Nice Devotional for 8-12 Year Olds!

I do not often get to review Children's Devotionals, so I thought it would be great to review this one, Jesus: A 365 Day Devotional.  This hardcover devotional is built around a quick walk through the Bible in 365 days, starting with Genesis and ending in Revelation. 

The devotional works its way through the Bible, as each devotion has a one or two verse scripture passage, followed by the devotional section and a one line prayer.  Each devotion is one page, so it does not take long to move through the devotional. 

This devotional is designed for children ages 8-12.  The only negative I had was that this devotional was not interactive and engaging for the child.  I would have liked to see more questions asked of the child to help them think through how they may have reacted if they had certain situations before them and decisions which needed to be made.

This is a good basic devotional, which if the parent / guardian works through this with the child, they can ask some questions to make this more engaging.

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Brady and Manning! Excellent!

I was really looking forward to reading this book, Brady vs. Manning: The Untold Story of the Rivalry that Transformed the NFL.  I was not disappointed!  This was a fun to read and enlightening book.  Gary Myers told the story about the college days, leading to the NFL, their rivalry, as well as their off the field friendship.

There were interesting stories, interviews, game observations and behind the scene stories about the two. 

I really enjoyed reading about how even though there was a fierce battle between the two, there was a great deal of respect and friendship that developed.  Myers wrote how each player contacted on a regular basis the other one when they were injured and missed a season.  How their families have been together. 

These are two of the best quarterbacks in NFL history, who took very different paths to get to where they attained greatness.  If you are an NFL fan, especially a fan of both quarterbacks, this is a must read.

I received this book from bloggingforbooks.com in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Practical Help to Discipleship!

I greatly appreciated Alan Briggs book, Guardrails: Six Principles for a Multiplying Church.  Briggs reminds the reader how hard it really is to not only keep a church alive, but to help the church to thrive and grow to be the church God calls us to be.

Briggs divided this book into two sections: Foundations and Principles.  In Foundations, he does what the word describes.  He lays the groundwork for the church.  He talks about the problems and different situations which arise as a result of an organization led by people seeking, but not always knowing how to fulfill the Great Commission.

In part two, he discusses the principles needed to have a church multiply.  He lays out his points with the acronym SHARRP - - As each chapter focuses on one ~
Simple
Holistic
Adaptable
Regular
Reproducible
Positive

This section is practical and not just theoretical.  He tells stories from his journey, as well as sharing scripture to help bring home his points.  Each chapter ends with a few simple, yet profound discussion questions.  Questions like “When have you accidentally emptied the Cross of its power through complexity?”  That’s deep, but hit home with me. 

I also appreciated his section Apprentice Culture Assessment, which helps us look at how we do church in terms of discipleship.

Overall, this is a very good book, a helpful book for those wanting to find ways to multiply and help your church grow through discipleship.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher Tyndale Press, in exchange for an honest review.

Very Good NKJV Bible

I am always on the lookout for new Bibles which will help me grow as a Christ-follower.  So, I was excited to see this new Bible, the NKJV Word Study Bible: 1,700 key words that will unlock the meaning of the Bible.  On virtually every page there are references to key words in the Bible which help unlock some of the deeper or somewhat hidden meanings of the Bible. 

I have a similar Bible, and found this to be a helpful Bible.  At times, you have to search in other books of the Bible to find the referenced word.  But it was not cumbersome to do this. 

One of the things I appreciated about this Bible was the font and the darker black used throughout.  It made reading through this Bible much easier on my eyes!! 

Included in this Bible is a brief introduction, along with words to watch for throughout that book.  The words of Christ are in red, there is a nice concordance, along with maps and word searches in the back of the Bible.  This is a hardcover Bible which is very nicely done if you are looking for a NKJV Bible, this would be a good choice.

I received this Bible from booklookbloggers.com in exchange for an open and honest review.

The Power of Prayer!

I was excited to receive a copy of Dirty Glory: Go Where Your Best Prayers Take You, by Pete Greig.  This book is a sequel to his earlier excellent book, Red Moon Rising.  He wrote this to help readers, that is, Christians become more passionate about prayer and what can occur when we come together in prayer.

