Are YOU a Hoarder?

I've you have cable or internet subscription services, most of you have heard of the show "Hoarders." Devised on the disorder of a person or persons who collect things and keep them without knowing why until it literally piles up in their homes to overflowing, you can walk around without crawling over stuff. They save everything throwing nothing away and keep adding to it until there is no way to live in their home any longer. It becomes an obsession.

While working on my Bible Study yesterday I was learning about Israel's sin of when everything was going right in their nation. So right in fact that there was so much abundance, people were able to purchase additional land, houses and animals because of God's hand of blessings in their lives for living their lives righteously at one time. They had so much, they didn't know what to do with it. They had what some might call disposable income.

Do you know what disposable income is? It's when you have so much money, you can literally buy anything you want and you'll still have money left. But our attitudes can change when more money comes our way. When we get that promotion we've wanted for so long, or that bonus that is way more than you expected. What do we do when we find ourselves living with abundance of wealth?

It can change you if you're not careful. It can turn you into a hoarder.

I am reminded as I write this by Jim Carrey's character in Bruce Almighty who is given the powers of God since he claims he can do a much better job at it than God can. And when God calls him on what he's been doing since he has been endowed with the ultimate power, Bruce confesses, "I've been righting a few wrongs in my own life."

Isn't that just like us when we try to justify our surplus in any area of our life. "We believe we need to take care of a few things lacking in our own life. A few wants needs to be addressed first. But be careful, those blessings God has so richly blessed you with, can suddenly dry up if your attitude isn't right. Sometimes God can withholds those promotions or raises because He knows we would get crazy with it.

Often times we find ourselves looking at people who have much and wonder why we can't be like that too. We want what they have but we don't want to have to endure what they had to, to get it. We need to be looking at the many blessings God has richly blessed us with and ask ourselves, "How can we turn our surplus into ways of helping others." Perhaps you have a lot of extra clothes that you know could benefit a church clothing closet to help someone out who can't afford to buy new clothes; Can you donate a few of those jackets you have that you don't wear because someone else could use it instead to stay warm but can't afford a coat? What about during that next food drive instead of digging for a few cans of food you don't want any more, you seriously go and pick out an entire meal of things you know you'd want if you couldn't afford food instead?

The Bible promises that to those who give generously from their heart, much will be given back. You just need to check your motives first. If you're giving in hopes of getting something back in return, you might be surprised to find yourself not getting anything. Only God can judge the heart. Maybe you need to change your whys instead and look at what it will benefit someone else instead.

I've been a book reviewer since 2009 and was convicted with this very message. God put it on my heart to share with you in hopes you will be stirred to move in the same way I am. I've literally ran out of places in my four book shelves for more books and they keep coming every day. I thought, why am I keeping all these books?

Originally I thought I would keep them in a way to enjoy them later when I retired and wanted some exceptional books to read during my "down time." Then I thought of all the people who might not be able to afford the very blessing God has opened in my life, the love for reading, the love for a life changing message found within the words of a great book and they simply lacked the resources to buy them. At first, I discussed the option of donating them to our local library because they truly could use it. And think of how exciting it would be if there were more Christian titles available than non Christian titles in the library? Wouldn't that change lives in our small town?

The answer is Yes! My husband was a bit bummed because he knows how much I place a value in a great novel. But God wasn't done yet. I said I would pray about it and see what God wanted me to do first. I even commented to my husband that if I died tomorrow, what would he do with my vast library I have accumulated? He said he would keep a few of my favorites, ask family and friends if they wanted any, and donate the rest.

He said, "Aren't you keeping those to read when you retire?"

I said, "Do you think God won't keep adding to my library?"

Friends, God answered my prayer in a powerful manner today.

He provided me and you with another solution!!!

I have a blogger friend Tiffany Stuart. Tea with Tiffany, who is embarking on a missions trip to Uganda Africa  as a missionary for Beauty for Ashes Missions Program. The trip will cost $3500 for all her expenses and she is doing a remarkable thing because she can go now that her kids are grown. God has placed this on her heart to go forward in this endeavor and needs our support. So I am going to be listing well over 400 books that are in excellent condition to help. I am asking for your donations on any of the titles I will be sharing this week to help her get to Africa. She has less than 90 days to raise the money, and the funny thing is it will only take 35 people who can pledge a $100 to get her there. I know times are hard, but what if you could donate your money and buy a novel? That's where the beauty of God's plan comes together.

