Book Review: God, Hold Me While I Cry by Don Dilmore

GOD, HOLD ME WHILE I CRY: HOW GOD USED OTHERS TO BLESS ANNA'S LIFE

Author: Don Dilmore

Publisher: Authorhouse

Date: March 17, 2011



About The Author
Don Dilmore has authored seven books. Mr. Dilmore served in the Merchant Marines in World War II. He graduated from Franklin College where he edited the college newspaper. He then spent 37 years in the life insurance and real estate business. After doing lay-preaching for many years, Mr. Dilmore was ordained as a pastor at age 65. He and his wife live in Montgomery, Texas.

Anna's Story

"This book is dedicated to all those who have suffered hardship, hoping that after you read Anna's story, you will know, without a doubt that if we will ask God to come into our lives, anything is possible. His love will overcome any handicap, hardship or disappointment". 

Mr. Don Dilmore tells how God used many people to help Anna Lybarger through one desperate situation after another as she was raised in Nazi Germany during World War II.

Anna married an American GI and moved to the United States but discovered that her husband had a serious drinking problem. She took her children and divorced her husband but was soon involved in another abusive relationship.

Anna eventually met and married Herschel Lybarger. He was a good man and provided a stable home for Anna and her children. Anna and Herschel had a son who was brain-damaged and suffered serious mental and physical challenges. Anna trusted God to help them conquer adversity and hardship.

Anna's story is about hope and faith in God. God was always with her. He answered her prayers and brought peace and love into her life.

My Thoughts
I met Mr. Dilmore at a Christmas Market at my church. I enjoyed visiting with him and purchased this book from him. I picked up this book last week and read the entire volume in a couple of days.

I found Anna's story very interesting and inspiring. My family came to the United States from Germany in the early 1900s so I was fascinated with the details about her life in Germany.

I enjoyed reading about a woman who lives in a neighboring town and learning some local history along the way. Mrs. Lybarger's Christian testimony left a deep impression on me.

This story is about faith, hope and love. If you are going through a difficult time, this book will encourage and inspire you.  Mr. Dilmore did a good job sharing this story.

My Rating: 4 STARS OUT OF 5

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Book Review: Find Your Reason To Be Here by Laura Lee Carter

Find Your Reason to Be Here: The Search for Meaning in Midlife 

Author: Laura Lee Carter

Publisher: Mimbres Publishing

Date: January 23, 2013



About The Author
Laura Lee Carter, best known for her Midlife Crisis Queen magazine online, worked as a professional reference and research librarian for 25 years before transitioning into her present work as a midlife researcher, author, and psychotherapist. She holds three graduate degrees including one in counseling, with a specialty in midlife psychology. She is the author of "How to Fall in Love Again" and several other books.

Baby Boomers Reach Midlife
What is a midlife crisis?
"Midlife crisis, or what the Jungian analyst James Hollis calls the middle passage, often first becomes obvious when we experience difficult life circumstances that convince us that our illusions are no longer secure. We do not control our universe".

Ms. Carter faced devastating career and family changes during her midlife years. In her case, desperation led to many forms of inspiration and breakdowns led to some amazing breakthroughs.

The midlife shift begins when we stop and reassess our lives, often finding some major room for improvement. By questioning most previous assumptions about why we are here and and what we hope to accomplish, we change our hearts and minds so they can work better for us as we age.

This book is based on the writings of respected psychologists and the author's personal experiences. Ms. Carter firmly believes that midlife is a time of transition, personal change and new challenges.

My Thoughts
This is the second book that I have read by Ms. Carter. I find her writing stimulating and inspiring. She is very good at presenting her research in an interesting way that the reader can understand and apply to personal circumstances.

Midlife is a time of discovery, possibilities and hope. The author advises mid- lifers to keep evolving, learning new skills, and challenging your mind and body. The best is yet to be...indeed!

Ms. Carter includes "A Life-Changing List" for people in the midlife years. I found this list to be very inspiring. If you are stuck in a midlife rut, I think this book will open your eyes and help you see some new possibilities for your life.

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

FYI ~ The author sent me a complimentary digital copy of this book to read and review.

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Kindle Books For Kids: Caarina the Cooking Fairy by Julia Dweck

Caarina the Cooking Fairy (KiteReaders Fairy Series)

 

Author: Julia Dweck
Illustrator: Gemini

 

Publisher: KiteReaders

 

Date: December 1, 2012

 

 

 

About The Author

Julia Dweck writes children's stories for digital and traditional publication. Her stories span the spectrum of humor, fantasy, and edutainment in rhyme and in prose. Julia's background in elementary education affords her the opportunity to be in touch with what children want to read about and what makes them giggle.

Fairy Cook vs Gremlin
Caarina is the best cook in the fairy kingdom. She lives among the master chefs and learns all of their techniques.

One day, the Fairy Queen decides the fairies need a special feast. Caarina is given the honor of cooking for all the other fairies.

Unfortunately, a wicked gremlin decides to ruin everything that Caarina cooks. He dumps salt into the food cooking on the stove, he pricks her yeast bread and makes it fall and he pours hot pepper onto her honey cake!

Caarina does not know what is causing all of these mishaps. She is confident in her cooking skills but can't understand what is going wrong.

