A crash course on face masks

Well worth watching to make an informed decision.  People should NEVER be forced, coerced into wearing one out of their fear, and not yours. 

And children should NEVER, EVER have to wear them. Be smart, stay informed and make up your own mind and not that of the media or government.

Thanks for the free book, @AmbassadorIntl!  I am an @AmbassadorIntl #bookreviewer and #partner!  

All opinions expressed are my own.

ABOUT THE BOOK

One is an opportunity. Two is a threat. Three is an invasion.”

For hundreds of years, strange things have been washing up on the shores of Darcentaria. But when a young foreign woman named El is found unconscious on the beach amidst the burning wreckage of a strange metal craft, the villagers of Odessa are immediately suspicious—is she an agent of the Dalriadan Empire, their cruel oppressors for as long as they can remember? Or does she come from the Outside, the vast and legendary lands beyond their borders from which no man or woman alive has ever returned?

Torsten Eiselher, a talented young swordsman, has spent the last nine years of his life wrongfully imprisoned by his uncle, the Empire’s ruler. Betrayed and deceived at every turn, Torsten has survived by keeping a firm grip on his sword—and by staying well away from anything to do with the Outside. But when his young sister is murdered, Torsten finds himself irrevocably drawn to El despite her Outsider heritage—and he begins to question everything he has been told about her world.

Intrigued by the existence of a powerful and dangerously advanced world within his reach, the Empire’s ruler, Jurien Arminius, launches a hunt for El and the two Outsiders that arrived with her—the ones who could help him win his war against Torsten and the rebellion that threatens to topple his Empire.

Suddenly, Torsten is forced to choose between defeating his long-term enemy or saving the woman he has come to love . . .

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jasmine (J. J. Fischer) is living proof that it is possible to be addicted to tea and coffee simultaneously. Both made it possible for her to complete her Bachelor degree in English Literature and Creative Writing in 2012. Also a qualified psychologist with undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in clinical psychology, Jasmine has been delving inside the minds of her beloved fictitious characters since they first presented themselves in a dream at age fourteen.

Jasmine is married to David, and together they are the proud owner-parents of five warring pet chickens who tolerate each others' existence most days. When tempted away from the keyboard, she enjoys reading, thinking about lasagna almost as often as Garfield the cat, and working towards her black belt in karate. She vows to one day write the perfect fight scene.

Jasmine makes her home near Sydney, Australia, where most animals want to kill you and drop bears enforce a daily reign of terror. If you're reading this, please send help. 

MY OPINION AND REVIEW

This book was not disappointing.  It had everything I had anticipated when I was first asked to review it. A lot of action, sadness, brutality, cruelty and even some romance, all nicely packaged in the story.  

Wonderfully creative and very well-written. It's about two realms that exist simultaneously, and it is only by sheer luck, accidental or by chance that you find yourself in a land so foreign from your own. 

The characters are very well-written and believable.  We share their thoughts of hope, despair, and at times, great courage when faced with some of their darkest moments of adversity, you can feel them struggling at times, wrestling with their conscience of what is evil and what is good, which just adds more depth into their character.  A paradigm if you well.

I must admit, though, I would have liked to have read that some of the characters were a bit flawed in their appearance, it seemed like everyone mentioned or encountered were extremely beautiful and/or handsome.   But it is a fantasy book, so I can let that go.  

The fight scenes were extremely descriptive and written in great detail, some quite brutal, but in the era of the sword, it is a brutal reality.  For those that love bloodshed, and torture, you won't be disappointed. 

I truly enjoyed the story, and most enjoyable was that the author omitted profanity, derogatory terms and no overt sexual encounters, which you usually find in most fantasy books.  God is mentioned but in an off-handed way, but not really delved into.  A great read and I'm looking forward to reading the next book.

Please leave a comment below and I promise to respond. God bless.

Whooo Knew? The Truth About Owls Book Blog

 I received a free digital copy of the following book from the author, Annette Whippole, in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts and opinions are my own.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

How do owls see in the dark? Can owls spin their heads all the way around? Why do owls puke? These and other questions are answered by an owl expert, along with some extra information provided by the owls themselves!

It's a question-and-answer picture book. Reycraft Books shines in the design. 

