"Flight of Fancy" bu Laurie Alice Eakes

I am not going to lie.  I originally suggested to review this book because I like aeronautics.  So, I commenced my reading.  And I must say, I really enjoyed this book.  Sometimes books like these give me the vibe that they'll be books for "hopeless romantics."  I'm not going to say there was no romance in this book.  However, I did not find it overly cheesy.  I also did not find it graphic either, which is good.  What I enjoyed was Eakes' writing style.  You could really tell that she research the time period of the Luddites, as well as the science of hot-air balloons of the time.  There were stories within stories.  There were several characters, but the story never got overwhelming to the point where it was hard to keep up.  I fell into Eakes' world that she penned and found myself enjoying the story.  I will not give away the plot.  You can go on any website to look that up.  What I am giving you is my opinion of the book.  It is heartwarming and full of action / suspense, too.  A great book.  I read it within a couple of days, and so should you.  :)

"A Farmer's Daughter: Recipes from a Mennonite Kitchen" by Dawn Stoltzfus

This is a fun little cookbook, if I must say so myself.  The book has recipes for beverages, appetizers, breads (I was surprised to see this in a cookbook), salads, sandwiches, soups, "comfort food", main dishes, desserts, and more.  What I like is that there is a simple section in the back.  For those that are new too cooking, this is a great place to start.  Throughout the book, there are little comments from the author that add a nice touch.  There are even tips on presentation and entertaining guests.  You will not find pictures of food in this book.  However, the directions are very simple and quick.  They are so concise that some of them barely take up a page.  I honestly don't care that this book is written by a Mennonite.  I just like the recipes.  :)

Sheri Rose Shepherd Exclusive I

"Desiring a Happily Ever After"
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"You Don't Need a Man to Push the "Play Button" for Your Life to Begin!"
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"There Are a Lot of Reasons to Give Up, but There Are Greater Reasons to Finish Strong"
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"We Are on the Same Team and Fighting the Same Enemy"
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"Undaunted" the Movie

This movie is quite short but still stay on your mind long after the credits roll.  It is about the life of Josh McDowell.  To be honest, I didn't really know much about McDowell before this movie.  Apparently, he is an influential preacher and speaker.  Anyway, the movie is a short memoir of his early life.  At first, I thought the part where McDowell walks around and narrates in between the acted out scenes was annoying.  However, over time, I found his curt comments sincerely touching.  I don't want to spoil the movie with all the details, but I will say you will be shocked and enraged at what McDowell had to go through as a child.  There were times in the movie where I cried and other times when I was boiling with anger.  Through McDowell's troubled childhood and into his young adulthood, you will experience the journey of a broken atheist that culminates in a genuine Christian.  What is breathtaking is the people McDowell had to forgive when he met Christ.  What's great is that this DVD also comes with a little companion booklet to keep or give away to a friend.  This movie is definitely for the weak of heart.

"1 Message" the Movie

When I started this movie--I am not going to lie--I did not like it.  The main character was wearing a skimpy outfit to greet her fiance as he left for work in the morning.  I thought to myself, "Sigh.  This is going to be one of THOSE boring skanky romantic chic flicks."  However, as the movie progressed, I really enjoyed it.  And I'll tell you why.  In the movie, the stunning beauty gets breast cancer and has to have a double mastectomy.  In case you don't know what this term means, her chest had to be cut off.  Afterwards, her fiance leaves her for another woman.  The protagonist spirals into depression and doesn't even leave her house for fear embarrassment.  What I like is how the movie flashes back and forth in time between the woman before and after her mastectomy.  Anyway, in her depression, the woman starts to chat online with a mysterious man whom she later falls in love with.  I would get all riled up about the message this sends to people about giving personal information out online.  However, there is a line in the movie where her friend warns her and the woman says she is an adult and knows what she's doing.  So, at least, this film doesn't promote children giving out information online.  Anyway, I won't spoil the ending of the movie, but it will make you cry.  This movie will really make people think.  For women--what value do you have besides your looks?  For men--if a woman lost her looks, would you still stay with her?  This is a great film, and it will hold your attention.  Great flick.       

"Dreams and Visions: Is Jesus Awakening the Muslim World?" by Tom Doyle with Greg Webster

This book immediately got my attention and managed to hold it.  It is about Muslims having dreams and visions of Christ.  What I like about this book is that it does not just focus on Muslims in America.  It deals mostly with people in the Middle East.  The pages comes alive as history and culture collide to give the reader a full grasp of what is going on in the Muslim world.  The stories are from both men and women.  Excitement enters the pages as readers learn firsthand the dangers of converting to Christianity in Islam nations.  After reading about the horror stories of converts, Christians are given a wake-up call about the devotion of their own faith.  If they lived in a country that physically persecuted Christians, would they still hold to their beliefs?  I will not give away all the details of each story, but they will be on your mind for a while.  What's also great is that the end of the book has tips on loving and befriending Muslims.  Muslims--like any other people group--need the love of Christ displayed to them.