Saturday, December 28, 2013

Best Non-Fiction Books for 2013

I've joined Diane Estrella's Blog Hop under the category of Non-Fiction. Here were my favorite 2013 non-fiction books. Click on the links to see my previously published reviews!

MY BEST PICKS FOR 2013 NON-FICTION:



Devos for Teen Girls by Dannah Gresh and Suzy Weibel






Limitless by Nick Vujicio








A to Z Devotions for Writers by Pamela D. Williams






Unveiling Grace by Lynn K. Wilder







Priceless Stones by James Revoir







The Women of Christmas by Liz Curtis Higgs




Sunday, December 22, 2013

Friday, December 20, 2013

Book Review: The Women of Christmas



Good inner reflection with "The Women of Christmas" by Liz Curtis Higgs

Overview: The cover says, "Experience the Season Afresh with Elizabeth, Mary, and Anna". A sacred season is about to unfold for three women whose hearts belong to God. Elizabeth is barren, yet her trust in God remains fertile. Mary is betrothed in marriage, yet she is willing to bear God’s Son. Anna is a widow full of years, yet she waits patiently, prayerfully for the Messiah to appear in the temple courts. Following in their footsteps, you too can prepare for the Savior to enter your heart, your mind, and your life in a vibrant, new way this season. (from book jacket)

Dawn’s Recommendation: 4 of 5 Stars

What I liked: Ms. Curtis Higgs delves into the story surrounding Jesus' birth by going through Scripture, breaking it down bit-by-bit, adding her own reflections and comments from women who took her online Bible study on the topic.  It has been nice this Christmas season to take the time to read this book and reflect myself on Elizabeth’s and Mary’s pregnancies and what it would mean to birth and raise John the Baptist and Jesus the Messiah. 

What did the women think? What did they feel? How did their lives change with God's perfect plan? I am on my last section of the book, getting ready to read about Anna, but I wanted to go ahead and publish my review before Christmas. Although, the Scripture offers nothing new (I read it every year), Ms. Curtis Higgs brings the women to life and therefore, Jesus' birth to life....connecting us, Mothers from today, to those precious mothers back then and helping us grasp the "realness" of Christmas.

Jesus isn't just "Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace". He was a fully human baby with real human parents. "The Women of Christmas" reminds me that we each have a purpose and plan for God. Elizabeth and Mary humbly accepted God's plan. I want to do the same.

What I didn't like: It didn't offer any new exciting revelations to me or perhaps it was the format (Scripture, reflections, comment from Bible Study women, repeat) that was a tad mundane.  Don't get me wrong, I liked the book and I needed the focus on Christ that this book offered! I'm really glad to have read it.
 

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Song For Sunday -- Here With Us



Just heard this for the first time the other day. Loved it!

"Here With Us" by Joy Williams

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Social Media Sites Hacked


Social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Gmail have been hacked, exposing millions of usernames and passwords. Please go into your accounts and change your passwords.

Use strong passwords. The best passwords are phrases condensed to letters/numbers/specials.
Example of a strong password: The phrase "My favorite color is red and green" could be "MYfc=r&g22$$".