Book Review: "Love Walked In" by Marisa De Los Santos

I just finished reading this wonderful book.  It is written in such a way that the characters just come alive on the page.  I had a hard time putting this book down last night and going to bed.  I woke up eager to start back up again.

There are two main characters in this story Cornelia Brown and Clare Hobbs.  Cornelia is the type of character that I wanted to become when I was younger.  She is full of dreams, hopes, and movie quotes.  She is also very real in the fact that she knows that "real lives" aren't like those on the movie screen.  That doesn't stop her from stepping into a life that feels very movie like to her.
 
Clare is an eleven year old girl that is wise beyond her years.  She is a child that evokes feelings of awe and pride in the reader.  I just felt that she was right up there with the children's book heroines that she adored.  Clare was also very "real" in her emotions.  There were times you just wanted to find her and hug her.

The was Marisa De Los Santos first novel.  She has since released two more novels.  Her second continues the story of Cornelia Brown.  I just can't wait to go find that book and find out what happens next in the story.

Book Review: "Dinner with a Perfect Stranger" by David Gregory

I just loved the idea for this story.  A typical workaholic man gets an invitation to dine with Jesus.  The possibilities seem amazing.  What would you ask him?  What would he look like?  How would he act toward him?

The entire book is set over the course of Nick Cominsky's dinner with Jesus.  Nick doesn't pull any punches with Jesus.  Since he thinks that this dinner is a hoax, he works hard to try and trip up Jesus.  While he is grilling Jesus, Nick starts to believe that he is the real deal.  He starts to really hear what Jesus has to say and over the course of one dinner, Nick's life is changed forever.

The book was very fun to read.  It is a short book so it doesn't take very long to finish.  I think I read it in a couple of hours.  Although it is short, I thought it had some really good insights.  I wouldn't say that there was anything that was life changing for me but it was all good.  It might pack more of a punch for someone that was "on the fence" of Christianity.

I think that I would recommend this book to someone wanting an uplifting read but doesn't have much time.  I would have preferred that the story be more in depth.  It left me wanting more.  I guess if you have to say something bad about a book, that is a pretty good one.


Disclaimer: I was given this book to review by WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing

Review: Ike’s Chili at 5941 E. Admiral Pl Tulsa, OK 74115

I had the opportunity to each lunch at Ike’s Chili this past Tuesday, 7-26-11.  This was the first time I had been to this restaurant.  My father had always raved about how wonderful the food was there.  As a matter of fact, he says it’s the best chili he has eaten.  Needless to say, he had built it up pretty good for me.

We arrived at Ike’s at around 12:45pm.  My first impression was that I probably wouldn’t have stopped here if I hadn’t been strongly encouraged by my father’s praise.  The restaurant is a tiny shop in a run down strip center.  The parking was tight and crowded.  To be honest, it looked a little scary.

When we went into the restaurant, all except two tables were filled.  It is a very small place.  I was surprised by the number of men in suits eating there.  You could tell that word on this place was out in the corporate world.  We found a table and grabbed the paper menu’s that were already at the table.  I was glad that the menu’s were clean.  I kind of wondered if they would have chili spots all over them since they were just paper. 

Our waitress stopped right away and was super friendly.  After she took our drink order, we asked her opinion about serving size.  We were trying to see if a “regular” or “special” were the right size for a average serving.  She said that the regular was pretty small and that she would go with the special.  Her advice was spot on!  The special size of the “Three Way” was perfect.

As stated above, I ordered the Three Way, which is spaghetti, chili, & beans.  They offer the choice to add onions, peppers, & cheese if you want.  I choose to add some cheese to mine. It arrived VERY quick. The cheese came on the side so I could add as much or as little as I wanted to my lunch.  The food was delicious.  The temperature was hot but not so hot that you couldn’t dive right into eating.

When it was time to leave, the waitress had left the ticket on our table after serving our food, we walked to the counter to pay.  The gentleman that rang us up was very friendly.  He took our compliments in stride.  We told him that we were from out of town and stopped there because of the high praise from others.  He joked with us that they are looking to open franchises in other towns.  It was friendly banter but a smooth way to let us know of the opportunity. 

I will definitely go back to Ike’s when I’m in Tulsa.  It had great food and great service.  I hope that they make a go of franchising the business but I doubt that a new place could hold the charm of the original.

I'm so excited!!

