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Book Reviews

I LOVE to read. Believe it or not, as much as cooking!  My house is FULL of books.  Most I've read at least once. Some many more times than that.

I will be reviewing both cooking and non-cooking books but will publish cookbook reviews here and other reviews here and at Mandy's Rants

.Softly & Tenderly, Songbird Series #2   -     
        By: Sara Evans, Rachel Hauck
    
Sofrly & Tenderly by Sara Evans and Rachel Hauck. 


Publishers Description: Maybe out there in the country she could catch her breath, learn to breathe again…




Happily married, and owner of two successful boutiques, Jade longs to begin a family with her husband, Max. But when she discovers that Max has an illegitimate son - who he wants her to help raise - Jade’s life is turned upside down.
She flees to her childhood home, a rambling Iowa farmhouse, with enough room to breathe. There - while her mother’s health grows fragile, and the tug of her first love grows stronger - Jade begins to question everything she thought she knew about family, love, and motherhood.
In the wide-open landscape, Jade begins to see a future that doesn’t rest on the power of her past, but in the goodness of God’s tender mercies..


My review:
This was a great book. It is a sequel to the book "Sweet By and By".  It took a couple of chapters before I figured out who all the characters were but then it took off at breakneck speed.


It's the story of a woman, Jade Fitzgerald, dealing with pain from the past and desperately focused on the future.  She faces her husband’s ultimate betrayal of trust which brings into her life a child, the very thing that she wanted more than anything to give him.


In a girls’ road trip to take her sick mother home to Iowa, the main characters go on a journey of self discovery, forgiveness, and moving forward.  It’s not without hiccups when Jade’s first love is in the wings wanting to start over and her husband arrives to try and win her back.


This book was fun to read and I couldn’t put it down.  It was romantic but in a real life way.  You could feel the rawness of the characters as they dealt with some big issues that we all face sometime in our lives; like addiction, losing a loved one, facing a spouse's betrayal or dealing with shame from the past.


I haven’t read the first book but am looking forward to reading it to fill in some of the blanks.I hope that the author will write more to the saga because she left this reader wanting more!


I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255


Slave: The Hidden Truth About Your Identity in Christ  -     
        By: John MacArthur
    
Slave by John MacArthur


Publisher's Description: Best-selling author and pastor Dr. John MacArthur reveals one crucial word that revolutionizes what it means to follow Jesus.
Throughout the Bible, followers of Jesus are commanded to submit to Him as their King. They are told to obey and follow, faithfully and without hesitation. Every time Christians utter the word Lord, they make a subtle yet profound declaration-that God is their Master and that they belong to Him. In fact, the Bible describes believers as His slaves. They have been bought with a price and now live for Christ as a people for His own possession.
But go into most churches today, even flip through most Bible translations, and you won’t see or hear the word slaveanywhere. That’s because it has been lost in translation. In this gripping book, Dr. John MacArthur uses deep Bible teaching and historical evaluation to expertly uncover the one forgotten word that restores the Bible’s definition of true Christian freedom.
What does it mean to be a Christian the way Jesus defined it? MacArthur says it all boils down to one word: Slave. "We have been bought with a price. We belong to Christ


My Review


In this book the author digs deeper into what he sees a cover up of New Testament English translators in the diminishing of the word...slave.Being from a time and era different that that of the first Christians, many Christians today see the word slave as a derogatory word, not as the doctrines of grace all take on fuller meaning when seen through the lens of slavery.  We've replaced the word slave with a more palatable word of servant.For their part, slaves had only one primary objective: to please the master in everything through their loyal obedience to him.  Though we were born as slaves of sin, having inherited an enslaved state from Adam, we were purchased by Christ through His death on the cross. We were bought with a price. Sin is no longer our Master, but Christ is.


There were parts of the book that were concise and easy to follow where the train of thought the author was going.  I found in many places a feeling I was reading the same thing again and again, just worded differently.  There was a lot in the book about predestination
The author used many examples in Church history that reinforced the theme of the slave/master relationship that Christians have with Christ.  From Christian martyrs, to converted slave traders, to the Apostle Paul. Mr. MacArthur had many references to make a good argument.  I found myself, as an everyday Christian, confused in quite a few places on what exactly he was saying, and what point he was trying to make.Would I recommend this book?  I would to someone who is firmly planted and knew what they believe. It is not an easy read book so I wouldn't to someone who was new in their faith.


I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255

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I love to cook. It is my passion.