Book Review: Take This Cup by Bodie and Brock Thoene

A young boy, named Nehemiah, has been prepared for a glorious purpose. Trained by his Rabbi from a young age, he know that someday he has been called to be cupbearer to the one true King. Will the day come sooner than anyone can imagine?

I loved this book. I read the entire thing in two days. Again and again, Bodie and Brock Thoene have constructed a gorgeous story, based on threads of tales in the Bible. I do not know how they manage to weave together these beautiful tapestries they call books. Using bits of several stories in the Bible, they create an intriguing tale based on fact. I will never stop reading their books!

This book specifically was so touching to see how Jesus reacted to a little boy, and all of the children to be precise. One of the hardest things that Bodie and Brock successfully do is to so beautifully describe Jesus.

I can’t think of a single thing I would have changed about this book. It was so beautifully described, and at the end, everything was so wonderfully resolved, I am pretty sure I cried at least twice! Bodie and Brock are SO good at not leaving loose ends in their books. I can’t wait until the next book comes out, the first two were fantastic.

Overall, I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who wants a fresh look at the Bible stories they have grown up hearing, it changes the way you read the Bible when you know the backstory. Obviously, their books should not be read the same way we read the Bible, but their books are a great tool to better understand the time and context of the Bible. If you have not read their books yet, be sure to pick this one up!

I received this book for free in exchange for this review.

Cole and Bailey's Wedding: Wildflowers and Simplicity

I don't know about you, but I look forward to every book Dani Pettrey has written since Submerged. In her most recent book (Silenced) the two main characters from the first book get married! In honor of this grand event, I decided to post both a review of the book, and what I think Bailey and Cole's wedding would have been like.

Bailey Craig by libbiheart 

1. Bailey wants to wear a very simple, stunning gown. She didn't want to have a gown that was so big that she'd have trouble wearing it on the beach, but she also wanted a traditional wedding gown, rather than a shorter one.
2. When picking out her necklace, Bailey wanted one that meant a lot to her. This single pearl necklace reminds her of Jesus, her pearl of great price. (Matthew 13:46)
3. Bailey desired a gorgeous, braided bun for her wedding day,
4. Keeping with the simple + stunning theme, Bailey decided to wear a lovely, but understated bracelet.
5. Not wanting to go completely barefoot like the groomsmen and groom, and not wanting to wear sandals like the bridesmaids, Bailey decided to wear barefoot flip-flops; they allowed her to walk barefoot with class!
6. Bailey decided to wear her favorite earrings to her wedding. They always reminded her that no matter what other people thought about her, God thought she was a precious gem.

Bridesmaid's C+B by libbiheart 

1. Bailey wanted a dress that would be simultaneously flattering on all her bridesmaids, and one that reminded her of the Alaskan ocean in the summer.
2. Beach waves for all the bridesmaids, duh!
3. Bailey gave each of her bridesmaids a single pearl necklace to remind them to chase after the pearl of great price.
4. Bailey asked the bridesmaids to pick a simple, classy shoe. Obviously the perfect choice was a pair of white flip flops!

Cole + Groomsmen by libbiheart 

1. Cole and Bailey decided to have a laid back approach to their wedding, and so their groomsmen wore rolled up khakis, and white dress shirts, untucked.
2 . Bailey decided at the last minute to nix the boutonnieres, but if she had asked them to wear boutonnieres, they would have been these lovely wildflower ones!
3.  After deciding that cuff links would seem too fancy for the overall theme,Cole decided to give them to his groomsmen as a gift.

Reception by libbiheart 

1. Cole and Bailey, while looking for chairs at thrift shops, stumbled upon a jumble of old lights. see the opportunity as too good to pass up.
2. Because of her past, Bailey loves seeing old things being given new life, That's why she wanted all of the dinnerware to be thrifted china.
3. Filling mason jars with wildflowers is on of the pre-wedding events that Kayden missed because of her investigation.

The Ceremony by libbiheart

1. Bailey knows that sometimes sitting through an entire wedding without anything to drink can be difficult for the children at the wedding, so she decided to have a lemonade stand before the ceremony started.
2. Bailey can't get enough of theses wildflowers near the aisle.
3. Cole and Bailey found dozens of old chairs at thrift shops, and then Cole fixed them up so that they could have a shabby chic wedding.
4. Obviously Bailey wanted all the bridesmaids to carry wildflower arrangements!


It is not often I find a book that I read in one sitting. Or one week. It is even more unusual for me to find a series of books that I like enough to keep reading, and reading quickly at that! I love how all of Dani's books are so well written. It is rare to find a series where the second, third, and fourth books are as good as the first. Sometimes I wish she would have made the McKenna family have 18 kids so that I could keep reading them! There is the perfect mix of suspense and resolution, and the books are perfectly timed. I always finish reading them the day (or sometimes 2 AM the day after) I start reading them. I literally have no criticism, none. I love everything about the McKenna family. They are imperfect humans trying to do what God wants, so the characters are relatable. Overall, I hope Dani keeps writing books for a VERY VERY VERY long time.

I hope you enjoyed this post, and feel free to pin any images!