Simple Pleasures: Stories from My Life as an Amish Mother (MennoMedia, March 2016)

Young Amish homemaker Marianne Jantzi invites readers into her family’s life on the snowy plains of Ontario.

The mother of four young children and wife of a storekeeper, Jantzi writes about her daily routines and heartfelt faith with equal measures of wit and warmth. Sewing, cleaning, cooking, gardening, and helping to manage the store take up most hours in her day, but Jantzi finds time to pen columns for the Connection, a magazine beloved by Amish and Mennonite readers across the United States and Canada. Never sugarcoating the frustrations of motherhood, Jantzi tells it like it is, broken washing machine and bickering children and all. But through her busy days, Jantzi finds strength in simple pleasures of family, fellowship with her Amish community, and quiet time with God.

My Review:

For those who love to read Amish fiction, you will enjoy reading about the everyday life of a real Amish family. The Author shares how her family manages home and work. She shares how her community handle caring for their own, weddings and holding church services. This is an enjoyable read. Also enjoy the family recipes the author graciously shares with the readers.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my review.

THE ATONEMENT

The Atonement Paperback –by Beverly Lewis  (Author)

The mistakes of the past haunt Lucy Flaud, who years ago stopped attending the activities for courting-age young people in her hometown of Bird-in-Hand. Now twenty-five and solidly past the age of Amish courtship, Lucy has given up any hope of marriage, instead focusing her efforts on volunteering in both the Plain and fancy communities of Lancaster County. Yet no matter how hard Lucy strives, she feels uncertain that she'll ever find redemption.

Dale Wyeth has a deep mistrust of modern-day "advances" and the dependency they create. The young Englisher's interest in living off the grid is fueled further when he meets Christian Flaud, Lucy's father. Dale appreciates the self-sufficient ways of the Old Order Amish, and Christian invites him to learn more about them by staying at the family farm.

As Christian and Dale grow closer, developing a father-son rapport, Lucy begins to question what Dale's being there might mean for her. Could God be testing her? Or is it possible that even the most unworthy heart--and two people from very different walks of life--can somehow find a new beginning?

MY REVIEW:

I love Beverly Lewis' books and this book did not disappoint. This story centers around Lucy. Lucy has a past that she can't get over. She has suffered loss that she can't grieve. So Lucy fills her life doing volunteer work. But no matter how much she does for others she still feels far from God and His Goodness.

As the story unfolds you realize she still hasn't forgiving her self or a member of her family. Can Lucy find what she is missing in her life? How does the Englisher man her father brings home fit into her life. I highly recommend this book. Enjoy!

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my review.

A DREAM OF MIRACLES

A Dream of Miracles (The Amish Wonders Series) Paperback – April 12, 2016

by Ruth Reid (Author)

Amish widow Mattie vows never to love again . . . until a suspicious outsider with a shadowy past comes crashing into her fragile world.

Mattie Diener can barely keep it together. A young Amish widow and mother of two young children, she faces the lingering heartbreak of lost love, her son’s mysterious illness, and a torrent of accusations that threaten to undo her.

Bo Lambright is a fast-rising social services investigator whose high-society mother won’t rest until she finds his Mrs. Right. Despite Bo’s worldly success, the raw ache of a shadowy past and a series of unsettling dreams have left him reeling.

When Mattie and Bo cross paths, all signs point to disaster. Yet as they face a crucible of trials and tragedies together, longings begin to stir that seem destined only to end in more heartbreak. Is a miracle possible—not only of healing but of forbidden love? What secrets lie in Bo’s dreams? And will Mattie find the courage to face her uncertain future . . . or will she simply run away?

MY REVIEW:

This book was an interesting read. The story is centered around a young widowed Amish mom of 2 small children. She is still dealing with the loss of her husband and having difficulties dealing with daily life alone raising her children. Her son becomes ill and the doctor she uses is on vacation. The doctor filling in accuses the mom of child abuse. Things only get worse as Bo the social worker enters the story.

Through the love of God and this willing man listening to God, this story has a dramatic ended. I would recommend this book for those who love Amish fiction.

I received a copy of this book from Litfuse in exchange for my review.

THE PROPHETESS

The Prophetess: Deborah's Story (Daughters of the Promised Land)Paperback – February 2, 2016

by Jill Eileen Smith  (Author)

Outspoken and fearless, Deborah has faith in God but struggles to see the potential her own life holds. As an Israelite woman, she'll marry, have a family, and seek to teach her children about Adonai--and those tasks seem to be more than enough to occupy her time. But God has another plan for her. Israel has been under the near constant terror of Canaan's armies for twenty years, and now God has called Deborah to deliver her people from this oppression. Will her family understand? Will her people even believe God's calling on her life? And can the menace of Canaan be stopped?

With her trademark impeccable research and her imaginative storytelling, Jill Eileen Smith brings to life the story of Israel's most powerful woman in a novel that is both intriguing and inspiring.