Each page spread focuses on one Q&A. In addition to the main text and lots of stunning photographs, each page spread includes a visit from an illustrated owl whooo shares from his perspective--often with a bit of sass.

Click here to buy the book. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Annette Whipple celebrates curiosity and inspires a sense of wonder in young readers while exciting them about science and history. In 2020, The Laura Ingalls Wilder Companion: A Chapter-by-Chapter Guide (Chicago Review Press) and Whooo Knew? Discover Owls (Reycraft Books) will be published. 

When she's not reading or writing, you might find Annette snacking on warm chocolate chip cookies with her family in Pennsylvania. She explores the world of Laura Ingalls Wilder at www.WilderCompanion.com. 

Learn more about Annette's books and presentations at www.AnnetteWhipple.com.

MY REVIEW

I absolutely love owls they are such fascinating and amazing beautiful creatures.  I thoroughly enjoyed learning about them in this book.  The illustration is top-notch photography, the details on each page are stunning, and it made me appreciate the beauty of the owl even more.

There is so much detail about how owls see, hunt and their exceptional hearing which makes them expert hunters in catching their prey.  How they nest and raise their young.  

What surprised me is about how most young owls don't survive in their first year of life, and that's heartbreaking.  The book explains why this happens, due to larger predators, people, cars, etc.  But there is a part on where you can help owls thrive and survive.

This is a great read for children of all ages.  I would even recommend it for adults who love and appreciate owls as well as wildlife in general.  Each illustration depicted has a brief but detailed description about a particular part of the owl. 

This book is very well written and an easy read for it's readers to follow.   I highly recommend this book for teachers, pre-school, and homeschooling.   

Welcome to the Book Review Blink...an end times story

I am an @AmbassadorIntl #bookreviewer and #partner!

I received a free copy of the following book on Kindle from Ambassador International Books in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts and opinions are my own.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Is their world on the brink of obliteration?

Jason has it all—a great family and an exciting, successful career. But in a blink, it's all gone, and he struggles to find out why.

Mona Foster, the President of the United States, wrestles with Christian theology while trying to lead the country. When people around the world suddenly go missing, she finds herself wondering if what she believes is real or if science has an answer.

Prime Minister Ben-Zion looks for reality in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles. When multitudes suddenly disappear, Ben-Zion starts wondering if the truths he reads in the Bible are true.

Marcus Junius is an ambitious, brilliant politician who uses chaos to seize power as millions scramble for answers in the face of tragedy, fear, and inexplicable loss of control.

Could this truly be the rapture foretold in the Bible?

 Using Bible Scripture and creative and vivid story telling, S.A. Jewell has woven an amazing story of fantastic proportions.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sara Jewell has been a marketing professional for over 20 years and has published numerous magazine articles, news letters, news releases, and advertising copy. Her first self-published children's book was Count of Worm. Her second book, published by CrossBooks is A Christmas Dinosaur with Yellow Eyes. Her third book, is Visit from A Shepherd Boy continues with the same characters from A Christmas Dinosaur only with new adventures pre-teens and teens will enjoy.

Sara's on-line ministry, www.TeamofGod.org encourages all ages to read and study the Bible as well as help those in need. Her programs have included projects in Africa and the United States. Sara holds a BFA degree and a MA degree in Bible Studies. You can contact her at teamofGod@earthlink.net

MY OPINION AND REVIEW

I Just finished reading this, absolutely, FANTASTIC book about the rapture of the church and the end times. If you've read the Left Behind series, then this book is right up your alley.  Once I started reading it, I couldn't stop until I finished it. And so I spent a few hours camped on my couch and absorbed the wonderful message that was unfolding as I swiped through page by page. 

I would like to say one thing, in between some of the powerful messages within the book, I had to stop, sit and reflect how wonderful our God is, and at one point, I just felt compelled to kneel and pray, and I felt such a great refreshing in my spirit.  A wonderful peace and joy that I hadn't felt in a while.  This wonderful book truly moved and touched my heart.

