Your Family In Pictures - A Book Review

Your Family in Pictures by Me Ra Koh

Filled with beautiful photography and 'recipes' for you to take your own pictures, this book is an easy to read instructional guide in family photography. 

With an organized layout and explanations that even the beginning photographer can understand, Me Ra brings her years of photographic expertise to your finger tips. I especially like the photo recipes. They give a sample photo, with the exact exposure used to get the shot, in order that you can more easily replicate it on your own.

I enjoyed the down to earth feeling in the writing of this book and the helpful tips. There are also internet links to Me Ra's you tube videos produced by the Disney Channel. Her passion for capturing the essence of the family dynamic in digital photography is evident all throughout the pages of this book. 

I would recommend this as a good resource for the personal library of any budding photographer. By following the tips in the book, you will no doubt improve your photography skills and capture pictures of your family that will be cherished for years.

You can find your copy on Amazon. 

* Disclaimer - I recieved a copy of this book for free in exchange for my honest review from Blogging For Books, 

A Bunch of Books

I went a little book crazy at the beginning of this new year. 

But, I feel like if you are going to be crazy about something, books are okay.

I am really excited about these titles (and more not pictured).

I can't wait to share my impressions of each of them with you.

Now, I am normally a fiction junky (I do a  lot of reading I don't share with you).

However, when I do book reviews, I like to share about the non-fiction books that have attracted my attention. I feel like these books have something positive and meaningful to offer me and maybe you will find something useful between their pages as well.

It's going to take me a few months to get through these titles, so I hope you aren't too disappointed in having to wait. I can only read so quickly, and I am by no means a speed reader. I have already begun a couple of these books and so far I am anticipating finishing reading each one.

I am going through 'Own Your Life', by Sally Clarkson as a group with some mom friends. We will read it a few chapters at a time and then get together to discuss what we've read. If you have a hard time reading non-fiction, this is a great way to keep you motivated and moving along. 

Most of these books are by Christian authors and can be found at your local Christian bookstore. 

So, if you can't find me, I will probably be reading! As you can see, I have a lot to get through. 

How many books can you read at once? It is going to be hard to read one at a time.

Book Review: Raising Boys By Design

Raising Boys By Design
What the Bible and brain science reveal about what your son needs to thrive
by: Gregory L. Jantz, PhD
and Michael Gurian

As a stay at home, home schooling mother of boys, I need all the help I can get raising the little blessings that God has blessed me with. 

Being a woman, trying to raise Godly young men has it's own set of challenges.  I don't 'get' boys.  
Fortunately, H.H. is a great dad and parenting partner.
He does 'get' boys, obviously, and helps me out as much as he can.
I have read a few books over the years to help me understand H.H., and many of those principles apply to my boys.  
However, in my role of home schooling mom, I often feel like I have been beating my head against a brick wall so to speak in a few areas. Ladies, I am surrounded by boys 
all
the
time.
I love my sons and desperately want to do better by them than just keeping them alive until the day they move out.  Although some days, that seems like a very worthy and high achieving accomplishment.
 Can I get an 'Amen'?
So, when the opportunity came to get a free book about the very topic that my life is immersed in, I jumped at the chance to read it.  
Thank you very much Blogging for Books and Waterbrook, Multnomah Publishing. 
I absolutely love the cover art for this book. It is definitely a scene that has been witnessed in my house.  It also captures the joy and unbridled freedom and lack of inhibitions in the heart of a boy.
The title of this book also immediately appealed to me. Knowing that good things rarely happen by chance, but develop more out of intentional actions, I am interested in any tool available that will help me build good Christian character in my sons. Although the Bible is the best source for this guidance, I also look to professionals who have studied far more than I have, to provide some additional guidance. Initially, I was actually slightly put off by the psychological and scientific information that this book is based on. I have not previously heard of either of these authors, and as a Christian I am very leery of both of these professions. However, as I read the book, I was reassured over and over that these two authors genuinely seek to build up Godly young  men based on Biblical principles, not worldly mandates. Often times the authors made sure to stress that the science behind the way boys tick, lines up with Biblical truths. They even took a firm perspective against some popular secular psychological and scientific beliefs that contradict Biblical ideals.
I really appreciate the topics that the authors highlight in the book. They covered topics such as differences between boys vs. girls, the importance and difference in maternal and paternal influence, building a HERO, character and self-discipline, emotional health, sexuality, school, technology, Christian manhood, and rites of passage. Thoughtful questions and prompts towards action accompany each chapter.
I can see that this book highlights some of the most important aspects of developing an emotionally healthy, strong, young Christian man. As a stay at home mom who has the most hours of influence raising my boys, it gives me some guidelines on how I can intentionally influence my sons toward these good goals.
Although the text is a little on the dry side, I think it stems from the authors wanting to impart as much knowledge and fact as possible into the pages.  It is not a hard read, and it is packed with information and clearly written. It is my opinion that the information within the book is valuable and worth the time spent reading it.
In this current day and age where men and boys are often belittled, dumbed down by the media, or only admired for any feminine attributes they may display, it is great to have a book that is helping parents to challenge their boys to become Godly young men.  Strong, courageous, gentle and kind.
Men who can be leaders and champions. 
I am looking forward to using some of the tools in this book to help my sons become the hero's that God designed them to be. 
I can see this book being a part of my resource shelf for a very long time.


