Yours is the Day, Lord, Yours is the Night by Jeanie & David Gushee

Yours is the Day, Lord, Yours is the Night by Jeanie & David Gushee is a daily devotional prayer book for Christians. If you need help with praying each day, this is just the type of book that can help you find a good prayer for each morning and evening.

Book Description

“Yours Is the Day, Lord, Yours Is the Night gives a framework for prayerful devotions with a morning and evening prayer for each day of the year. The prayers have been selected to reflect the seasons and the liturgical calendar. They are intended not to replace your personal, spontaneous prayers but to serve as a springboard for them.

Editors Jeanie and David Gushee have collected inspiring contributions from Protestant, Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox sources; from all continents; from the Old Testament; and from each century of Christian history. Yours Is the Day, Lord, Yours Is the Night will enhance your commitment to God and personal connection to the Christian tradition and the Church universal.” – Yours is the Day, Lord, Yours is the Night

My Thoughts

I try to make time each day to pray, but in all honesty, it doesn’t seem to always happen. I never found anything that would make me get into a good habit of praying each day at a certain time, until I started using this book. It is designed for each day of the year for you to pray in the morning with the first prayer, and then later in the evening with the second prayer for the day. The prayers featured in this devotional aren’t too long, but long enough to get something out of and reflect on your life with each one.

Yours is the Day, Lord, Yours is the Night is a very good prayer book for Christians. I enjoy using it to help guide my prayers. If you need a little guidance or help praying each day, this would be a great book for you to read. I also think it would make a very nice gift for a Christian to receive as well. I highly recommend it.

* Thank you to the publisher of Yours is the Day, Lord, Yours is the Night, Thomas Nelson, for providing me with a copy of this book for review as part of their Book Sneeze program. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Last Frontier by Julia Assante

The Last Frontier by Julia Assante is a very powerful book that can fully transform your thoughts and beliefs about the afterlife. She magically weaves scholarly facts with religion and personal accounts of the afterlife. If you are curious about what happens once we die, or if you want to try to make contact with someone who has already passed on, this book could help answer some of your most important questions about the other side.

Book Description

“Knowledge of the afterlife can trigger dazzling transformations in body, mind, and spirit. It unleashes our authentic selves, radically resets our values, and deepens our sense of life purpose. From it we discover that the real nature of the universe is the very essence of benevolence. In this comprehensive work, Julia Assante probes what happens when we die, approaching with scholarly precision historical and religious accounts, near-death experiences, and after-death communication. She then presents convincing evidence of discarnate existence and communication with the dead and offers practical ways to make contact with departed loved ones to heal and overcome guilt, fear, and grief.” – The Last Frontier

My Thoughts

The Last Frontier is a very well written book exploring the afterlife and our fears about death. If you have ever lost someone close to you, or been ill to the point of near-death yourself, the thought about life after death probably crossed your mind more than once or twice. You may have been scared to die, curious about what happens next, and maybe even sought out evidence or literature about the subject. The fact is, nobody knows for certain. We’re all still alive. However, special people in the world such as Julia Assante are able to help ease the mind about it with her ability to communicate with the other side. Another big shocker here: we can all start this communication with loved ones who have passed. Assante helps explain how to do so in this book, which I found to be an excellent guide.

I admire Julia Assante’s work in this book, and her scholarly background (she earned a Ph.D. from Columbia University), as well as her skills communicating with the dead. She writes with a passion and knowledge that many in this field often fail to portray. I enjoyed this book very much and if you are curious about the afterlife, I think that you will enjoy it too. I highly recommend it.

* Thank you to the publisher of The Last Frontier, New World Library, for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Emotional Eater’s Repair Manual by Julie M. Simon

The Emotional Eater’s Repair Manual by Julie M. Simon is a self-help book that looks at overeating and problems with weight gain in a different way than most “diet” books out there. As an emotional eater, you may not be able to lose the weight the same way another person can. With this program, you can learn how to fix your emotional problems and shred the extra weight you gained over the years.

