The Christian Mama's Guide

 

An entertaining, practical guide for first-time mamas and those who need a baby refresher course. The new mom initiation ritual involves sleepless nights, an inexplicable obsession with baby booties, and more questions than answers. This take on everything baby offers new moms the Christian girlfriend advice she needs to feel confident in her new role, including:

• getting into the motherhood groove
• breastfeeding advice
• suggestions for losing the baby weight—before your baby is no longer a baby
• time management tips that may just help you find time to do laundry—before you run out of clean underwear
• how you can manage to be a godly mother and a good wife on less than three hours of sleep a night

Easy-to-read and relatable, this been-there-done-that guide answers these questions and more with a dose of humor an a lot of grace so that new moms can become the moms that God intended them to be during their baby's first year.

 

 Review:

The Christian Mama's Guide to Baby's First Year was such a wonderful read and so very refreshing after plodding through several less than encouraging"girlfriend" guides to pregnancy and raising your newborn. Many of the other pregnancy and newborn books were very negative and focused almost exclusively on how hard raising new children can be on the Mom and the marriage. Although, MacPherson offers plenty of empathy and humorous antidotes about her own life, that openly illustrate that being a new mother is not an easy trick, she manages to infuse the novel with positivity and grace. She celebrates the joys of new motherhood and encourages other mothers to do the same. As a potentially unintended consequence, the book also results in a desire to reach out to other new moms who may be struggling or having a bad day to let them know they are not alone in this life challenge.

Many of the chapters are common to the new motherhood books, such as getting your baby to sleep, convincing them to eat, changing diapers, and when to seek medical advice. This book is different in that for each of the subjects the chapters serve as summaries of most of the advice in other books and can quickly point you in the correct direction for reading that most suits your current need. She offers her own personal insights and tips and tricks for saving money,time, and sanity while completing each of the above motherhood adventures. The chapters include her personal experiences, which truly provide the feeling that you are sharing motherhood in the company of a close friend. There are several points during the book where I laughed out loud; a wonderful therapeutic side effect to reading this book.
BookSneeze provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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Theology

Theology 101 In Bite-Size Pieces ~ Book Review

Theology 101 in Bite-Size Pieces: A Bird's Eye View of the Riches of Divine Grace

By Judy Azar LeBlanc (Author)

The word theology tends to lead people to think that it is only meant for seminarian scholars; however, the word speaks for itself by the sole definition meaning "the study of God's Word." This book takes a fresh look at God's Power, Character, Love, Nature, and what the finished work of Christ meant to the world in bite size portions. It offers scripturally based truths of some of the riches of His Divine Grace that include answers to thought provoking questions such as what is predestination; who are the chosen; the called, and the elect. The author uses everyday language to explain what it means to be justified, reconciled, forgiven, and offers a clear explanation of why practicing merited grace contradicts Christ's finished work on the cross.

This book will be excellent for a new Christian or someone just learning about Theology. For the most part I knew everything that the author talked about, but it did clear up some of the questions I had, but not really brought any questions to my brain. I liked that they included many verses in this book to the bible, but the only thing I did not like was that they refers to others books. This is something I don't like, but there were not that many, just a few here and there. Over all, this book would be perfect to new Christians or students. 

*Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book exchange for honest my review of the book. This does not reflect on my review. The opinions in this post are my own.

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Relentless By John Bevere

As part of Waterbrook Multnomah's Blogging for Books program, I received this advance reading copy free in exchange for my review. I was not required to give a positive review, but to simply write my own thoughts/experience on it. It was a pre-release copy and is officially for sale today.

First off, let me say that I had a difficult time getting through this book, though I did read it all the way through. I made lots of notes on it, but in this case it was not a good thing. Let me explain.

I was initially quite excited to read Relentless from the descriptions I had read about it. This was my first exposure to Bevere's work, and it sounded like he has had some success in the past. Here's the basic premise of the book from Waterbrook's website:

“God doesn’t author hardship but uses it to strengthen us for greater conquests. He never leads us into a storm that He doesn’t give us the power to overcome.”  -- John Bevere, Relentless 

You already have what it takes to finish well!

