The Lifegiving Parent: Giving Your Child a Life Worth Living for Christ by Clay & Sally Clarkson

The Life Giving Parent: Giving Your Child a Life Worth Living for Christ by Clay & Sally Clarkson

About:
From the family that brought you The Lifegiving Home and The Lifegiving Table, discover how you can become a parent who gives your child a life worth living for Christ.
In today's world, it's easy to become overwhelmed and even paralyzed by the constant flow of parenting advice. We're flooded with so much practical information that we wonder if we're choosing the right way. And we may be missing the one thing God really wants us to give to our children: His life. God doesn't include a divine methodology for parenting in the Bible, but He does provide principles that can enable any faithful parent to bring His life into the life of their home.

In The Lifegiving Parent, respected authors and parents Clay and Sally Clarkson explore eight key principles--heartbeats of lifegiving parenting--to shed light on what it means to create a home where your children will experience the living God in your family. Now parents of four grown children--each with their own unique personality and gifts--Sally and Clay have learned (sometimes the hard way!) that the key to shaping a heart begins at home as you foster a deep and thoughtful God-infused relationship with each child. Filled with biblical insight and classic Clarkson stories, The Lifegiving Parent will equip you with the tools and wisdom you need to give your children much more than just a good Christian life. You'll give them the life of Christ. (Don't miss the companion piece, The Lifegiving Parent Experience!)

My Thoughts:

Clay and Sally have written an amazing book with The Life Giving Parent. Honestly, I think I can give a lot of my other parenting books away because this book gets to the heart of children, which is teaching them to love Jesus in a world that is messy, chaotic and unsettling. There isn't a formula or method, but this is a lifestyle and I love how they approach their parenting, just like they approach their dinner table. Which is you haven't read any other books by Sally, I highly recommend them! This book is all about passing on a legacy of Christ to children and it doesn't matter what age, you can pass this on to your children. I love how relational Clay and Sally are as people and I think it makes all the different in their approach to parenting. I love this book, just like I loved the Life Giving Table. I highly recommend this book. I give this book 5/ 5 stars. A favorable review was not required. 

About the author:

From working on college campuses, to sharing the Gospel behind the Iron Curtain as a missionary, traveling around the United States, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia to speak on discipleship, Sally Clarkson has tenaciously sought after God's kingdom, and has used her ministry to encourage others to do the same. From her best-selling books such as Own Your Life, Desperate (with Sarah Mae), and her latest, The Lifegiving Home, Sally has shared from her heart and home about the value of motherhood and the potential for home to cultivate life, love, and faith. In 1995, She and her husband Clay founded Whole Heart Ministries, which has encouraged thousands of families around the world in discipling their children

Begin Again: The Brave Practice of Releasing Hurt and Receiving Rest by Leeana Tankersley,

Begin Again: The Brave Practice of Releasing Hurt and Receiving Rest

by 

Leeana Tankersley,

What happens when life begins to trip us up and failure starts creeping in? Many of us just keep on doing the same thing, hoping for different results. Some of us look for escape, to find a way out of the mess we feel that we've created. But neither enduring nor escaping is ultimately what we need.

The answer is to allow ourselves to begin again, every day, in every part of our lives. Through engaging, lyrical prose, Leeana Tankersley shows women how to forgive themselves, develop new and healthier patterns of living, and do away with resentment and regret. Her life-giving words will free women who are feeling stuck and allow them to clear out the debris to make room for what God wants to do in their lives. To begin again is to open the window, even a crack, to let the breeze of grace come in. It is a call to stop running from our fears. To take one small step toward becoming the brave women we were made to be.

My Thoughts:

Begin Again is an invitation for readers who have been through hurt to exchange it for rest. Leeana offers wisdom to readers in places where we hurt and places where we aren't self aware enough, but where we need to find light. She is gentle and warm, but isn't afraid to "go there." I love her humor and wisdom, which made this book a quick, but amazing read. I can't wait to read it again. Beginning again happens every single day and it isn't a sign of failure, which was a sigh of relief for me because I don't like the thought of failure, but I have learned a lot through Leanna's word of encouragement and empathy. She is the kind friend we all wished we had. I really enjoyed this book and will give this to many of my friends. It is a great book! I give this book a 5/5 stars. A favorable review was not required for a review copy.

About the Author:

Leeana Tankersley is the author of Breathing Room and holds English degrees from Liberty University and West Virginia University. She and her husband, Steve, are currently stationed in San Diego, California, with their three children: Luke, Lane, and Elle. Leeana writes about living from the spacious place on her blog, www.leeanatankersley.com.

Breaking the Fear Cycle: How to Find Peace for Your Anxious Heart by Maria Furlough

Breaking the Fear Cycle: How to Find Peace for Your Anxious Heart

by 

Maria Furlough

About:

It seems there is more to fear now than ever, but fear and anxiety are nothing new to human beings--or to God. The Bible calls us to not be afraid on many occasions, and of course we all want to live without fear. But just how is that accomplished when every news item seems designed to get us wringing our hands?

Using her own story as a catalyst, Maria Furlough shows readers how to overcome fear for good. She calls readers to make a list of their fears, to choose to bring those fears to God rather than acting on them, and to trust God with the future. She shows how when we give God full control over our lives, choosing his sovereignty over our own ability, we can break the cycle of fear, grow through suffering, and trust God to fulfill his promises of protection and peace.