Suddenly, she hears a small gremlin laugh. She knows that she must use her wits to defeat this pesky little creature. Caarina cooks up a special brew that she hopes will cause the gremlin to flee.

Will Caarina outsmart the gremlin? Will Caarina prove that she is the best cook around?

My Thoughts
This is an excellent story for the young cooks (both male and female) in your family. Caarina is determined to prove that she is up to the task that the Fairy Queen assigned her. Caarina demonstrates intelligence, determination and persistence is this delightful story.

I read this story on my Kindle Fire. The story is designed with a landscape orientation and full-screen illustrations. There are four lines of rhyming text on each screen view.

Gemini did a fantastic job with the illustrations in this book. The soft colors in the background contrast with the bright facial features of the characters. Children will notice the details in the pictures...it looks like Caarina is always surrounded by fairy dust.

I recommend this book for children of all ages. Caarina demonstrates what it takes to overcome adversity and make a dream come true!

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

FYI ~ This story is a FREE ebook on Amazon.Com TODAY! These promotions do not last long so grab a copy NOW!

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Book Review: The Story Of Solomon Bear

This is a story of the unconditional love between a girl and her teddy bear. "The Story of Solomon Bear", by Phillip Laird, is a poignant children's story about an unloved little girl who found acceptance and love from her beloved bear.
Solomon Bear displays boldness and courage when he is separated from the girl and seeks to find her with all his heart. He receives help from some unexpected places but his quest is not an easy one. This ebook will touch the hearts of both children and adults.

A Girl And Her Bear

We don't know the Girl's name. All we know is that her lonely family has almost forgotten the magic of loving. The Girl named her special stuffed toy "Solomon Bear" and they have been together as long as anyone can remember. Solomon is the Girl's closet companion. Girl and Bear promise each other that they will always keep their love alive. This beautiful passage illustrates how Solomon feels about the Girl;

"All he knew was that when she held him, there was nowhere else he would rather be. All uncertainty about who he was would melt away, and everything would become bright and clear and beautiful again for him, when he remembered that loving her was his greatest reason for being."

Unfortunately,  the Girl's stepmother decides that the teddy bear must go. The Girl is too old to be spending so much time with a "lifeless toy".  The Girl vehemently protests and goes running out the door into the forest. She does not come back for a very long time. Solomon grieves the Girl's absence and even questions his own ability to love. He wonders if he really is just a "lifeless toy"? He soon determines that he MUST plan a way to find the Girl.
He receives advice from the other toys to help him in his quest. He learns that he has all the qualities and inner resources that he needs to go out into the world and search for his missing loved one. His determination grows stronger with each toy that he talks to. He learns to believe in himself and the power of love. Solomon never gives up hope until he is back in the arms of the Girl he loves.


My Thoughts
This is a beautiful story about the bond between a child and a toy. It is written in the tradition of The Velveteen Rabbit and The Little Prince. The story is approximately 9000 words long (50 pages) and is recommended for ages five and up. The ebook is not illustrated with pictures but it is illustrated with poetic words and prose.
I found this story very touching and tender. It is about the power of love and everything that goes with it. We learn that love is not easy and difficulties are sure to come. Love is what life is all about. Love never ends.
I recommend this book to children of all ages. It reminds me that a child's love is so very special. This book holds valuable lessons for all of us.


"The Story of Solomon Bear" is available in ebook format at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Smashwords.

Disclosure: The author sent me a complimentary digital copy of this book to read and review.

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The Promises Of God

Dr.James MacDonald, senior pastor of Harvest Bible Chapel in Rolling Meadows, Illinois, has written a timely and inspirational book based on five life-changing promises that God has given His people.  In Always True: God's 5 Promises for When Life is Hard, Pastor MacDonald teaches about the following promises that God has given to all believers;
(1)  God is ALWAYS with ME.  I will not fear.
(2)  God is ALWAYS in CONTROL.  I will not doubt.
(3)  God is ALWAYS GOOD. I will not despair.
(4)  God is ALWAYS WATCHING.  I will not falter.
(5)  God is ALWAYS VICTORIOUS.  I will not fail.
Dr. MacDonald does a excellent job supporting these statements with Scripture from the Bible.  He explains exactly what the words of the Bible readings mean, and then he provides examples from everyday life to give us understanding and insight.  The author uses many examples from his own life to illustrate how he has come to believe that these promises are true and that they are available to all believers.  He states that God KEEPS His promises and these promises are activated by faith in Jesus Christ.
This book was a real blessing to me.  It reminded me that God is in conrol and I don't need to despair.  I found Dr. MacDonald's discussion on the subject of "dispair" very helpful.  It was almost like he was speaking directly to me.
I recommend this book for individual or small group Bible study.  It would be appropriate to read the entire book and then go back and really study and meditate on each lesson. 
Dr. MacDonald is a Bible teacher and radio speaker at Walk In The Word Ministries.  The Walk In The Word Fan Page on Facebook has thousands of followers.  He also has a YouTube Channel where you can view videos.
I read the Kindle  version of this book.  I can lend this book to one Kindle user for a period of two weeks.  If you would like to borrow this book, please leave a comment on this blog post and include your email address.  If you prefer, you can contact me directly at fullerjanette@gmail.com.  I will lend the book to the first person who requests it.