Sunflower Faith

What are the sources of the books you are reviewing?

• Sent to me by authors or publishers or by book blog tours to review and post my honest opinion about the books,
• Books, that I have checked out of the library myself (and not forced upon me by an over zealous librarian, though if they are able to convince me enough, I may take them up on a book suggestion),
• Bought for myself,
• Were given as a gift from friends or families,
• Have been suggested to me by friends or families, or

I promise to share where the book came from (i.e. library, I bought it, it was sent to me, I found it under the couch, etc.); This can usually be found at the very botton of the review via a “disclaimer”.

What about books that are sent to you to read?

1. I don’t get paid for the book reviews I post or for this blog, except that the books are sent to me without charge for me to review, but I can guarentee this doesn’t influence my opinion.
2. If I review a book that has been sent to me, I will note, from whom, I received the book. It means a lot to me, that an author or publisher, trust my opinion, either bad or good, to read and review their work.
3. My opinion is my geniune opinion and it is for the purpose, as a book reader, to help you, discover a new book to read, or maybe not to read. I try to put myself in your shoes and think, if I was contemplating buying or checking this book out of the library, would I?

For Authors, Publishers,Book Blog Tours, etc.

I love to read and I love to recommend books to others to read and encourage them to read. I enjoy as well, reviewing books so if you would like to consider me to review a book for you or to participate in a book blog tour, please feel to contact me via here:

1. I read everything I get or will be able to post a review. The same with books I checked out of the library and end up returning them, due to not having the time to read them.

Why review books?

I enjoy reading.

It’s something that I find is very enriching, it is a way to aide in my spiritual growth, I enjoy reading the classics from my childhood, I enjoy reading what has been laid on an author’s heart to share with others in the form of the written word, I just enjoy reading.

Some of the best (and sometimes worse) books that I have “stumble across” usually comes from:

• self-discovery at the library,
• maybe a friend or family has suggested a “must read” book,
• I read something based on an interest of mine,
• or while enjoying other’s blogs, I come across a book review, they have done, and I go, hmmm…I need to add that to my reading list.

In turn, I pray and hope that I could be able to share the books that have touched my heart, that have encouraged me, or just have been a joy (or not) to read and pass it on and with it, a continual love for the written word.

My Book Review Policy

First and foremost:

My opinions are my opinions alone and are not influence by anyone and that includes the author and/or publisher nor am I a helpless pawn. This doesn’t mean I will always give a good review, but it also means that I won’t give a bad review so there’s a “50-50″ chance, with each book, that it will go either good or bad review.

The books I read, I generally use the Bible, as a guide in helping me choose books to read and also in the words I use here on, Sunflower Faith, and in everyday situations.

Come to think of it, then, yes, I do have something I measure with: His Word and through discernment.

It keeps me accountable with the trust laid on me to give an honest review (to the best of my ability and being human, I make mistakes, but praise God our Heavenly Father, He is bigger than us) and it keeps me accountable in my Christian walk.

Some of the passages that strongly influence what I read and how I read are similar to my comment policy:

• • I try to ask myself, first,”What I read, see or do…..does it glorify our Father in Heaven?” ,or am I trying to be like the world?

Don’t get me wrong.

I read a lot of books, and I enjoy biographies and non-fiction so it’s not always about growing in the Christian faith or about our Heavenly Father, but I also don’t read books that if it I can’t take it to church, or can’t be seen in public reading, because it could bear bad fruit and bad testimony to our Heavenly Father,then why think I will be safe ,reading it at home?

¹ If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. ² Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. ³ For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

⁵ Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. ⁶ Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, ⁷ in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.

⁸ But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. ⁹ Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, ¹⁰ and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, ¹¹ where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.

¹² Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; (Colossians 3:1-12, New King James Version)

¹⁰ “ For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,

And do not return there,

But water the earth,

And make it bring forth and bud,

That it may give seed to the sower

And bread to the eater,

¹¹ So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;

It shall not return to Me void,

But it shall accomplish what I please,

And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

(Isaiah 55:10-11, New King James Version)

• Was the book written with 1 Peter 3:8-11 in mind and will my words be written with 1 Peter 3:8-11 in mind.
• Will the book cause another to stumble (Romans 14:1-23).
• Was my review or maybe the book not spoken without love or with the intent to be a clanging cymbal (I Corinthians13:1); We are not here to judge each other but to have fellowship, to love as Christ has loved us, even in our sin and to encourage and share to the world how to be saved, this, however, does not mean that it’s a license to sin or to enable sin.
• If there is questionable content in the book, I will do my best (I’m human and a busy momma, as well) to flag it and notify you in the review to keep the content in mind as consideration of whether or not to read the book or if it’s suitable for you or someone else you know to read it.
• As followers of Christ, we belong to our Father in Heaven; Our body is His. It’s not our own.I tend to be careful about what I do read.

You know the saying, “Garbage in-Garbage out” and there is a fine line between a book that is encouraging, convicting and challenging and one that is trying to be shocking for shock value or “jumping on the bandwagon”.

I try (emphasize “try”) to be discerning in what I read and that it’s not worldy but would, in all things, glorify our Heavenly Father.

This goes back to, what may not cause you to stumble, could cause another to stumble, so I try to be just as careful what I read, along with what I would recommend others to read.

The ultimate goal: to glorify our Heavenly Father.

⁶ but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end. (Hebrews 3:6, New King James Version)

With the above said, I can’t guarentee I will post a review about a book if it hits the following standards:

• Doesn’t fit the content or nature of this blog
• There are times that I have read books that I just completely did not like and can’t bring myself to share with anyone-It’s rare, but yes, I’m human and there are some books I just don’t like.

Sunflower Faith is a quiet, sometimes silly, sometimes sarcastic, sometimes serious, follower of Christ sharing words of devotion, encouragement and hope that is always about our Father in Heaven. So grab a cup of coffee and join Sunflower Faith in words of growth, hope and more all in the spirit of 2 Peter 1:5-8.

Sunflower Faith

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