When a Man Loves a Woman: Pursuing Her Heart By James Ford, Jr. Book Review

In When a Man Loves a Woman, James Ford, Jr. explored the depths of the story of Jacob’s love for Rachel. Jacob started travelling and he came upon a group of men waiting to water their sheep. They saw Rachel coming to water her sheep and all of the men just made excuses and didn’t offer to move the stone from the well. Jacob was the only man who stood up and moved the stone for a woman! He made sure that her sheep received the water they desperately needed. Jacob also went on and worked fourteen years to win the hand of Rachel. The book led readers to engage in working hard for their woman. An important key to any striving relationship is communicating and listening to what our woman is feeling and going through. Men struggle with communicating effectively and many times we don’t build up our wife with enough positive words that bless her.

I immensely enjoyed when James Ford, Jr. revealed a story that he started nine years ago and he continued to do for his wife. He surprised her by randomly picking a night out of each year and he sends her out with one of her friends. While she is out having a wonderful time, he works on preparing her a home cooked meal and he cleans the house. He adds romance back by getting creative and he chooses to display his love for her.   

I would recommend this book to any man trying to improving their relationship with their wife. If you’re married or single this book will benefit and teach you what do to in your marriage. The book showed me that it was extremely important to love your wife by listening, communicating, and providing for her. Most men today don’t have the tenacity to assist with earning the love of a woman. If we had to work fourteen years for a woman’s hand some of us wouldn’t do it. Many of us struggle with waiting until having sex until we are married. We want the pleasure now but not the commitment of marriage. Some father-in-laws don’t have any requirements to display and prove that we can provide for their daughter. I liked how Ford, Jr. didn’t sugarcoat the truth about how to be a better husband. The one aspect that he demonstrated well was being transparent about his relationship mistakes and triumphs. I have never heard before and seen how the stone being removed from well had significant meaning. The excuses we make for not helping a woman in need are endless. We can blame and make excuses all we want to but it still won’t ever lead to change unless we start moving forward. If you want your marriage to change, improve, and thrive to greater capacity then this book is written to teach you to become the man that a woman has always wanted and needed.

"I received this book free from the publisher through the Moody Publishers book review bloggers program."

If you would like to purchase a copy of When a Man Loves a Woman check it out on Amazon.com or ChristianBook.com:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0802468381/

http://www.christianbook.com/when-loves-woman-pursuing-her-heart/james-ford/9780802468383/pd/468383?item_code=WW&netp_id=836724&event=ESRCN&view=details

Check out the book on Moody Publishers website:

http://www.moodypublishers.com/pub_productDetail.aspx?id=41823&pid=62508

All Pro Dad: Seven Essentials to be a Hero to Your Kids By Mark Merrill Book Review

All Pro Dad is written in the outline and style of a football playbook. Mark Merrill described the fundamentals of fatherhood as loving our children no matter what mistakes and failures they might make in their lifetime. Leading and discipline our children can be extremely difficult but it has to be done in order to teach them the accurate way to conduct their lives.

 

The book shared seven essentials to becoming a better father that your wife and children need you to be. Some of the seven are Makeup, Mind-set, Model, and Message. Merrill believed fathers had to know who they are in their identity. We aren’t what others have claimed and declared us to be. Most men try to define themselves with what job positions they hold, what kind of car they drive, and many other fault assets. But our true identity is the unique person God has made us to be. It’s also important to know what our true gifts and purpose are. Without understanding that lies spoken over us aren’t true and they don’t make our identity, we can’t teach our children who they are called to be. Speaking and telling our kids to believe what God has already declared about them is a significant step to instilling the truth into their lives. 

I enjoyed the stories about parenting and life lessons that Mark Merrill included from Tony Dungy, S. Truett Cathy, Michael W. Smith, Michael Ducker, James “JB” Brown, Norm Miller, and others. Readers will also benefit from huddling up and asking the questions at the end of each chapter to their children.