Book Description

“Despite our best intentions, many of us find ourselves routinely overeating at meals, snacking mindlessly, or bingeing regularly. As emotional eaters, we turn to food for comfort, soothing, distraction, and excitement. There’s a disconnection fueling our eating, robbing years from our lives, and we know it. We’re tired of restrictive diets that lead back to overeating, and we’re ready to try something different.

Therapist and life coach Julie Simon offers a new approach that addresses the true causes of overeating and weight gain: emotional and spiritual hunger and body imbalance. The Emotional Eater’s Repair Manual presents five self-care skills, five body-balancing principles, and five soul-care practices that can end overeating and dieting forever. You’ll learn to nurture yourself without turning to food, to correct body and brain imbalances that trigger overeating, and to address your soul’s hunger. Weight loss, more energy, improved health, and self-esteem will naturally follow.” – The Emotional Eater’s Repair Manual

My Thoughts

The Emotional Eater’s Repair Manual is the type of diet and self-help book that people who emotionally eat need to read. People who eat for emotional reasons can go on a diet and exercise program and lose weight, but often they end up right back where they were before because the underlying problems weren’t ever addressed and fixed.

Julie M. Simon wrote this book based on her “Twelve-Week Emotional Eating Recovery Program” that addresses weight gain as part of an emotional and spiritual hunger and physiological imbalance. Treating someone’s problem in this way treats the whole person, not just the number on a scale, and I for one really appreciate this philosophy and outlook on it.

This book doesn’t offer a quick fix to a lifelong weight problem, but it does help the reader to see their life differently, especially in relation to their eating problems. If you have struggled with your weight and are need of some help, this may just be the book that can help you with it. I highly recommend it.

* Thank you to the publisher of The Emotional Eater’s Repair Manual, New World Library, for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Elegy For Eddie by Jacqueline Winspear

Elegy For Eddie by Jacqueline Winspear is the ninth follow-up book in the Maisie Dobbs series. The setting is London, England, during the period between the World Wars. The main character is Maisie Dobbs, a female private investigator who solves crimes, and has a personality that could easily make her way onto a television series.

Book Description

“Early April 1933. To the costermongers of Covent Garden—sellers of fruits and vegetables on the London streets—Eddie Pettit was a gentle soul with a near-magical gift for working with horses. So who would want to kill him . . . and why?

Maisie Dobbs's father, Frankie, had been a costermonger, and she remembers Eddie fondly. But it soon becomes clear that powerful political and financial forces are determined to prevent her from learning the truth behind Eddie's death. Maisie's search for answers on the working-class streets of Lambeth leads her to unexpected places and people: to a callous press baron; to a has been politician named Winston Churchill; and, most surprisingly, to Douglas Partridge, the husband of her dearest friend, Priscilla. As Maisie uncovers lies and manipulation on a national scale, she must decide whether to risk everything to see justice done.” – Elegy For Eddie

My Thoughts

As someone who is just now being introduced to the series, I was a little bit wary of starting with this book. Jumping into a series and not reading the first books can be off-putting, but Winspear writes beautifully, and is able to still tell the story marvelously without having to read the previous books in the series. The only drawback to starting with the ninth book in the series (and liking it) is that I now want to read the previous eight books.

Although Winspear does tell an excellent story, some of the plotlines are a bit too predictable. This doesn’t make for the novel to be any less liked by me, I just had hoped it would be a bit more mysterious. I won’t give any of those predictable plotlines away here though, because you may not see it coming and that would be a shame for you to not be surprised by it. For spoilers, check out someone else’s review.

The characters, setting, and overall story were very enjoyable. I found myself getting lost in the story after just a few minutes of starting it, and I did enjoy it right up to the ending. If mysteries or crime novels are your thing, this is a book I think you’ll enjoy. I highly recommend it.

* Thank you to the publisher of Elegy For Eddie, Harper Perennial, for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Snap by Patti Wood

Snap by Patti Wood is all about first impressions and why they are so important, and often very hard to change. Think about the first time you met someone that you liked right away, or instantly disliked very strongly. What were they doing? How did they treat you? What were they wearing? Where were they standing or sitting while talking to you? All of these things (and many more) make up our first impressions. Find out why they affect us so quickly and have such a lasting impact in this book.

