Excellent BIble with Devotion

This is a wonderful devotional and Bible in one.  The NIV Streams in the Desert Bible is packed with powerful words from God and from author L.B. Cowman.  I have read through the deovtional Streams in the Desert many years ago, and will do so again as I read through the Bible.

About the author of the devotion, it is written ~ L. B. Cowman worked as a pioneer missionary with her husband in Japan and China from 1901 to 1917, during which time they helped found the Oriental Missionary Society.  When Mr. Cowman's poor health forced the couple to return to the United States, Mrs. Cowman turned her attention to caring for her husband until his death six years later.  Out of Mrs. Cowman's experiences and heartbreak came her first book, Streams in the Desert, followed by its companion Springs in the Valley.  During the next twenty-five years, Mrs. Cowman inspired several nationwide Scripture distribution campaigns and wrote seven more books.

There are 365 devotions scattered throughout the Bible.  Each devotion has a “go to” line at the bottom of the page, so you can easily locate the next day’s reading. In addition, in the back of the Bible is a listing of devotion by subject.  This way you can find a certain topic you would like to read about.
                                   
Overall, this is an excellent devotion, which is in the NIV Bible.

Zondervan Publishers, through Harper Collins had provided me with a complimentary copy of this book, in exchange for an unbiased review through BookLook Bloggers.

Powerful True Story

Echoes of an Angel: The Miraculous True Story was written by Aquanetta Gordon, the mother of the subject of this book.  This is powerful, true story about a young boy named Ben Underwood, who lost both of his eyes when he was two years old to a rare disease called bilateral retinoblastoma.  This is the story of his journey of living life despite his blindness and other physical issues, until his death. 

It is a story about a mother’s will to help her son never lose the will to live, to embrace life, even when it was not easy.  It’s also the story of a mother who struggled with faith in God, but ultimately grew in her faith.  While the mother did some things I did not agree with the basis of the story, which is true, is powerful and inspiring. 

To picture Ben riding his bike and jumping over ramps and so cool!  Ben didn’t live like a person who was blind; that is where I give so much credit to his mother and to Ben’s will to live a normal life.  He played with friends and even played video games.

Echoes of an Angel was a wonderful reminder of putting our faith in God and watching what He can do! The book contains pictures and a Discussion Guide.

I received this book for free from Tyndale House Publishers for this review.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Stand in the Gap

Reading  In the Gap: What Happens When God's People Stand Strong, by Wilfredo De Jesus was a challenging book.  The purpose of this book was to identify the ordinary people who do extraordinary things to make a difference in the world.  De Jesus defines a gap, as ‘something which represents a place of weakness, vulnerability and danger.’

We often times see this when looking around the world.  De Jesus shares many stories about these ordinary men and women who saw ‘a gap’ and sought to transform the gap into something which would be strong and powerful. 

This is an encouraging, yet challenging book to read.  As we read the book we should be reading with our eyes open to our own communities and where the ‘gaps’ are so we can get ready to make a difference.

De Jesus includes discussion questions at the end of each chapter, which can be used for personal reflection or group discussion.  It has a self-evaluation tool at the back of the book to help you determine “where God is already at work in your life … and where He may need to do a little more to sharpen and shape you.  Finally, it includes useful suggestions for how to use the book in small groups and classes.  There is also a Bible Study series to go along with the book.

I recommend this book to people who are not comfortable and want to learn more about how they can make a difference in the world.

I received this book at no cost as a digital download through Net Galley.  All opinions expressed are my own.  Thanks also to Assemblies of God and Influence Resources publishers.

Inspiring Story

This was a very easy to read book, with great nuggets of spiritual truth to guide the reader along their journey.  Laurie Short’s book, Finding Faith in the Dark: When the Story of Your Life Takes a Turn You Didn't Plan weaves stories about her life and those around her; along with stories from the Bible.

She takes a look at what happens when life does not go as we planned it to go.  This is an encouraging book.  A great book to give to someone who is going through a difficult time in their lives.  Ms. Short encourages the reader to never give up, because we do not know what the next chapter is in our story.  Often times God is more at work in our difficult seasons than we realize and understand. 

Once again, this would be a great gift book.  It’s easy to read and you will identify with the author and the stories.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers http://booklookbloggers.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Powerful Story to Faith

In her book, Good God, Lousy World, and Me: The Improbable Journey of a Human Rights Activist from Unbelief to Faith, Holly Burkhalter gives a very open and honest autobiographical account of her journey to faith.