It is a powerful message of understanding the second coming of Christ and of the rapture of the church.  It depicts a beautiful picture of what a wonderful God we have.  Her characters are lifelike and believable, very relatable.  The whole premise of the book is how they must face their intense fear as they struggle and face the upcoming disasters and horrors that continue to unfold around them.  It's a fight for survival in a world of intense hatred of those who believe in Jesus Christ.  The world is in utter chaos and despair and a looming insurmountable evil growing in the embodiment of the Antichrist.  It depicts a frightening reality of what is to come, for those who do not believe.  A masterpiece beautifully written to encourage hope and joy.

Cross Shadow by Andrew Huff Book Tour and Giveaway

I received a free copy of the following book from Kregel Publications in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts and opinions are my own.

About the book:

All journalist Christine Lewis wants is the truth. All pastor John Cross wants is to avoid it.

Former CIA agent turned evangelical pastor John Cross is busy caring for the small community of believers he ministers to in Virginia. Journalist Christine Lewis is busy with the demand for her talents from top news agencies in New York City. Neither has any time left for their relationship, which began eight months before when they paired up to prevent the detonation of a chemical bomb in the nation's capital.

But when Christine hears that her stepbrother has been arrested for murder in Texas, they team up again to discover the truth about the crime. Untangling a web of conspiracy, the couple finds themselves in the center of another dangerous situation-and in trouble far deeper than they expected.

With an assassin on the loose, a trusted colleague acting as a double agent, and unreliable artificial intelligence connected to mercenaries who have Cross on their hit list, these two may not get out of the Lone Star State alive.

About the author:

Huff spent ten years in local church ministry as a youth pastor and creative arts pastor before pursuing God’s calling into creative storytelling and media production as the product director at Igniter Media, a church media company (ignitermedia.com).

He is a two-time finalist in the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) Genesis Contest for unpublished authors (2014, 2017) and also won the best screenplay award at the 2015 48 Hour Film Festival in Richmond, VA. A Cross to Kill and Cross Shadow in the Shepherd Suspense series are his first releases.

Huff holds a bachelor of science in religion degree from Liberty University and a master of arts in Christian education from Dallas Theological Seminary. He resides in Plano, TX, with his beautiful wife, Jae, and their two boys.

Learn more Andrew Huff and the Shepherd Suspense novels at www.andrewhuffbooks.com. He can also be found on Facebook (@huffwrites), Twitter (@andrewjohnhuff) and Instagram (@andyhuff).

MY REVIEW

The second installment of Cross Book series, did not disappoint, there is a lot of adrenaline, heart pounding action and intense fight scenes, it is very fast-paced, but the plot of the story is not lost, John Cross and Christine Lewis are swept into a situation where evil seems to be prevalent and thriving, while investigating  her step-brother's imprisonment.  The characters are very well developed and written, Andrew Huff has a way of writing that makes each character come to life and you feel their inner turmoils, doubt and sometimes pain.  I'd like to point out that this book can be read by all, it's good clean fun, while maintaining a Christian perspective.

This series has the feel of an action movie, you won't be disappointed and I'm looking forward to the next John Cross installment.

Click on the link below to win a copy of Cross Shadow

BOOK GIVEWAY

HONEST ANSWERS: EXPLORING GOD QUESTIONS WITH YOUR TWEEN BOOK REVIEW

I received a free copy of the following book from New Growth Press in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts and opinions are my own.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Somewhere between "Jesus Loves Me" and high school cynicism, the childlike acceptance of pat answers about faith is lost--often forever. But while many parents find this transitional period daunting, they don't want their kids to leave the Christian faith just because they didn't get good answers to how prayer works or whether dinosaurs were on Noah's ark.

Honest Answers is a discussion book to help parents tackle the God questions that make them sweat. This isn't the place to come for pat answers that will make their kids nod, smile, and disconnect. Janelle Alberts and Ingrid Faro know that when tweens start asking questions, they're already old enough to understand the answers. They're determined to equip parents with the language, theology, permission, and confidence to join in the discussion--and to learn how to offer deeply doctrinal answers in 140 characters or less.

