The Field Guid to Sports Metaphors *Book Review*

We are a pretty big sports family.  My husband grew up swimming competitively in jr. high and high school.  My oldest son plays basketball pretty much year round between high school and another league.  Then my twins play travel soccer and basketball throughout the year.  So needless to say we are always going to practice, a game, tournaments, or watching sports on television.

If you ever want to increase your sports knowledge, this book is for you!  The Field Guide to Sports Metaphors is a great education tool.  You can impress other parents on the sidelines with the facts you can learn from this book.  You can also help your kids be smarter about the sport they are playing.  The book covers team and individual sports, so all the bases (pardon the pun) are covered!  So the next time you feel like you want to "throw in the towel" or "bring your A game", you'll know exactly what you are talking about!

*This book was provided to me by Blogging for Books in exchange for my review.  Opinions are mine.*

They Danced On *Book Review*

Have you ever read a book and felt like you wanted to meet the characters?  That is exactly how I felt after finishing this book.  I wanted to hand out with the Darling family at one of their weekly family dinners.  I felt like I would be welcomed with open arms and would fit right in.  This book includes family problems, illness, and lots of forgiveness.   This book does not have a fairy tale ending, but what real life family does?  One of my favorite parts was when the mom was talking about grief...."Maybe that was the worst of it: unpredictability.  There was no way of knowing when it would strike, or when it would release you to happiness.  It was a cruel and arbitrary thing.  No, there was nothing linear about grief at all."

Here are some questions and answers from the author that I really enjoyed!

What do you hope readers will take away from the story?
I hope they’ll come away with a deeper understanding of addiction and what it does to a person, and what hope there is. In the months to come, I’ll be writing some articles and guest blog posts about this issue. I would also love to help people move away from a facile and formulaic understanding of what God is like: that he’s an easily-analyzed being who hates unrighteousness and dispenses favor to the faithful. Not only is that understanding an

incomplete one, but it’s also unsatisfying. Knowing God on a deeper level means things get complicated, less black-and-white. But they’re infinitely more satisfying.

Does your job as a nurse influence your writing? If so, how?
I suppose it does in this way: I see such a panorama of human suffering and triumph. Not just physically, but all day long, I brush up against dysfunctional families, failing marriages, people bewildered by life; struggling to live life on life’s terms the best they can manage. But I also see wonderful things: marriages that have thrived for decades; sweet, sacrificial love; bravery and kindness and wisdom in my patients. Not a day goes by that I don’t learn something new from someone I take care of. It’s all grist for the mill, fodder for stories. There is a character or two in each of my books based on patients I’ve had. 

I received a copy of this book from Tyndale Publishing in exchange for my review.  Opinions are mine.

Where The Light Gets In Book Review

I really enjoy books about moms and daughters, so I was very excited to read this book by Kimberly Williams-Paisley.  You may recognize her from her Father of the Bride fame, or the fact that she is married to Brad Paisley, or if you were a Nashville television show fan like me, she had a small recurring role for a while.  Now she is an author of this wonderful memoir about her life and her mom who was diagnosed with an early onset dementia called Primary Progressive Aphasia (or PPA).

This book is full of stories of Kimberly growing up, her parents, siblings, and a mix of good and bad things that happened to her.  One of my favorite parts included Kimberly talking about seeing her therapist...

"Everybody I've ever met has had some sort of issue with one or both of their parents.  It's what keeps therapists employed.... Karen and I didn't harp too much on the past. We talked a lot about moving forward.  Turn anger into compassion, and fear into faith, she told me... For a long time, it was my mantra."

I do not believe a perfect child/parent relationship exists.  All relationships are hard especially when feelings, emotions, and actions are put into play.  I thoroughly enjoyed reading how Kimberly has started to come to terms with her mother's diagnosis.  She is a better daughter, wife, mom, and friend with all she has learned through this.  I am thankful she wrote this book and will definitely pass in along to friends whose parents are diagnosed with any illness.

*I received this book in exchange for my review.  Opinions are mine.*

JESUS CALLING MY FIRST BIBLE STORYBOOK

This is by far the cutest Bible Storybook I have seen! This is going to be added to every baby shower gift I give in the future. There are 20 Bible stories in this book along with a promise from God with each one. I love the simple words that a child can understand along with promises that I need to hear as an adult. I look forward to reading this to my grandkids when they come visit me!! I love to read about Jesus Calling to me!

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for my review.  Opinions are mine.*

THE LEAGUE OF INCREDIBLE VEGETABLES

My oldest son grew up watching VeggieTales.  He quickly became obsessed with Bob the Tomato, Larry the Cucumber, and LarryBoy ("I am that hero!!").  We watched hours and hours and hours of Silly Songs with Larry and every VeggieTales episode ever created.  So when we got a chance to check out the VeggieTales League of Incredible DVD we were both pretty excited!  

This VeggieTale story is about handling things you are afraid of.  There are several Super Heroes that make an appearance in this show when LarryBoy gets some help from his friends.  You can find this League of Incredible Vegetables DVD on sale right now.  You can also get a $5.00 coupon if you join the Fishflix email list, or by texting 5-GIFT to 44222.  This would make for some great deals for family friendly videos.  Fishflix is a great source for the best and newest Christian movies and entertainment for the whole family.  You don't have to worry about the content in the movies on their website which is a big sigh of relief for this mom!

BOYS AMONG MEN *review*

If you are looking for a great Father's Day book for your sports loving dad, this is the book to get him.  Since it is the peak of the NBA Finals also, this is a great time to read this book.  This not also includes lots of basketball history for the history buffs, it also tackles present day sporting issues with the game of basketball.  Overall a great read for anyone interested in learning more about basketball and the players of the game, both past and present!!

Visit Boys Among Men to learn more about the book and author, Jonathan Abrams.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my review.  Opinions are mine.

HOPE HEALS *review*

On any given day I can start to feel sorry for myself.  My life, family, job, circumstances, the internet, basically just life in general can spin me into a tizzy very quickly.  It can be something minor, or something big....and I can let it ruin my day very quickly.  Then I drag others around me (most likely my boys or husband) down into the tizzy-ness that I'm in.

So after reading this book, I really have nothing (NOTHING) to complain about.  Katherine Wolf suffered a brain stem stroke (she should not be alive right now) in her early 20s shortly after giving birth to her first son.  This book starts at the beginning of how she met her husband and goes to the present.  It has a happy ending because they give all the glory to God.  She is alive for a purpose.  His purpose.  They have been able to speak hope into the lives of those that are feeling hopeless.  What a journey they have been on.  What a story they have to tell.  I love that there is hope to cling to and that their hope is everlasting!

"We know all too well that no single one of us knows what tomorrow holds or even what the night holds, for that matter.  It is unnatural, against every animal instinct in us, to release ourselves into that reality; but God calls us there - to that place of surrender where He invites us to rest, secure in arms more capable and more loving than our own." ~Hope Heals pg. 231

I received this book in exchange for my review.  Opinions are solely mine.