As the title suggests, this is in Holly’s opinion, an improbable journey from someone who was borderline agnostic / atheist to someone who found faith.  Working in the world of human rights in many countries, Ms. Burkhalter witnessed so many atrocities to humans.  It became difficult for her to believe there was a God, let alone a good God, who would allow all of this to occur to God’s creation. 

It was not a one time crusade where Holly got it.  It was watching and witnessing people at work who were followers of Christ.  She saw them in action, helping people who were hurting and yet at the same time extolling the goodness of God.  This led to the changes in her personal life and ultimately faith in the living God. 

While Holly does not have all of the answers, in raw honesty, she leads us on her journey, an improbable one.  A journey with so many lows, yet she discovered faith in Jesus.  This is a powerful story about one woman’s journey to faith in Jesus, in spite of the tragedies she experienced. 

This book is worth the reading!

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Blogging for Books for the purpose of reviewing.  All opinions are mine. 

Stepping Into the World

I greatly appreciated reading Church in the Middle: Stepping Outside the Building to Reach the World of Tomorrow by Rolland Daniels.  I was in total agreement with his view of the church.  As the title states, and it’s his premise, that in order to reach the world of people who are not part of the church, we need to leave the church and engage people where they are at. 

For many years the church has simply assumed if we open our doors people should want to come in and have their lives transformed.  We no longer live in that world.  Daniels offers many practical suggestions / tools to help pastors and churches make the jump from inwardly focused to outwardly focused.  He offers assessments and more to help the people gain a better understanding of the call of Jesus to go into the world and make disciples of all people. 

Overall, this was an excellent book.  It was easy to read and should help churches wishing to become more engaged in their community.

I received this book at no charge from Net Galley, published by Warner Press, as a digital download, in exchange for an honest review of this book.

How We Learn! Read All About It

As a parent of two teen boys, I was really interested to read this book and gain insight on ways to help them.  I was not disappointed.  Although it will take time to help them gain new study habits, I greatly appreciated reading  How We Learn: The Surprising Truth About When, Where, and Why It Happens, by Benedict Carey. 

There were times I felt the book slowed down as Benedict wrote about the methodology and the different aspects of the brain and how it functions.  I was able to overlook that, but it could be of interest to others.  I was fascinated with the way he described studying in a more chaotic situation can be more helpful than harmful.  While my children do not cram for tests, the way our brain remembers words, etc. was interesting.

His discussion about sleep and its impact on memory and studying was so helpful.  I am not a morning person, and this cemented it as well.  Some schools start ridiculously early, and it does not help the students learn.

This book would be great in a synopsis view for teachers to read.  I would love for some teachers to test his theories and see if they work.  That’s the hard part now.  Do I trust what Carey his written to try these out with my children?

Overall, there were those dry moments, but this is an excellent read for those wanting to better understand how our brain works and how we learn.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from Random House Publishers.

Very Good Devotional

The Jesus Code ~ 52 Scripture Questions Every Believer Should Answer, by O.S. Hawkins has an interesting premise to it.  Hawkins began to wonder about all of the questions Jesus asked, and then went on a search throughout the Bible to examine the questions he felt we need to answer.

This book, which is not related to the God Code is broken down into 52 chapters.  A chapter per week, and the chapters are only 5 pages or so long.  The goal is to read and meditate on the question and discussion questions from each chapter.

This can be used as a family devotion or individually.  The book has a beautiful imitation leather cover which makes it look really great! 

Overall, while I have not finished the book, as I am trying to take it slowly, is a good book, which asks leading questions causing the reader to dig into his / her spiritual journey.  I didn't find Hawkins overly preachy, just trying to help me see where God is in my life, which is a good thing.

Disclosure of Material Connection: 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. 

Fascinating Story

Neil Swidey has written and excellent nonfiction book, entitled, Trapped Under the Sea: One Engineering Marvel, Five Men, and a Disaster Ten Miles Into the Darkness.  By the time I was finished reading the Prologue, I was hooked.  The build up to the book was great.  Then Swidey takes us on a journey to move throughout the history and build up to this expedition. 

The book was well written with a great deal of care and precision on a delicate matter in which he had to talk to families who lost loved ones.  There is a great deal of documentation and footnotes at the end of the book to help some readers look beyond the book and read more articles about the issues with the Boston Harbor. 