The tween years present an incredible opportunity to build trust with kids and to keep them coming back to their parents for answers rather than finding other sources. With the tools and conversational tips here, mom and dad can engage in a hopeful conversation and help their children build a Christian faith to hold them steady their whole lives.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Janelle Alberts spent her early career in PR departments for Microsoft and UPS, boiling down logical, clear corporate messaging. She now attempts the same for parents who love Scripture, often featuring bits we’ve never heard but wish we had. Alberts wrote her first faith column for the Akron Beacon Journal in 2010 and has since been a regular contributor to various online sites including Christianity Today’s Gifted for Leadership, RELEVANT magazine, and others. Honest Answers is her first book. Alberts and her family make their home in Ohio. Visit her on Facebook (@AuthorJanelleAlberts).   Ingrid Faro is dean of academic affairs and associate professor of Old Testament at Northern Seminary. She is also associate professor of Old Testament at the Scandinavian School of Theology in Sweden. She has an MDiv and PhD from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Faro is an international speaker at conferences and churches and writes on topics that include navigating evil and suffering, abuse and power dynamics, women in the Bible, forgiveness, the goodness of God, identity in Christ, discipleship, and leadership. Her motivation is to encourage people, help them navigate the pain and sufferings of this world, and grow in thriving relationship with God and others. She is the coauthor of Honest Answers. Faro has two married children and three grandchildren. She lives in Illinois. MY REVIEW For most parents, it's an easy task sharing their faith and love of Christ with their young small children, you take them to church, you read them bible stories, and pray with them at night and all the while you are praying that they will accept the Lord as their Savior when they are old enough to make that decision for themselves.  However, cue the teen years, for some teenagers, it's like they are morphing into an individual that you hardly recognize, for most parents it's a real struggle watching their precious child changing and developing into an entirely new person. It can be daunting. And they begin to question everything you've taught them about God and life. And that's a good thing, but it's a time when a parent may need a little help with some of the tough questions about God's existence, prayer, evolution, atheism, just to name a few, and there are questions accompanied by multiple choice answers, and then the answer is explained in terms a teenager can grasp and comprehend. This book is fantastic teaching aid to help parents on really delving into the Word of God and the world that they exist in, which is pretty scary right now due to COVID-19. This book came at the perfect time.  During these dark and dismal times, this is the perfect opportunity for parents to sit with their teenagers and work side by side with learning and embracing God, and the world He created.

Welcome to the Book Blog of A Small Book For The Hurting HEART

I received a free copy of the following book from New Growth Press in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts and opinions are my own.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Grief may threaten to overtake us or destroy our joy. In this powerful devotional book, men and women will see Jesus, the Man of Sorrows, who is well-acquainted with grief and sadness.

Author and pastor Paul Tautges offers our comforting High Priest, sharing how the Holy Spirit ministers to our hurting heart through the healing balm of God’s Word graciously applied to life’s wounds.

By biblically and transparently addressing the heart and faith struggles in the midst of this grief, A Small Book for the Hurting Heart delves deeply, but gently, into the issues of the heart—presenting encouragement and comfort in the character of God revealed in his Word.

This small but transformative devotional cultivates anchors of hope, redirecting men and women to the trustworthiness of God who is always for us in Christ. Because all of God’s promises are Yes in Christ, Tautges walks with readers through their grief to see the one who nourishes our faith and heals our soul.

In fifty brief readings, your hurting heart will find spiritual help, encouragement, and healing as you experience the comfort of God.

About the Author

Paul Tautges serves as one of the pastors of Cornerstone Community Church in Mayfield Heights, Ohio (east of Cleveland). Prior to accepting the Lord’s call to Cornerstone, he pastored in Wisconsin for 22 years. Paul has been married to Karen since 1986. Together they enjoy their ten children and their spouses, and their growing tribe of grandchildren. He is also an adjunct professor, certified biblical counselor and teaching fellow for the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors, and a council board member of the Biblical Counseling Coalition. Paul has written or edited over 50 books and mini-books.

He blogs at https://counselingoneanother.com/.

MY REVIEW

At some point in every person's life we all have experienced the loss of someone close to us, which is probably one of the hardest losses to endure, sometimes the pain is just too much to bear and we don't know where to get comfort and are grasping for some semblance of peace and comfort.  Other losses could be through divorce, a broken relationship, financial loss, the list goes on.  But the point of the matter is, we have all experienced tremendous loss in our lives.