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Book Review: Firsthand

The latest book on my review list is 'Firsthand' 

by brothers Ryan and Josh Shook

 

It is written to inspire people who have grown up in the church or in Christian homes and have yet to make the faith they have grown up with, their own or personal. 

There comes a time in each persons life where they need to know what they believe and why.  They need to take the faith they have grown up with and personalize it. Live it out loud in their own lives. The Shooks encourage each person to question their doubts, fill the emptiness in their lives with the only One who can and will fill them.  They also remind us that "our weaknesses can become our greatest assets because they draw us closer to the Lord". They encourage stepping out in 'faith risks', stepping out in reckless abandon to obey God.  It is a book that challenges each person to individually examine their faith and gives encouraging steps to become filled with a genuine faith that belongs to them alone.  

I think that the book is well written, the intent behind the book is true and they have done their best to lay a clear path based on personal experience.  

In thinking back to my own personal history, which would have been exactly the target audience this book was aimed at, I questioned whether this book would have been helpful to me?  

The first question that came to mind is, if someone is living their faith secondhand through their parents/church, would they be willing to read a book on this topic?  The answer I have come to is: maybe.  If the person has awakened to their need for more - then yes, I think this book could be very beneficial.  It will definitely lead them in the right direction.

Maybe you are looking for more in your faith, or you know someone else who is.  This book is for you.

You can find it here at Amazon or on CBD.  

Thanks to Multnoma's blogging for books program for this copy of 'Firsthand'

Book Review: Get Lost Your Guide To Finding True Love by Dannah Gresh

  I chose this book because I work closely in mentoring relationships with some fantastic young ladies. I finished the book wishing that there had been something like this on the shelves back when I was a single young woman.  
Dannah is writing in a way that is relevant to the young women in today's culture.  This may cause a rewrite in 10 years, but for today, it's great.  But let's get this clear, her anecdotes are relevant for today's culture but her message is relevant for all time.  This woman is writing as one who has been there, done that and now she wrote the book! In a good way! 
She is addressing a major issue I have come across in my own interaction with young women which is their skewed perspective on love. 
    Dannah starts out the book by identifying what she labels "the violent craving". Any woman young or old should be able to relate to what she's talking about.  "The craving makes us all insatiably hungry for the attention of a guy..." She helps young women to see how the craving they experience is actually misdirected. Instead of being focused on guys it should be directed to our loving God and Father.
      She then moves into a 10 day love feast challenge where she lays out a daily plan for worship, focusing on God's word, and then she expounds on one specific idea. I love that she even includes the titles and artists to specific worship songs for each day. 
     She wraps up the book with more insight on what a girl who is lost in God looks like, what a guy lost in God looks like and even what a relationship lost in God looks like.  
     I am so very thankful that there is a book like this on the shelves of stores now accessible to young ladies.  I will definitely be utilizing this book in my mentoring relationships and I think it is a great tool for anyone who works with teenagers or single women.  If I was the mother of a teenage daughter, this would be the next gift I would buy for her. If you are a teen or young adult woman, this is the next gift you should buy yourself.
Look for it on April 2 when it is released.

Book Review: Next Generation Leader

I just finished reading Next Generation Leader by Andy Stanley. 
I've been an Andy Stanley fan for awhile and this book didn't disappoint. 
Stanley gets the point across in a clear way that is insightful and easy to understand.
 
Next Generation Leader is a playbook for becoming a better and more effective leader.
He highlights 5 main points: Competence, Courage, Clarity, Coaching, and Character.
The book is broken into these five sections and each section ends with a summary and a challenge.

Competence is figuring out what you are gifted at and maximizing your time doing it.  Stanley says "The less you do the more you will accomplish". Delegate those duties that you are not gifted at and allow someone else to shine in that area.
"Only do what only you can do"

Courage is a defining factor in leadership. A good leader knows when to move forward.  Moving forward can be scary, especially when others are looking up to you or relying on you.  It takes courage to move forward through the fear of the unknown.  Without courage you can't lead.

Clarity is defined by Stanley as "an art that involves giving explicit and precise direction in spite of limited information and unpredictable outcomes."  in other words, a leader needs to be able to confidently make decisions in the face of uncertainty.

Coaching involves seeing the value in and finding someone else who can evaluate you as a leader.  Stanley says that "a good coach will evaluate your performance against your potential." A coach is someone whom you can learn from and trust to give you Godly advice.

Character is a crucial element for any leader who also wants to be respected by the people who are following them. "The values you preach to your organization must be in alignment with the the values you live out in every facet of your life."

Andy Stanley delivers great tips for anyone who is currently in leadership or for the person who would like to become a leader.  He explains what a successful leader should do and how they should go about becoming a more effective and better leader. He also includes biblical examples of leadership do's and don'ts.  
As a stay at home mom, even I was able to evaluate my leadership qualities. I found the principles in this book to be helpful and challenging, even in my life. If this book is beneficial to me, then I can't imagine what it can do for someone who is leading an organization or company.

Overall, this book is a good read and I would easily recommend it.

You can find Next Generation Leader at http://www.northpointministries.org/
http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?work=171731&isbn=9781590525395

To read the first chapter, follow this link:
http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/author-spotlight.php?authorid=74998

If you would like to learn more about Andy Stanley check out: http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/author-spotlight.php?authorid=74998


Let me know if you read it and what you think.

*Disclaimer:  I recieved this book for free from WaterBrook Multonmah Publishing Group in exchange for this review.