Seven Women And the Secret of Their Greatness By Eric Metaxas

In a follow up book to his book - Men and the Secret of Their Greatness, Eric Metaxas has written Seven Women and the Secret of Their Greatness. In this book Metaxas lists seven women who have inspired many many people because of their hardship they faced, what they believed in, and the resiliency to never quit. Of the seven I really had a good time reading about Rosa Parks, Saint Maria of Paris, and Susanna Wesley.

One thing I noticed of the three women that I've mentioned,  all of them had to face some sort of hardship and as a result had a strong courage to stand up for what they believed in and to maintain their faith no matter what.

Overall book was about how greatness is not something that is given at birth but rather is achieved by continually working hard, staying true to what one believes, and pursuing God with all that they are.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson in exchange for my honest review.

At Any Cost by Mike & Hayley Jones

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

Mike & Hayley Jones were a typical American family. A family of four they were asked by God to adopt children from Sierre Leone; eight of them.

Read about the struggles of adopting eight children, adapting their lives in the United States, and their passion for seeing their family thrive.

I really appreciated the honesty and candor of this book. It was inspiring as the Jones struggled to bring all eight children home, answered objections to their passion, and how they sought God through it all.

More Than Just the Talk: Becoming Your Kids' Go-To Person About Sex by Jonathan McKee

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review.

The Talk. It has caused many parents to become dumb in their speech. What do I say? How do I say it? Are our kids even ready for this type of talk? In his book, More That Just the Talk, Jonathan McKee gives some practical, and wise advice on how to have "the talk." 

What I liked about this book is that it is simple. Parents should be able to have conversations like this with their children but not get medical. However, that first requires openness on the part of the parents.

McKee suggests to not avoid the talk or shroud it but rather answer questions that your children might have. Also, he gives resources to give solid, Biblical answers because the world will also give "answers" that sound so close to the truth that the lie is hard to detect. 

 However, when answered Biblically, and in love, children are more likely to see the truth and avoid the lies. In that aspect, the book presents itself well and lives up to its intent

365 Pocket Prayer for Mothers

*I received this complimentary copy from Tyndale Blog Network in exchange for my honest review.

Before I get too far I must first say that I am not a mother; I am a father. However, I was really curious about this little book. As someone who enjoys prayer books (Book of Common Prayer, Celtic Prayers, etc) I really wanted to see what this book had to offer.

The first thing I noticed was the heart of prayers. They were deep, emotional, honest, but potent. I was greatly surprised by some of things that were written. I would not have thought to pray like that.

For example, one prayer was how the child challenged the mother to be more joyful. This was inspired by giggles. Giggles! Who would have thought that giggles would cause a longing to be joyful?

Another example was the mother recalling her child walking very wobbly and how she longed to be "caught" by God when she struggled to walk in her life.Those are just two examples of some very powerful prayers that were inspired from ordinary childhood events.

I would highly recommend that mothers get this little book to read when they have the chance. It should encourage you as a mother, challenge you to enjoy those "moments", and to thank God that you are a mom.

P.S. I was saddened that there is not a 365 Prayers for Fathers...yet. If it is anything like this book it will be a great book for any father.