Andrew Smith's Blog

My name is Andrew. Come and have a look inside my life and watch me share what is on my heart.

Mayo Clinic on Healthy Aging: An Easy and Comprehensive Guide to Keeping Your Body Young, Your Mind Sharp and Your Spirit Fulfilled by Nathan K. LeBrasseur and Christina Chen Book Review

 



Mayo Clinic on Healthy Aging is a new book about the biology of aging and what we can expect. They looked at the age lift span and how it has changed. In the 1900s the average life span was about 45 years old. Now people live to almost 80. This book is geared to try and help increase the age gap and to help us live longer. They looked at the brain, heart and lungs, immunity health, urinary health, and much more. They explored topics such as retirement planning, exercise, eating well, and vaccinations. 

 

 



 

The first part of the book explored the brain and how it ages. Our brain will shrink in size and this will in turn affect structures of the brain and we may have a decrease in cognitive function. We will lose our response time and it is 1.5 times slower than a young adult. One positive thing is that our judgement often gets better with age and this is because of knowledge and skills and experience. The book explained how researchers have discovered that we can control some of the risk factors to our brain health. One of the ways is keeping our brains challenged and boosting our cognitive. We need to address our physical activity, stress levels, tobacco use, blood pressure, and much more. One of the studies found if we have interrupted sleep, we are more at risk at developing dementia. They recommended following a plant-based diet to prevent dementia. They shared how helpful it can be to have a calendar and a task list to keep you focus and to help you remember. It’s important to perform one task at a time. There is mental aerobics we can use to stretch our brain and to keep it sharpened. 




 

 

I would recommend this awesome book to anyone who is ready to age better and they want to improve their quality of life. I loved how they covered the entire body and health systems. I liked how they discussed kidney stones since this is something I have experienced a few times. They shared some of the causes and how we can try to prevent them as we age. I liked how they discussed what to eat and the importance of maintaining physical activity and getting enough sleep. They covered a wide range of different topics that will assist people as the age and it was very informative. 

 

 

 

"I received this book free from Mayo Clinic Press for my honest review.”

 

 

 

 

 

If you would like to purchase a copy, check it out on Amazon.com:

 

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Mayo-Clinic-Healthy-Aging-Comprehensive/dp/B0BQYKS8ND/

Forty Seven Days with Jesus Movie Review and Giveaway

 



• Buy tickets today to see Forty-Seven Days with Jesus in theaters ONLY

on March 11, 12, and 14!





• Get ready for Easter by taking your family to see this beautiful film!

• Synopsis: A disconnected family finds hope and unity through a cinematic retelling of Jesus’ final 47 days on Earth. 

 

Starring Yoshi Barrigas and Catherine Lidstone from The Chosen and featuring unforgettable original music, FORTY-SEVEN DAYS WITH JESUS brings the Easter story to life and reminds us of The Gospel’s enduring impact.







 

 

My Review:

 

This movie is a perfect film released just in time for Easter. It all began with a story in a notebook telling others about Jesus. It retells the story of Jesus starting with him traveling on a donkey, meeting people, and performing miracles. He showed love to others and then was betrayed by Judah and he died for our sins and rose again. The film walks readers through the entire 47 days of Jesus final journey on earth. A lot of the Jesus scenes were performed as a musical and had a song conveying the message. I also loved the other message of the film it showcased a family who was visiting with family and a father who was too busy working to enjoy the time together. His father was very former fireman and he was now very sick with cancer. He tried to help his son realize that time is short and we need to spend the time with our loved ones while they are still here. His son was a workaholic who rarely got time with his wife and kids. He was trying to be driven to reach his goal in his company. His marriage was failing and, on the rocks, and the true story of Jesus is the only hope it had left. I really enjoyed how they tied both stories together and they kept going back and forth to provide hope. The musical made it very family friendly and kids will enjoy the message of the film. I know parents may be worried about kids seeing Jesus being crucified on the cross and it wasn’t as violent as other movies and they would be safe to watch it. I think this film is a wonderful easter movie to introduce people to Christ. 

 

 





 

Yoshi Argument with Poppa: 

 

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/rg6urGbDbUw?si=Jj-oL7pWGAWgEXgp

 

Yoshi and Poppa tell the story: 

 

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/_KKQg8Fyh1A

 

Pool Transformation: 

 

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/zWTlc9QsEZQ

 

Nonna speaking with Yoshi: 

 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C4GSXzQLRDV/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

 





 

• Buy tickets today to see Forty-Seven Days with Jesus in theaters ONLY on March 11, 12, and 14!