Christians were never meant to “just get by.” You were created to rise above adversity and display greatness! In this compelling book, best-selling author John Bevere explores what it takes to finish well. More than a strategy for survival, Relentless offers you a fresh new mind-set, one that enthusiastically declares with the apostle Paul, “I delight in difficulties.” Its biblically grounded truths will equip you to flourish in every season of life.

However, within just the first chapter (click here to download and read the first chapter for free here and see for yourself), Bevere is exposed. A subtitle proclaims "God wrote a book about you" and within the first paragraph he states "God needs you" and "the heavenly Father is depending on you". Two pages later he continues that God has "prepared for you a fabulous life" and that "you are destined to be great in the sight of God." He concludes this opening chapter with a prayer that includes "I want to know the power You've placed within me to accomplish my destiny." Are you catching the theme here?

The premise of Relentless is that we as Christians are empowered with everything we need to live a successful life. Unfortunately, Bevere's theology is based on a prosperity gospel that is not biblical and his definition of success is not God's. He toes the line (and crosses it at times) between dependence on God for His grace through Christ and self-reliance because we have access to His power whenever we want it.

There are simply too many theological errors to point out, and quite honestly it would unnecessarily belabor the point, but here is a sampling of what I came across:

• Relentless focuses heavily on acquiring what God has to offer or what He can give me, rather than finding deep satisfaction in the Giver Himself and how I can give more of myself to Him.
• Man's responsibility for sin at times leans more on the excuse that Satan has deceived us, which feels too much like the problem is outside of us rather than inside (a heart problem).
• In making the point that we and Christ are one (he referenced Hebrews 2:11 and John 17:21), he states, "when you read Christ in the New Testament, you need to see not just the One who died on the cross, but also yourself" (italics his). I fear that Bevere is equating the church (body) with Christ (head) to show we have His power, instead of recognizing that Christ is the head of the body.
• Grace is mistaken as something God passively gives us as if it could be ordered online. Bevere states, "grace is God's free empowerment that gives us the ability to go beyond our natural ability." Was Paul not clear in Ephesians that everything we have is from God in Christ and through Christ?
• Grace is also disgraced. He reduces the grace that "forgives our sins and grants us entrance into heaven" as inadequate, and that we should expect more from God.
• Throughout the book, Bevere reports that living relentlessly as Christians ought to mean worldly success. I'm not exaggerating this here, so please read carefully. He states many times in chapter 5 that God's gift of grace should produce "fresh, creative, and innovative," "new and more effective," "originate the fresh and creative" societal and economic developments such as in fields of teaching, medicine, fashion/design, politics, law enforcement, and business. As a result, "our places of employment should boom. Our music should be fresh and original-emulated by secular musicians instead of Christian music imitating theirs." He adds later on: "Lack and poverty are not life in all its fullness; therefore they cannot be God's will for your life" (italics his). This has no biblical foundation or support and is, in fact, a complete contradiction to the life and teaching of Jesus.
• Finally, Bevere advocates for talking directly to Satan to rebuke him instead of praying to God or quoting Scripture. He does mention that Jesus quoted scripture when He was tempted, but seemed to think that since God has given us Christ we have His same power as if we were Christ Himself. Bevere blatantly admits that praying to God is unnecessary because we can rebuke Satan on our own.

I could go on and on (which I was tempted to do), but I think you get the point: his theology is inaccurate and unbiblical. He clearly advocates for personal empowerment and spends nearly no time cultivating a deep, personal relationship with God. As a result, I simply cannot recommend this book to anyone. While he does make some sound doctrinal points, which are easily the highlights of the book and where Bevere's writing shines the clearest, his application of those is totally unbiblical.

One last point. At the risk of driving my point too far, I have to admit that I'm disappointed with Waterbrook Multnomah as a publishing company for endorsing this book. It definitely does not fit with the other quality books they publish or the goals and mission of their organization.

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Photos!!

I love to Smile

I can run!

3:16 Hope

Ohh it's cold!

A view to live for

Lovely Smell

I love my beach!

The perfect Student

What is it?

Up, Up, and Away!

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Conscious Box ~ Giveaway

Discover the Best Natural & Eco-Friendly Products on the Planet

Conscious Box helps you discover the purest, healthiest natural products in the world from the most ethical companies! From natural beauty to health food and non-toxic home goods, you'll find better alternatives for all areas of your life. Open up your world today with Conscious Box! Subscribe today!

