This book is a collection of true stories that illustrate the unique and precious relationship between fathers and their children. Even if your relationship with your earthly father was not close, let this book re-ignite in you a more passionate appreciation for the best father of all. . . your "Heavenly Father".

Some of the father's stories included are: James Dobson, Philip Yancey, Kevin Leman, Bruce Wilkinson, Jean Davis, Kay Shostak, Gary Smalley and John Trent, Rick Warren, Tracie Peterson. These are just a few of the 59 stories in the book. Story after story will draw you into the personal and heartwarming recollections of a father's comfort, protection, fellowship, discipline, instruction and more. This is not a book just for men. I found it to be a reminder of my relationship with my Dad.

Ann Bales
reviewer

Gregoire, Sheila Wray."…to love, honor, and vacuum:" When You Feel More Like a Maid Than a Mother.
Grand Rapids, Michigan: Kregel, 2003. 144 pages. $12.99 USD

This is not a "women's lib" book. Nor is it a five-step program for becoming a human doormat. This book encourages women to deal with their hectic lives by prioritizing relationships and fostering responsibility and respect in all family members. When women apply these real-world, real-life insights, they will discover what it means to love and honor in spite of the vacuuming. Sheila grades every area of a woman's life and helps to make sense of it. She not only addresses problems, but she also offers simple, biblical solutions. Mothers feel guilty for feeling overwhelmed by life. Sheila shares ways around that. She reminds us that the chaotic, rushed lives we are leading need not be so.

Ann Bales
reviewer

This book was developed by the authors as a mentor-training manual for a marriage mentoring program. The authors primarily envision its use in church settings, but it can be utilized in other environments. It is designed to assist visionary leaders who want to assist recently married persons in their transition to married life. The program involves 12 intentional conversations over a period of one year. The couples meet monthly and work their way through 12 guided conversations suggested by the developers of the program. It was not designed for use in a congregation's Sunday School program. One mentoring couple spends time with a recently married couple. They share experiences, insights, and problems in a relaxed environment.

Some of the topics covered include thankfulness, healthy marriage habits, leaving and cleaving, recreation and playfulness, money in marriage, and communication. They touch on the many issues that typically challenge married couples. The content of the manual is outstanding. Although it's designed for recently married couples, I found it relevant to my own marriage and we've been married almost 46 years.

The program suggests discussion starters to help mentoring couples get the conversation moving in the right direction. Then there's a section for moving beyond the mentoring conversation. This usually involves an assignment of some kind. In the section on "Healthy Marriage Habits" each spouse is asked to "make a list of five special things your spouse has done for you." I've often read books that closed each chapter with a "to do" list. My usual response is to say, "Well that's nice." Then I promptly go on to the next chapter without actually doing the suggested exercise. In this program, the mentored couples are more likely to complete the exercise when they know their mentors will ask them about it at the next session.