Book Description

“From business meetings to social events to first dates to job interviews, we all encounter new people every day. Our ability to read body cues and convey the right first impression drives the success and quality of our personal and professional lives. Body language expert Patti Wood, a sought-after consultant and speaker to Fortune 500 companies, helps businesses and individuals stand out, create profitable relationships, and thrive in competitive circumstances. Now she brings that knowledge to our daily lives, offering practical and proven guidance on accurately interpreting body cues and creating impressions both in person and digitally. In Snap, you’ll learn how to:

• Use your voice and body language to convey confidence and charisma, authenticity and authority
• Immediately discern people’s hidden agendas 
• Make the best impressions via email, phone, video conferencing, and social networks
• Convey and interpret signals of likability, power, credibility, and attractiveness 
• Use nonverbal tools to spot true integrity or recognize charming frauds 
• Attract the best matches in business and romantic partners 
• Recognize how you really look to others” – Snap

My Thoughts

Snap is a very interesting book. I can remember many occasions where I met someone and felt an instant connection with. I can also remember many people I’ve met over the years that I never wanted to see again, and strongly disliked upon first meeting them. Many of these snap judgments based on first impressions worked out well for me, and possibly saved me from danger a few times.

Reading through this book showed me that some of those bad impressions were possibly just caused by a bad day the person was having, or their own insecurities when meeting someone new. Maybe I also gave them a bad first impression. We can’t go back and change that snap judgment, but we can always work towards fixing it, if it is important to us to do so. It will take time, but it can be done.

This is a very well written and easy to read book. You can use it to make sure that your first impression is as good as you can make it. You can also use it to decipher the hidden clues behind why you instantly like or dislike someone you just met. I highly recommend it.

* Thank you to the publisher of Snap, New World Library, for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Men of Sunday by Curtis Eichelberger

Men of Sunday by Curtis Eichelberger is a real look at football and faith in the NFL. It focuses on the how the coaches, players, and families involved in it deal with the temptations that the NFL brings with it, and faith.

Book Description

“Step into the locker rooms and living rooms of NFL players and personnel to see how a close relationship with God guides football’s biggest stars.

Compiled from dozens of interviews, Men of Sunday marks the intersection of two Sunday traditions: faith and football. Inspired by the league's "systemic shift" toward embracing Christianity, Bloomberg writer Curtis Eichelberger shows how God is a source of comfort when facing the unique challenges of life in the NFL and the everyday challenges of maintaining strong families and building character. Hear in their own words how the NFL’s greatest rely on their faith to overcome drug abuse, family crises, injuries, and temptations resulting from fame and fortune.

 Featured personalities include

·         New York Jets running back LaDainian Tomlinson

·         Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers

·         Former Chicago Bears middle linebacker Mike Singletary

·         Cincinnati Bengals coach Marvin Lewis

·         Former Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy

·         San Diego Chargers pastor Shawn Mitchell

·         Danisha Rolle, wife of former Tennessee and Baltimore defensive back Samari Rolle

·         And many more

Men of Sunday's readers—"normal folks . . . who go to church on Sunday, come home to root for their team, and who live a righteous life . . . most days"—will learn to tackle their own obstacles by trusting the Lord.” – Men of Sunday

My Thoughts

Men of Sunday isn’t a simple book about football and faith. It does obviously focus on how the people involved within the NFL use faith as a tool to keep them grounded and away from temptations thrown at them, but it also shows how faith can help people involved in any professional sport to stay grounded.

Football is a violent sport, and many people wonder how someone with such faith could be in such a sport. This book takes a look at that, in a way you may not expect. The players become celebrities and role models, even though they are just playing a game that they love. Often players that don’t have faith or ones that are too tempted by groupies, riches, and drugs, stray very far off of their moral path along the way. Faith can be intercepted back into their lives though, and make for some amazing last-minute touchdown transformations.