MY REVIEW:

i was pleasantly surprised by this book. i loved the story of Deborah! The author opens our eyes of how it might of been living the life of this Prophetess of the old Testament. While there is not a lot written about Deborah in the bible this book revealed a woman we could understand and know.
i look foreword to more book by this author.

I received a copy of this book in exchange of my review.

SYNCED

Jennifer Kennedy Dean is executive director of the Praying Life Foundation and a respected author and speaker. The author of numerous books, studies, and magazine articles specializing in prayer and spiritual formation, her book Heart's Cry has been named National Day of Prayer's signature book, while her book Live a Praying Life® has been called a flagship work on prayer. Widely recognized as an unusually gifted communicator, Jennifer speaks all over the country calling God's people to discover the difference between a prayer life and a praying life. Jennifer is the author of such books as Altar'd, Clothed with Power, Conversations with the Most High, Life Unhindered!, Power in the Blood of Christ, Power in the Name of Jesus, Secrets Jesus Shared, Set Apart, The Power of Small, and much more. A highly demanded speaker, her engagements include respected organizations such as the Billy Graham Training Center at the Cove and Focus on the Family. She is a board member for Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, a member of America's National Prayer Committee, a member of National Professional Women Association, and national prayer director and board member for Christian Women in Media.

About the book: 

Synced: Living Connected to the Heart of Jesus (New Hope, February 2016)

Prayer can become extraordinary when we live connected to the heart of Jesus.

Synced encourages you to emulate the way Jesus lived His life. With real-life stories of people walking closely with Jesus, finding themselves in the right place at the right time, readers are challenged to examine what staying in step with the Spirit looks like. National best-selling author and known prayer expert, Jennifer Kennedy Dean, uses the familiar passage of the Lord's Prayer as anchor points to present the way Jesus lived His life in step with the Father through prayer.

Every moment is pregnant with purpose. Every moment is drenched in power. Prayer is no longer the means by which you attempt to get God to perform for you and becomes, instead, the means by which you connect with His heart and mind. A praying life is a life of peace and soul-rest. A praying life is lived in sync with the heart of Jesus.

MY REVIEW:

The author of this book wrote to encourage us to walk with Jesus being connected to the Father in our everyday life. Through out the book she reminds us, 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5 (NIV).

Basically the author is teaching how to walk in the spirit using the Lord's Prayer as outline to do so.

She speaks of prayer as a way of life not just an occasional action. Living a life of forgiveness and living day by day are among other topics taught in this book.

I received a copy of this book from Litfuse in exchange for my review.

 

Hannah's Choice: A Novel (Journey to Pleasant Prairie) Paperback – January 19, 2016

by Jan Drexler (Author)

 

Hannah Yoder loves her quiet life on the banks of the Conestoga Creek. In 1842, this corner of Lancaster County is settled and peaceful--yet problems lurk beneath the placid facade. Hannah's father worries about the spread of liberal ideas from their Mennonite and Brethren neighbors. And Hannah blames herself for a tragedy that struck their home nine years ago. She strives to be the one person who can bind the threads of her family together in spite of her mother's ongoing depression and her sister's rejection of their family. But her world is threatening to unravel.

When two young men seek her hand in marriage--one offering the home she craves and the other promising the adventure of following God's call west--Hannah must make a choice. Faithfully perform her duties to her family? Or defy her father and abandon her community?

With a tender hand, Jan Drexler teases out the threads of a romance that will captivate readers in this brand-new Amish historical series. 

 

My Review: 

This story is about a Amish family that has suffered the loss of  three children. This has changed the family in such a way that tears them apart. Many of the Amish in their area have moved on leaving them concerned about their children's future. There is too many outsiders around them that may take their children away from the Amish faith

They must decide to move or stay in the home the father was raised.  Members of the family are being pulled in different direction. This is a nice story for those that enjoy Amish fiction.

 

 

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my review. 

An Endless Christmas

An Endless Christmas (Worthy Inspired, October 2015)

Author Cynthia Ruchti

Too many people, too much snow, and too little room should be a recipe for disaster.

Christmas takes a very different turn when the guests of honor break up instead of announcing their engagement. Trapped with his family, they learn that love looks different than either imagined. Both in their eighties, Dodie and Wilson Binder celebrate every Christmas as if it were their last. This year, their grandson Micah is planning to ask his girlfriend, Katie, to marry him so they can celebrate with the whole family. But things go very wrong when she says, “no.” Now they are stuck. Too many people, too much snow, and too little room should be a recipe for disaster. But sometimes too much is just enough. Especially when it’s Christmas.

My Review:

This is a wonderful Christmas story! It center around the Binder family that is the type of family we all wish we had. Love abounds through this family. When the oldest grandson brings home his girlfriend for the Binder family Christmas it is overwhelming for this young lady. Her family is nothing like this family and she doesn't feel worthy to belong.

As you read the story you will find a story of love, forgiveness and God's grace.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for this review.