Greig explains he had 4 main purposes in writing this sequel ~

1. Celebrate the INcarnation, the "Word made flesh."
2. The Presence Paradigm.  We experience the power and presence of God, but also community.
3. What it means to be an authentic "House of Prayer."
4. What does it mean to have a life of prayer?

Greig includes a study guide at the end of the book with study questions and Scripture verses to review.  His writing style is conducive to draw the reader into the stories about miracle after miracle which has occurred in his life and within his ministry.  He is the author / founder of the 24 / 7 Prayer movement.

His hope was for the reader to see prayer as an integral part of their daily life.  Prayer is not just something to do because we are supposed to, but it is an event which draws us closer to God and to one another.

If you are seeking a book which is inspiring, filled with 14 different stories, then this is an excellent book to read.

I received this book from Tyndale House Publishers, Nav Press, in exchange for an open and honest review.

Chase your Dreams!

Chase the Lion: If Your Dream Doesn't Scare You, It's Too Small, by Mark Batterson is the sequel to his best selling book, In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day!  Batterson plays off the passage from 2 Samuel 23:20, which says, “And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada…went down and struck down a lion in a pit on a day when snow had fallen” (ESV). He uses the NLT which uses the term, chased a lion . . .

In some ways, he is retelling some of the story from In a Pit. . . but he adds to it.  This is a book of encouragement.  In some ways, you may be skeptical that this will all work.  If you don't follow your dreams, if your dreams are too small . . . There is that utopian image he portrays.  

Yet, this is a book which focuses on not settling for a less than life.  It's about not accepting mediocrity.  He tells stories about the advent of National Community Church and their coffee house and many of their ministries and the lives of others who have been changed over the years because they caught a vision of hope.  

In the end, this is a very good book, meant to give the reader a vision for something better, to give the reader a sense of purpose and hope, to dream.  

I received this book in exchange for my unbiased and honest opinion from www.bloggingforbooks.com.

A Great 5 Minutes!

I was looking forward to this little devotional by Sheila Walsh, with Sherri Gragg.  The title is 5 Minutes with Jesus: A Fresh Infusion of Joy.  It's pretty obvious what the premise of the book is seeking to accomplish.  

It seems that we live in a world which is devoid of joy.  We have our few happy moments, but there is little joy in the heart and spirit of too many people.  Walsh and Gragg hope that this book can bring, or maybe usher in an extra jolt of joy to your day.

Each chapter is only about 1 1/2 to 2 pages, followed by a section called 5 Minutes in the Word, a listing of scripture verses to read.  

Walsh and Gragg get right to the point with each devotion and seek to remind the reader of the presence of God in their lives, through stories which are touching as well as humorous.  This book / devotion would make a great gift for someone.  She is an encouraging writer who has a great sense of God's presence within her, as she shares with the reader.

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Engaging Book to Read!

A Month of Sundays: Striding Towards Spiritual Refreshment One Sunday at a Time by Paula Hartman is a wonderful book which was written to help the reader learn, practice and make spiritual refreshment a reality.  Hartman is a wonderful writer who shares her journey with the reader in a variety of ways, which helps the book remain fresh and engaging.

She recounts stories from her life, as a child, a wife, parent, as she moves in her spiritual journey.  She has a sense of humor which leads the reader to chuckle and identify with her through the stories she shares.  As each chapter concludes she includes a recipe which are very doable.  They are not filled with special ingredients, but everyday ingredients you find in your home. 

It’s a fun, easy to read book which engages the reader and benefits the reader.

I would recommend this book.

I received this book from booklookbloggers.com in exchange for an open and honest review.

Go is a Good Read

Go: Returning Discipleship to the Front Lines of Faith, by Preston Sprinkle is a powerful book seeking to help followers of Christ to engage in discipleship.  Sprinkle refers to a study by the Barna Group focusing on Discipleship which indicated too many Christians are biblically illiterate and not engaged in growing and serving Christ.  He quotes a number of statistics, such as, 52% of church attenders believe the leaders are doing a good job to help them grow, while leaders have a much lower belief in their effectiveness. 

