Monday, May 28, 2012

Book Review: Your Heart's Desire

Your Heart's Desire: 14 Truths That Will Forever Change the Way You Love and Are Loved by Sheri Rose Shepherd

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In Your Heart’s Desire, Sheri Rose Shepherd take fourteen ideas about life, love, and God and puts them together for a book that gives a great overview on relationships with the opposite sex.  Different from most books in this genre, this one is geared to women.  At first glance that might not seem like it’s unique, but it’s for the married and single woman.  The woman who may or may not have found the man who is going to walk through life with her.

Married women can use this book to improve their marriage, and singles can use this book to know what they should be looking for, as well as teaching them now how to become a woman a man would want to marry.

I read this book on my own, but I believe it would be idea for a women’s group to go through it together.  One thing I really liked was her warning to respect your husband’s privacy if you are going through this as a group.  What a great reminder, because what man would want to feel like his failures were shared with and discussed to a group of ladies!  That would likely cause more problems than it would solve! 

Another very unique feature of this book is at the end of each chapter there is a QR code which takes you to a video on YouTube where the author discusses the chapter for a few minutes.  I’ve only ever seen one other book utilize QR codes, and I think this is a great concept.  For those who do not have a smart phone, there is a link you can type in to take you directly to each video.  This gives the book a more interactive feel because you not only are reading words on a page, but the author gets to talk directly to you.  Here is the video the QR code take you to for chapter two.



Each chapter begins with a Scripture, then later there is a “Love Coaching” section which is to help you apply that chapter to your life.  For instance, one chapter has an exercise on how to help you feel rid of shame you may carry needlessly (and as women, isn’t this something most, if not all of us, struggle with?).  Another chapter has ideas on how to help cultivate respect for your husband.  After this section, there is a prayer and another Scripture.  Finally, “His Love Letter to You” concludes each chapter.  This “Love Letter” is written as if it were coming from God.  At the end of the book, there is a section of chapter highlights.

My favorite chapters were “Desiring a Godly Man to Marry (for singles)” because I am still single, this one was quite appropriate for me.  I also loved chapter thirteen “Desiring to Glorify God by Showing Honor and Respect”.  The letter she shares on pages 169-170 asking forgiveness of men who we may have hurt was nothing short of amazing.  How many times as women have we lumped all men together?  Sure there are men out there who have really hurt the women in their lives, but can we honestly say, “That’s just like a man?” because what about the men who are desiring the Lord in their lives and are doing their best to love those around them?  That’s not fair to those men when we blame all men for the actions of a few.

This was a great book for any woman and while the chapters are short and doesn’t have time to go in depth in any one topic, it’s a great overview, and even if you have read books about marriage before, I would recommend this because it gives a lot of great ideas to think about and hopefully implement into your life!

FTC disclosure:  I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.  The opinions are my own.

Helpful links:
http://www.yourheartsdesirebook.com/
Sheri Rose Shepherd on Facebook
Sheri Rose Shepherd on Twitter

You can purchase this book here:



Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Bumped in Ft. Lauderdale

As I mentioned last week on my blog, I am not home this week.  (That is the reason for the lack of posts lately.)  I had a free airline ticket and decided to visit friends from college who live in Ft. Lauderdale.  I'm not a big beach person, and in fact other than SEEING the ocean, I haven't been to the beach. 

Well, I was to fly out this morning from Miami.  But the airline asked for people who would be willing to be bumped in exchange for a $400 travel voucher.  Of course, I was more than willing.  When there were some problems encountered getting me to my final destination tonight, I offered to fly out tomorrow.  That worked for them, and I am now spending another night in Ft. Lauderdale with my friends. 

I am super excited about my flight voucher.  It *is* an inconvenience.  I had to have my friends make another trip to Miami.  Now, I fly out of Ft. Lauderdale at 6:30 in the morning.  I will be in not three but four airports tomorrow, but because I have been wanting to make another trip, I consider this money in my pocket since I would have bought that plane ticket. 

Not only did I get a plane ticket, but the airline gave me lunch as well.

Now I wonder if I can get bumped tomorrow and be able to make it home tomorrow evening. Ha ha!

Friday, May 18, 2012

Weekend Mail Wrap-Up 5/18/12

I won a plane ticket good anywhere in the United States last fall. Because I'm using it this weekend (stay tuned for photos) I decided that I would move my weekend mail wrap-up to today. This week's mail was a lot of reading. . . .

I received the following:

Coupon for a free Bloomin' Onion from Outback (win).  Of course I haven't been to Outback in years, so I'll likely not use it.

Shine Shine Shine Advance Reader's Copy.  Not sure where this arrived from!

From Blah to Awe: Shaking Up a Boring Faith  I received a notification I won this from the publisher, but not sure where I even entered.  I'm excited, though, because I really think this is going to be a great book!

From Christine over at Our Homeschool Reviews I won a copy of  The Homeschool Experiment, a Novel.  If you've been a reader for long here at The Radar Report, you know I'm not a huge novel fan, but when I saw she was giving this away, I really hoped I would win because it looks like such a fun book!

