Review - If You Have a Craving, I Have a Cure

If You Have a Craving, I Have a Cure is a book of recipes, but not necessarily the kind you might expect.  Yes there are recipes that I am planning to try "Not-Really-Cheese Cheese Sauce" and the "Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice Cookies".  However, most of the recipes are those that pertain to life and making some changes.  I personally appreciated the gluten free suggestions included in many of the recipes.

If you are craving change, rest, energy or celebration Shepherd has some suggestions or 'recipes' to help bring you to a foundational place on which to build soul-satisfying change.  She mixes faith, fun and food to guide you along the path to lasting change.  While not a deeply profound book and perhaps not new information, Sheperd presents truth in a way that is easy to swallow.

To comply with new regulations introduced by the Federal Trade Commission, I must mention  that Tyndale House Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book.

Review - You Were Made for a God-Sized Dream

Somewhere deep inside you there is a dream.  Remember the scene from the Disney movie Tangled?  Rapunzel tames a group of ruffians by sharing her dream and asking them about their dreams.  She pulled all kinds of things out of these tough guys; a longing for love, interior decorating, performing and much more.  The point is, that no one can tell what your dream is simply by looking at you.

Your dream is yours, sized to fit you perfectly by a God who knows you inside and out.  Unfortunately, it often seems like we are floundering around wondering where to go with that thing.

Flounder no more.  Let me introduce you to my friend Holley Gerth.  She will be your friend, too.  In her book, You Were Made for a God-Sized Dream she pulls up her chair near yours, hands you a cup of something wonderful and walks you carefully through a process that leads you, should you do the work, right into living your God-Sized dream.

The words in this book will help you realize and overcome the obstacles that have been standing in your way.  Online resources in the form of worksheets, access to her blog and e-coaching opportunities won't leave you high and dry. Holley will help you see that there is room on this planet for you and your dream.  If you are still breathing it isn't to late to start dreaming.



You Were Made for a God-Sized Dream has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. 

Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group. 

Book Review: A Cast of Stones by Patrick W. Carr

Who is friend and who is foe?  Young Errol Stone, the orphan drunk, doesn't know whom to trust.  His life is marked by saying good-bye and he would rather not remember the past.  Destiny has other plans for Errol and he finds himself on a journey out of the ale barrel and into the hands of a much greater power that unexpectedly resides in him.


The separation of church and state has not happened in Erinon.  In fact the church wields extensive power and there is much subversion, intrigue and conspiracy happening in the kingdom.  The kingdom is in need of a few good men and much to everyone's surprise Errol is one of them.

Action, adventure, and mystery are encompassed in the pages of A Cast of Stones by Patrick W. Carr.  As you read this fantastical tale you will find yourself pulled into the pages of a kingdom in peril.  The churchmen have plenty of power and know how to use it.  The palace needs a successor and the church has the answer for them but they need all the members of the conclave and they are being killed off or disappearing in a disturbing manner.

Carr weaves a fast-paced story line that keeps you turning the pages.  He doesn't give away any more than he has to and when you finish the last page there is still much waiting to be known.  I am anxiously awaiting the next in the series.  Pick your copy of A Cast of Stones up at your favourite bookstore!

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.
Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

5 Days to a Clutter Free House - Review

Today I am writing a review of 5 Days to a Clutter-Free House - Quick, Easy Ways to Clear Up Your Space by Sandra Felton and Marsha Sims.  I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell Publishers.

Initially I thought this would be a fabulous book - who doesn't want to have a clutter free house in five days? I've been working at de-cluttering for what seems like forever and I am still not done - five days seemed a little like a miracle.

It didn't take me long to figure out that this could be a fabulous way to go about de-cluttering, but not for me.  This system is designed for those whose clutter has literally taken over the house.  Because of all of the work we've done already this isn't true of my house (Praise the Lord!).  Let me give you a quick synopsis and then I'll share the gems I gleaned from these pages.

1.  This may be a benefit to you if you have a significant clutter issue in one or more areas of your home.
2.  You need to gather a team around you to make this happen.
3.  Once the system of the five day de-clutter has taken place there will still be significant work to do to re-order your home and maintain that order.
4.  The authors address the issues that may prevent you from maintaining the new regime and give great suggestions as to how to actually do the work of maintaining it and give you some idea of how you got here in the first place.

I decided to try their de-clutter plan on a very small scale.  My living room had been taken over for several days by some very messy children.  I decided to corral those same children as my 'team' and employ the system.  In the five day plan they work at a certain 'level' each day.

Day 1 - knees to floor
Day 2 - knees to shoulders
Day 3 - shoulders and up
Day 4 - inside areas
Day 5 - storage areas

I instructed the kids to work in the same fashion, we followed the order and had the room ship shape in about 30 minutes, including vacuuming and dusting.

The deciding factor for someone implementing this plan would be your 'want-to'.  I believe that this could really be an excellent tool if applied with determination to follow through to the end of the plan and then continuing to maintain the desired order.  Felton and Sims are experienced organizers and self-proclaimed 'messies' - they know whereof they speak.  There are also plenty of examples sprinkled throughout of the right and wrong ways to accomplish this mammoth task.

If you have a mammoth de-cluttering task, whether it be just the garage or your whole house there is beneficial information contained within the pages of 5 Days to a Clutter-Free House.

Places to Purchase this item:

Amazon.ca - CLICK HERE

Amazon.com - CLICK HERE

Barnes & Noble - CLICK HERE

Christianbook.com - CLICK HERE

Review: Focus on the Family's, Les Miserables

The story of redemption, mercy, justice and changed lives, this is Les Miserables.  Written by Victor Hugo and told over and over again on pages, stages and screens, the story is still fresh and needs to be heard.  I was eager to do a review on Focus on the Family’s Radio Theatre version of this classic tale {I received a complimentary copy from Tydale Publishers }.  We loved what they did with Narnia and were eager to hear their latest production. 

Excellent sound effects, a stirring musical score and an excellent cast of voices provided a rich tapestry for the imagination as the listener was transported back to another time and another place.  My only criticism was that I was supposed to be in France and every character had a British accent – that was an unfortunate oversight which seems to be quite prevalent these days (the movie “Hugo” and the newest film version of Les Mis also use British accents for all their French characters in Paris – sad but true).

Despite that one flaw my children, husband and I enjoyed listening to Jean Val Jean’s confession to his ‘daughter’ Cosette.  The producers used a series of flashbacks, narrated by Val Jean as a backdrop to the story.  He bares his soul telling her vignettes from the past that allow her to see how the two of them got to the point where they are and why they lived the secluded life they did.

The poignant dichotomy between Val Jean and Javert provided the angst that is needed in any good story.  That Val Jean was transformed by one act of mercy is a beautiful message to the world.  One cannot help but weep for the tormented Javert who cannot understand that mercy overcomes justice – without the law he is nothing and cannot accept that. Marius, Cosette and Fantene are but a few of the many who were changed by Val Jean's compassion and integrity.  Les Miserables is the kind of story that we need to keep on hearing.  

If you have a road trip coming up or a long commute I would highly recommend Focus on the Family's version of Les Miserables, told in such a way as to make it accessible to the whole family.  Enjoy!

This resource is available through Amazon, Focus on the Family, Christianbook and other places.