Sprinkle spends a great deal of time discussing issues which are wrong, leading to ineffective methods of discipleship.  He also gives some ideas about how to overcome some of the barriers. 

Go is an easy to read 177 pages.  The book flows well, and would be a good book to read.

I received a review copy from Tyndale Publishing in exchange for an open and honest review.

Great than Gold is Excellent!

As someone who enjoys the Olympics, I thought this would be a good book, and I was not disappointed. The story of David Boudia, in Great Than Gold: From Olympic Heartbreak to Ultimate Redemption is an excellent book, recounting David's story and his journey to faith.

I kept watch on how David did in the Rio Olympics, and he achieved a bronze in individual platform diving and a silver in sychronized diving with his partner Steele Johnson.  Both are Christians who seek to win people to Christ more than win medals at the Olympics.  They seemed very sincere.  After winning the silver medal both spoke about their faith.

The book is broken into 13 chapters and just over 200 pages in length.  It's an easy to read book, as he spoke about his progression in sports to have a love for diving at age 7, leading to his gold medal in the 2012 Olympics.  He was driven to achieve the ultimate glory.  That was his focus, win, win, win.  He had a crisis after not winning a medal in 2008, he thought about suicide and ultimately found Christ and redemption.

He writes in a very honest matter about his struggles and setbacks after becoming a Christian.  He has struggled to stay focused on his faith as the most important part of his life.  His admissions and honesty and vulnerability were very refreshing and helped the book to move at a good pace.

I would highly recommend this book.


I received this book from booklookbloggers in exchange for an open and honest review.

Good Resource for the Holidays

Moments & Days: How Our Holy Celebrations Shape Our Faith, by Michelle Van Loon was an easy to read and informative book.  Van Loon sought to help the reader understand the holidays which occur during the calendar year.  What I really appreciated was the fact that she looked at many of the Jewish holidays which Jesus would have celebrated, as well as Christian holidays. 

She was able to bring a basic understanding of the traditions, Scripture, and cultural values of the day and how it impacted the holidays, then, and how it impacts us today.

The book is broken into two sections, again, covering Jewish and Christian holidays.  She used a great deal of Scripture to help bring out the reasons for the holidays and how we can make them applicable in our lives today.

If you are interested in an easy to read book regarding holidays and festivals, this would be a nice resource.  I would recommend Moments & Days.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review from the publisher through Tyndale House Publishers book review bloggers program.

Uplifting Book

Jesus Talked to Me Today: True Stories of Children's Encounters with Angels, Miracles and God is a compilation of stories written by James Stuart Bell.  The book contains over 40 stories about children who have had some type of an encounter or miracle with God.  These are children who believe they have experienced God's presence in their lives.

Each of the chapters are short, maybe 4-5 pages.  It is easy reading and a relaxing book.  Some stories may be heard to believe, but these are recollections of children who believe they have met God.

It was a fun book to read, despite some of the stories talking about pain and despair, the end result was one of hope and victory.  Overall, it's a nice book to read, if you are looking for something with short, easy to read chapters.

I received this book from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest review.

Powerful Book of Hope

I had never heard of Chad Veach prior to reading this book, Unreasonable Hope: Finding Faith in the God Who Brings Purpose to Your Pain, but I will be sure to follow him in the future.  This was an amazingly honest and raw book as he discussed how his daughter’s diagnosis of an incurable brain disease has reshaped his life.  His daughter, Gigi, cannot communicate, has a feeding tube, daily seizures, and a life span of about 10-12 years.

I love the title, Unreasonable Hope.  Because hope in the midst of a terrible doctor’s report is unthinkable.  It didn’t happen all at once, it was a process for Chad and his wife.  As they were supported by friends and family, slowly they found a new brand of hope.

It’s not the everyday hope we think of.  It’s not a simple hope either.  Their hope is not about how God has blessed them in the midst of trials and tribulations, yet it is about that.  However, it’s still different, Veach writes about the unknown, the mystery and mysterious God.  Their hope comes in the retelling of stories about God’s presence and their victories in past difficulties.  It’s reminiscent of an Old Testament faith.  Retelling the traditions and miracles of God.