I am taking donations for any of the titles I will be listing. 95% of the books are Christian titles from Western, Amish, Romance, Historical, Speculative fiction and even some that are entire series. There are paperback and hardcovers. I am not asking for any specific amount other than what God places on your heart for what you want to donate along with shipping costs. I will attempt to ship them to you as affordably as I can and if you're local and want to pick them up, GREAT! If you just want to donate money to help Tiffany get there without buying anything, God Bless You.

I am still working out the logistics with her, but we hope to have this working by Friday, April 9th at the latest so please keep us in your prayers. If you want to donate now, please click on the link below:

Donate to Beauty for Ashes - Tiffany Stuart Missions Trip to Africa

If you're an author and want to help, please message me and we can work together to create something amazing to help Tiffany get to Africa. I believe God's going to work to complete this funding within the next 30 days once this goes live. Will you join me in praying that God will move hearts to make this happen?

For more information on Tiffany's Mission trip, please visit her page and support her in any way you can.

Tea with Tiffany: A God Sized Dream

Why a Book Reviewer?

If you are not familiar with my blog, Reviews From The Heart, it's my own blogging site devoted to finding wholesome family and Christian based products in a market where deception can come in all shapes and sizes. Being a huge book lover since I was old enough to read, I literally inhaled books as soon as I could get my hands on them.

Remember I was raised in the generation where technology hadn't made its debut yet so imagination and physical activity was key for kids growing up. We didn't have 24 hour television or even cable at that point and I still vaguely remember going to sleep when you'd get that colored bar when the programming on the stations had run their course before the song of America the Beautiful would play before signing off for the night.  So for me books were my way out of the world and a chance to see things and be someone I could only dream about at this point.

My beloved favorites were just about anything dealing with horse and dogs and soon those interests too would change as the years passed. I couldn't wait for the book mobile to show up in our local neighborhood because to me it meant more books I could check out as long as I could carry them home. The book mobile was a paneled van that pulled up filled with books from the library for kids who couldn't get out to the main branch. Still wish they operated something like this especially for those who find getting to the local library a bit of a challenge.

Fast forward to today, where for the last 5 years I've become a book reviewer. What is required? Nothing more than love of books, a commitment to follow through on what you read, and a place to share your opinions on the books, thus the creation of Reviews From The Heart that began back in 2009 even though the blog posts begin in 2010, I started my reviews on my personal blog Heart 2 Heart, but was later asked and voted that the book reviews be listed on another blog for those who weren't interested in books and product reviews. Along the way I've read some keepers and the need for my husband to build at least two bookcases a year to house them in. If you haven't notice the local brick and mortar stores are closing and for most the only way to get their hands on a book is through the Internet or library.

I don't have an English degree from college just a desire to share what I find with those who are interested in what I have to say and love books as much as I do. I remember reading something on a publisher's website about blogging for books, a simply notion that the publisher would send you a complimentary copy of the book, you promise to read it and share your opinions. That's it. That is all they requested. It started out with one publisher and one book at a time. But for me, the books were so good, I could finish them in a day, and had to wait about 14 days to get another one.

I felt like an addict with a need for written words. So I began to research more publishers who were publishing books based on genres I love and were also Christian based companies like WaterBrook Multnomah, Tyndale House and Thomas Nelson. Soon other companies saw the value in the program and those major publishing houses like Hachette Book Groups, Simon and Schuster and Harper Collins Publishers were also publishing Christian and family titles under their own Christian divisions. Add to that mix, Book Tour companies like Christian Fiction Blog Alliance, TLC Book Tours and Litfuse and you begin to gain an awful lot of great novels from some talented authors.

I found the more you reviewed and subsequently shared those reviews on sites like Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Shelfari, Christianbook.com and Goodreads, the more the publishers and even private authors would reach out and solicit you for reviews. At first I only reviewed Christian books in my favorite genre's like horror, suspense and fantasy and soon realized I was probably missing out on some amazing novels out there, so I began to review everything and anything in the Christan publishing world from Amish Romance, to Christian living and spiritual growth and found out something about myself that I really loved to read just about anything.