This beautiful little book is a treasure in itself.  Every day for 50 days is a scripture of hope, comfort and  words of wisdom to lift up the spirit and heart of the hurting person that is  reading it.  To be honest, I'm a strictly KJV girl and so, I would read the bible verse given and then look it up on my KJV app on my phone.  I loved this little book, a couple of years back we lost a family member that we loved dearly to pancreatic cancer and I clinged to my bible, but honestly, I wasn't sure how to cope with the loss and I just dug into the Book of Pslams and prayed and cried.  This precious little book would have been a godsend in such time of sorrow.  It's a light shining through the darkness of pain and grief.  I HIGHLY recommend this book to any person that is dealing with loss and grief. God bless Pastor Paul Tuatges for allowing the Holy Spirit to help write this wonderful book of love, and scripture.

Ishmael Covenant Book Tour and Giveaway

I received a free copy of the following book in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts and opinions are my own. ABOUT THE BOOK

His marriage in tatters and his career ruined by lies, Diplomatic Security Service agent Brian Mullaney is at the end of his rope. Banished to Israel as punishment by his agency, he's assigned to guard a US ambassador and an insignificant box. Little does he know that this new job will propel him straight into a crisis of global proportions.

Inside the box is a messianic prophecy about the fate of the world. And a dark enemy known as The Turk and the forces of evil at his command are determined to destroy the box, the prophecy, and the Middle East as we know it. When Ambassador Cleveland gets in the way, his life and his daughter's life are threatened--and Mullaney must act fast.

Now agents of three ancient empires have launched covert operations to secure nuclear weapons, in direct defiance of the startling peace treaty Israel and its Arab neighbors have signed. And a traitor in the US State Department is leaking critical information to a foreign power. It's up to Mullaney--still struggling with his own broken future--to protect the embassy staff, thwart the clandestine conspiracies, and unmask a traitor--before the desert is turned into a radioactive wasteland.

Fans of Joel C. Rosenberg, Steven James, and Ted Dekker will relish the deadly whirlpool of international intrigue and end-times prophecy in Ishmael Covenant--and will eagerly await the rest of this new trilogy.


Read an excerpt from Kregel by clicking here!

About the author

Terry Brennan is the award-winning author of The Sacred Cipher, The Brotherhood Conspiracy, and The Aleppo Code, the three books in The Jerusalem Prophecies series. His latest release, Ishmael Covenant is the first in his new series, Empires of Armageddon.

A Pulitzer Prize is one of the many awards Brennan accumulated during his 22-year newspaper career. The Pottstown (PA) Mercury won the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing for a two-year series published while he led the team as the newspaper’s Editor.

Starting out as a sportswriter in Philadelphia, Brennan became an editor and publisher for newspapers in Pennsylvania, Illinois, and New York and later moved to the corporate staff of Ingersoll Publications (400 newspapers in the U.S., Ireland and England) as Executive Editor of all U.S. newspaper titles.

In 1996, Brennan transitioned into the nonprofit sector, spending 12 years as VP Operations for The Bowery Mission and six years as Chief Administrative Officer for Care for the Homeless, both in New York City.

Terry and his wife, Andrea, now live in Danbury, CT.

More on Brennan can be found at www.terrybrennanauthor.com. He is also on Facebook (Terry Brennan) and Twitter (@terrbrennan1).


My Opinion: I must admit that I was a bit overwhelmed with the many characters that were introduced in the first few chapters as well as their locations or countries, it was confusing to be truthful. I found myself going back and forth trying to figure out who was who.  It has a slow beginning, because the author is gently guiding you to understand who the characters are and what each individual's duty will be depicted along the story line.  However, the pace does pick and it stays pretty much action-pact.   

It is an interesting and fun and captivating story with a lot of heart-pounding action, political intrigue, mystery, and a lot of suspenseful moments, etc.  I was also very impressed on how well-versed the author was in using military lingo, it made the story come alive.

There is a lot biblical prophecy which is essential as the story unfolds, it all revolves around this mysterious box that contains a message or rather a prophecy from God, it has been kept safe from enemy hands and has been passed down from generation to generation, but there are evil powers at work that will stop at nothing to obtain this box. Unbeknownst to any person that wishes to obtain this box and it's precious contents must be blessed to handle this mysterious box, otherwise they will die a most excruciating and brutal death.

What the reader will also find within the contents of this high-impact action book is the faith and strength of the characters who are tested time and time again, with prayer and accepting God's great guidance and wisdom, they are able to overcome their fears, and gather the strength they will need as each crisis and obstacle arises.