I'm so excited!  I've been selected to attend the Women of Faith conference this fall in OKC for free.  I applied through Booksneeze.com, which is one of the sites that sends me books to review.  I'll be posting facebook updates during the sessions and blogging about what I learn/see.  That is what I have to do to earn my tickets.  Not a bad deal, if I do say so myself.

This is the first time I've ever been selected to blog about something this big.  Here is a preview video about what the weekend will include.

If anyone is interested in going, please give me a call.  Perhaps we can ride together.  At the very least, we can talk about what and who we are excited about seeing there.  I'm really psyched to see Lisa Whelchel, homeschool mom & former "Facts of Life" actress, and Andy Andrews, author of "The Final Summit." 
Have any of you out there ever been to one of these before?  Let me know what you think.

Book Review: "PrayerWalk" by Janet Holm McHenry

  Let's start by saying that, yes, I could use some more prayer walking in my life.  I need more of both, the exercise and the praying.  I'm not always faithful with either of them.  I requested this book from WaterBrook Multnomah publishing hoping that it would give me the motivation that I was lacking.  Unfortunately, at this point, it doesn't seemed to have worked out that way for me.
  I enjoyed this book.  The author gave very good and sound advice.  As a health care professional, I often find myself critical of books that promote an exercise program.  They either are to hard for the average person or they just give unrealistic pictures of success.  This book has kept it real.  It doesn't claim to be the be all, end all of programs.  It just claims to be a great way to get healthy and grow closer to God.
  I think this is a great book for those out there that are just needing a little push.  It teaches you that small changes over time lead to big results.  It also shows the reader that through God, all things are possible, even (gasp) weight loss.
  The only problem I had with the book is that it seems like a no brainer.  Do you really need to read a book about praying while you walk?  I know that's just my jaded persona coming out.  Sometimes it's the obvious things that are the easiest to overlook.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review

Book Review: "A Place Called Blessing" by John Trent, PhD with Annette Smith

     "A Place Called Blessing" is a fiction story based on the non-fiction book "The Blessing" by the same author.  Since I've not read "The Blessing," I had no preconceived notion about what this book was going to contain.  What I found was a wonderful story of redemption, forgiveness, strength, & hope.
     The story centers around a young man named Josh.  It follows Josh through his troubled childhood and into his adult life.  If gives a very clear picture of why we should never judge a book by it's cover.  You never know what is going on inside of a person or what has driven them to be the way that they are to others.  It shows us, in story form, how important one person can be in another persons life.  You could be the lifeline that a stranger or acquaintance clings.
     I found that this story also made me think about all the things in life that seem like coincidences but in reality are part of God's plan.  I've had a few of those moments that seem like impossible realities.  Those times when you just sit back and say "no way!"  Those are times that we need to seize and explore.  They are gifts from above.
     This is a great book to spend a day reading.  You'll find yourself uplifted and motivated to be a blessing to others.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review: "You Were Born For This" by Bruce Wilkinson with David Kopp

     I'll come out and say that I was a fan of "The Prayer of Jabez" book by Mr. Wilkinson.  I didn't think that is was some miracle prayer that was going to solve all my life's problems.  I did like how it made me more focused on the opportunities God puts before me each day to expand his kingdom.  This title from Mr. Wilkinson is right along the same line.
     I really have enjoyed reading this book.  I look forward to being more willing to be a conduit of God's power.  That sounds kind of cheesy when I read it back but it's true.  This book points out that we have to be a willing participant in God's plans for us.  It's that whole free-will thing.
     This book's main premise is that God wants to perform miracles on Earth everyday.  God uses the Spirit to make these miracles happen.  Where is the Spirit located?  In each of us.  Thus, we need to be willing to follow the Spirit and be used by God to deliver miracles.  The trouble, he points out, is that people have stopped listening and following the nudges and directions that God gives us.  We rationalize those feelings as silly, of no consequence, or not needed.   We tend to think that God only wants to perform the crazy big miracles like we read about in the Bible.  That just doesn't seem to be true.  God wants to let us know that he cares about the little things, that to us, as individuals, will be a miracle.
     I read one negative review about this book.  It said that the author was trying to make the readers turn God into their own personal genie.  I totally disagree with this.  I think that he is trying to get each of us to listen to the Spirit of God and act on what we feel.  He gives specific advice on how to better listen but never gave me the impression that it was the ONLY way to be an active listener.
    To sum it up, I enjoyed this book.  I liked the message.  I think that for those out there that need a reminder of how and why to listen to the Spirit, this is a great read.

I was sent this book by Waterbrook Multnomah publishing group for my honest review