Anything

Anything Book Description:
What if you told God you would do anything . . . and he took you up on it?

In the years since the initial release of Anything, God continued to stretch Jennie Allen and her faith because of the courageous prayer of surrender that she and her husband, Zac, prayed, "God, we will do anything. Anything." Previously caught in the dizzying haze of worldly happiness and empty pursuits, Jennie went on to begin living out the adventure God had written for them—to include becoming the founder of IF: Gathering, an organization to gather, equip, and unleash the next generation to live out their purpose.

Anything is a prayer of surrender that will spark something. A prayer that will move you to stop chasing things that just make you feel happy and start living a surrendered life that matters.

This newly revised edition is updated throughout to include a new introduction and an in-depth Bible study component for those who have been wanting to lead a study on this topic.


Join Jennie on an adventure to discover your anything, those things that actually mean nothing until you know the God truly worth giving it all up for. And when you do, that will change everything.

My Review:

Some of you may remember my first encounter with Jennie Allen, when I was given the opportunity to review her DVD study, Stuck.  I enjoyed that study and I have to say that this one was a great experience for me also.

It came to me at a point in time where I was questioning my part of the relationship I have with God.  Was I doing enough?  Was I doing what I should be doing?  Was I missing something?  So when I was offered the chance to review this book my interest was piqued and I accepted.  In a world where people are bombarded with the message that God is here to make your life better, Jennie Allen's Anything sets the record straight. While He truly does want what is best for us, we have to completely surrender to Him and His will to receive it, and what is best often doesn't look the way we imagined it. The first three chapters, which dealt with unbelief, pretending and shame in relation to our walk with God, had me in tears as I faced some of my own issues that I had buried.  The study guide at the end of the book not only caused me to dig deep into my own feelings, but it prompted me to look at how God felt as well by examining scripture.

And once the journey began I couldn't stop.  Allen breaks the book into three parts: Everything keeping us from anything, Praying anything, and Living Anything.  Each brought me to serious moments of reflection and stirred a desire to take the next step.  Isn't that what a good Bible study is supposed to do?

Allen shares her own failings and insecurities openly and honestly, making this an "I'm in the trenches with you" rather than a finger pointing "You should be doing better!" experience.  And this updated version includes a section at the end in which she shares how her life has changed as a result of her personal Anything prayer, demonstrating just how God can take what you offer and make it into something wonderful for His kingdom.

The Pharaoh's Daughter

The Pharaoh's Daughter is a fictional account of the story of Moses' early years.  While the Bible doesn't give us a lot of information beyond his rescue from the river by the pharaoh's daughter who adopted him as her own, Andrews gives it depth.

Her research efforts into the time period and lives pay off in a richly detailed story.   I found it interesting that many historians place the life of Moses in sync with that of Pharaoh Tutankhamon.  Andrews masterfully weaves Moses life into the secular history of this boy king, giving a glimpse not only of what life was like as Egyptian royalty, but also what life might have been like for those Hebrews bound by slavery.

I was a fan of Andrews before The Pharaoh's Daughter and I am even more so now!

Holiday Hats for Baby

Holiday Hats for Babies Description:

These sweet and sassy baby hats will bring a smile to your face! 25 adorable patterns for every celebration of the year: Birthday Cupcake Cap, Halloween Hat, Holly Holiday Hat, Baby Chick Cap, Crystal Party Hat, Firecracker Topper, Leaf Peeper Cap, and more.

My Review:

I found many interesting patterns in this book with well written instructions.  The full color pictures throughout are a plus.  Each pattern includes the hat circumference, yarn weight, needle size and the yarn used to make the model.  I really liked that as it makes it easier to substitute yarn choices knowing the weight used.

Patterns are available for many different knitting abilities, although it would have been nice had they included something in each pattern to indicate skill level needed.  However, don't let that deter you from giving a particular pattern a try.  This book does include a section in the back detailing instructions for "special stitches" which should help even the novice knitter to complete these hats.