The book ends in a cliff hanger and it leaves the reader wanting more, with so many unanswered questions and what the future holds for both protagonist and antagonist.  And of course, the box...stay tuned. 

BOOK GIVEAWAY

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The Good Name (The Power of Words To Hurt Or Heal) Book Tour

I received a free copy of the following book from New Growth Press in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts and opinions are my own.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Words Have the Power to Hurt  Samuel T. Logan’s The Good Name examines how bearing false witness is more than simply telling a lie.

Samuel T. Logan encourages readers to see the dangers of false witness among Christians, especially when dealing with disagreements, which can cause damage to individuals, the church, and the good name of Jesus.

By exploring what it means to be a true witness in the Bible and the Christian church, Logan emphasizes the power of words both divine and human and explains how our Christian responsibility is to honor others in truth and respect, especially when we disagree. 

This powerful book draws on Scripture and historical evidence of all the damage that verbal nastiness of Christians has done to the cause of Christ.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Samuel T. Logan, Jr., MDiv, PhD, has been International Director of the World Reformed Fellowship since 2005. He served at Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
from 1979–2007, and is now President Emeritus. He was also Visiting Fellow at Christ’s College, Cambridge in 1988–1989, and special counsel to the president at Biblical Seminary in Hatfield,
Pennsylvania, from 2007–2013. He is a minister of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church.

Dr. Logan’s publications include The Preacher and Preaching, Sermons that Shaped America, Confronting Kingdom Challenges, and numerous articles on Jonathan Edwards. His latest release is 

The Good Name: The Power of Words to Hurt or Heal. Many of Logan’s articles are available on the World Reformed Fellowship website.

MY OPINION

This powerful read is based on the ninth commandment, "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour." 

In the first few pages Mr. Logan tells his story of being dismissed from a leadership position for "bearing false witness" during a meeting.  The honesty in which he tells the story helps the reader to understand where he is coming from and sets the pace of the book.  There is great wisdom and biblical teaching to aid Christians and Christians in authority the dangers of lying and not walking under truth, God's truth.  

I loved this book because it addresses so many modern-day issues, politics and morality, women in ministry, etc.  The whole precipice of the book is to learn from the bible on being honest and truthful when witnessing, to argue, but not in anger but in love, to respect and honor each other, even if there are opposing view-points.   Words can hurt, and not just the heart but the mind and spirit.  He stresses how Christians need to be like Jesus, to walk in love not in hate or anger. He shares many biblical verses throughout the book to shed the light on Jesus' teachings, the Word of God. 

We are the light of the world, and if we step down into the abyss of the world's darkness, what good are we to witness to those that do not know the truth of the saving grace of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ?  This book really touches the heart of the Believer, that we must walk in integrity, grace and most importantly the truth.

God, You, & Sex: A Profound Mystery Book Tour

I received the following book from New Growth Press in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts and opinions are my own.

ABOUT THE BOOK

The Profound Mystery of Biblical Sexuality

David White helps readers develop a Scripture-based perspective on human sexuality

We live in culture that is so sex-focused it almost reaches the point of obsession. Unfortunately, among all the talk of sex, very little is good, true, honorable, or faithful to the Creator’s design. David White wants to change the conversation and get Christians talking about what the Bible says on the subject. In his new release, God, You, & Sex: A Profound Mystery (New Growth Press/September 30, 2019), White digs deep to explore how marriage and sexuality point to God and his relationship with us.

In this important and engaging biblical teaching on sexuality, White helps readers develop a Scripture-based perspective on human sexuality that goes beyond “just wait until you’re married.” God, You, & Sex doesn’t sidestep the sexual revolution that has come to bitter fruition in teen and young adult “hookup” culture. In the face of these messages and the pervasiveness of sexual temptation, White helps men and women find compelling reasons to obey God with their sexuality.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

David White, MDiv, is the author of Sexual Sanity for Men: Re-Creating Your Mind in a Crazy Culture and God, You, & Sex: A Profound Mystery. He served at Harvest USA for nineteen years, helping hundreds overcome sexual sin, developing curricula, supervising staff, and teaching in churches nationally on sexual issues. 