 

Website: https://fortysevendaysfilm.com

Buy Tickets: https://www.fathomevents.com/events/47-days-with-jesus/



Trailer: 





https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtDfKf7RALY


 

Social Pages:

IG: https://www.instagram.com/fortysevendaysfilm/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556631509376

Production Company websites:

https://reelbigstudio.com

https://pinnaclepeakpictures.com

 

 

 

Disclosure:

Many thanks to Reel Big Studios for providing a sample of the product for this review.

Opinions are 100% my own. 


Giveaway: $10 Amazon giftcard

(This is limited to US winners only)




a Rafflecopter giveaway

God’s Great Dream: Discover the Sacred Thread Binding the Whole Bible Together into One Epic Story, From Genesis to Revelation, and How You Can Be a Part of It by Zach Duke Book Review




In God’s Great Dream, Zach Duke has written his very first book discussing the sacred thread that God has provided for us in His written Word. His family, coaches, and mentors helped him to have a real and deep relationship with Christ. It all changed when he met Joshua Rolf who worked alongside him at his church. He helped him to understand how the scriptures were all woven together. He explained beginning in Genesis how God created man in His own image and how He made us male and female. We are the only thing that God made in His image and we are like Him. The animals or plants were not. He shared how we have a connection and a responsibility to participate in God’s plan and His mission. He instructed to be fruitful and multiply. Zach takes the approach a little differently. We need to look at not just as a command to reproduce. What if instead God is more after having quality fruit and representing Christ in the world. God’s glory needs to be our focus and to spread it all and touch other lives in His image. Adam and Eve were instructed to fill the earth and to show God’s image to the entire world. He shared how we should ask ourselves two questions to discover God’s dream and work effectively at our purpose. He explored how each scripture takes us on a journey of blessing and they are woven together throughout the whole Bible. He discussed also the blessing of Noah, rebellion, Abraham, and all the way to Revelations and how we can find out God’s dream for us. 

 

 

 

I would recommend this awesome book discussing God’s dream for us and His glory. It was very life changing to read about his incredible approach on God’s image and how we can be a disciple and represent God in the world. I liked how he broke down the sacred thread starting at Genesis and going all the way to Revelations. I liked how he looked at the distinctive blessings throughout the passages of scriptures. I appreciated how he encouraged readers to actively engage and be a part of His story and learn to be immediate, radical, and follow the costly obedience. 





 

 

"I received this book free from Zach Duke for my honest review.”

 

 

 

 

 

If you would like to purchase a copy, check it out on Amazon.com:

 

 

The Love Everybody Wants: What You're Looking For Is Already Yours by Madison Prewett Troutt Book Review


 

In The Love Everybody Wants, Madison Prewett Troutt explored the topic of love and where true love occurs. She was a contestant on The Bachelor in season 24. In the book, she will share her experience with her journey on singleness and finding love. She explained how God loves us unconditionally and we can all experience that. Scriptures instructs us to love God with all of our heart, soul, and mind. Then next we are told to love our neighbor as yourself. She looked at what true love is and we can use 1 Corinthians 13 as an example to recall what we should be seeking in love. She wasn’t afraid to discuss the loaded questions such as, “Am I hard to love, Am I enough, and Will I ever get picked. She helped readers to pay attention to the thoughts that they have about themselves. She encouraged readers to remember what God says about them and how critical it is to replace the lies with His truths. Our worth can be found in the cross and how much He loves us. 

 

 



 

In the book, she looked at shame and how we can learn to break up with our shame. She told a personal story about how when she was 21 years old, she accidently left her boss a voicemail instead of her boyfriend at the time. She told him he was cute and that she missed him. She remembers her boss asking her about the call and she called and explained it to his wife. She remembers feeling ashamed and bad about the mix up. Many of us may be feeling ashamed about our past sins. She shared other stories about people being videotaped without her knowing. Shame harms our identity and affects our self-worth. It can lead us down a bad path into our self-defeating thoughts and self-hatred. Shame ends when we realize who Jesus is and the power, He has over it. In His word, we are told we are forgiven. 

