"The Jesus You Can't Ignore"

"The Jesus You Can't Ignore" by John MacArthur is a great resource if you want a clear picture of the Jesus of the Bible. He walks you through the Gospels to show how Jesus related to those He encountered. He points out how Jesus stood for truth, not trying to be politically correct, as some do in this day and age.

I'm not sure what I expected from this book. I admit it was a little difficult to get started and for some reason it could not hold my attention at first. But, as I continued on, I did find it very informative. It is a good reference book. MacArthur has shared his views clearly and points to the many scriptures that back it up. He has written a great book dealing with a subject that many Christians are concerned with today.

This is the book to read if you also struggle with the way Christ is being represented today. He is a God of love, this is true. He is gentle. But He is so much more. He spoke TRUTH and He was not worried about offending anyone. He wasn't concerned with tolerance. He was all about His Father's work.

I would recommend this book to anyone who would like to dig in and see what scripture really says about who Jesus is... and how He spoke the truth to those He came to save.

Thanks for reading and God bless!
Mary Ann :)

*Thomas Nelson has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.-Thanks Thomas Nelson! :)

The Last Week Of Summer... Vacation.

We are quickly approaching the final week of our summer vacation. School begins a week from Monday. So how can we pack in all the activities that we didn't get to do? Ughh...

It seems funny to me that I enjoy summer vacation more as an adult than I did when I was in school. Not sure why that is. Maybe it's because we got bored so easily, or maybe because we didn't have money. Or maybe neither of those reasons. My kids seem to get bored too and we don't always have money to do what we'd like. I guess it's more because we are better at planning our summers. Or even just the days in general.

I've come to find that I don't function well with the 'play it by ear' approach. Seems that most days drift by without anything meaningful happening. BUT... when I have a plan ... now that's when we can have fun. It's when I start the day on purpose that I can really enjoy it.

It's funny, because my husband is just the opposite. Yes... he does his share of planning. Only HIS plans are subject to change. Anytime. And often. Before we actually end up doing anything. He is a planner. But he is more interested in having fun than sticking to the days' itinerary.

So... for the next week, the last week I have to spend with my kids before they go back to school, I have a plan. I'm sure you knew that. :)

I'm planning to have a relaxing time with my kids. A quiet time. Time to sit and listen to them, help them be prepared for the new school year, and just be together before we get back into routine.

We've planned to have a 'pajama day'. That's one of our favorites. We hang out in our pj's all day... watch movies... order pizza... make smores... or whatever we feel like doing. We just do it all in our pajamas. It's not like a 'lazy', 'nothing to do' kinda day. It's planned. So it's fun. For some reason... I love to have pizza, on the couch, in front of the tv, in my pj's. Just seems to make life a little better. Don't you think?

And I'll be sure to leave a day or two open for my husband to 'plan' his fun with them. It's my way of planning to be spontaneous.  ;)


Thanks for reading!
Mary Ann :)

"The Devil In Pew Number Seven"

I just finished reading "The Devil In Pew Number Seven" by Rebecca Nichols Alonzo. It's been a while since I've read a book that I just couldn't put down. But this was it. The more I read... the more I wanted to read. What an incredible TRUE story!

The book tells of the childhood of Rebecca and the difficult trials she and her family endured at the hands of a terribly evil man. A man who's jealousy would cause him to stop at nothing to run them out of town... even if it took years of tormenting them. By age 7 she had witnessed her parents being gunned down in her own home. And from the many years of being terrorized, had grown accustomed to sleeping with the fear that she may not live until morning.

At such a young age she was exposed to trauma in her life that no one should fall victim to... let alone a child. And yet, through it all, she was taught a wonderful lesson of forgiveness, by her parents, who modeled what they believed. It would be a strong example of faith and trust in God that would never leave her.

Her parents chose to trust God and believe that He knew what was best... and what the outcome would be. Several times reading the book I had my own doubts as to the decisions her parents made. Did they take it to far? Were they really hearing from God? But I was brought to tears as I read the outcome. To see what God can make of the tragedy in our lives is nothing short of amazing.

I've heard it said that God uses every trial in our lives for our good... He doesn't waste anything. Rebecca's story is a wonderful example of this and makes it very real to me. She shares from her heart. But to know it's a true story? Wow.

I enjoyed this book very much. It's beautifully written. Her story will stay with me for some time. If you need a lesson in forgiveness... this is it!

Thanks for reading and God bless!
Mary Ann :)

*Tyndale House Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for my honest review. -Thanks Tyndale House!  :)