2011 - Women of Faith Conference - Atlanta

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How would you like to get away and enjoy a weekend with girlfriends and women from all over the Southeast? Come and join us at the Women of Faith "Imagine" conference on August 12-13, 2011. Renew your soul, draw closer to God, and leave refreshed and excited about life! I can't wait to see you there!

Watch the video clip below to get a glimpse of what it will be like!



Book Sneeze has given me two complimentary tickets to attend this event. I am SOOO excited to be a chosen blogger!!! Thank you Book Sneeze for this wonderful opportunity! God has opened the doors for this exciting event, and I pray that both myself and the friend who goes with me have our hearts open to receive His blessings!

Book Review: Learning by Karen Kingsbury

I just finished reading Learning by Karen Kingsbury, and I have to say that I loved it! I was so looking forward to getting it after reading Leaving (the first book in the Bailey Flanigan series), and it did not leave me disappointed. It was a little slow to get into at first, but whenever I got to the part about Cody and what he was able to do with his football team at the summer camp, all I can say is "Wow!" You will want to have a box of Kleenex handy for this one! It is such a powerful reminder of how God is good...all of the time!

I still want Bailey to end up with Cody, but this book left me feeling that I would be fine if it were Brandon Paul that she ends up with. His character has grown on me, and I love the way that he has shown Bailey how much that he respects and cherishes her as a person.

This second book in the Bailey Flanigan series takes you through her struggles as an actress and dancer on Broadway and how she takes a stand for Christ with her cast mates. I am anxiously awaiting the release of the third book this fall, and I hope to get it as soon as it comes out! I received this complimentary copy of Learning from Zondervan to read and review. All opinions of this book are my own. I hope that you enjoy reading it as much as I did! I highly recommend this and any other book written by Karen Kingsbury! WONDERFUL!!!

CD Review: Rejoice by Women of Faith

I enjoyed listening to the songs on the latest CD made by the Women of Faith Worship team. This group is made up of seven ladies who lead the worship at Women of Faith events across the country.

The songs were a mix of hymns and contemporary praise and worship songs. I thought that the cd was very calming and relaxing (not one I would recommend for listening to in the car!). Overall, I thought that the music was very pretty to listen to.

The following songs were on this cd:

Beautiful Redeemer

So Good

Forever Reign

Come As You Are

Hosanna

Our God

Glory to God

You Brought the Sunshine

Greatness of Our God

Great is Thy Faithfulness

My favorite song was the last one, Great is Thy Faithfulness. The vocal harmony was very pretty and filled me with a spirit of joy! I know that everyone has their own musical preferrences, and mine tends to be a little more contemporary than what was on this cd, but I did enjoy listening to it overall. I plan to pass this on to a girlfriend who has been going through a hard situation right now. I think that this music will be very uplifting to her and help her to keep her focus on God.

I received this complimentary cd from Booksneeze and Thomas Nelson to review. All opinions given are my own. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to receive a blessing! :)

Book Review: Leaving by Karen Kingsbury

I just finished reading Leaving by Karen Kingsbury, and I loved her latest book about the Bailey Flanigan that we have come to love through her other books! Some people think that Karen should have wrapped up the love story between Cody and Bailey before now, but I personally have enjoyed watching Bailey grow up and continue her journey in love and life.

In this book, we see different people in the Flannigan's lives "leaving" from the places they have been for so long. It is a hard place to be in when you are the one being "left" behind, but so exciting for the one that is actually spreading your wings and doing what God has planned for your life. I have continued to love the connection and closeness that Bailey is able to share with her mom as she grows up. Some may see that as unrealistic, but I think that this type of relationship is wonderful and one that we should all strive to have with our children.

I am looking forward to the release of Learning in a couple of weeks to see what happens next in the Bailey series! I highly recommend Leaving by Karen Kingsbury which Zondervan sent complimentary to me to read and review. All opinions on this book are my own. I hope that you enjoy it as much as I did!

Book Review: Max on Life by Max Lucado

We all have questions that pop into our head that we just can't seem to find the answer to or that we ponder on for days. Max Lucado has the answers to some of these most often asked questions that he has received as both a pastor and a writer. In his book, Max on Life, he covers topics under hope, hurt, help, relationships, home, haves/haven-nots, and the life hereafter. This book is filled with 172 questions and answers, some of which have surely passed through your mind!

This book would be especially helpful to a "new" Christian, as it answers a lot of questions that someone who is not as familiar with the Bible might have. I would highly recommend this book to anyone, but I am partial in that I love Max Lucado's writings!

I also liked having the scriptural references he provided in answer to these questions. The whole book is Bible-based. This book is good as a reference book if you are leading a small group through your church. I plan to donate this copy to our church library so that others can enjoy reading it as much as I did! I received this book to read and review from Thomas Nelson and BookSneeze. All opinions shared are my own.

Book Review: The Final Summit by Andy Andrews

Wow! This book by Andy Andrews will really make you think about life and your purpose here on Earth! I enjoyed reading The Final Summit and found that I didn't want to put it down until I was finished. The main character in the book, David Ponder, has lost his wife Ellen and is contemplating ending his own life. Becoming a "Traveler" and meeting with other people from the past, Andrews takes us on a journey to discover the one solution that will save humanity.

One thing that I really enjoyed about this book was the historical details that Andrews includes. It takes you back to meet people like Winston Churchhill, George Washington Carver, Joan of Arc, and even Biblical individuals like David who slayed Goliath. It gives you an inside perspective to what those people might have been thinking as they faced their trials. I really enjoyed the personalities of each of the individuals that David Ponder meets in this story.

The book also includes a Reader's Guide at the end so that you can do this as a Book Study with other people and use it as a discussion guide. This is another great work by Andy Andrews! It leaves you with principles that you can use in your own everyday life. I received and reviewed this complimentary book from Thomas Nelson and BookSneeze. All opinions shared are my own.

Book Review: In Front of God and Everybody: Confessions of April Grace by: K.D. McCrite

I just finished reading the book In Front of God and Everybody: Confessions of April Grace written by K. D. McCrite. I was looking forward to getting this book after reading the summary about it, and I had planned on passing it along to my niece to read. After receiving and reading the book, though, I don't plan to give it to her. I was disappointed in the quality of this book. If you don't mind reading the backhills language and very, very "country" talk throughout this book, you might enjoy it. I found it to be more immature and silly than I expected. I knew that it was going to be written through a child's perspective of growing up in the Ozarks, but I personally didn't care for the way it was written.

Trust me...I have nothing against people who live in the country or talk Southern slang, for I too am a Southern girl who lives out in the country myself! We live on a farm and not in a suburb with neighbors right on top of us. I was just very disappointed in this book, and I don't plan on reading the sequel Clicks, Hicks, and Ugly Sticks. I received a complimentary copy of this book to read and review from Thomas Nelson and BookSneeze. All opinions of this book are my own.