The book is broken into 4 sections ~
The Struggle
The Remedy
The Rest
The Better

This book can make a huge difference in the lives of those who are struggling with issues of hope in the midst of life’s problems.

I would highly recommend this book.

I received this book from booklookbloggers.com in exchange for an honest review.

In Union in Christ

In his book, Closer Than Close: Awakening to the Freedom of Your Union with Christ, Dave Hickman has written a very personal book.  I have preached on the premise of Hickman's book and wished I had it when I did my series. 

His premise is that we are not just to be in relationship with God, we are to go beyond that and be in union with God.  Hickman explained ~

To be "in" someone and have that someone "in" us isn't just close, it's closer than close --- it's to be in "union" or "Oneness" with that person.

 That's what Hickman is writing about.  It's about how we, the Christ-follower can move beyond the term and feeling of being in relationship with Christ, to being IN union with Christ.  To have Christ in me and me in Christ.

As I read he used terms I greatly appreciated.  I liked his use of the word perichoresis, which I've used many times before.  His chapter on the church was excellent, as well.

Overall, this is a challenging book.  But it was well worth the challenge.  I would recommend this book for those who want to go deeper in their "union" with Christ!

I received this book from Tyndale Press in exchange for an open and honest review.

A Devotion with Meat

I have appreciated the writings of Lee Strobel and Mark Mittelberg, so I was looking forward to receiving this devotional book entitled, Today's Moment of Truth: Devotions to Deepen Your Faith in Christ.  I really liked the cover, it would look great on a coffee table, as it has a soft somewhat cushiony cover, with a nice picture on it.

Knowing Lee Strobel is into apologetics, I was looking forward to this because I wanted a devotional which had a little bit more meat on it.  He didn’t disappoint me.  There is a mix of theology and story which helps the theology come alive.  There were 360 devotionals, none are dated, so you can pick it up at any point and start reading. 

Each devotion is 2 pages in length and starts with a scripture and ends with a section called Truth for Today.  I would recommend this book for anyone wanting a devotion which has a little more theology in it, yet, easily understood.

I received a complimentary copy of this book though booklookbloggers.com in exchange for my honest review.

EXCELLENT DEVOTION on Grieving!!

In her book, Grieving the Loss of a Loved One, Kathe Wunnenberg has written an outstanding devotional on loss.  This book captured my attention from the beginning and she never let up.  The stories and illustrations are powerful.  They are practical, relevant and true to life.

She shares scripture and life experiences which will certainly help the person who is grieving to find comfort through his/her faith.

This is the type of book to be given to someone who is grieving the loss of a loved one.  There are 12 sections in the book, which are listed below.  Within each section are about 4-6 chapters which are all short in nature.  Overall, there are 52 chapters in the book, which totals about 225 pages.  Below are the Section Headings ~

1. Denying
2. Venting
3. Questioning
4. Bargaining
5. Crying
6. Surrendering
7. Accepting
8. Praising
9. Being
10. Celebrating
11. Relating
12. Living

I highly recommend this book to read individually, then to be passed along as a gift.

Thanks to www.booklookblogger.com for the opportunity to read this book - - - in exchange for my honest opinion. 

Not A Must Read: Silly at Times! But . . .

I thought I would like to read a totally different type of book for a change, so I chose this book through the www.bloggingforbooks.com site.  The authors, Anna Drezen and Todd Dakotah Briscoe wrote How May We Hate You? 

They began to work as traveling concierge's in New York City.  I can only imagine the stories, well, they shared many of their stories.  Some were downright hilarious, others left me yawning.  I am certain there are so many amazing and funny stories, but the book is really all negative.  That's the point of it!  Make fun of the many people who have no respect for others. 

So, they accomplished their task, but I was left wanting a few nice stores along the way.  They came up with a few, but not enough for me to say this is a must read. 