There are inspiring and uplifting stories in the book, and also heartbreaking ones. Each story featured in the book is worth reading and will give you a new outlook on the NFL. I highly recommend this book for fans of the NFL.

 

* Thank you to the publisher of Men of Sunday, Thomas Nelson, for providing me with a copy of this book for review as part of their Book Sneeze program. All opinions expressed are my own.

Skincare for Girls: When to Start and What to Use

When is the right time to start a skincare routine for girls? Well, there isn't a set age for this, and that varies from girl to girl. Starting young (pre-teen) is the best way to go. It gets the girl in a daily routine that she can continue throughout her life, and keep her skin looking young for many years to come.

Natural Beauty Products for Girls

No matter what age a girl is, she should be using natural beauty products. The more organic and chemical free the product is, the better it is for their skin. Look for products that don't have parabens, sulfates, DEA, phthalate, and any added dyes or unnatural fragrances.

Cleansers

Makeup removal and gentle facial cleansers are likely the first beauty products a girl will use on her face. Young skin shouldn't be exposed to the harsh ingredients found in many cleansing products, so be sure to use gentle or sensitive skincare for girls.

The Best Cleansers for Girls and Teenagers

Willa - Start Fresh Foaming Cleanser - $11 

Neutrogena - Extra Gentle Cleanser - $6.49 

Burt's Bees - Sensitive Facial Cleanser - $10 

SPF Moisturizer

Girls of all ages need to make a moisturizer with SPF a part of their daily routine each morning. Protecting skin against the sun's powerful and damaging UVA and UVB rays is a must. A lightweight, oil-free option that doesn't clog pores leading to acne is the best option for young skin prone to breakouts.

The Best SPF Moisturizers for Girls and Teenagers

Physicians Formula - Healthy Wear SPF 50 Tinted Moisturizer - $14.95 

Willa - Face the Day SPF 30 Tinted Face Protection - $14.50 

Burt's Bees - Radiance SPF 15 Day Lotion - $18 

Natural Acne Treatment 

Acne fighters are one of the most important products for skincare for girls. Blemishes are embarrassing for girls of all ages, and when it happens to girls and teenagers, they want it gone fast. Look for products that won't clog pores, cause excessive drying or redness, and contain 2% salicylic acid.

The Best Acne Treatments for Girls and Teenagers

Willa - Take Action Acne Spot Treatment Click Pen - $10.50 

Burt's Bees - Natural Acne Solutions Targeted Spot Treatment - $10 

Neutrogena - Rapid Clear Acne Eliminating Spot Gel - $7.99 

Beauty products for girls and teenagers should be simple. They don't need a huge amount of skincare products for their young skin. Getting them started with the cleanser, SPF moisturizer, and proper skincare routine will help them to have younger looking skin as they grow older. All of the products suggested in this article can be used for girls and women, so no matter the age of the girl, their natural beauty will shine through.

* Prices for the suggested products were taken from each of the company's websites on November 5, 2012. Price and availability is subject to change after this date.

The Heart of Money by Deborah L. Price

The Heart of Money by Deborah L. Price is a book to help couples with their financial issues. Money is often a touchy subject for couples, and this book helps to ease the subject matter to help both individuals with their money as a couple.

Book Description

“Money issues have long been the number one cause of relationship disharmony and divorce, yet when it comes to identifying and changing unhealthy money patterns and behaviors, many couples feel helpless. Money coach Deborah Price has taught thousands of people how to work together to resolve money conflicts and create a financially empowered future. In these pages, she presents strategies and tools for creating financial intimacy while learning to communicate about money issues calmly and reflectively, rather than reactively. With inspirational stories and practical techniques and exercises, this book will help you and your partner:

• learn the language of financial intimacy and talk about money in a healthy and empowering way
• recognize and change unhealthy money patterns
• identify which of the eight money types apply to each of you and understand the impact they have on your life, your relationship, and your finances
• build a mutual sense of financial security and confidence
• work through setbacks and challenges to make your relationship stronger than ever before” – The Heart of Money

My Thoughts

The Heart of Money is packed with strategies and exercises for a couple to do that focuses on their finances. The overall message that I got out of it was that money should be talked about in a healthy and positive way, even if there are financial problems that need to be dealt with.

