Heidi's Haven

Loving Your Community: Proven Practices for Community-Based Outreach Ministry  by Stephen Viars acts as a guidebook for churches wondering how to become more involved in their community. Viars says that the greatest way that we as Christians can show love to our community (which is exactly what we are called to do) is to serve them in every way we can. He says, "Always say yes unless you have to say no." He points out that churches have facilities that usually sit vacant for 6 1/2 days a week that can be used to serve the community. He also goes over the importance of asking and listening to your community to discover the needs of the community, and also working alongside other, sometimes secular organizations to make a difference in the community, such as United Way. Finally, these services should be offered to everyone in the community, not just the churchgoers. Viars wants people to connect help with the church. When someone has a problem or a difficulty, he wants the...

Good morning everyone! Today I am coming at you with another book review. This time I will talk about Holy Noticing  by Charles Stone.  This book is all about being present and noticing the things around you in a holy way. The author wants his readers to live with more awareness. This book contains guidance to engage the present moment and notice what is happening in your environment with a holy purpose. Stone says we can use this mindfulness to become more like Christ. Charles Stone seems really down to earth. He often make jokes at his own expense, which I think makes a writer more relatable and enjoyable to read. It's important for the author to show that they are not perfect, in my opinion. Unfortunately, I didn't think this book was very clear or made a ton of sense. I really love the idea of mindfulness, but I think the execution was poor. I gave up after about 125 pages. Once he introduced the idea, I didn't feel like I was getting any more new infor...

This is a beautiful daily devotional, perfect for the summertime, all about the beauty of nature and God's love for us. Each  day had a short devotional and a prayer after.  It is the perfect thing to read outside in the summer, or keep open on a table at the cabin. I adored this, and though I read through it all already, I want to keep it around and read through it each summer. I definitely would recommend it to anyone, and I gave it 5/5 stars. 

This book by Erica and Jonathan Catherman is a guide for young girls navigating into adulthood. This guide goes all the way from talking to boys and how to wear scarves, to asking for a raise and changing a tire. The first part of the book seemed geared toward pre-teens or early teens, while the second part, dealing with cars and cooking, seemed geared toward older teens. I think this would be a nice book to have and reference for things such as cooking and vehicle maintenance.  Personally, in my early twenties, I do not feel that this book is helpful for me, but I definitely would recommend it as a gift for a young girl. Each how-to is listed step by step, including what materials are needed and the time required to complete that task. Overall, I gave this 3/5 stars, though I can see how a younger person might find this more helpful and rate it higher. *I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to w...