If you like books which are filled with negative stories, crazy demands and questions from people, then this is for you.  On the plus side, it is a fast moving book.  It's easy to skim and would make for a great bathroom book.  Something where you read a short anecdote, then move on.

Overall, I'm not really recommending this to most people who read my blog!  I do appreciate the opportunity to read it, and know the hospitality industry is filled with great people who have ridiculous demands which must be met.

I received this book from www.bloggingforbooks.com in exchange for an open and honest review.

Good Fictional Book

Submerged was an adventurous and fun book to read.  Dani Pettrey has written a fun fictional book. It's a suspense drama with a little romance. 

As the book progressed the suspense increased and there were twists and turns and at times the unexpected. 

I felt the plot line was good and the characters were well developed.  She also did a great job in helping the reader to identify the town in which the story takes place.

Overall, I found this to be a very good fictional book.


This is a book from Bethany House Publishers.

Very Good Teen Study Bible

I really like this new NKJV TEEN STUDY BIBLE.  It has a number of unique features - -

• We Believe: Unpacks the Apostles Creed to reveal the biblical foundation of faith
• Panorama: Keeps the big picture of each book of the Bible in view
• Key Indexes: Help with in-depth Bible study
• To the Point: Reveals what the Bible says about pressing issues
• Dear Jordan: Offers biblical advice for teens
• Instant Access: Tells what God says to you personally
• Q&A: Tests your knowledge of Bible trivia
• Bible Promises: Highlights Bible verses worth remembering
• Book Introductions: Provides an overview for each book of the Bible

I prefer the NKJV or the ESV as the best literal translations to read.  Especially for teens, these versions are very easy to understand and the original meanings are not compromised.

I also liked the size of the Bible.  It is thick, but it is a manageable size, meaning it is not too wide to handle for the youth.

If there was one additional item I would want from this Bible, it would be study notes on the bottom of the pages.  I think this would help the teens when they have questions when reading the Bible.  

Overall, this was a very good Bible and I would recommend this for teens. 

I received this book from http://www.booklookbloggers.com in exchange for an honest review.

Spiritual Balance in a Digital World

In her book, The Wired Soul:Finding Spiritual Balance in a Hyperconnected Age, Tricia McCray Rhodes has written an interesting book.  Her point is that we are so engaged in technology that we have difficult finding balance and centeredness. 

The fact that I am on the computer a great deal of the time led me to request this book.  Initially I was drawn into the book, then I became frustrated as I moved along.  I think it was partly the fact that the book was written more from a Lectio Divina perspective.

By this I mean, there were 4 main sections ~

Lectio - meaning to read
Meditatio - meaning to meditate
Oratio - meaning to pray
Contemplatio - meaning to contemplate.

What was really nice in the book was the effort taken to give practical examples, and about 3-4 pages at the end of each chapter giving a game plan to attempt to put these practices into daily use.  This is a book I may return to in a different season of life, and my hope is that it will speak to me more at that time, then it is now. 

Overall, though, this is a very good book, informative, easy to read, and practical.

I received this book from http://tyndaleblognetwork.com in exchange for an honest review.

Know People!!!

In his newest book, The Art of People: 11 Simple People Skills that Will Get you Everything You want, Dave Kerpen has written a very practical book, filled with a great deal of common sense wisdom which most people do not follow.

The book is broken out into 11 sections with about 4-5 short chapters in each section.  Chapters are only 3-5 pages.  They are easy to read and filled with plain language and illustrations.  At the end of each chapter is a section called FAST - First Action Steps to Take.  They are simple steps to remind the reader of what they need to do in order to put that chapter's lesson into action.

In the end there is an Appendix which includes a lengthy Enneagram, which the reader can score themselves.  After that is another section of inspirational quotes on a variety of topics which is a nice resource to have as well.

Overall, this an an excellent book, and a good one especially for all people who are interacting with others.

I received this book from Book from www.bloggingforbooks.com in exchange for an honest review!

