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Goodbye Hollywood Nobody by Lisa Samson

Book Description:  Charley's off to Scotland with her new beau, and Scotty and her dad travel to Maine in search of Scotty's mom. That's not all they're looking for though.

There are still a lot of unanswered questions about faith. Scotty's faced with her bitterness toward Karissa and what it means to live a "Jesusy extraordinary" life. Shouldn't forgiveness play a role in that?

And when Scotty and her dad land on her mother's last known trail, will their questions finally be answered?

My Review:  This is the dramatic conclusion to Scotty Dawn's life!  Lisa Samson does an excellent job of bringing all the loose ends together in this read.  Scotty and her dad, Ezra, go on a road trip to find the truth~is Scotty's mom, Babette, dead or alive?  As the adventure continues, the father/daughter duo have high hopes and truly believe in miracles. 

Then they locate Vince, the mob man who supposedly fell for Babette way back when.  But it soon becomes apparent that Vince and Babette aren't together anymore.  However, Vince seems to be holding some knowledge about Babette from Scotty and her dad.

Deciding to work at an orphanage where she falls in love with a sweet baby.  Enter Monica, who was a victim of abuse before coming to the orphanage for her protection. Re-enter Karissa, the spoiled actress who once was the heart throb of Scotty's best friend Seth.  After receiving a text from Seth, Scotty learns that Karissa is now pregnant.  Scotty feels overwhelmed and somewhat in over her head~what a mess!

Scotty wants Karissa to come and visit the orphanage.  Karissa comes and learns about Christ helping to secure Scotty's faith in God.

Scotty and her dad find the answers they've been seeking and ask God to direct the rest of their lives.

This is read is a fantastic end to the series.  I read all of the books but each book could be read as a stand alone read.  However, to gain the "whole picture" I suggest you read them all.  I truly enjoyed this read!

*This book was provided by NavPress*

Book may be purchased at Amazon!

  

90 Days of God's Goodness Devotional by Randy Alcorn

Book Description:  Daily Assurance in the Face of Life’s Hardest Struggles

When life throws challenges at us, our view of God’s presence can become cloudy. If God is good, why is there so much evil and suffering? In times of hardship, it’s easy to lose sight of God’s purpose, goodness, and love. 

90 Days of God’s Goodness helps disperse the fog—little by little, discovery by discovery, day by day. Through these thoughtful, inspiring devotional readings, bestselling author Randy Alcorn brings clarity to the question of God’s goodness. 

For anyone who’s ever suffered, or shared in a loved one’s suffering…or for anyone who’s ever been painfully distressed by the prevalent evil in this world…90 Days of God’s Goodness opens a wide door to healing and the reassurance of a God whose love we can count on and always turn to.

My Review:  90 Days of God's Goodness by Randy Alcorn is another great devotional with daily reflections that shine light on personal darkness.

Best selling author, Randy Alcorn, offers his unique insights on the ups and downs of life.  

This nice, hardback book includes 90 devotionals with thoughtful mediations that will help one to see and recognize the wonderful works of God.

At times life throws us challenges.  Some times those challenges can lead us to a dark maybe depressive place; however, this devotional challenges us to rely  on the One who created us for a specific reason.

Chapter 6, Suffering Is No Accident, is one of my favorite chapters.  The chapter begins with Psalm 34:11-19, then a short devotional, and lastly a prayer to go with the devotional.  Each devotional is roughly two to three pages long and each devotional brings a thought provoking idea for the reader.

This is a great 5 star devotional for those going through a rough time or simply a devotional for those who want to draw closer to the Lord in times of learning.  This read would also make a great "Get Well Card" for someone who is learning to trust the Savior!

As Randy Alcorn tells us, "God is in charge."  What a grand thought!

*This book was provided for review by Reader's Favorites.com*

But Why Shoot the Magistrate by Patricia Sprinkle

Book Description:  When a popular youth pastor is accused of a grisly crime, MacLaren Yarbrough won't rest until she finds the truth. Her gut instinct tells her Luke Blessed is innocent. Still, how could the dream he had on the night a young woman was murdered depict the crime with such chilling accuracy? As MacLaren tracks down clues from all corners of Hopewell, GA, four like suspects emerge. But the police aren't buying her theories. Even her husband, local magistrate Joe Riddley, resists her amateur sleuthing. This case, he feels, is too dangerous. Just how dangerous, both of them are about to discover. The assailant strikes again, leaving Joe comatose from a gunshot wound to the head. And suddenly, a new question stares MacLaren in the face. It's the most perplexing question of all -- and the most personal: Why shoot the magistrate?

My Review:  The first sentence of a good mystery can "hook me" and then hook, line and sinker I'm into delving into the read trying to figure out the mystery.

Such is the case of this read, But Why Shoot the Magistrate by Patricia Sprinkle.  Here's the first sentence, "On the night of the first murder, a full moon sailed over middle Georgia."

Even though this is the second book in the Thoroughly Southern Mysteries series it is probably (in my opinion) one of the best mysteries I've read.  I was surprised that I had not read any books by  Patricia Sprinkle since this book was published in 1998!  I was enthralled from page one.  

I truly like MacLaren (yes, her first name), the southern charm and the great mystery of why would anyone want to kill a nurse and then blame the Youth Pastor.  Had a hard time figuring this mystery out!

