The Battle for Marriages--A Book Review

I love a good read. It can be nonfiction, fiction, self-help,
spiritual guidance, how-to's or even cook books. As long as it is a
good read, I'm happy. If a book does not capture my attention within
the first three chapters, it gets thrown out. Several months ago I
reviewed a book by John and Stasi Eldredge called Love and War. Great
read! I loved it. So when the opportunity arose for me to review the
Love and War Devotional for Couples I was thrilled.

Marriage is hard. It's wonderful, but hard. Wonderfully hard sums it
up well. Love and War Devotional for Couples is a great little book.
It's packed with solid advice, scriptures to back it up and prayers to
get you started. It is an eight week devotional and the devotions are
not extremely long which makes it easy to squeeze in a few minutes in
the morning or at night to strengthen or begin repairing your
marriage. Even the busiest couples have a few minutes to spare for the
betterment of their marriage. And those who don't think they have the
time need this book more than they realize. It doesn't matter if you
have been married for five months, five years or fifty-five years,
this book is for couples. Not couples in trouble but every couple.
If you are married, you will benefit from spending eight weeks working
through this devotional.

Here is what the authors are asking of the readers:

"We invite you to walk alongside us for eight weeks--five days a
week--and dive deeper into the realities of your marriage. We'll focus
on. . .the heart of God, the heart that He placed in you and the heart
He has placed in your spouse." ~~John and Stasi Eldredge

Here are four of the weekly topics, just to get you interested:
Remembering What We Wanted, The Journey, Companionship, The Little
Foxes and four more which you'll just have to check out for yourself.
I highly recommend this book!

Go here to get more and place an order!!

This book was provided for review by Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing.

Do You LOVE Christmas?

I love Christmas. I have very fond memories of traditions as a child and now building new traditions with my family is the best part of the season. So when picking out a new title to review for Waterbrook Multnomah I was thrilled to see a book about Christmas, and it wasn't just a Christmas story. I couldn't wait for it to arrive so that I could jump right in! So here is my review. . .

Everything Christmas, written by David Bordon and Tom Winters, is a wonderful book. Its full of wonderful practical things like step by step instructions on making big, fluffy bows, delicious recipes that will defiantly be crowd pleasers and gift ideas. But it also has stories, carols and poems. It even has Christmas trivia and humor. It is organized by the days of Advent, so there is a reading for each day starting with December 1 and going through December 24. It is a lovely way to get into the Christmas spirit and celebrate the reason for the season. I really enjoyed reading about other cultures Christmas menu's and their traditions!! I read the whole book through so that I could write this review, but there are parts that I plan on reading out loud to my kiddos during our Christmas celebrations! We will also try out some of the yummy sounding recipes. This book is delightfully packed full of information and fun for, well like it's name, everything Christmas.

If you LOVE Christmas, if you enjoy the past traditions or making new traditions, this book is a must have!

Check it out here.

This book was provided for review by Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing.

The Great Battle

I love my husband and I love being married. But for those who don't know marriage is hard. It takes work to make a marriage work. That puppy love feeling when you are first dating/engaged/married, doesn't keep you for very long and then you have to find what is that real and that even-thought-I-am-mad-at-you-right-now-and-don't-agree-with-you-right-now love needs to, has to kick in. Marriage has ups and downs, turns and curves just like that big scary (to me anyway) roller coaster. We've laughed, cried, yelled and sat in silence. We are constantly learning how to make our marriage work. It's a process. We change, grow and our marriage has to too, that's why this is a process. I called it the great battle, because we are battling to keep our marriage alive, fresh, happy and loving. Every married couple I know should read this book. Every engaged person I know should read this book. Every person who wants to be married should read this book.



I absolutely loved this book!! The Eldredge's are so real, open and transparent. They use their marriage as example to the rest of us. I love to read books that make us think and challenge us to be better people. The authors did that for me in this book. They candidly discuss challenges their marriage faced and how they overcame those challenges. In a day and time when marriages are ending in droves, knowing how to fight for your marriage is important. It's a book that reveals and encourages. It reveals what you're doing wrong and encourages you that just because this, this and this are wrong doesn't mean you have to call the nearest divorce lawyer. Here is what the publisher has to say:

What the Eldredge bestsellers Wild at Heart did for men, and Captivating did for women, LOVE & WAR will do for married couples everywhere. John and Stasi Eldredge have contributed the quintessential works on Christian spirituality through the experience of men and the experience of women and now they turn their focus to the incredible dynamic between those two forces.

With refreshing openness that will grab readers from the first page, the Eldredges candidly discuss their own marriage and the insights they’ve gained from the challenges they faced. Each talks independently to the reader about what they’ve learned, giving their guidance personal immediacy and a balance between the male and female perspectives that has been absent from all previous books on this topic. They begin LOVE & WAR with an obvious but necessary acknowledgement: Marriage is fabulously hard. They advise that the sooner we get the shame and confusion off our backs, the sooner we'll find our way through.

LOVE & WAR shows couples how to fight for their love and happiness, calling men and women to step into the great adventure God has waiting for them together.