For review I received  Your Heart's Desire: 14 Truths That Will Forever Change the Way You Love and Are Loved.  I've started reading this an am almost halfway through it in just one day!  Obviously a review will be coming soon!

I had only planned on taking my Kindle with me to Florida, but I may end up taking one of these books with me as well!  After all, I do have reviews to write, you know! :)

I had a coupon for a free photo book from Shutterfly, and as rarely as I print photos, I thought last summer it would be nice next time I get a free photo book to make one of my 20th high school reunion.  That arrived in the mail this week, and as always, a very high quality book!

Finally I received the current issue of RefundCents.  I've subscribed to this coupon/refund newsletter for almost two decades!  But my photo was in this issue!  


 

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Weekend Mail Wrap-Up 5/12/12

It's that time of the week again to see what came in the mail this week for me, both with wins, purchases, and trades.

The week started off with a "Born to Be Roasted" t-shirt I won from Arby's.

In trades from paperbackswap I received:

Free Prize Inside: The Next Big Marketing Idea
and
Love Finds You in Hershey, Pennsylvania

I had won a recipe contest from  the American Public Health Association and received an apron and two pads of sticky notes.

I also received a bottle of One A Day gummy vitamins I won on Facebook.

I had won a twitter giveaway and received a copy of Crater (A Helium-3 Novel) by Homer Hickam.

Lots of reading, and now I have something to protect my clothes when I mix the barbeque sauce in with the tuna!

Monday, May 7, 2012

Book Review: Real Marriage

Real Marriage: The Truth about Sex, Friendship & Life TogetherReal Marriage: The Truth about Sex, Friendship & Life Together by Mark Driscoll

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Giving a star rating to this book is difficult.  Do I rate it on content?  (Is that even possible since I'm single and this book is on marriage?)  Do I rate it on if I agree with everything?  Do I rate it on if it kept me turning pages?  In the end, the number of stars is always based on the overall book impression, but it would have been ranked differently based on all the above.

I wanted to read this book after reading a review that touted it as much for singles as married couples.  I expected a bit more from the book than what I felt was there, so maybe had I not read that review I would be a bit more enthralled with the book.  I know a variety of things can go into how one reads and judges a book.

Real Marriage starts out talking about friendship.  While I've seen and even read a number of books on marriage, I do have to say this is the first that really emphasized the friendship that is needed within a marriage.  I am not sure I agree with everything.  The close friend of a member of the opposite sex warning reminded me of the dire warnings we received in high school and college that our close friendship with the opposite sex should be reserved only for marriage.  I have a few male friends I consider close but we have Christ-honoring friendships, so I'm not sure I agree with this statement.  I'm sure it can differ from person to person as to what is appropriate, and to make a blanket statement like this could help some and cause confusion to others.

The second half of the book was about sex.  The authors were candid in their discussion of their sexual experiences prior to marriage, and I'm not sure that needed to be shared beyond a few basic facts.  Also, I'm not convinced that the "Can a Christian _______" section needed to be in there.  There are some things that Christians shouldn't do, but at the same time, what if someone uses this chapter as an excuse to do something they know is wrong for them?  I feel some of these questions should be lumped together as a 'follow your own conscious'.

Overall, I found the book to be interesting enough I read it in about a week.  I'm not sure it's a book I would recommend, I feel there are better marriage books on the market, including ones I agree with a little more.  (There was nothing too blatant, but just in general there were just a few things that made me sit back and go "hmmmm".)   If you want to read one of the year's most controversial Christian books, then by all means go ahead.  If you are a big Mark Driscoll fan, then pick up this book.  Looking for a good book on Christian marriage?  If you are reading several on the topic, this one is worth adding to the pile, but if you are looking for just one book, then keep searching.

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Uglee Ergonomic Pen Review and Giveaway


I gave my mother a set of Uglee Pens for her birthday.  She has carpal tunnel and lots of difficulty writing and I thought an ergonomic pen might be just the thing to help her be able to write with less discomfort.

As you can see, they look different from other pens.  What I didn't expect from them was that while they look different, the grips on them are actually soft.  I guess I would have known this if I read the website better, but I didn't expect it to be soft.  My mother loves the feel of the softness, and personally, I think it feels a little too different and I haven't used one enough to get used to it, so I'm going mainly on her reviews since she has been using one for a couple months now.





One thing that my mother did find with the Uglee pen is that the ink sometimes skips as she is writing.  She isn't sure if this is due to her error or the way the pen is manufactured.  She uses it almost daily, and that is her only complain.  She loves the feel because often it hurts her to write because of the problems she has with her hands.




You can order Uglee pens for $19.99 for a three pack (plus shipping and handling, but if you order multiple sets of the same color, you only pay shipping and handling once!)

I know this was a practical, unique, and appreciated gift to my mother who has difficulty writing. I'm sure you can think of someone in your life who could use these.  Even a child who is learning to write could benefit from these.  I know I had a hard time learning to write because I didn't want to hold my pencil correctly and when I did, I gripped it so hard it made my hands hurt, so these would also be ideal for a beginning writer for practice (at least with supervision as it is ink and not pencil).




