Category: Litfuse

Mark and Jan Foreman are frequently asked how did you raise your kids and their answer? Never Say No!

About Never Say No: Raising Big Picture Kids

Mark and Jan Foreman’s sons, Jon and Tim Foreman, have influenced their world not only with a successful music career but also through their positive impact in communities around the world. The Foreman parents instilled in their boys a belief that they can make a difference by living beyond themselves.

This book gives readers an inside look into how to do this. This process begins with both parent and child identifying themselves in God. It then explores practical ways to encourage holistic learning while cultivating gifts, nurturing creativity and balancing structure. Parents will find encouragement and strength.

My Thoughts

Do not let the title of this book fool you! It is so much more than what you first assume, I honestly thought it would be about letting the child run the home and freedom,etc. I could not have been more wrong!

This is a different parenting guide to ones I have read in the past and reads more like a tool to be put into practice immediately. It is a guide, tool, self-reflection and memoir all rolled into one. They let us into their own lives to show what works and what doesn’t. I love how the book opens with the story of changing how often we say no to our kids when they want our attention. Without meaning to, I was doing this to my own children because I had to get dinner on the table or clean up a mess. It helped me to take a step back and see this from my children’s eyes and it was very eye-opening for me.

I love how they share that our children take their cues from us and are constantly watching what we do. We need to show them and model for them the right behaviour. We need to live the lifestyle we want our child to life.

This is a fantastic resource for all parents, not only those who may be currently struggling in their role. It is a book to come back to, underline and memorize over and over again.

You can find more reviews of Never Say No on the Litfuse blog tour page here. You can purchase a copy of the book here.

Rating: 5/5

About the Authors

Jan and Mark live in the San Diego area, where Mark is the lead pastor at their parish. Together they love surfing, teaching, sailing, traveling and being with their families.

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Heart Sisters is for women who want to be and have better friends, and would like a helpful guide along the way.

About Heart Sisters

Author Natalie Snapp uses her own experiences and others of failure and success to illustrate what she has learned about the relationships between girlfriends. Healthy boundaries, honesty, tact, sharing and agape love all play a part in maintaining healthy relationships. She also deals with the challenges that many face in relationships including how to handle life changes, conflict, and when it may be right to break up with a friend.

My Thoughts

Maintaining relationships with other women is vital to our mental and emotional well-being. We need and crave the conversations, the feeling of comfort and the advice of other women. Sometimes the hardest part is how do we become and stay good friends? Are we too pushy, too hurtful or too one-sided? No one wants to be the friend that always gives but never receives.

This is the perfect guide for all young women, women and co-workers to share. We rely on these women in our lives and it’s important to work on these relationships all the time. This guide gives real life examples from someone who has been there, felt it and did it. It is important to share these experiences as we probably have all been in the same position at some time. It is how we deal with these situations and relationships that make us a stronger person and friend.

Heart Sisters is a fun and heart warming book to work through – yes you heard that right, work through! Not only are you learning from personal experiences, each chapter has questions at the end to give you some time to reflect and examine your own actions.

You can find more reviews on the Litfuse blog tour page. You can order your own copy here.

Rating: 4/5

About the Author

Natalie is a follower of Jesus, a wife and Mother. Natalie is passionate about sharing the grace, mercy and truth of God’s love. She lives in the Midwest and keeps it simple by writing. You can connect with her on her website, Facebook and Twitter.

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

When trouble comes to quiet Arborville in the novel When Grace Sings, Alexa and Anna-Grace find themselves the target of exposed secrets. Can they continue to seek the grace of God during the fog of confusion?

About When Grace Sings

Alexa Zimmerman wonders if the Old Order Mennonite community in Arborville will ever fully accept her. Her family roots are not what everyone thought they were when she first arrived. She is hoping her culinary and hospitality skills will win them over. The bed and breakfast she is operating needs to succeed. Alexa agrees to take on Chicago reporter, Briley Forrester to stay as a long-term reporter not realizing his true intentions.

When Alexa agrees to take on her cousin Anna-Grace, the presence of extended family brings on an insecurity which sets Briley’s on a trail to uncover the truths.

Plans for a secure future and a young romance hang in balance, when the two girls have to face the secrets that bind them in ways they would not believe.

My Thoughts

A lovely read from start to finish with an important lesson for all of us to learn. Briley comes to Arborville under false pretenses hoping to uncover his story of a lifetime. His personal family history has made him into the man he is today, who doesn’t care for religion,God and finds it hard to find faith in others.

Alexa and Anna-Grace have a history that intertwines their lives forever. Only one of them knows the truth, this truth hurts her and we see her carry the full burden of this truth throughout most of the book. It is this truth that Briley uncovers. But how he will use this will affect all of the characters in this book greatly.

Finding the grace of God plays a strong role in this book and the end will leave you crying and overwhelmed. It was a beautiful ending to a beautiful story of faith, trust and grace.

You can find more reviews of When Grace Sings on the Litfuse Blog Page. To purchase a copy of the book, you can do so here.

Rating: 4/5

About the Author

Kim Sawyer is the author of twenty-nine novels! Her books have won ACFW Book of the year, Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, and Inspirational Readers Choice Award. Kim is an active member of her church and in her downtime enjoys drama, quilting and calligraphy. Kim, her husband and their three daughters live in Kansas. You can connect with her on website, Facebook and Twitter.

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.