. Add in the mystery and action components, and it was the perfect book! Although this is the third book in the series, and there were some characters who seemed to have been introduced in other books, it was not confusing to read the book as a stand-alone.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Heart of Ice

Heart of Ice is the third book in the Triple Threat Novel, and it is written by Lis Wiehl and April Henry. The book looks into the life of Allison Pierce, a federal prosecutor, Nicole Hedges, a FBI agent, and Cassidy Shaw, a television crime news reporter. When these three friends reconnected ten years after high school, they christened themselves the Triple Threat Club and have since been interconnected in their solving of crimes in the Portland, Oregon area.

Heart of Ice is a murder mystery that shows readers that looks can be extremely deceiving. Elizabeth quickly befriends Cassidy Shaw after teaching her in a local gym class. Little does Cassidy know, Elizabeth’s past and current schemes are the very focus of her news story and the strange events, including murders and arsons, that have been occurring in their town. Together, Allison, Nicole, and Cassidy must untangle the web of lies Elizabeth has been weaving, in addition to dealing with personal matters in their lives.

I was really excited to read this book, since I another book in the series, and I have watched Lis Wiehl on the Fox News Channel. I liked how this book focused on not only the work, but also the personal lives of the characters. This creates individuals who are more easy to connect with, and as they are facing struggles, I felt a personal connection to them. I also like reading about strong women, who are in powerful positions in their careers. In addition, I like the relationship Allison shares with God, and the fact that she is able to provide a good example to her friends who are not as secure in this relationship. I cannot wait to read the additional books in this series!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Metamorphosis Day 3

I did day 3 of the Metamorphosis workout this morning, and I'm soooooo excited that I made it through the workout!! I finished the whole cardio workout, and I feel like I am getting better at the dance moves and am learning more of the steps. I also did pretty good at eating healthy...I did cheat a little by having a spoonful of ice cream, but during the week I will do much better at not cheating! I think the hardest part is going to be making sure I get up early enough to do the hour exercise before work each morning. I have to keep reminding myself I can do anything for 90 days :-)

Metamorphosis Day 2

So I made it through 2 days of the workout, but I haven't been eating the greatest. I think it's because all the jumping around is making ms super hungry!! The cardio section is very confusing since I'm the least coordinated person in the world, but I have just been trying to keep moving, even if I can't figure out what the moves are supposed to be :-) Hopefully within a weenie two, I'll have it all figured out. I haven't weighed or taken measurements, so I think I'll do all of that tomorrow before I start my workout.

I'm also planning on cutting out carbs for the next few weeks to see if that gives me good results, since the diet that comes with the workouts is waaaayyyy too restrictive. There are foods I have never even heard of!! I'll update tomorrow about how day 3 goes :-)