Book Review: Unlocked by Karen Kingsbury

Another "wow" book from Karen Kingsbury is here!  The book Unlocked opens up the reader's eyes to the world of autism.  In this story, we are introduced to Tracy Harris and her son, Holden.  He is a high school student who has to deal with being bullied and shunned by his peers because of his differences.  One day, a cheerleader and theater student named Ella sees Holden and the rest of the story unfolds as their friendship grows.

When Holden was three, he went from being a playful, talkative child into a withdrawn and quiet little boy.  He would no longer look his mother (or anyone else) in the eye anymore and would not speak.  It is hard to imagine how a mother might feel when her child will no longer even let her touch him or hold his hand.  This story takes you through the challenges and struggles of both mother and son who are living with a new world of autism in their midst.  It was through the gift of music that Ella, Holden's childhood friend, is able to reach him.  Unlocked is really able to let the reader see what people and families with autism have to deal with on a daily basis.  Karen Kingsbury makes it feel so real and has blessed so many addresssing the "harder" issues through her books.  I love how she uses her God-given talent to share with us on these different topics.  I highly recommend that you read this book and receive a blessing, too!  :)

I received this complimentary book from Zondervan to read and review.  All opinions of this book are my own.

Book Review: Heaven is For Real For Kids By Colton, Todd, & Sonja Burpo

"Heaven is for real, and you're going to like it!"  ~Colton Burpo

Wow!  I enjoyed reading Heaven is For Real For Kids as much as my children loved listening to it!  This book was told by Colton Burpo to his parents, Todd and Sonja Burpo, who wrote down Colton's own words about his experiences in heaven.   This is a simplified version of the book Heaven is For Real and written in a child's voice about the experience of his time in Heaven.  It has been beautifully illustrated under Colton's direction so that it would reflect what he saw during his amazing trip there.

I love how it is written with the simple words of a child!  It makes it so easy for kids (and adults, too!) to understand!  Each page includes a corner with a scripture reference that correlates with the main idea that Colton is sharing to show that what he is stating is backed up by the Bible and not just fictional.  Some of the quotes from Colton that I want to share are:
"Jesus really, really loves children!"
"Heaven is more amazing than you can imagine."
"Everyone is happy there!"
"You get to meet a lot of people in heaven." (Colton met John the Baptist, King David, his great-grandpa Pop, his big sister, and many more!)
"You will never get bored in heaven!"
"All the same types of animals that are on earth are in Heaven, but in Heaven they all get along."
"In Heaven, you will live forever with God!" (His favorite place in Heaven is near God's throne!)
"The most important thing Jesus told me was how to get to Heaven.  He said to believe in Him and follow Him.  That makes God very happy."

The book closes with two pages of questions/answers that kids might ask about this book and then a short prayer.  It also has pictures of Colton, his family, and a picture of Jesus painted by an eight-year-old child named Akaine that when shown to Colton, he declared, "That one's right."

I highly recommend that you read this book to your children and also take the time to read Heaven is For Real for yourself!  I was given a complimentary copy of this book to read and review from BookSneeze and Thomas Nelson.  All opionions shared are my own.  I hope that you enjoy it as much as my family!

Book Review: 100 Read & Sing Devotions by Stephen Elkins

What a wonderful way to train your child to have a daily devotion time!  This new book, 100 Read & Sing Devotions, created by Stephen Elkins is a great resource to use with any small child.  It comes with two CD's inside so that you and your child can listen to one song each day that goes along with the devotion.  This book was perfect for my children because they LOVE music anyway!  Tying the song to a little Bible story/devotion, scripture, and a prayer makes the perfect way to teach your children about Jesus and his great love for us!

Each daily devotion begins by listening and singing a song.  Then, there is a short story/application to the message of the song which is followed by a Bible verse.  The daily verses are very short, and it is a good way to help your child learn to memorize scripture and "hide God's Word in their heart."  Each lesson is concluded with a prayer.  Each daily devotion also has beautiful illustrations to go along with the message.  My children are excited to use this book each day, and they will remind me if I forget to do it with them!  What I love the most is how much they have retained!  I will be busy doing something around the house and hear their sweet little voices singing some of the songs they have learned from this book! 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from BookSneeze and Thomas Nelson to read and review.  All opinions expressed are my own.  If you need a present for a child or are looking for a way to begin devotions with your child, I highly recommend this interactive book!

Book Review: Take Four by Karen Kingsbury

I just finished reading Take Four by Karen Kingsbury, which is the last book in her "Above the Line" series.  I really enjoyed reading Take One, Take Two, and Take Three, and this fourth book did not disappoint!  The book begins with Bailey following her dreams of performing on Broadway.   Both Bailey and Tim audition for a part in several big Broadway productions.  Tim ends up getting a lead role in "Wicked," while Bailey does not.  But God immediately opens the doors for her to try out for a part in the movie "Unlocked" with one of Hollywood's most famous young stars, Brandon Paul. 

I loved watching the story unfold as Bailey witnesses to Brandon and sees how God is able to change and use him.  Readers get to see the dreams of Keith and Dayne unfold through Jeremiah Productions, but Karen keeps it "real" in that their journey is not always an easy one.  They face many trials and hardships along the way, but the journey is worth everything they have to go through to get to the end.

Finally, I loved how Karen unfolded the story with Andi.  The book ends with the birth of her child, which is bittersweet.  I won't say anymore because I don't want to ruin it for those who have not read the book yet!  Just have a box of Kleenex handy!  :) 

I received a complimentary copy of this book to read and review from Zondervan.  All opinions are my own.  I hope that you enjoy this book and series as much as I did!

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Blessings Were Poured Down in Atlanta!

View from my hotel room window!

WOW!!!  What an awesome weekend in Atlanta, GA!  The Women of Faith Conference was absolutely wonderful!  From the amazing speakers to the beautiful weather that God provided, we were truly blessed!

This is the first WOF event that I have ever attended.  Thanks to BookSneeze, I received complimentary tickets and had seats that were on the floor and close to the stage!  I loved how real and honest that each of the speakers were and left knowing that many others have the same struggles that we do.  We just have to remember that God is always with us and will never leave us, even in our darkest moments.

On a lighter note, we, as women, like to have each hair on our head in place before we exit the door in the morning.  Right?!  I loved how Sheila Walsh talked about her hair sometimes looking great and at other times "like the backside of a chicken!"  But, she also shared how God "understood that fact" in Song of Solomon 4:1 ("Your hair is like a flock of goats!").  She made us laugh, cry, and encouraged us through scripture, while sharing about her journey with the Lord.

Angie Smith touched my heart with her transparency and love for God!  Her story was such a blessing to me.  If you ever get the chance to see her, I highly recommend it!  She has a blog called Bring the Rain (audreycaroline.blogspot.com), and you can see her story there.  I can't wait to read her book called What Women Fear.




Natalie Grant was awesome!



The music by the WOF Praise Team, Natalie Grant, and Mary Mary was wonderful!  I also enjoyed hearing Laura Story perform and share about her life.  Listen to her song Blessings below, and receive a blessing yourself!



Other speakers that we were blessed to hear were Lisa Harper, Nicole Johnson, Luci Swindoll, and Steve Arterburn.

Steve Arterburn and Sheila Walsh "Q & A Time"

I met some wonderful ladies and new friends at this conference.  Thanks, again, BookSneeze for allowing me to be a part of this experience!  It left me feeling refreshed and knowing that in my life God can and will do far more than I can ever imagine!!!