Personally I found many of the hats to be very eccentric.  If you are looking for a run of the mill, cute hat for your child this is probably not the book for you.  Take a look at some of the patterns offered in this title:

One of the things I did not like is that none of these hats are traditionally sized.  Most baby hat patterns list sizes such as newborn, 0-3 months, 3-6 months etc.  These patterns only list hat circumference which may make it difficult to choose the correct size if you are making hats as a gift for a child that you can't stop and measure for.  Also, most of these patterns are for babies older than 6 months.  I realize that many pattern books do this since younger babies tend to grow so fast, but it would really be nice to have more options for unique hats for younger babies.

Marriage 101

Book Description:

The most important subject that the Bible speaks about is Christ and the Church. The Bible teaches that God loved us so much that He sent His only begotten Son to be crucified for us, that we might be reconciled unto Him. It teaches that Christ loved us so much that He was willing to die on the cross and pay the expensive dowry, that we could be His bride. Therefore, if Christ and the Church is not only the main theme of the Bible but the most important truth in the Bible, then where does this place marriage? God patterned marriage after Christ and the Church. Therefore, Christ’s relationship to His Church shows us how important marriage is in the eyes of God.

My Review:

Ward, drawing from Ephesians 5, attempts to present some Biblical advice for successful marriages.  While I agree with most of his scriptural points, it was difficult to complete the 57 pages of this book due to the poor writing of the materials.

It is obvious that Ward has a deep love for God, and it should be obvious from the opening of chapter 1 (a long passage from Ephesians) that this is a book with a Christian perspective.  And if that doesn't give it away the introduction should. "This book must be read through the lens of two married Christians..."  That being said, Ward seems determined to remind you at every step.  For example variations of the phrase, "God blesses/blessed" occur 22 times in this short book, 11 of them in the first two chapters.

I found that his writing made me feel as if he had some serious issues with women - He states that husbands are, "less likely to be deceived by the devil" than their wives, quoting 1 Timothy 2:12-14 which simply states that Adam was not the one deceived in the Garden by the serpent, rather Eve was.  I am not sure how one situation can become ALL men are less like to be deceived but Ward jumps to that conclusion.  His primary point, that the husband is the head of the family, is absolutely, Biblically true.  However, his supporting example comes across as offensive.   In a later chapter discussing Moses' reluctance to circumcise his son, Ward seems to beat the reader over the head with his opinion that Moses wife was the reason he did not do so because she objected to the practice.  Although Ward does admit that "he (Moses) may have simply neglected doing what he knew to be right...:"  The point that he harps on the most (at one point  in 4 our of 5 consecutive sentences!)  is that Zipporah didn't like circumcision and Moses chose the wrong path as a result.  Again, his point in this chapter was valid (husbands can make wrong choices in an effort to appease/please their wives even when it goes against God), Ward instead seems to focus on how the wife did the leading and not the husbands responsibility as the head of the family should take precedence.

I also found Ward's writing style difficult to read.  He switches repeatedly (often in the same chapter) from first person to third person. For example, "The author also knows that.....Therefore this situation between Kenny and me...." At first I was unsure if Ward, when using "the author", was talking about himself or the author of the Bible passages he was discussing.  In some places I am still unsure.  But after several instances I came to the conclusion that he was indeed talking about himself.  Highly distracting.

The final two chapters are less Biblical advice about marriage.  Instead they are more about Wards successes and failures as a step-parent and as the husband of a previously married woman.  While there were a few good points (love your step-children and spend time with them, be patient with your spouse as he/she works through issues from a previous marriage) I again found the delivery to be tedious.

My final complaint, and it is really just a pet peeve, is the use of "done" in this book.  "...but you done a wonderful job," "And when we done certain things".  Wards Kentucky upbringing shines through despite his use of "unto" throughout the book.  (Does anyone still say 'unto"?)

The book has it's good points.  It is, in my opinion, biblically accurate, and the principles included will help your marriage if you implement them, but there are better ways to discover them than this book.  I wanted to like it, I really did - I just couldn't make myself do it.