 




 

I would recommend this awesome book that touched on all aspects of singleness and true love. I loved how she chose to share about God’s incredible love and how we can experience a remarkable relationship with Christ. Each chapter has questions we can ask ourselves such as, “why did God allow that rejection to happen”. I also liked how she shared how she met the love of her life, Grant and what she learned along the way. This book is an excellent resource for single people and it will guide them through all the questions they may have about true love. This book is wonderful for single women and is written just for them. 

 

 

 

 

"I received this book free from Waterbrook for my honest review.”

 





If you would like to purchase a copy, check it out on Amazon.com:

 

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0593445244/ 





Addie Ant Goes on an Adventure by Maren Morris and Karina Argow Book Review



In Addie Ant Goes on an Adventure, Maren Morris has written her first children’s book. Addie Ant lived in the bottom of a tomato bed with her aunt Gertie and aunt Zelda. But she longed to travel across the garden and visit the area behind the shed. It is filled with watermelons and sunflowers. She meets some fun characters such as Lewis Ladybug. She was warned about the gardener’s hen, Harriet Chicken. He would often mistake critters as corn. She makes her way to the watermelons and sunflowers and is taken back from the beautiful scenery and adventure. 

 

 

I would recommend this awesome book to anyone who has children aged 1-7. I loved how this book educated kids on the importance of ants and how they help plants and the ecosystem in the garden or the rainforest. This book is a fun little adventure book about nature and how ants probably have a quest daily in the environment. This book is a little different from what I thought Maren Morris would have written. I’m guessing she wrote it for son. It didn’t have a lot of music or lyric references like I thought at first it would have coming from a hit songwriter. It was still a fun adventure for children to partake on. The illustration was breathtaking and children will enjoy watching the adventure unfold. 

 

 

 

 

 

"I received this book free from Chronicle Books for my honest review.”

 

 

 

 

 

If you would like to purchase a copy, check it out on Amazon.com:

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Addie-Goes-Adventure-Maren-Morris/dp/1797228919/

 

Finding Grace: The Inspiring True Story of Therapy Dogs Bringing Comfort, Hope, and Love to a Hurting World by Larry Randolph and Jennifer Marshall Bleakley Book Review

 




In Finding Grace, Larry Randolph tells the story of how he founded Canines for Christ. Him and his wife, Susan was already at retirement age and doing so much to help the community around them. He recalls how God spoke to him and told him he needed to invest in therapy dogs. He didn’t even have a dog at the time. He remembered how he has a special dog, Gus before when he was in desperate need of a best friend. The economy had just fell and real estate experienced a downturn. He had to file for bankruptcy. His family gifted him Gus to keep him company during the day. The economy did recover but his marriage to Chris didn’t. They divorced and Gus helped him through all of the pain and all the difference in the world. Eventually, Gus did pass away and he hasn’t had a dog since. He shared how he felt led to again get another dog and start his foundation. He had their logo embroidered in gold lettering and this represented the gospel and the blood of Christ. They grew it to over twenty teams and they travel all of over to homes, hospitals, care facilities, and schools to provide comfort and to display God’s love to them. In the book, they shared some of the people they were blessed to meet and help change their lives. 




 

 

One of these touching stories was about Laura and Carl. Laura met them at a drug store. She wanted to meet later on with them and tell them her story. She explained how she was hit by an 18-year-old driver going 50 mph in a 35 mph. She was driving home from a meeting when she was hit and it just so happened that an off-duty fireman heard the crash. He thought she was dead but he was able to revive her. She was given a 2 % chance of surviving. She shared how God spoke to her and told her that this wasn’t her time to go. She had to leave her job and she spends her day with her own dog, Chloe. They became a part of their ministry. 




 

 

I would recommend this awesome book on how this ministry has been able to make so much of a difference in people’s lives. This book is a wonderful example of sharing God’s love to a hurting world. It was inspiring to read the different stories and how they helped others. It was also touching to read about how Grace helped Larry when Susan faced health challenges. This book is a delightful read for any dog lovers with a mixture of positive lessons we can learn from dogs. 

 

 

 

"I received this book free from Tyndale Momentum for my honest review.”

 

 

 

 

 

If you would like to purchase a copy, check it out on Amazon.com:

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Finding-Grace-Inspiring-Therapy-Bringing/dp/1496473604/