Excellent College Prep Book

My first child is getting ready to head off to college.  So, when I saw this book, I knew I had to get it so we could both read it.  In College Rules, How to Study, Survive and Succeed in College, 4th Edition, by Sherrie Nist-Olejnik and Jodi Patrick Holschuh, I found so much information, I felt I was in a class and being overloaded with notes.  I like the fact that both authors are professors, and have a good handle on college life.

This is an excellent book to prep your soon to be college student.  Even though I have been to college, way too many years ago, this book if filled with tons of information.  Lots of basic information and stuff I never would have thought about.

They have not left anything untouched.  I like the sections on the syllabus, on technology, how to study for different types of exams, and so much more.  The book is written in an easy to read, straight forward manner.  There are some anecdotes about mistakes other college students have made, so that you won’t make the same mistake.  The authors end each chapter by listing the top ideas from that chapter.

This is an easy to read book, but it is over 300 pages, 314 to be exact, with 25 chapters.  So, it’s thicker than you might think, but it’s worth the read.  This would make for a great graduation present or an extra Christmas present for the student who is a Junior in High School.

I received this book from bloggingforbooks.com in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Becoming a VIP

I was very interested to read this book by O.S. Hawkins, entitled, VIP: How to Influence with Vision, Integrity, and Purpose.

This book really intrigued me because I believe the 3 areas Hawkins talks about are vital to effective leadership.  If a leader, or anyone wishes to influence others they must exhibit vision, integrity and show purpose.

Hawkins has been a pastor and is presently the leader / President of GuideStone Financial Resources.

Mr. Hawkins is guided by his faith as a follower of Christ, and he uses his faith as a guide and shares that with the reader.  He also refers to scripture to help prove and demonstrate his points about influencing others. 

In order to help the reader understand his points, Mr. Hawkins uses stories from the Bible, along with personal stories and illustrations to help the reader better move forward in the challenge of leading and influencing others.  

While the book is only 116 pages, it is not necessarily a quick read.  It is meant for the reader to consider and muse on the various points Mr. Hawkins has made.
 
Overall, I found this to be a helpful book as I move forward in leadership.  It would also make a nice Father's Day present, since that holiday is fast approaching.

I received this book from Booklookbloggers.com in exchange for an honest review.

A Golden Story!

I have had this book on my shelf for a long time and finally finished the book.  Don’t let the title, Bug Swamps Gold, fool you, this is a wonderful book retelling the story of a young girl growing up during the depression years in the 1930s and 1940s.  The story takes place in South Carolina and contains so many stories, funny, tragic and everything inbetween in the life of Billie Wilson.

She writes about her time in Bug Swamps.  It was a difficult time which was made bearable by a family which was based on love.  If you enjoy reading about the depression era through the eyes of a young girl as she is growing up, surrounded by extreme conditions in life, yet, comes out the victor . . . all because of a family’s love, then this is a great book to read. 

I received this book from booklookbloggers.com in exchange for this review.

Let God Qualify You!!

I have always enjoyed / benefited reading Steven Furtick’s books.  I know he is a polarizing figure among church leaders.  I have listened to his sermons and really cannot find where he is putting down God, or playing off of people.  Yes, he is a little outrageous, but, I believe he has a message we need to hear.  In his newest book, (Un)Qualified: How God Uses Broken People to Do Big Things, Furtick hopes to help the reader come to the belief they are qualified to do the work God has called them to do.

The book title came from an interview with John MacArthur.  During that interview, MacArthur used the word "unqualified" to describe Furtick.  As a result of that statement, Furtick used the words from McArthur to write this book and sermon series associated with it. 

Furtick explains how we view ourselves greatly determines whether we see ourselves as unqualified or as qualified.  Often times we look at our negatives and hold onto those as opposed to seeing the good within us.  The call in the book, which is just over 200 pages, is to reclaim our identity in the sight of God. 

He starts the book with a section entitled “The Third Word.”  This is because we often fill in the blank of the statement “I am ____” with a negative word or phrase.  Once again, the hope is that we will see ourselves in a new light and see ourselves in a positive light.  The goal is to let God fill in the 3rd word, which will be encouraging.

I received this book from bloggingforbooks.com in exchange for an open and honest review.

