Heidi's Haven

This book, A Redesigned Life  by Tracy Steel, teaches us how to deal with life when it isn't going according to our plans. As an interior designer, Tracy Steel uses illusions and references to design in order to show us how God is planning our lives and using these disappointments. She reminds us that God may not place us on center stage, but His hand has placed us wherever we are.  I didn't think this book was great, but it was a nice read. I thought the author rambled quite a bit on the points she made that could have been much more concise, and I thought a lot of her design analogies were not the sharpest. However, I did enjoy her personal stories, as I always appreciate when authors are open and vulnerable in their writing. Overall, I gave this 3/5 stars.

Take Back Your Time  by Morgan Tyree teaches readers the secrets to get more out of their day. I think we can all agree with the fact that we find ourselves out of time each day, exhausted and without checking the things we need to do off of our to-do lists. This is a guide to take back the time you have and get things done! This guide is for those in any point in their lives who desire to maximize time and minimize stress. Throughout the book, Tyree teaches the reader how to plan their days in a way that allows them to complete the tasks they need to do throughout the day. She teaches the way to organize the things you need to get done, and how to schedule them appropriately throughout the day. This was an enjoyable read, though I don't think I'll be hanging on to the book or taking any of her advice from it, though I am sure it will be very helpful for those who really struggle with managing their time. I gave this book 3/5 stars. *I received a free copy of this...

When You Need to Move a Mountain: Keys to Praying with Power  by Linda Evans Shepherd is about the power of prayer-- in particular, intercessory prayer. She shares personal stories to explain each point she makes, and why it works. She shares the different kind of intercessors there are (more than you'd think!), and how we are all called to pray for others, though we are each called in a different way. I learned so much about intercessory prayer though this book! It was enjoyable to read and I feel like, spiritually, I really grew from reading this. Shepherd shares honest and compelling stories and examples of how to pray, and guides the reader though praying for others and finding the methods that work best for them.  I loved this book and cannot recommend it highly enough. I have already shared what I've learned and even loaned the book out to friends. I gave this 5/5 stars. *I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review. I was not required ...

Kids Say The Wisest Things  by Jon Gauger from Moody Publishers is a collection of anecdotes of lessons he learned from things kids have said to him. From seemingly simple things kids blurt out, or misunderstandings, Gauger shares the unexpected things these interactions taught him, and how he could apply it to the way he lived his life.  This is a very short book. There are 26 lessons he shares, and each one is only a couple of pages long. Some of the stories are cute, some didn't make a whole lot of sense and I thought it was a bit of a stretch. Overall, the book was cute but nothing super impressive. I do think it would be a fun gift for the parent of a young child, as I am sure they would relate to a story of a child saying something unexpected or even that embarrasses them! I gave this 3/5 stars. *I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

This workbook from Moody Publishers takes the student through the Old Testament, starting at the very beginning with Genesis. It is full of questions for students to answer, information about each lesson, and questions to stimulate thought.  The note at the beginning states that completion of the workbook is not the goal. The goal is that the questions and notes inside would stimulate the student and guide them in searching and knowing the Bible. This was designed for a high school course but has also been used successfully in adult Bible studies.  My favorite thing about this workbook was the fact that it comes with holes punched in the side for a three ring binder. The pages are also perforated to easily be removed.  This would be the perfect workbook for a new Christian or a Bible study to go through together.  I would give this workbook 5 stars.  *I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review. I was not required to wri...

This devotional is structured so the reader spends 10 minutes each day reading an excerpt from John (which the reader has to look up themselves), with some devotional material, and a prayer after. This 10 minute approach was made for those of us (all of us?) who feel like they don't have enough time each day to spend with God. This is meant to help readers find that time to spend with the Lord, even if it's just 10 minutes. The creators at Zondervan chose the book of John because it allows us to get to know Jesus and learn about Him from someone who loved Him and was eager to testify about Him.  This is a nice little devotional and would make a nice gift. However, I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as I've enjoyed others in this series.  Overall, I gave this 3/5 stars. *I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

This Bible from Zondervan is designed for those who want to study God's Word, but don't know how or where to start. Included thoughout are notes, Q&As, definitions, context notes, Bible truths, key verses and terms, and spotlights on individuals of the Bible, to name a few. I think this would be an awesome tool for someone who is new to the faith. I'll be handing this off to a friend of mine who told me she wanted to read the Bible, but didn't know how to go about it. I'm sure there are tons of people in that situation. The only thing that I disliked about this Bible is that it's a pretty big and bulky hardcover. So while it's very sturdy, it's really heavy and a real pain to carry around. Otherwise, this is a really nice Bible. Overall, I'm giving this 4/5 stars. *I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.