Dr. Lee who designed the Uglee Pen is giving one of my blog readers a set of three in a random color.  The giveaway is open to the USA only.  Ends at 5/16 at 12:01 in the morning Eastern time.






Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Strictest Coupon Policy I've ever Seen

I don't use coupons nearly as much as I once did, now primarily at drug stores and not grocery stores.  Today I picked up something from a local grocery and found they had changed their coupon policy.  I didn't read the sign entirely so I'm working from a glance and memory, but I wonder why they just didn't say they no longer accept coupons.  I think it would have been easier.

The changes include:

  • Proctor and Gamble coupons are no longer accepted.  
  • Internet coupons are no longer accepted.
  • No coupon with a value of over $1 is accepted
  • No free item coupons are accepted
  • No buy one get one coupons are accepted
  • Coupons must have an expiration date
  • Coupons must have dual barcodes
I hate seeing changes this harsh.  I've never misused coupons, but I know it's becoming trendy to do so.  If unethical couponers keep it up, I'm afraid we'll see more and  stores that will follow suit with coupon policies such as this one.

How about any of you?  What's some of the strictest coupon policies you've ever seen?

Monday, April 30, 2012

Book Review: Plain Perfect

Plain Perfect (Daughters of the Promise, #1)Plain Perfect by Beth Wiseman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Warning: contains spoilers.

I would give this three stars except I realize that I'm not usually a novel reader and to expect a novel to measure up to non-fiction isn't exactly fair to either genre since they are both unique. I happened across this book recently and while I can't say it's an amazing book, it is an enjoyable read that was a sweet love story.

My biggest problem with it is it seemed so predictable. I knew from the outset what was going to happen, but even so, a good writer can make a predictable story shine, and that's what Wiseman did.

Lillian needs a change in her life. She leaves her boyfriend in Texas and moves to Pennsylvania to live with her Amish grandparents. I very much enjoyed her struggle over worldly and Amish ways. I think anyone who lives in another culture struggles over how the way they do things conflict with those around them be it living in another country or living in a different culture within our own society.

As in most romance books, I found Samuel almost too charming, although cared more for his son than for Lillian during their courtship, which was commendable.

In addition to this being predictable, the other thing I wondered about it was how likely it would be that it could happen. First, few "English" come into the Amish world. I would have thought that Samuel would have taken a much longer time in courtship with Lillian especially since she did not grow up Amish, how could he be certain she would not return to the ways of the English? Although a sweet love story, I had to wonder how wise he was in choosing her as his bride.

Would I recommend this book? Only to someone who likes novels, especially Amish fiction. It's not one I would rave about to others, but it is a fun, light hearted read. Because I did enjoy this book I gave it four stars since I am not typically a fan of novels, and I feel that giving it three stars wouldn't do it justice. I read it almost straight through, so it was good, just not my usual in books!

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

By Grace Alone by Sinclair Ferguson


FTC disclaimer:  I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes.

Grace. As Christians we sing about it. We talk about it. We may even preach about it. But do we understand it? Do we comprehend it for the true gift of God that it really is? When we become Christians, many times we are overwhelmed by the sheer enormity of the grace God has extended to us to forgive us our sin, but even a year later, are we still so speechless when we think about the mercy that was extended to us?

In this book Sinclair Ferguson takes the hymn “Oh How the Grace of God Amazes Me” and transforms this hymn into a short but powerful book reminding as well as instructing us about what a powerful gift was given when we were forgiven.

Within the seven chapters are an amazing amount of truth that all Christians should be reminded of from time to time. I think this would make an excellent book for a small group or Sunday School class to go through, or even a new convert class because isn’t a large part of Christian maturity growing in knowledge and living out the grace of God in our lives?

Within seven chapters, Rev. Ferguson presents in a very readable style the theology behind grace. The book begins with the chapter “My Chains Fell Off” and concludes with “True Freedom” and the chapters in between cover the theology behind grace, how it applies to us, and how we can live it out.

One of the most powerful statements to me in the book is the amazement that religious people often have when they realize they are not a Christian. I know that’s true in my own life, and a number of people were shocked to find out that I was not a Christian in years past. I was certain I was, and others were sure as well. When I discovered grace, it made me wonder how I never realized that I was not a Christian because grace was so powerful it didn’t compare to anything else I had ever experienced while doing religious things.

My favorite chapter was “True Freedom”. This chapter discusses sanctification as a process of growth. The way it is explained is that if we are Christians we are slaves to Jesus Christ. We aren’t slaves to sin because we have been set free from slavery to sin. Now we just need to live out that truth. This was an amazing revelation to me because so often I would like to have a checklist of things I do and don’t do, but that’s not how we receive grace. Grace is freely given, and all we have to do is receive it. While many things can help us grow in the knowledge of God, we can’t earn grace. It is right there for us.

I have a friend at church who we always discuss what we are currently reading. I explained this book as “So powerful I would actually make myself stop reading so I can absorb the truth in it.” I highly recommend this book to every Christian, pastor and layman, as this book is a readable account of the amazing gift Christ gave to us.