Interactive and Fun Pre-K Bible!

My First Hands-On Bible is a wonderful Bible for young children and their parents.  This Bible is a fun, engaging and interactive Bible for parents to use with their young children.  The Bible is designed for children between ages 3-6.  There are other Hands On Bibles for older children as well.  Understand that this is NOT the entire Bible.  It is selected stories, 85 of them, from the Bible.  They are considered lessons. 

Each lesson focuses on a specific point of a Bible story.  What is really great is the fact that it’s not just a story and move on.  Along with the stories are activities, illustrations, prayers and a Jesus Connection.  There are stories, but the Hands-On Bible also uses scripture to reinforce the story.  This is what makes the Bible hands on.  It is a great way to engage children to be excited about learning from the Bible and be able to apply the stories into their lives.  It is also a great way for parents or grandparents to connect with their children / grandchildren.

The scripture passages are from the New Living Translation.  Not my preferred choice, but that is not the point of this Bible.  Overall, I would highly recommend this Bible for young parents.  It would be a great gift.

I received this from Tyndale blog network in exchange for an honest review.

God's Story and Yours!

I appreciated reading Michael Horton’s new book, Core Christianity: Finding Yourself In God's Story.  The purpose of the book is the fact that many times we really do not know the reason for the faith we have.  Horton is hoping we can better understand our story in the midst of God’s Story.  Until we do, Horton believes, we will be stymied in our spiritual growth and we will never have the intimate relationship with God we were called to have.

According to Horton, the book has 4 main themes - -
1.  Doctrine leads to biblical drama.
2.  The drama yields specific doctrine
3.  The doctrine leads to praise or doxology
4.  Finally, doxology leads to good works or discipleship.

He weaves these themes throughout the 10 chapters ~

Getting Started: God’s Story and Ours, or Why Doctrine Matters
1. Jesus is God
2. God is Three Persons
3. God is Great and Good
4. God Speaks
5. God Made the World but We’ve Made a Mess of It
6. God Made a Promise
7. Joy to the World!
8. Jesus is Lord
9. What Are We Waiting For?
10. In the Meantime: Callings
Afterword: Tying It All Together

Horton continues to speak more about God and His nature, as opposed to humanity and our role.  He wants the reader to have a better understanding of who God is, then after determining who God is, we are to find ourselves in this drama, which ultimately leads to praise and discipleship.

Overall, this is a very good book.  It is short, less than 200 pages, and is easily read.  If you are wanting a very basic view of God, and willing to read into where you fit into the story, this would be a great book to read.

I received this book from booklookbloggers.com in exchange for an honest review.

Hope in Moving!

In the book, After the Boxes Are Unpacked: Moving On after Moving In, written by Susan Miller, she shares her adventures in moving and coping from a Christian Perspective.  This is an easy to read book which is filled with stories and is meant to encourage the person who has moved or is moving.

This would be an excellent book to give to those who are moving, or have moved a number of times and are tired from it and seems lost or hopeless.  It becomes easy to feel lost and depressed after a move, even those moves which are anticipated.  The book is separated into three different sections ~

Let Go
Start Over
Move Forward

The purpose of this book is to give hope to those who are on that journey.  The hope is that after grieving what you miss and lose, you will have a new beginning and recognize that.  Taking intentional steps, which ultimately leads you to moving forward with your life. 

Overall, this is a very good book and helpful for those who are moving.  A reminder is that this book is written from a very Christ centered point of view.

I received this book from Tyndale Press in exchange for an honest review.

Excellent Discussion of a HOT topic!

I have always believed as a pastor, I need to review and study theological positions I do not always agree with.  That will help me to better formulate and state what I do believe.  This is the reason I wanted to read this book, Four Views on Hell.  This is not necessarily a fun topic to discuss, write about or preach about.  But it is a biblical topic that must be studied so we can have intelligent conversations about our varying beliefs.

