Fashioned by Faith by Rachel Lee Carter

"Fashioned by Faith" details Rachel’s struggles, revelations and convictions regarding her modest clothing all while working in the fashion industry. Rachel brings her experience from the fashion world to offer creative and practical suggestions that combine modesty and a great look. Each chapter of this 203 page book includes direct quotes from young men and from Rachel, herself. It’s important that women of all ages realize how important it is to honor God with all they do. Women should take special care to protect their bodies and men should take special care to respect women’s bodies. Rachel shares many stories about how difficult it is to work in her industry while not being willing to bare her body. She encourages young woman to set boundaries and not cross them, no matter how much pressure. There are many discussion questions throughout the book and it would be a terrific tool for a small group or Sunday school class. I think this book is geared more toward younger woman but it is an important read for any woman, especially a mother  of girls to read. Rachel encourages girls to involve their parents in their wardrobe decisions and I think that this is something that is seriously lacking in our society.  Parents need to insert themselves in EVERY aspect of their children’s lives, including the mundane, everyday choices like choosing and/or approving clothes.

The last portion of this book is a 45-day Bible Study which could be an excellent tool for a group of girls or a mother/daughter devotional type project.

I enjoyed this book and will definitely be using some of the ideas and tools that Rachel offers when my daughter is old enough.

Side Note: This book also includes many beautiful color pictures from Rachel’s modeling career.

 I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://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

Max on Life: Answers and Insights to Your Most Important Questions by Max Lucado

Max on Life is a 254 page book (including Scripture index) filled with 172 questions. The book is divided into 7 basic sections titled Hope, Hurt, Help, Him/Her, Home, Haves/Have Nots and Hereafter. There’s a new question and answer on nearly every page. There are also some photo copies of actual notes that Max has written people. I love Max Lucado books so much and this book did not disappoint! He is very straightforward with his answers and always backs his beliefs with scripture. I really love that this book has such a wide range of questions. In addition to the typical questions Pastors are asked, Max has included some very personal, very atypical questions. For example one person asked Max “What sexual items and activities are acceptable to God? Negligees? Body Oils? Engaging in specific activities, using sensual language, and watching stimulating movies? What does God prohibit and permit?”.  This may be a question that many couples have but it isn’t something that a lot of pastors are comfortable answering and probably isn’t something that people are comfortable talking about with someone that they have to see every Sunday.

The back of the book has a scripture index but I love that Max quotes scriptures directly in all of his answers. Max has a way of telling a story and getting a point across that a lot of Pastors just aren’t blessed with. I am so happy that I will have this book to refer to when I have life questions and I would DEFINITELY recommend this book to a friend. I honestly think that this book would be a good tool for any Christian, in any season of their walk with Christ.

: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://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 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

A Conversation with God: If You Could Ask God Any Question, What Would It Be? by Alton Gansky

A Conversation with God: If You Could Ask God Any Question, What Would It Be? By Alton Gansky is a 304 page book (notes included in count) comprised of 55 questions. I thought this book was fairly generic. I’m a Christian and have been for some time, none of the content was new to me and very little was explained in a new way that I haven’t heard before. That being said, I do think this would be an excellent book for a new Christian with many questions. I liked the format of the book and I hadn’t ever seen one written from God’s “point of view”. After you read each question, you are given several answers as if they are being spoken by God, Jesus and various other characters from the bible. It was easy to read and the chapters are very short. I didn’t really care for the way the references were set at the back of the book, instead of directly with the chapter that they pertained to. I found myself being too lazy to actually flip to the back and check the references. I chose to skip around and read different questions that interested me first, instead of reading the book straight through. The author actually encourages this in his introductory. Also in the introductory is a list of many of the other characters that are referenced  and a short description of who each person is, I really liked that this was included. A few of the questions in this book are: God, how can we believe that you created us?, Why weren’t all early writing included in the Bible? Why should we work if the world is going to end? Why are some people rich and others poor? Can I lose my salvation? What is the kingdom of God? What will we do for eternity? And Are we Unique?

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://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

PUJOLS: MORE THAN THE GAME By Scott Lamb and Tim Ellsworth

Pujols: More Than The Game chronicles the life and career of Albert Pujols (first baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals). In 229 pages, you will learn about Albert growing up in Santo Domingo, migrating to the United States, playing high school and college ball and then eventually making his rise to MLB. This book flows well with short chapters and is entertaining enough to keep the pages turning, which made it a quick read.

Coming from very humble beginnings in the Dominican Republic, Albert Pujols has made quite a name for himself in baseball, often being compared to greats like Babe Ruth, Stan Musual and Pete Rose. Pujols has also been able to keep himself out of trouble. His strict self-discipline and religious beliefs are as much to blame as his wife Deidre and his kids. He enjoys being a hero to children all over the world and upholds that image at every opportunity.   It’s evident throughout the pages, that Pujols has a wonderful support system and he gives all the thanks and glory to Jesus Christ. I don’t think any Pujols fan could say that they didn’t realize Albert is a Christian but I have to admit that I was surprised to learn just how “young” of a Christian he is and how devoted he is. One of my favorite things that I learned is that he’ll often witness to other players while playing first base and that he has led more than one of his teammates to Christ.

Being a Cardinals fan, I was impressed with the amount of background information and stats that these two writers were able to include, however, some may find some of the lingo/stats a little confusing or distracting. That being said, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone. If you’re not a Pujols fan when you start this book, you will be when you finish. 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://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 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”