Deborah L. Price (what a perfect last name for her) writes this book with compassion and understanding. She truly wants to help people push past and fix their financial issues, especially when it comes to relationships. She is authentic and the suggestions and tips she shares with us in this book can really help. There are many real life examples of how the author’s clients were helped by these tips, and it is highly encouraging as a reader to see this.

Overall, I think that is a very good book to read for couples that need to have that conversation about money and their finances. I think that single people could also benefit from reading it too though, and they’ll be better prepared for that conversation about money in their next relationship.

* Thank you to the publisher of The Heart of Money, New World Library, for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Amazing Story Generator by Jason Sacher

The Amazing Story Generator by Jason Sacher is a fantastic book for writers who sometimes need a writing prompt to start a story, or to just push their writer’s block out the window. This is a flip-book that generates an almost endless amount of ideas for your next short story, novel, artwork, or anything else you would use it for creatively.

Book Description

“The Amazing Story Generator creates thousands of different story prompts! This flipbook for writers and other creative types allows users to randomly combine three different elements to generate a unique story idea. With hundreds of settings, characters, and plots to mix and match, the possibilities are just about endless. Packed with colorful, wacky, and engaging prompts, this is the perfect tool for jump-starting fresh new short stories, novels, scripts, screenplays, and improv sessions.” – The Amazing Story Generator

My Thoughts

The Amazing Story Generator is a fun book to use to help think of a new writing idea. As someone who has had writer’s block more times than I can remember, this is book I am very happy to have and use to kick writer’s block to the curb. I only wish I had this book for the past ten years.

There are three sections you can flip through to find a creative writing project idea. You can do it with your eyes closed for a surprise, or you can flip through it to find something that inspires you. There is no right or wrong way to do it.

Examples of writing prompts I flipped to:

• Ignoring the advice of friends, the world’s tallest woman gets trapped inside a popular TV show.
• On New Year’s Eve, an unsuccessful comedian is transported to another galaxy.
• A thousand years from now, a North Korean scientist leads the charge against a zombie army.

Overall, I think this is a very helpful and creative tool for writers, artists, and anyone who wants to be creative. It is especially useful for those with any form of writer’s block. I highly recommend it.

* Thank you to the publisher of The Amazing Story Generator, Chronicle Books, for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Magical Path by Marc Allen

The Magical Path by Marc Allen is an excellent book that can help all of us achieve the life of our dreams. It is filled with affirmations, visualizations, meditations, and much more.

Book Description

“This extraordinary work presents a series of simple, powerful tools that anyone can use to find a short, effortless route to success and fulfillment. You will discover tried-and-true techniques that deliver quick results. In fact, these shortcuts to success are so simple, accessible, and effective that you will quickly call them magical. Marc Allen developed these tools over several decades, and refined them over many years in a series of life-changing seminars. The results have been wonderful, even miraculous, for a great many people. 

Work and play with any part of this book and you’ll start seeing remarkable things happening in your life and in your world.” – The Magical Path

My Thoughts

The Magical Path is truly a book that everyone can use, no matter what religion you are. If you can read, this book can work for you. The affirmations are perhaps the easiest way to start bringing this magic into your life. All you need to do is use one of the affirmations included in this book, or write one of your own. Visualizations aren’t hard, but it does take more concentration. Same with meditating. If you are a beginner, start with the affirmations and work your way up.

You don’t need any extra tools to use with this book. If you want to elaborate on the exercises, and put up the affirmations around your home, you’ll need a few extra things like post-its, a notebook, or whatever creative tools you’d like to use with it.

Marc Allen weaves magic in his words throughout this book, and if you read it and use it, I’m sure it will bring magic into your life as well. I highly recommend it.

* Thank you to the publisher of The Magical Path, New World Library, for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my own.