Heidi's Haven

In his book  The Good of Giving Up , Aaron Damiani explains why he decides to observe Lent each year. A custom that seems harsh and controlling, Damiani describes how it actually is liberating. "Lent is an ancient pilgrimage that the Lord uses to recapture our imagination of and renew our participation in the greatest story ever told." He uses many personal examples of how Lent has changed his life and the lives of his friends, as well as Biblical evidence for practicing it, and a historical background of it. He also addresses most of the common objections to Lent and explains his answers to them. "The entire process of Lent and Easter strengthens our commitment to serve and rule in the kingdom as God always intended." What I found most interesting is the detail Damiani went into regarding fasts. I have always been intrigued by the idea of fasts, but have only been able to find small sections in other books. Damiani, however, went into quite a b...

I recently received a copy of the NIV Journal the Word Bible for teen girls from Zondervan, and OH MY WORD. This is the most beautiful Bible that I have ever seen! Probably the most beautiful Bible ever made! The cover is a lovely gold with a gorgeous floral design, and the pages have ( eeee!!! ) pink dusted edges! The one that I received has a soft but sturdy imitation leather cover. As you can see, the text is written in one column, and there is open, lined space on the side for journaling right inside of your Bible.  Other than a subject index in the back, there are no study tools in this Bible. This is for teen girls to read and journal in as they go. I am completely in love with this Bible because OH MY GOODNESS is it beautiful!!! 5/5 stars without a doubt! *I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via the BookLook Bloggers review program. All opinions are my own.

"A Christianity that's one-emotional-size-fits-all simply isn't fair." At church, in a worship group, or just in our everyday life, I am sure that we all know someone who seems to be completely in touch with God. This person talks constantly about hearing God speak to them, feeling God close to them, and clear answers to prayer. These are the people who have super emotional experiences during song or worship.  When it comes to spirituality, these people seem to have it all. These are the people we aspire to be like. However, much as we try, most of us don't hear God talking to us everyday, and we don't feel His arm around us throughout our day either.  So are we missing something? Are we doing something wrong? This book is for those Christians who are left yearning, feeling there they are missing something. And, the whole book is here to reassure us that we are not alone. Brant Hanson uses humor alongside Biblical proof to reassure tho...

Dr. Gary Chapman believes that there are five different ways that people express love: words of affirmation, acts of service, receiving gifts, quality time, and physical touch. He refers to these as Love Languages. This book is all about learning to love others in their own love language, the way that they feel the most love. This is all about improving the relationships with everyone you know.  This is the singles edition, but you do not have to be single to read it and benefit from it. This book was written after the huge success of his first book regarding the 5 love languages in regards to marriage. This book simply focuses on all  relationships, and not just romantic ones. There are also questions for thought and consideration at the end of each chapter. I completely believe in the five love languages, and through the quiz in the book, I have finally discovered mine: quality time. I have been able to recognize the love languages of my friends and family, and ...

In Lasting Love: How to Avoid Marital Failure , Alistair Begg urges readers to get back to the basics of marriage and examine what the Bible says about it.  Originally published in 1997, this book is written for Christians, whether they are married and feeling the love and excitement slip away, or if they are single and just thinking about marriage in the future. Begg says that the Bible gives clear instructions for marriage, and we need to look no further than the Bible to find the solution to our marital problems. He says that we need to reject divorce as an option and put work into bringing love back into the mix. Alistair Begg is an older man, and many things he said were pretty outdated and awful. This is particularly evident in his chapters about gender roles within marriage. He told a story in the book where he told his hairdresser that he would stop giving her his business when she came back to work after having her baby, because he would not support a woman ...

The NIV Thinline Bible from Zondervan is the perfect Bible to take with you on the go. It is thin and very light, with no study materials included. This would be a good Bible to take with you to church or to a Bible study. There are thumb tabs along the sides, so you can easily flip to the right spot. There is a red ribbon bookmark attached. The cover is a soft, black leather. The Bible comes with a small box to keep your Bible safe, perfect for throwing it into your purse or your bag when you're on the go. I would give this 5/5 stars, and I'd recommend it if you are looking for a Bible to take with you. *I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via BookLook Bloggers as part of their blogger review program. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

This study Bible from Thomas Nelson was created to inspire Christlike thought, belief, speech, and action by unapologetically applying Biblical principles. This Bible takes a look at difficult and complex issues, and helps us to understand them and to respond like Christ. It includes notes and resources from all over the world. There are eight subject areas that are covered: church, corruption, economics, education, family, government, sanctity of life, and virtue. I am really looking forward to reading completely through this Bible, because I think that it will be really beneficial for me. I am hoping that this will lead to more understanding of the topics and issues presented in the Bible. This Bible is a sturdy hardcover with a dust jacket. If you take the jacket off, the book itself has the same image printed on it, which I really like. The pages don't seem as thin as typical Bible pages, which is another plus. The text is written in the typical two columns. ...