Mac is on the case!   MacLaren Yarbrough is back in her hometown of Hopemore, Georgia, with another mystery to solve. There are quite a few eccentric characters who inhabit Hopemore and we also meet MacLaren's sons, Ridd and Walker. 

I enjoy a good clean mystery and I love it when an author writes about the "God things" of life.  Ms. Sprinkle incorporates a lot of God and Christianity into this short, fast read!  

Will be looking for more books from Ms. Sprinkle!

*This book was provided for review by Zondervan*

Learn more about the author 

HERE!

WOW {Warm Oven Wednesday}Pineapple Cheese Ball

2 packages (8 ounce each) cream cheese, softened

1 can (8 ounce) unsweetened crushed pineapple, drained

1/4 cup fine chopper green pepper

2 Tablespoon finely chopped onion

2 teaspoon seasoned salt

1 and 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts

Assorted crackers

 

Directions:

 

1.    In a small mixing bowl beat the cream cheese, drained crushed pineapple,                                    green pepper, onion and seasoned salt until well blended. 

2.    Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.

3.    Shape into a ball and roll in walnuts.

4.    Cover and refrigerate overnight.

5.    Serve with assorted crackers.

 

Always a hit!

    

 

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The 17 Day Diet by Dr. Mike Moreno

Book Description:  “We’ve all pledged, promised and bullied ourselves to eat better and exercise more, but so many times even the best intentions fall short. I incorporate healthy habits into my work and home life and you can too.” –Dr. Mike Moreno

If you need to shed pounds fast and in a safe, effective, and lasting way, this is the book for you! Unlike many diet programs that starve you down to size, Dr. Mike Moreno’s 17 Day Diet relies on proven methods to help you take weight off and keep it off for good—whether you’ve got 10 pounds to lose or 100. His revolutionary program adjusts your body metabolically so that you burn fat day in and day out. The program is structured around four 17 day cycles:

Accelerate—the rapid weight loss portion that helps flush sugar and fat storage from your system

Activate—the metabolic restart portion with alternating low and high calorie days to help shed body fat

Achieve—this phase is about learning to control portions and introducing new fitness routines

Arrive—a combination of the first three cycles to keep good habits up for good. On weekends, enjoy your favorite foods!

Each cycle changes your calorie count and the food that you’re eating. The variation that Dr. Mike calls ‘body confusion’ keeps your metabolism guessing; this means that you can expect big changes in the first 17 days alone!

This is not a diet that relies on a tiny list of approved foods, grueling exercise routines, or unrealistic calorie counts that leave you hungry and unfulfilled. Moderation and proper portions are key factors in the 17 Day Diet—the trick is to figure out the foods and routines that work best with your real lifestyle. That’s why the book is filled with tips for how to avoid the usual food pitfalls like holidays, eating out, or even just a tempting candy jar. Along with a comprehensive explanation of how each segment works, every phase comes with an extensive list of foods, recipes, and sample meal plans to help make grocery shopping a breeze. Because of the diversity that you are allowed from the very beginning of the program, there is a way to make this diet work with almost any food allergies you might have or what cuisine you’re used to eating.

The 17 Day Diet is a simple plan that gets big, long-lasting results if you stick with it and let Dr. Mike help you along the way. Whether this is your first attempt at dieting or your fiftieth, you must believe that you can do this. What matters now is focusing on your goals, identifying what you need to get there, and taking action to begin the process. Your health and happiness are important, so stand strong, believe in yourself, and let your 17 Day Diet begin now!

My Review:  The 17 day diet was created by Dr. Mike Moreno to help shed holiday pounds. There are four cycles:

Cycle 1: Accelerate. Encourages rapid weight loss, cleansing and fat burning. Discourages fat storage. 

Cycle 2: Activate. Resets the metabolism. 

Cycle 3: Achieve. Develop good eating habits, re-teach yourself how to eat carbs. 

Cycle 4: Arrive. A combination of the first three Cycles. On weekends, enjoy your favorite foods.

Dr. Moreno claims in the first 17 days you loose about 10 pounds since one is not "on" sugar, drinking more water, and eating fewer carbs.

On the First Cycle Overview:

• You can eat all you want of certain lean proteins, they’re referred to as “freebies”
• 2 servings a day of a probiotic choice
• No other dairy except fat free cheese, fat free sour cream as condiments and in moderation.
• Vegetables are limited to certain “Cleansing Vegetables” but are also “freebies”

On Cycle 2 you can add:

• Additional Proteins – Including shellfish and lean cuts of meat
• Natural Starches (1 serving = 1/2 cup) - brown rice, bulgur, barley, couscous, cream of wheat, grits, basmati rice, oatmeal, etc... 
• Legumes (1 serving = 1/2 cup) – black beans, butter beans, garbanzo, northern, kidney, lima, navy, pinto and soy beans, lentils, peas, etc...
• starchy veggies - breadfruit, corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, winter squashes, yams, etc…
• Add two daily servings of natural carbohydrates and everything else stays the same.

I found this 17 day diet to be well laid out.  I love a diet that gives a plan and this book is "chock full" of plans and food ideas.  

After reading through the book this diet seems a lot like The Atkins Diet Plan.  

I can do 17 days of eating well and I hope that this will become a life style habit! So, I've just begun eating the way Dr. Moreno suggests.  

My goal is to lose about 20 ponds....I feel that the 17 Day Diet is a great plan to follow!

*This book was provided for review by Free Press News*