The Jesus Story by Dr. William H. Marty

I found this book very easy to read. Combining the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John in an easy-to-read, non-overlapping book is a great idea. Chronology in the New Testament can be confusing. Different accounts of the same event provide us with varying details, which has a definite purpose when reading through God's Word. However, this can cause the reader to wonder about which account to really pay attention to. I found The Jesus Story to be very concise, but I felt that I was missing out on some vital details as well. More detail in the stories would have been great! I found myself thinking, "Didn't it happen this way?" And other times my thoughts were, "Did it really happen that way? Was that detail actually in that passage?" With that being said, I enjoyed this book, but I still prefer to read my Bible and get my facts there. If you know someone who wants everything stated simply and to-the-point, then this might be just the book for them to get their feet wet in The Jesus Story. Take a look!

More info:
http://www.bakerpublishinggroup.com/authors/dr-william-h-marty/1590

Disclaimer:
This book was provided by Bethany House for my review.

Praying for Boys: Asking God for the Things They Need Most

I have two boys - a three-year-old and a six-month-old.  They are a delight to me!  My three-year-old has been changing lately, becoming more boy if that's possible.  He is still sweet, but now I hear growling and roaring noises more often.  Occasionally, I will find him jumping off the arm of the couch onto a nice stack of pillows built up on the cushions.  Then there are the times I hear him mention putting someone in a dungeon or using the word kill and pointing a child-size broom at someone.  Oh my!  When did he cross that line from ever-sweet boy to boy-boy with a side of sweet?  I have been struggling a bit with the changes in him.  They certainly are not bad changes, but they have me questioning God and wondering how to tame the boy without taking the "man" out of him. 

A difficult thing for a mom to puzzle out with her oldest son.

When the opportunity to review Praying for Boys came along, it was a great choice for me with my growing questions concerning how to parent my boy.  What I didn't realize, when I clicked that decisive button saying I wanted to review Praying for Boys, was that the book wasn't quite what I thought it was.  Praying for Boys by Brooke McGlothlin is a great book for those moms (like me) that just aren't sure what to do but know that praying is really the best place to start.  Brooke encourages moms of boys to get down on their knees and pray for their sons.  It's not just about praying but about what to pray - God's word.  With twenty-one chapters covering twenty-one things that boys need in their lives to help them be men of God, this book should have a place on every mom's shelf (prayer warrior or not).  Brooke talks about not wanting to take the things away from her sons that make them boys but to pray for the things that will make them men of God (men with character).  What mom doesn't want her son to have good character?  This is not a parenting book, although some of Brooke's parenting strategies do pop up in her stories.  I found her strategies intriguing and thought-provoking.  The crucial concept to be found within the pages of Praying for Boys is getting down on your knees every day (if possible) to pray for our sons' hearts.  Asking God to turn them to hearts of flesh.  Boys will be boys may be an excuse for bad behavior, but God has a plan for each of our sons and a blueprint for them to follow.  Instead of standing in the path of our sons trying to take away the parts of them that make them boys, we should thank God for those things and pray for His honing hand in their lives, their character, their beliefs.

Another neat feature of Brooke's book is the 21-day prayer guide for small groups in the back.  If you feel compelled to do so, you can use the provided guide to lead a small group in praying for their sons using the prayers in Praying for Boys.  A great and quick read!  The scriptures featured in Brooke's book also make a great jumping off point for finding other verses to pray over your sons (or daughters).  Moms, get on your knees for your children (I know I need to more than I do)!

Some helpful links:
Praying for Boys
Brooke McGlothlin
MOB Society
The Seed Company

Note: I received this book free for review from Bethany House.