The Berenstain Bears-God Bless Our Country

Book Description:

“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.”  Matthew 5:14

In the newest Berenstain Bear Living Lights 8x8 title, the glorious fourth has arrived and the Bear family is busy decorating with flags and bunting. Brother, Sister and Honey are anticipating the big parade and all the fireworks but aren’t really thinking about the true meaning of the day.

But Mama and Papa make sure the cubs know just how much Bear Country is blessed with a quick lesson about the first Fourth of July.

My Review:

What a great way to introduce the reason we celebrate the founding of our country! We have always been a fan of the Berenstain Bears and this only confirms that love. The gentle introduction to history, the fun activities listed at the end of the book and especially the discussion questions make this a book that will remain on our bookshelf for some time. This would be a wonderful addition to a preschool and elementary school classroom library.

It was Me All Along Review

It Was Me All Along Description:

A heartbreakingly honest, endearing memoir of incredible weight loss by a young food blogger who battles body image issues and overcomes food addiction to find self-acceptance.

All her life, Andie Mitchell had eaten lustily and mindlessly. Food was her babysitter, her best friend, her confidant, and it provided a refuge from her fractured family. But when she stepped on the scale on her twentieth birthday and it registered a shocking 268 pounds, she knew she had to change the way she thought about food and herself; that her life was at stake.


It Was Me All Along takes Andie from working class Boston to the romantic streets of Rome, from morbidly obese to half her size, from seeking comfort in anything that came cream-filled and two-to-a-pack to finding balance in exquisite (but modest) bowls of handmade pasta. This story is about much more than a woman who loves food and abhors her body. It is about someone who made changes when her situation seemed too far gone and how she discovered balance in an off-kilter world. More than anything, though, it is the story of her finding beauty in acceptance and learning to love all parts of herself.

My Review:

If you have ever struggled with weight, or loved someone who has struggled with weight, then you need to read this book.  I don't say that lightly.  It took me 3 months to finish this book, which is a long time for me since I can devour a book in a week if I so choose.  Mitchell's total honesty struck home with me in so many ways and forced me to stop and take a look at my own journey.  Many times it was just to much and I put the book down and walked away.  I didn't want to read about someone else who was turning to food for comfort, who was hurt by insensitive comments, or who saw weight loss as a battle of numbers.  It was convicting.  And yet each time I set the book down I knew that I would be back, that I needed to know how it all worked out for her, how she managed to be a food blogger after struggling with weight for most of her life.

It is the story of one woman's mission to find herself rather than identify herself by the number on the scale.  To accept who she is and what she looks like-fat or thin.  And it is a story I hope to one day be able to write myself-not in a published book, but to finally be able to write that last page and be able to say that food and my weight no longer define me.  Mitchell reminds us that it is possible to reach that point if we are willing to work through the things that brought us to where we currently are.  She is honest about the difficulties, the set backs and the successes and that is what I love about this book.

Easy Bootees to Knit review

Book Description:
Easy Bootees to Knit is a delightful book with detailed instructions on how to create stunning bootees to keep the most teeny tiny toes warm. There are funky animal boots, nostalgic lace patterns, simple slippers, snug cuffed bootees (guaranteed to stay on the most restless feet) and classic cables among the collection - indeed, something to suit any baby, from newborn to 18 months. For beginners there is an easy-to-knit practice pattern, and a size chart allows you to decide which size to knit. Each pattern is accompanied by appropriate charts and diagrams, embellishment tips and full pattern instruction. Easy Bootees to Knit is part of the brand new Make Me! series - a collection of books packed with easy and beautiful craft projects.

My Review:
The majority of the 41 designs are for 3-6 months, but there are a few 0-3 and 6-9 month patterns thrown in to give it some variety.  A few of the patterns begin with a basic design and then include ways to alter the basic pattern to customize it. 

My favorite are the animal patterns, the duck slippers, zebra bootees, bee bootees, sheep bootees, and the tiger bootees.  That being said, there are several lace bootees that called my name as well. 

You will find techniques such as fair isle, entrelac, lace, and bobbles throughout.  And while the title of the book states the patterns are "easy", I would venture to say that many of them require some experience with knitting and that they aren't for the novice.