The Good Life

I'm a big fan of Stormie Omartian and her writing. Power of a Praying...is one of my favorite series, so when I saw she has written children's books I knew I wanted to read them! God Cares When I'm Afraid is a really great, practical book for children ages 3-9. It goes through different scenarios where children might be afraid. It's accompanied by wonderful illustrations and my favorite part, a prayer at the end of each scenario. This is a great book to read at night to your kids. They will love the illustrations and the feeling of having other children have the same fears as them! You will love the prayers that end each section. Sometimes as a parent, it is nice to have examples of prayers to be able to pray with your children and God Cares When I'm Afraid is a great way to pray with your children and encourage them that God cares for them in all aspects of their lives. Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this book My opinions are my own.

I’ve read all of Bob Goff’s books and just loved them. His devotional was no different! I loved the short but impactful daily reads. He keeps drawing you back to what does love really mean? I loved the verses that accompanied each day and the questions that bookended the reading. It’s the perfect way to start out your day instead of a 3-minute scroll through your phone- get centered with a verse, a mini-story or thought, and a question to focus your day. I highly recommend this devotional and think it would be perfect for teens, recent graduates, and young moms. I think it’s a great fit for many stages of life, but these groups stuck out to me as to ones who could really benefit from the short, but insightful daily reads. Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy. My opinions are my own.

As an avid reader and former ex-pat myself, I was completely surprised to have never heard the moving account of Annalena Tonelli's life and work in Somalia. Journey with writer Rachel Pieh Jones as she weaves her own story of living in Djibouti with Annalena's story. At times I was encouraged. At times I was shocked. And at times I was amazed. This is the incredible account of one woman's desire to live out her convictions and love for mankind. It was so inspiring to read of her life and dedication. As a reader of Rachel Pieh Jones' blog, I really enjoyed her story intertwined with Annalena's. I recommend this book for any one of the following (or all of them!) groups of people: enjoy memoirs, have lived overseas, Christians, public health advocates, or read cross-cultural stories. This is not a light and easy read, but there is such depth in the story of Annalena Tonelli. Thank you to NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book.

I really enjoyed reading this beautifully illustrated version of The Good Samaritan to my 4 boys. There is power in reading God’s Word aloud and I appreciated that the author used straight Scripture to share this parable. The illustrations are accurate to the time period and peoples in that land and time. I also liked the questions at the end of the book because it gave me a chance to dig deeper with my sons about how to apply Jesus’ words to our lives today. I recommend this book for 3-10 year olds.  I received this book for free from NetGalley, but my opinions are my own.