He is a graduate of Temple University and Westminster Theological Seminary and is a pastor in the Presbyterian Church in America.

MY OPINION

Many Christians, myself included, are alarmed about the growing trend of pre-marital sex, gay marriage, and now the dysphoria of transgenderism and of course, pornography and the dangers that lie within. This book helps the reader to understand why it's important to remember that God, in His great wisdom, created sexual intimacy to be shared and enjoyed between husband and wife.  He details so much about the marriage bed and how men and women differ with their sexual needs.

"Sexual intimacy is a precious gift to a married couple."  "But the marriage bed is a sacred placed reserved for them alone." - David White

What I loved about the book is how Pastor White addresses each topic with great care and compassion and stresses on God's everlasting love and promises.  There is so much information that is packed into this book.  He addresses the church on how we should not embrace the world's point of view regarding gays and transgenders, pornography, but to focus on what the bible says about sex and marriage. Everything that he teaches reflects on God's perfect design and love for His people. He writes about his own experiences with the dangers of pornography, his intimacy with his wife and pornography in general, he addresses the LGBTQ+ and transgender people, each chapter with biblical references and with a deep profound understanding on God's Word regarding sexual sin. 

I highly recommend this book to singles and married couples alike.  I would also like to add it would be a beautiful gift to those individuals that are trapped in a sinful sexual relationship and that God can free them from their bondage of sexual sin. 

Welcome to the "The Moon Is Always Round" Book Tour

I received the following book from New Growth Press in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts and opinions are my own.

  ABOUT THE BOOK        

God is Always Good

Jonathan Gibson helps children understand God’s goodness, even when bad things happen.

Greensboro, NC—There are some things we will never understand this side of Heaven. Why do bad things happen to good people? Why do some children get cancer? Why do some babies go Heaven before their families can meet them? Even young children want answers to the hard questions about God and suffering. In The Moon Is Always Round (New Growth Press/September 23, 2019), seminary professor and author Jonathan Gibson uses vivid imagery to explain to children how God’s goodness is always present, even when it might appear obscured by upsetting or difficult circumstances.

In this beautiful, full-color book illustrated by Joe Hox, Gibson allows readers to eavesdrop on the real-life conversations he had with his young son, Ben, while waiting for his baby sister to arrive, then following his sister’s death. Lelia was stillborn at thirty-nine weeks into Gibson’s wife, Jackie’s pregnancy. Needless to say, it was a difficult time for the entire family, but Gibson made sure to remind his son of God’s goodness.

In The Moon is Always Round, the father and son share a simple liturgy while observing the moon in its various phases. No matter what the shape of the moon appears on any given night—whether it looks like a banana, a slice of apple or a shriveled orange—Dad reminds Ben that the moon is always round. From there, the two talk about just as the moon is always round regardless of how much of it they can see, the goodness of God is always present throughout the different phases of life.

                                ABOUT THE AUTHOR                                 

Jonathan Gibson, PhD, (Cambridge) is ordained in the International Presbyterian Church,  UK, and is Assistant Professor of Old Testament and Hebrew, Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, PA, USA. Previously, he served as Associate Minister at Cambridge Presbyterian Church, England.

Gibson served as coeditor with Mark Earngey of Reformation Worship was contributor to and co-editor with David Gibson of From Heaven He Came and Sought Her. He has also written articles that have appeared in Themelios, Journal of Biblical Literature, Tyndale Bulletin, and Obadiah in the NIV Proclamation Bible. His PhD dissertation was published as Covenant Continuity and Fidelity: A Study of Inner-Biblical Allusion and Exegesis in Malachi. The Moon is Always Round is his first children’s book.

     MY OPINION            

What I loved about this book was how the father gently reassured his son that no matter what happens in life whether tragic or wonderful, God's love never changes, even though circumstances in life does. The moon is a representation of God being ubiquitous and omnipresent.  And it brings great comfort and reassurance for his son as well as to the parents as they mourn the loss of their precious little girl.

This book brought tears to my eyes because everyone was so happy and excited to be welcoming a precious baby into the family.  But loss is a part of life, and to explain this loss to small children can be difficult, this wonderful book helps adults speak to children at their emotional level to cope and hopefully understand that sometimes bad things do happen.