So why Christian based books? 

Because for the most part they keep the storylines based on a God-centered life. You don't find profanity or sexual content or even violence in most of them, and if there is violence it is down played without all the graphic details. I don't think books need to contain them to get the message across. I think our imaginations are vivid enough we don't need the explicit details for us to fill in the blanks. These books a wholesome and offer family values and traditions, I would be proud for my daughters to read and thus the desire to be selective in what I choose to review. Although I stick with Christian novels most of the time, I have found some remarkable family books that aren't listed as under the Christian label that I found are beneficial to include as well, thus my reasons for going outside the Christian publishing houses at times.

So how do I rate my books? 

That again is my preference and I have clearly stated my own review system on my blog for those that have read my book reviews.

5- stars are simply the best I will rate a book. It's so good I know I will read it again and again. It is one I can't wait to share when anyone is looking for a great novel to read. It's one that I won't donate or loan out in most cases because they are like family to me. They wind up in my own personal library and the collection is growing..

4 - stars are books that are great but might contain something like one or two words of profanity that one might cringe upon when they are reading it, even if it might seem as if the character might actually say that in real life. These are still great novels but lack something that keeps me from wanting to shout from the roof top, buy this book! It might be a lapse in the writing style, confusing dialogue, too many characters to keep track of but I think you get the idea.

3 - stars is that the book was good but because it contains profanity, sexual content or violence, often times all three, it is not one I would want my daughters to read nor would I really recommend this to a friend.

2 - stars is that I can't recommend this book at all. It contains adult content, extreme violence, graphic sexual content, goes against my religious beliefs as a Christian, a good deal of profanity, and in most cases contains more than one of these in the novel. The characters may be lacking as well as a poorly defined storyline, one where it jumps back and forth, completely confusing the reader. For me, it's the one I have been forced to read solely based on my promise to review the book.

1 - star is the worst of the worst. It was so bad that I couldn't even finish reading it. Would NEVER recommend this book, in fact I would do almost anything to persuade you to NOT read it. I wouldn't even pay money for this one.

Along with my rating of stars I will often times tell you why I rated a book the way I did. Some people however don't appreciate honesty and will stop at nothing to let you know how they feel.

So what do you do when you have to rate a book a 1 our 2 stars? 

Honestly I try really hard to find some redeeming quality in what the author wrote. After all, we are all entitled to our opinions and thus people can chose to read my reviews and make their own decision on whether or not to read the book. The choice is really all up to them, I am simply sharing my opinion. I never stated I was an expert on reviewing and again possess no degree in English but after almost 50 years of reading, how does one become an expert reviewer? I think if people like what you wrote, they may take you up on a suggestion to read the book, or peruse more reviews.

There are authors who don't want anything less than a 4 or 5 star review on any retail sites or even on your blog, but then again, how fair is that? I know they are looking at ratings and marketing, but isn't that what an honest review is? If I really don't like the book, should I forgo posting the review so others can be fooled?

I know for the most part, 90% of the books I review are 4 and 5 stars, because I have been pretty selective about the books and storylines, I choose to read, but then again there are those 10% who find themselves receiving a 3 or less star. It is any worse than people who simply log into a retail site and fall under the anonymous category and simply rate a novel a 1 and say nothing?

In my opinion, I'm simply an honest book reader who is sharing her love of books with those who want to know what I have to say, nothing more and nothing less. Until there is a rating system out there for books like there is for movies and television programs, book reviewing is key. There have been too many books that have passed for something other than what they are, and I think parents who have children or teens who read need to be made aware of them.

The best thing to keep in mind is that I am not a English professor who is going to detail whether the antagonist or protagonist in the story was well written, how the conflict and resolution are adequately illustrated. I honestly don't think people want to be reminded of those English Literature days of trying to find the theme and symbolism in a novel, they simply want to know if it is worth their time, and if you liked it, much like a conversation with a friend or family member would be.

And that my friends and readers is why I review books!

Oh and by the way, NEVER have I received anything more than a complimentary book in the process for reviewing it. I have NEVER been paid for any of my reviews despite what people may think. In fact those publishers that email me with a commission based review, I have turned down 100%. I find it hard to be biased when you are cashing a check from them.