I would recommend this life changing book to any father who wants to lead their children in an effective way. The book is written for dads but if you’re planning or possibly think you might become a father one day then read this remarkable book. I am not a father yet but this book still benefited me in learning the skills and the tools to become a better father. The seven critical steps will change how you parent your children and it will radically change how you view yourself. I learned the importance of believing what God has made me to be and called me to be. I must build up my children by revealing to them how proud I am of them, how I love them, and pointing out their gifts that I notice them portraying. Our words can inspire our children or they can lead them astray, trying to earn approval elsewhere. If we don’t give them attention and love they will seek and try to fill the void somewhere else. The book showed me that it’s my job to teach my children about faith, manners, sports, character traits, and sex education. We can’t become passive and expect the pastor to teach our kids about faith and God, the school to educate them about manners, peer pressure, drugs, and sex, and practicing sports. Great parenting has to start in the home and it has to be practiced and displayed daily. This book will guide fathers into leading their families towards their God ordained potentials in life that will last for generations!

"I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program."

If you would like to purchase a copy of All Pro Dad check it out on Amazon.com:

http://www.amazon.com/All-Pro-Dad-Seven-Essentials/dp/1595555072/

Tender Warrior: Every Man’s Purpose, Every Woman’s Dream, Every Child’s Hope By Stu Weber Book Review

Tender Warrior is about striving to become the king, warrior, mentor, and friend to our wife and children. Men can sometimes get so caught up in trying to work so hard to provide for their families. They don’t spend enough time in building and maintaining the role their family needs them to fulfill. A man must have a vision for the future of their family. It’s important to share our dreams with our wife and we need to listen to her dreams. Weber believed in keeping his word and promises and passing that character trait down to future generations.

He also shared the story about Job and how he stayed with God even when he lost all of his children, animals, and servants. He kept serving God despite the problems, pains, and struggles that he had to endure. Today, when men encounter difficulties most are running instead of practicing endurance. The book discussed the statics of fatherless homes and the rise in divorced rates. He included an analogy of how our children are like arrows and we must teach them how to survive and how to provide for themselves and their families.

Stu Weber asked men to examine the answers to these questions: (Page 31-32).

“If our marriage were to go on just the way it’s been going, what will it be like for us in five, ten, twenty years?

“How can I build the self-esteem of my wife, who spends enormous amounts of time cleaning house and changing diapers?”

“When will my little boy and I need to have our first talk about sex?”

I only shared some of the important questions we need to ponder. The book contained much more discussion questions to dive into.

I would recommend this book to men who have the courage to stay in the race with their family. Staying, protecting, leading, and providing are critical roles, we must practice to raise our children the precise way. The book is a magnificent written book that appeals to the hearts of men. It has a lot of stories that will give men the strength to know that they aren’t alone. I learned that I must step up my game in order to be the husband and father I was created to be. I also have seen the importance of leaning on other men in our journey together to fathering our children. I tend to be more of the lone ranger and I am realizing that I must continue to work to change that. I am going to start to pray for a Jonathan to come into my life. I enjoyed the discussion questions and how they were displayed. At the end of each chapter, readers got the chance to answer some by himself and some with his friends. I don’t have any children right now but in the future this book will be a great book to reread to remind me of the magnitude of passing down high-quality character traits. I learned so much about learning to be a man who is able to stand and lead his children correctly. Even when I fail, all that matters is that I try again and learn from my mistakes! If you’re looking for a book that will assist in your parenting then read this awesome life changing book! Fellow, Tender Warriors arise!

“I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review”.

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

http://www.amazon.com/Tender-Warrior-Purpose-Womans-Childs/dp/1590526139

Read Chapter One:

http://multnomahemails.com/wbmlt/pdf/SneakPeekTenderWarrior.pdf

More Info:

http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?isbn=9781590526132

Author Bio:

http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/author-spotlight.php?authorid=74973

Angel Eyes By Shannon Dittemore Blog Tour

Shannon Dittemore has a breathtaking approach to the spiritual world surrounding the characters in this brand new novel. The book had a mixer of angels and demons fighting each other to win. The chapters are told from different viewpoints to capture the entire thrilling plot. I would recommend this novel to readers who enjoy exploring the seen and the unseen worlds of good vs. evil and angels against demons. If you’re a teenager or an adult who likes a fantasy packed novel then this one you will find this series irresistible! I immensely connected with the characters and the novel was extremely hard to put down.

