Sunday, July 27, 2014

Undetected




When asked what he does for a living . . .

Commander Mark Bishop is deliberately low-key: "I'm in the Navy." But commanding the ballistic missile submarine USS Nevada, keeping her crew trained and alert during ninety-day submerged patrols, and being prepared to launch weapons on valid presidential orders, carries a burden of command like few other jobs in the military. Mark Bishop is a man who accepts that responsibility, and handles it well. And at a time when tensions are escalating around the Pacific Rim, the Navy is glad to have him.

Mark wants someone to come home to after sea patrols. The woman he has in mind is young, with a lovely smile, and very smart. She's a civilian, yet she understands the U.S. Navy culture. And he has a strong sense that life with her would never be boring. But she may be too deep in her work to see the potential in a relationship with him.

Gina Gray would love to be married. She has always envisioned her life that way. A breakup she didn't see coming, though, has her focusing all her attention on what she does best--ocean science research. She's on the cusp of a major breakthrough, and she needs Mark Bishop's perspective and help. Because what she told the Navy she's figured out is only the beginning. If she's right, submarine warfare is about to enter a new and dangerous chapter.

I have always enjoyed Dee Henderson's books and this was no exception. This book had a lot of details about the Navy and submarines that can get a little heavy at times. I did appreciate her thorough research of the subs and life on the subs. I would not categorize this book as suspense but more of a romance.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Saturday, July 26, 2014

Answering Your Kids' Toughest Questions: Helping Them Understand Loss, Sin, Tragedies, and Other Hard Topics

The Honest, Loving Answers Children Need to Hear
What should you say when your five-year-old asks about his dying grandma? Or when your seven-year-old wonders if the devil is real? Or when the sixth graders in your Sunday school class are talking about a tragedy they heard about on the news? When it comes to the dark and tragic aspects of our world, it can be hard to know what to say and how much.

Mother/daughter team Elyse Fitzpatrick and Jessica Thompson will carefully walk you through difficult conversations, one topic at a time. Speaking from personal experience, informed by child development research, these two moms offer practical insights and age-appropriate guidance.

Talking about tough topics may not be as hard as you think, and, more important, you'll see how these conversations can lead to meaningful discussions of God's unchanging goodness. 
Whether you are parents or not, even if your children are still very young, whether you are grandparents, teachers, youth leaders, we all need to be prepared to answer the hard questions our children bring to us.
Answering Your Kids’ Toughest Questions: Helping Them Understand Loss, Sin, Tragedies, and Other Hard Topics is a book we all need. Each chapter focuses on a different issue such as death, Satan, divorce, natural disasters, sexual sin, and even the hard stories from the Bible. At the beginning of each chapter, the authors (Jessica and her mom, Elyse Fitzpatrick) discuss the topic in detail, and what Scripture says about the topics.Then the authors include a section on how to explain that topic to children. They give several options on how to explain the topic based on age range: preschool, 5-10, 11 and up. The answers provided to these questions are developmentally appropriate, gospel laced, and Biblically thorough. This isn't a script that you read aloud to your child but rather a guideline that gives you an idea of what is appropriate to say, given your child’s age, since you know your child best and know what they can and cannot understand.

If your children are not asking questions now, trust me, they will be. Answering Your Kids’ Toughest Questions: Helping Them Understand Loss, Sin, Tragedies, and Other Hard Topics is a resource you will want to have.

My favorite thing about this book is that it kept bringing things back to the overall picture of the Bible.  We all are in desperate need of a Savior.   It is the truth our children need to hear.

I received a free copy of Answering Your Kids' Toughest Questions from Bethany House in exchange for an honest review.