With that in mind, I was excited (if there is such a thing) to read this book about hell.  People have been debating this topic for centuries.  What happens to those who do not believe in God?  What about those good people who don’t believe in Jesus?  What about those nasty people?  Are all saved?  Are only some elected for eternity with God / without God?  Lots of questions we can ask about this topic.  This book does not purport to be an answer book, but it serves to give the reader 4 basic views on hell.

Each author had an opportunity to make his point, then the other 3 authors would give their criticism.  The writing and criticism were all accomplished in a good spirit.  At times there was some harshness, but overall the tone was collegial. 

The four views were ~

Eternal Concious Torment - by Denny Burk – Burk discusses the more traditional Evangelical Christian view of hell.  Those who are reject Christ will suffer eternally in hell.

Terminal Punishment / Annihilationism – by John Stackhouse – Stackhouse initially held to a traditional view of hell, but now turns towards God’s goodness as people will be punished in hell, but that punishment will ultimately be death and destruction.  Their lives will be terminated after judgement day.

A Universalist View – by Robin Parry – Parry discusses a Christian Universalist view of heaven.  He believes the road to heaven leads through Christ, yet all creation through the atoning work of Christ will ultimately be reconciled to Christ.

Hell and Purgatory – by Jerry Walls – Walls discusses the belief that we need to be purged from our sinful state in order to come before Christ.  He differentiates the terms satisfaction from sanctification.  He believes we need the process of sanctification, after death in order to be worthy to come before Christ. 

The editor offers a good conclusion, highlighting some of the arguments made be the various authors.  This is a very good book, and I would recommend it for those wanting to study more on this topic.

I received this book from www.booklookbloggers.com in exchange for an honest review.

This is Your Brain on Sports!

When I saw this title, This Is Your Brain on Sports: The Science of Underdogs, the Value of Rivalry, and What We Can Learn from the T-Shirt Cannon, by L. Jon Wertheim and Sam Sommers, I knew I had to read this book.  I was not disappointed.  The entire book is fun to read.  It’s interesting to see some of the “science” behind sports.  The authors wrote, “As outlandish as sports conduct may seem, it is rooted in basic human psychology, neuroscience and cognitive tendency.” 

There are chapter titles that will pull you in.  Titles like “WhyGiving Every Little Kid a Trophy is Such a Lousy Idea” to “Why Rooting for the Mets Is Like Building That IKEA Desk.”  They go on with “Why Our Moral Compass Is More Flexible Than an Olympic Gymnasts,” and “Tribal Warfare: Why the Agony of the Other Team’s Defeat Feels Just as Good as the Thrill of our Team’s Victory” are very enticing.

They explain why a tennis player like Andy Roddick would fire a tennis hall of famer like Jimmy Conners and replace him with a tennis coach who had a losing record.

There are many anecdotal stories, talking about most sports to the psychology of rooting for the underdog, to violence, to the Mets, to trophies for kids.

Whether or not you are into sports, this is a book you will like.  Some explanations could have become tedious, but I thought they were well explained and made sense to me.

I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.

Leading from heart, soul, mind and body!

 I greatly appreciated Jenni Catron's book, The 4 Dimensions of Extraordinary Leadership.  For quite awhile I have believed that we work through the 4 different components of who we are; that is; our heart, spirit, mind and body.

With that in mind, Catron seeks to explain how to be an extraordinary leader.  You lead effectively and in an extraordinary way, when you lead with your whole being, i.e., heart, spirit, mind and body.  Catron seeks to help guide the reader to experience that reality as they lead within any organization.  I found her stories and applications easy to follow and very applicable to my daily life.

The book is split into 3 sections, Moving from Ordinary to Extraordinary; The Dimensions of Extraordinary; and The Practice of Extraordinary Leadership.  Catron weaves stories in and out of each chapter to help the reader see catch her points.  The book is very easy to read, but is filled with a deep message.  Her theme of leadership comes from the New Testament Gospel of Mark 12:30, where we are commanded to love the Lord our God with all our heart, and all our soul and all our mind and all our strength.  She is not preachy, but does use some biblical themes in this book.

Overall, I would recommend this book as a good introductory book for someone wishing to learn more about leadership.

I received this book from booklookbloggers.com in exchange for an honest review.