The book had many life concepts that everybody could relate to. The book proved and showed the effects of how fear can hinder us from living our lives. I liked how Shannon displayed fear to be like a hidden dark cloud and we must rid ourselves of any doubt and insecurity. The main character, Brielle struggled with fear and she didn’t understand how God could allow bad things to take away people she loved. Many of us have asked the same question over certain situations we had to go through. I was touched by how Brielle started to recognize that there is a battle going on in the spiritually that we can’t see. An unbeliever started seeing the truth! Jake was also a big character that I found what it means to be a man and a protector. Jake showed the significance of watching out for someone that you greatly loved and he had an amazing position on believing the precision of Faith. I also thought the author did a brilliant job at bringing light to rescuing human trafficking victims. This is the first book in the fantasy series and I can’t wait to continue in the journey of Brielle and Jake!

“I received this book for free from Litfuse Publicity Group/ Thomas Nelson for this review”.

About the book:  Angel Eyes By Shannon Dittemore


Once you've seen, you can't unsee. Everything changes when you've looked at the world through . . .Angel Eyes


Brielle went to the city to chase her dreams and found tragedy instead. She's come home to shabby little Stratus, Oregon, to live with her grief and her guilt . . . and the incredible, numbing cold she can't seem to shake.


Jake's the new guy at school. The boy next door with burning hands and an unbelievable gift that targets him for corruption.


Something more than fate has brought them together. An evil bigger than both of them lurks in the shadows nearby, hiding in plain sight. Two angels stand guard, unsure what's going to happen. And a beauty brighter than Jake or Brielle has ever seen is calling them to join the battle in a realm where all human choices start.


A realm that only angels and demons-and Brielle-can perceive.






About Shannon:

Shannon is a wife and mother. A sister. A daughter. A friend. She was raised in Northern California by her parents-pastors of their local church and constant figures of inspiration.
As a youth, Shannon traveled with an award-winning performing arts team, excelling on stage and in the classroom. As a young adult, she attended Portland Bible College, continued acting, and worked with an outreach team targeting inner-city kids in the Portland-Metropolitan area.
It was in Portland that she met her husband, Matt. They were married in 2002. Soon after, they took the reins of the youth ministry at Living Way Community Church in Roseville, California where they continue to serve in that capacity. In October of 2004, their son Justus was born, followed by their daughter Jazlyn, born in 2008.


Find out more at www.shannondittemore.com.






Win a Nook Color from Shannon Dittemore (@ShanDitty)! "Angel Eyes" Giveaway and Facebook Party {6/26} Celebrate with Shannon by entering her "Angel Eyes" Giveaway and connecting with her during the Author Chat Party on 6/26!


Find out what readers are saying here.

One "angelic" winner will receive:

• A Brand New Nook Color
• A copy of Angel Eyes by Shannon Dittemore

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends at noon on June 25th. Winner will be announced at the "Angel Eyes" Author Chat Facebook Party on 6/26. Shannon will be hosting a book chat, testing your trivia skills and giving away some great prizes!


So grab your copy of Angel Eyes and join Shannon on the evening of the June 26th for a chance to meet Shannon and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book - don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 26th!

No Matter The Cost By Vance Brown Book Review

In No Matter The Cost, Vance Brown considered the importance of standing and fighting in the last battle when Jesus returns to triumph over Satan. All other wars won’t be able to compare to the victory of this one. He also founded the Band of Brothers ministry to help lead men in the last battle and he wants men to never give up. Throughout the book, Vance Brown asked the question, “Will you be one of the saints used by God to finally defeat evil?” (Page 27). The book encouraged men to find other brothers to support them over the journey of their life. His book shared the story of what Brown had to encounter in his life. He struggled with sexual temptations that lead to an affair and he was letting anxiety run his daily life. He also had to face restoring a marriage, being there for his son going through cancer treatments, and forgiving his father and brother for firing him from the family business. He has seen the impact of men who don’t have a group of brothers to encourage and speak truth to them when needed.  We weren’t created to be lone rangers in the wrestle to the finish. The book takes apart the Lord’s Prayer piece by piece and it reveals how men are suppose to conduct their lives.  