Anyone who is filled with anxiety over their personal circumstances, the state of the world today, or even their fear-clogged social media feeds will welcome this hands-on journey from fear to freedom.

My Thoughts:

Breaking the Fear Cycle is a great book written by Maria Furlough who knows what it's like to face fear. She shares from her own grief and fear in a way that helps reader experience ways to find freedom from the fear that disables them in day to day situations. This book will help you find peace as you go to God in prayer and seek Him though His word. This is relevant to the culture and society that women face today and I found this book to be very encouraging. I have several chapters highlighted and I really enjoyed this book. This book will inspire you, help you find peace and break the cycle of fear. I give this book 5/5 stars. I can't wait to read it again. A complimentary copy was provided, but a favorable review was not required.

Pelican Point (Hope Harbor #4) by Irene Hannon

Pelican Point (Hope Harbor #4)

by 

Irene Hannon

About:

A crumbling lighthouse is not part of the inheritance Army doctor Ben Garrison expects to claim when he journeys to Hope Harbor. Fresh out of the service, he wants only to unload the tower of bricks, decompress from years of treating battlefield trauma, and prepare to launch his civilian career.

Hope Harbor Herald editor Marci Weber has other ideas. She may not be a Hope Harbor native, but the small Oregon seaside town has become home--and she's determined to save the Pelican Point landmark.Sparks fly as the two go head to head over the fate of the lighthouse. But when they start to cooperate, a different kind of fire ignites. And as they work together, might 

Hope Harbor heal the hearts of these two romance-wary souls?

Bestselling author Irene Hannon invites readers back to their favorite town for a story that will light a beacon of hope within their hearts.

My Thoughts:

Pelican Point is the fourth book in the Hope Harbor series by Irene Hannon and it did not disappoint. I love every single book in this series and highly recommend them. They can be read as stand alone's, but are better when read together in a series. Each of these stories are filled with romance, faith, and change. Pelican Point had these elements and more, which made it a fantastic novel.

In Pelican Point you will love the characters between Ben & Marci. Marci has a love for lighthouses and Ben is ready to move on with his life outside of Hope Harbor, but Marci wants to give him a reason to stay, but will it be enough? 

Then we have a plot of secondary characters, Greg& Rachel who are dealing with marriage issues and are faced with trials. Will they be able to withstand the testing of their marriage and faith or will the trials overtake their marriage? This is a powerful element to this book and one part of the story you don't want to miss! 

Pelican Point is a fantastic novel and a great add to the Hope Harbor series. I can't wait to revisit this series again to re-read the series. I highly recommend this book and series. I give this book a 5/5 stars. A favorable review was not required. A complimentary copy was provided by the publisher for review purposes only.

Meet Irene:

Irene Hannon, who writes both contemporary romance and romantic suspense, is the author of more than 50 novels. Her books have been honored with three coveted RITA awards from Romance Writers of America (the “Oscar” of romance fiction) and she is a member of that organization's elite Hall of Fame. She has also received a Career Achievement award from RT Book Reviews for her entire body of work. Other awards for individual books include National Readers' Choice, HOLT Medallion, Daphne du Maurier, Retailers Choice, Booksellers' Best, and Reviewers' Choice from RT Book Reviews. She is also a two-time Christy award finalist.

A former corporate communications executive with a Fortune 500 company, Irene now writes full time. To learn more about Irene and her books, visit www.irenehannon.com. 

Red Sky over America by Tamera Lynn Kraft

Red Sky over America

by 

Tamera Lynn Kraff

William and America confront evil, but will it costs them everything?

In 1857, America, the daughter of a slave owner, is an abolitionist and a student at Oberlin College, a school known for its radical ideas. America goes home to Kentucky during school break to confront her father about freeing his slaves.

America's classmate, William, goes to Kentucky to preach abolition to churches that condone slavery. America and William find themselves in the center of the approaching storm sweeping the nation and may not make it home to Ohio or live through the struggle.

My Thoughts:

Red Sky Over America by Tamera Kraft is about slavery in Kentucky. Filled with emotion, I enjoyed that this book dealt with such an important topic. This was a book that is hard to put down. The story line was very vivid and I can tell the author did her homework about the history in this time period. 

This book speaks to those who speak up for injustices, especially those during this time period in the US. It was great to me in plot, characters and storyline. However, I found the style of Tamera's writing to be difficult here and there at times, but overall, I felt this book was written well. It was very intense and emotional. I give this book 4/5 stars. A favorable review was not required for this complimentary copy. 

About the Author:

Tamera Lynn Kraft has always loved adventures. She loves to write historical fiction set in the United States because there are so many stories in American history. There are strong elements of faith, romance, suspense and adventure in her stories. She has received 2nd place in the NOCW contest, 3rd place TARA writer’s contest, and is a finalist in the Frasier Writing Contest and has other novellas in print. She’s been married for 38 years to the love of her life, Rick, and has two married adult children and two grandchildren. Tamera has two novellas in print: A Christmas Promise and Resurrection of Hope. Her first full length novel, Alice’s Notions, is due to be released in April.

Tamera has been a children’s pastor for over 20 years. She is the leader of a ministry called Revival Fire For Kids where she mentors other children’s leaders, teaches workshops, and is a children’s ministry consultant and children’s evangelist and has written children’s church curriculum. She is a recipient of the 2007 National Children’s Leaders Association Shepherd’s Cup for lifetime achievement in children’s ministry.