Review of Armored Hearts

Armored Hearts by Melissa Turner Lee and Pauline Creeden is about a young man, Gareth Smyth, who is a cripple, confined to a wheelchair. Gareth is not happy with his lot in life. The only one he allows to get close is his young aunt, Tabitha.

And then one day he discovers his special power when a girl, Jessamine, falls from a tree. More secrets reveal themselves as he grows to adulthood and discovers those around him are not whom they seem. Will Jessamine help him stand on moral precepts? Will Gareth allow even a chink in the armor he is encased in?

This is a fun read with likable characters. It delves into equal rights for women, steam punk, and the land of fairies.

However, there were a couple of problems—one was that the “bad guys” seem to come out of nowhere. I would have liked to have seen  more scenes leading up to the ending. And, speaking of the ending, it seems over before beginning. Also, although I skim when confronted with long descriptions, at times it was difficult to visualize the surroundings due to the sparseness of detail.

Despite the minor problems, overall, I enjoyed the book and can’t wait for the next in the series.
**I received an ARC for a fair, honest review.**

Good Parenting or Good Marriage? Which is More Important?

For those currently aged 18-29, being a good parent is important, more important than having a successful marriage. According to Pew Social Trends, 52 percent of today’s 18-29-year-olds say being a good parent is “one of the most important things in their life,” whereas only 30 percent say having a successful marriage is one of the most important things. ~http://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2013/04/9779/

Wow. Sadness fills me as I realize how far our culture had deviated from God’s word. Nowhere in the Bible does it say being a good parent is more important than having a successful marriage.

Marriage should be honored by all…Hebrews 13:4

So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate. ~Matthew 19:6

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her…He who loves his wife loves himself…For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. ~Ephesians 5:25, 28, 31-33

Do we see the importance of marriage from these passages? If marriage is comparable to Christ and the church, the importance simply cannot be overstated. The two become one flesh.

The most important legacy we can give our children is the modeling of a good marriage. We have elevated the love of children higher than the love of spouses. And that’s just plain wrong. Within strong marriages, we raise our children to the best of our ability. And then we let them go to find their places in the world.

Our spouse, according to God’s plan, is with us until death do us part. Having to live with someone for perhaps sixty or seventy years means we must work hard at developing a good relationship.

Within that loving, strong relationship of marriage, we nurture our children. The marriage relationship comes first. It’s time America returned to biblical principles.

It’s time wives began respecting their husbands and husbands began loving their wives as Christ loved the church.

With two people with an airtight commitment to God and one another, good parenting becomes much easier.

When we get our priorities straight, God will be well pleased.

And so will we.