Thursday, May 20, 2010

Read and Share DVD review

My most recent product to review was the The Jesus Series: Life and Miracles: Read and Share DVD Bible.  I really love this series for the kids, getting my first DVD as a $5 bonus item from Family Christian Bookstore.  The latest DVD is just as good.




This is the last DVD in The Jesus Series.  Separate videos cover the birth and death of Jesus and this one focuses on Jesus' ministry along the shores of Lake Galilee and the villages near Nazareth.  Jesus calls His disciples to Him, feeds 5,000 people, heals the sick, teaches about God’s kingdom and introduces the Lord’s Supper. Unlike previous DVD's in the series, this one is not broken into short segments but is done as one continuous story.

The first time I took a long car trip with baby A, J and H we popped the video in.  All 3 of them were mesmerized by the story and were very attentive.  H even stopped to ask questions (mommy, who is that supposed to be?  A Pharisee dear, Ciaphas I believe.)  It is rare that a single movie entertains the baby and J but this one definitely did.  This will stick around for quite some time.  I liked that it was an accurate portrayal, even if some of the stories felt a little short to me.  The animation kept the kids attention.

This goes on my recommended list!

Love,

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Beautiful Things Happen...


Beautiful Things Happen When a Woman Trusts God by Sheila Walsh is the most recent book I received from Nelson publishing to review.  In this book Sheila writes about her struggle to face life after being hospitalized for depression.  Many of her friends abandoned her afterward and she struggled with figuring out how she could continue to serve God with this following her.  Each chapter discusses a different area she had to face and includes anecdotes about how others affected her life and her journey as well as truths about God's view based on Bible sources.

I had no idea who Sheila Walsh was before I read this book, so I had no preconceived opinion of her as a woman or a Christian.  From what I read she has done a tremendous job of overcoming what seemed to be an insurmountable obstacle to her.  The book is easy to read, but I didn't find it very enjoyable.  Perhaps because I felt no connection to the author, perhaps because I have had to face a similar battle but didn't have as many of the hang ups about it as she did.  It took me a very long time to complete this book because I just felt like the author was talking at me.  It felt like an "all about me" type of story.

Now, I am not saying this was a bad book, and I am sure that there are many people out there who would benefit greatly from her words, from knowing how she overcame her fears, how she learned to trust God.  I just couldn't relate to her and as a result did not enjoy the book.


Love,


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their 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.”