I would recommend this book to men who are thinking they can be the lone rangers. They may be telling themselves that they don’t need anybody else to assist them in their triumphs and failures. Men must stand together and share our deepest sorrow, hurts, and pains, as well as, our joy we encompass. This book is also for men who are struggling with giving up and losing hope.  The book contains many scriptures passages about fighting until we get victory in the last battle. The book had astonishing transparent real stories from men that had to endure heartache and it showed how they came out of it. Men must become survivors when life tries to break us down. It’s time to put on the whole armor of God and overcome our enemy! Gear up men!

“I received this book free from the publisher through the Bethany House Publishers book review bloggers program.”  

Check out the trailer for No Matter The Cost:

If you would like to purchase a copy of No Matter The Cost then check it out on Amazon.com:

http://www.amazon.com/No-Matter-Cost-Vance-Brown/dp/076420999X/

Read the Excerpt from the Prologue:

http://www.nomatterthecost.com/_literature_126499/Excerpt_from_The_Prologue

Check out No Matter The Cost website:

http://www.nomatterthecost.com/

Check out the Band of Brothers:

http://www.bandofbrothers.org

Do This and Live Healthy: 10 Simple Keys That Cure By: Don Verhulst, MD Book Review

In Do This and Live Healthy, Don Verhulst demonstrated ten critical healthy steps to change readers overall wellbeing.  He backed up his ten keys with tons of encouraging scripture references. This book first key covers the importance of relaxing and trusting God to handle our life and any problems we may have to face. He believed in “four-six it” our cares and concerns to God. This means to do what Philippians 4:6 says we must do. He persuaded readers to laugh daily to reduce stress hormones and laughing also boosts the immune system. Having joy and being cheerful are some of the things the word speaks about.  For example, “A merry heart does good, like medicine” (Proverbs 17:22). Another key to great health is getting the proper amount of sleep each night. Verhulst recommended sleeping at least for six to eight hours a night.  An additional significant key that has wonderful health benefits is exercising and increasing your muscle tone. During exercise, your body releases endorphins that assist in releasing natural painkillers. Exercise also dramatically improves your mental outlook on life. The book contained many more extremely important keys to living healthier.

The second section of the book contains a reference guide for common health problems. Some of the common problems we have to encounter are ADHD, Alzheimer Disease, Cancer, Fibromyalgia, Cholesterol, Flu, Heartburn and Acid Reflux, High Blood Pressure, Sinus, Yeast Infections, and many other health issues. Don Verhulst will show you ways to prevent sickness and how to correct the health problems.  

I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking to fix their overall health. Let’s be honest, who doesn’t want to live a long healthy life. Everyone can benefit from putting the ten keys into practice. The ten keys are simple and they aren’t impossible to accomplish. I learned that horses eat the whole parts of the apples and many humans tend to not consume the peeling, the core, and the seeds. I have personally never have eaten the seeds or the core because I was always told not to. But Don says it is perfectly fine to consume them. He goes on to say that the seeds assist your body in eliminating cancer cells. I also learned that we lose a pound of muscle every year starting at age twenty in the average non-exerciser. But by exercising we can start to form muscle and keep our muscle tone! We are overcomers! This book had superb tips and keys to achieve the health the God and his Bible called us to have. If you’re looking for simple keys to greater health then read this book! The keys are some you wouldn’t have believed the scriptures would have contain passages about living in our total health. Get ready to be living out your best healthy life!

Charisma House has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book.

If you would like to purchase a copy of Do This and Live Healthy then check it out on Amazon.com:

http://www.amazon.com/Do-This-Live-Healthy-simple/dp/1616388269/