Let's face it, none of us have our marriages completely perfect. Mostly due to the fact that marriages are made up of people, imperfect people. So anyone or any book that can give us hints and helps along this marriage journey can only benefit us.

To purchase this book and other great books visit WaterBrook Multnomah.

This book was provided to me by WaterBrook Multnomah for review.

Heart Tip of the Day: Drink Green Tea. "This potent beverage contains several powerful antioxidants that reduce cholesterol and may even lower blood pressure. To make a day's supply, bring 20 ounces of water to a boil, drop in three decaffeinated green tea bags, cover, and steep for 10 minutes. Remove the tea bags, and refrigerate the tea. When cool, pour the tea into a container, add ice if you like, and sip throughout the day."~~Info used from Prevention.

Every Woman Should Read This Book

What a great read!! I am lovin' this book!!



The Male Factor, The Unwritten Rules, Misperceptions and Secret Beliefs of Men in the Workplace, by Shaunti Feldhahn is a great read for every woman. For the women that work in a company with a male majority, you need to read this book! Ms. Feldhahn uses ground-breaking research to reveal men as they have never been before. Here is what the publisher has to say about the book:

Many talented women today risk undermining their careers without realizing it, simply because they don’t understand how they are perceived by their male colleagues and customers.
In The Male Factor, best-selling author Shaunti Feldhahn reveals the inner reality behind men’s views — the unspoken expectations that no man would dare to publicly acknowledge, and no woman would learn from an HR department. These revelations include:

• Men’s unwritten ‘rules’ of the workplace
• How men perceive workplace emotion
• What common situations with female colleagues most frustrate men-- and why
• Why revealing clothing can sabotage a woman’s effectiveness
• Why some men think flextime is fine, but equal compensation for it is not

The Male Factor equips women with the information they need to make informed decisions and compete on a level playing field.

I wish I had had this book 10 years ago, it truly reveals what men are thinking, how the react and the reasons behind it. This book would have helped me greatly over the years and the knowledge that I have taken from it will definitely prove worthwhile. The following are a couple of quotes from the book:

"Because men can't think as clearly when they are experiencing strong emotion, they assume women can't either."

"Understanding this inner uncertainty unlocks many frustrating dynamics, such as the double standard that men are assertive while strong women are difficult."

Personally, I think every woman should read this book, not just those in business. Nothing wrong with learning more about how your husband, brother, boss or any other male in your life thinks, reacts and feels.

For this book and a lot of other great reads check out Random House.

*This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

An Exciting New Review!!

Want to lose weight? Have you been trying to off and on, unsuccessfully? I had the opportunity to review a book about such a topic. As you all know, I have been on a weight loss journey and because last year wasn't as successful as I had hoped it would be, I jumped at the chance to read this book.

In The One Day Way, by Chantel Hobbs, she talks of her own journey through weight loss and combines her story with the practical advice to those of us still striving for health and fitness. The concept is simple really, taking things one day at a time. Celebrating the "bite size" victories as they come and forgetting those past failures that hold us back. She brings the power of positive thinking and faith in the weight loss arena. Most of us tend to let our past slip-ups dictate our current journey. Mrs. Hobbs takes you through how to measure success, laying a new foundation, building a new you, and the road to completion. All the way from changing your thinking, to your food choices and even has exercises to help you along the way. Another aspect of this book that I thoroughly enjoy is the personal stories of other people who have used The One Day Way and had great success! How inspiring is it to see others making a life change? Here are just a few quotes from the book to wet your appetite, so to speak. ~Smile~

"Progress is not made in huge steps. It is achieved in bite-size successes." pg. 7

"When you define success at the achievement of long-range goals, you're bound to feel like a failure sooner or later." pg. 35

"The One-Day Way focuses your efforts and your celebrations on one day: today." pg. 36

Anyone on a diet needs to read this book!

This was book was provided for review by WaterBrook Multnomah. To purchase this or other great reads, check out WaterBrook Multnomah.

Practical in Every Way

Today is another book review day!!! Two great books filled with useful information! How great is that?

More Than a Match-The Five Keys to Compatibility for Life, by Michael and Amy Smalley is a fabulous book. I enjoyed it thoroughly. Using their extensive years of counseling experience and of course their own marriage lessons, the Smalley's outline the skills you need to create lasting love. Secrets include loving well, dealing with conflict, recovering when you hurt one another and even developing a healthy sex life. Like I said, I really enjoyed the book. The Smalley's used their own personal experiences, they were transparent, in an effort to really help those who are going to read this book. It isn't just filled with psychological terms and hypotheticals, this is real people that went through real things. Its got funny and serious wound up together. I think it would good for those who are seriously dating someone they think is "the one", definitely good for those couples who are engaged and even those who are already married. I mean face it, we all have things we can work on, right?? At the end of every chapter there is a discussion page to get couples talking if they need help getting the talk started. If you know someone engaged, this would be a great gift for them.

The Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group has rolled out a new series called 99 Ways (times 6) to Thrive. I had the pleasure of getting to review, 99 Ways to Stretch Your Home Budget. Awesome! I know! Who doesn't need to stretch their budget?? I know the Lovelocks do, so it was a wonderful little book with 99 tips on stretching our money. This book was written by Cheri Gillard, a nurse and mother to quadruplets. Ms. Gillard laid out tips that are totally doable, from food-eating in and out, all the way to healthcare and hospital stays! It's practical ideas that families can use to save money around the house. If you are looking for ways to trim your budget without having to fore go buying toilet paper, this is the book for you . Here's what the publisher has to say about the series, "Written for families and individuals who are hoping to not only survive but thrive, during tough times. These value-packed, applicable resources offer relevant and reliable insights to endure the current economic downturn, and are sure to appeal to families in all stages of life."

For these two books, the rest of the 99 Ways Series and more great books, check out Random House.

This was book was provided for review by WaterBrook Multnomah.

More Books!!

As I said yesterday we love books around here. Mama gets as excited as the kiddies when a new book is sitting in my hands and a cuppa tea is right beside me. I am happy to tell you all about this one.

Treasured, by Leigh McLeroy was a true treasure to read. I enjoyed it cover to cover and even re-read a couple of the chapters. I dearly love books that make me think about my relationship with God and this one does just that. I love that the author opens herself up and shares many personal stories that coincide with what scriptures she is using in each chapter. Her concept was one that I have never seen before and I love it's originality.

The publisher had this to say about the book:

In Treasured, Leigh McLeroy considers tangible reminders of God’s active presence and guides readers in discovering evidence in their own lives of his attentive love. Drawn from the pages of Scripture, the author considers twelve such treasures and personalizes their meaning for readers, such as a green olive branch that offers proof of God’s “new every morning” mercy and a scarlet cord that demonstrates his willingness to adopt “strays” of every sort.Weaving these treasures together with scenes from her personal history, Leigh McLeroy invites readers to discover God’s heart for them and embrace their unique role in his redemptive story. Treasured offers readers a guided experience of God’s love and character and invites them to consider their own treasures that point to their part in God’s ongoing story.

Perfect to read as a devotional or even to use in a women's group for a devotion.

Another very special book that I got to review was, God Gave Us Love by Lisa T. Bergren. This book was just delightful. Let me give you the publishers summary and then I'll tell you more about what happened during our story time.

In God Gave Us Love, Little Cub and Grampa Bear’s fishing adventure is interrupted by mischievous otters, and the young polar bear begins to ask questions like why must we love others . . . even the seemingly unlovable? Why is it easier to love those we like? Where does love come from? And why does God love her so much? Grampa Bear patiently addresses each one of Little Cub’s curiosities by explaining the different kinds of love we can share: the love between friends, the love between families, the love between moms and dads, and the love for God. He also assured Little Cub that because of the love God has given her through his Son, there’s nothing she can do to make God love her any more or any less. Through Grampa Bear’s encouraging Little Cub to love others with a “God-sized love,” children will be inspired to love others and to be patient, gentle and kind, so that in every way, they too can demonstrate God’s love.

After reading God Gave Us Love, my kiddos asked a lot of questions about love and who we should love and why. It led into a perfect little devotion for loving our siblings. This book is one our shelf and I am sure that it is one that we will read time and time again. And because I have artists in the family and the fact I am not one so I appreciate great artwork, these books are beautifully illustrated. Kudos to the illustrator for so wonderfully capturing this story and making a family of polar bears come to life for us.

To purchase these books and many more please visit Random House.

*This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

A Christmas Book and a GIVEAWAY!!

We love to read in the Lovelock house. It's one of our most favorite things to do. We read in the mornings, in the afternoon and before bed. Now that Makiah can read, she reads to her brothers (which I totally LOVE) and so suffice to say we have a LOT of books. Like we could have our own book store, a LOT of books. So when the opportunity came up for me to review books on my blog, I said, "yes, yes, pick me, pick me". This is my first review, so don't be to critical of my reviewing abilities.

We had the wonderful opportunity to read God Gave Us Christmas by Lisa T. Bergren. It was a delightful story. There is a family of polar bears and Little Cub asks if Santa invented Christmas. Mama bear then explains why we have Christmas and they take a little journey. The journey that they take bring Little Cub and the readers to the conclusion that Jesus is the best present you could ever get! My kids loved the book!! The illustrations are beautiful and you begin to really feel like you are there. My preschooler and third grader were both inthralled with the story. If you are looking for a new Christmas book to read this year, this is the one you want.

I would love to share the love and give you all chance to have this book in your very own collection!! That's right its a first Mamalovelock giveaway!! Leave a comment telling me what your favorite Christmas tradition is and I'll enter you to win. Earn extra entries by becoming a follower to the blog and tweeting the giveaway. Please leave a comment when you are a follower and for every tweet. The comments will close at 9 p.m. Monday, December 7. You'll get it just in time for Christmas! I am sorry but this giveaway is only open to US residents.

For this and more great books visit Random House.

**This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.