Meet Your Favorite Companies, Leave Reviews & Shop for the Best Natural Products!

Conscious Box has created an easy, fun way to discover new favorites! The Conscious Box subscription is a monthly delivery of pure and sustainable products that are handpicked from businesses that care for the planet—just like you! We selectively choose our products, only allowing the purest companies working toward the most ethical goals. Each month, you meet 10-20 of these companies right at your doorstep! (It's like a birthday, every month!)

As you discover new favorites, Conscious Box makes it fun (and rewarding!) to leave reviews and ratings so businesses can improve their product, packaging, and business as a whole. We place YOU at the core of helping natural products go from good to great! Earning points along the way, you're then able to apply savings to your favorite products. Simply choose how many points you'd like to spend and boom! You're on your way to enjoying your favorite product at a fresh, low price.

Conscious Box Wants to Make a Difference

With thousands of products claiming to be the healthiest, most socially responsible company, it becomes difficult to sort through what works and what doesn’t. After experiencing this first-hand, the creators of Conscious Box knew there had to be a better way. Learn about this...

Win a 3-month Conscious Box subcription - A $59 value!

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Canine Angels

Have you heard of Canine Angels? If not, check out their website. http://www.canineangelsservicedogs.org/

Saving dogs to serve disabled veterans

Every year, at least 3 million animals are put to death in shelters. And every day, 18 American military heroes take their own lives. These nightmares aren’t going away.

Until they do, Canine Angels’ mission is to rescue dogs from shelters and prepare them to serve disabled veterans and first responders.

Rick Kaplan, our nonprofit’s founder and president, has been training working service dogs for the people with disabilities for more than 20 years. He has trained dogs to assist those with hearing disabilities, seizures and PTSD, as well as stability andmobility issues. Working with his two personal chocolate Labrador service dogs, Fred & Ginger, Rick perfected his unique method of modifying canine behavior to connect with their natural instincts and achieve breakthrough training results in the least possible time. His deep appreciation for veterans and the sacrifices they’ve made for our safety andfreedom led to the founding in 2011 of Canine Angels, nonprofit public-benefit corporation.

Canine Angels’ mission has three primary goals:

• To rescue dogs that have been discarded by their
  owners and sentenced to overcrowded shelters.
• To socialize and train the companion animals to serve
  disabled American veterans and first responders to help
  them regain meaningful civilian lives.
• To educate the public about the Americans With Disabilities
  Act, so that legitimate service dog teams will never encounter the humiliation of being turned away from public venues, where federal law protects their access rights.

Just recently have I become a part of helping with this program...  I first heard of them when they were in my neighbor with a veteran.. I was super happy to see a large number of service dogs in my neighbor hood, which gave me a chance to use my new camera.. I took tons of shoots and ever since I have been evolved with this group. Just recently I foster one of there service dog in training for about a week. It was a BLAST!

I look forward to keeping your guys updated on this group and will be giving you all some wonderful photos of my journey with this group and random photos :D

Just part of the pack that was there!... So well behaved!

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Theology 101 In Bite-Size Pieces ~ Book Review

Theology 101 in Bite-Size Pieces: A Bird's Eye View of the Riches of Divine Grace

By Judy Azar LeBlanc (Author)

The word theology tends to lead people to think that it is only meant for seminarian scholars; however, the word speaks for itself by the sole definition meaning "the study of God's Word." This book takes a fresh look at God's Power, Character, Love, Nature, and what the finished work of Christ meant to the world in bite size portions. It offers scripturally based truths of some of the riches of His Divine Grace that include answers to thought provoking questions such as what is predestination; who are the chosen; the called, and the elect. The author uses everyday language to explain what it means to be justified, reconciled, forgiven, and offers a clear explanation of why practicing merited grace contradicts Christ's finished work on the cross.

This book will be excellent for a new Christian or someone just learning about Theology. For the most part I knew everything that the author talked about, but it did clear up some of the questions I had, but not really brought any questions to my brain. I liked that they included many verses in this book to the bible, but the only thing I did not like was that they refers to others books. This is something I don't like, but there were not that many, just a few here and there. Over all, this book would be perfect to new Christians or students. 

*Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book exchange for honest my review of the book. This does not reflect on my review. The opinions in this post are my own.

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