This book could easily be made into a movie.  It was definitely be worth watching, especially after reading this book.  At times, the book moved very slowly, in part because Swidley took such care to talk about the backgrounds of the various divers and individuals in the book.  I believe he could have left some of these details out.  As the story stands on it’s own and was interesting to learn about the dynamics of working 10 miles out to sea in a tunnel.

For those interested in history and drama, this is a very good book.

"I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review."

An Excellent Book for Dads

In his book, First Team Dad: Your Playbook for a Winning Family, J. Drew Pittman has written a wonderful and powerful book about what it means to be a dad.  He mostly uses stories about athletes and coaches to help bring home his point for each chapter.

He starts the chapter by talking about the particular person, then he segues into what we can learn from that person.  He ends each chapter with a section called "Game Plan" in which Pittman offers questions and thoughts for reflection.

At the end of the book, he has a few different appendices to help the reader move a little further in their faith journey as a father.

This is a very easy to read book, with 5-6 page chapters.  I would highly recommend this book, as a Father's Day book, for birthdays or even as a Christmas present.

I received this book from Bethany House Publishers at no cost in exchange for an honest review.

Heartwarming Story

Susan May Warren has written a very heartwarming story in her newest book, Evergreen.  This is a story about a couple, John and Ingrid Christiansen.  Over the years and especially this past year, they've witnessed their family go through turmoil and loss.  They've were forced to say too many good-byes.  Now the stress is taking a toll on their married life. 

John has his dreams and Ingrid has hers, and at this time in their lives the dreams are pulling them in different directions.  The reader is brought into the struggle of their home life as both, John and Ingrid are pulled to look at life in new and different ways as the book takes a few twists and turns along the way. 

The book is about living and embracing a new reality of life.  It should hit home with many readers who want a feel good story, yet one which is based on real life.  This is one of those books which could easily be converted into a Hallmark movie.  It's also an easy to read book, which was nice.  Susan included some discussion questions at the end of the book as well, if you wanted this book to be on the book of the month reading list.

According to guidelines from Federal Trade Commission, I received a complimentary copy of this book through Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for an honest review.

Captivating, But . . .

The premise for this book, I HUNT KILLERS, is eerie, but can be fascinating if you're into delving into the minds of authors and characters in books.  The premise for this book was a boy's father is a famous serial killer who has been captured and is in prison.  The book follows a period in the life of the son as he attempts to figure out who he is supposed to be.

 

I felt the author, Barry Lyga, did an excellent job developing the main characters, the son, Jazz and his friend Howie.  The book takes a number of twists and turns and we seem to be waiting for Jazz to explode and be more like his father, yet he reminds himself over and over again that "people matter."  This helps him overcome the demons which are raging within him.

I felt at times there were gruesome details added for effect and actually took away from the book.  I could have done with less gore for effect and more into the minds of the characters.  

In addition, from what I have read, this book is recommended for YA readers.  I do not believe this is appropriate for teens to read.  This is not a book for under high school, and even then I believe this book should be an adult book, not for teens.

I received this book through Netgalley.com, and the publisher "Little, Brown Books for Young Readers."

Books! Books! And More Books!

For those who read my blog, I want you to know that I am trying to read books which are not just Christian books.  I'm trying to get a wider perspective of what the world is reading, not just what I want to read.

With that being said, most of the books I read I receive at no charge, as long as I give an honest review.  So, you may be seeing more reviews of books which you would not ever consider and I fully understand that and appreciate that.  Yet, in order to better understand the world around us, I'm trying to be selective about what I read (no porn), etc. in what I read, but I still need to know what the general world is reading and learn why.

Hopefully this helps me to improve in my ability to communicate the message of Christ to the world who desperately needs to hear and experience the love of Jesus!

Thanks for being part of this blog.  I hope you find it helpful!

Blessings,

Pastor Michael

Powerful Book

In her book, Let Me Be Clear: Barack Obama's War on Millennials.  And one woman's case for hope, Katie Kieffer has written a hard hitting book about her disappointment with President Obama and her belief that he lied to the very generation who helped elect him as our president.

Kieffer looks at the way Obama was elected president, and focuses on his words, "Let me be clear" which he used during his campaign, as her title.  She then looks at the different policies and their impact upon the millennials ~ 

• Economy
• Health care
• Education
• Housing crisis
• Family systems 
• Military
• Foreign policy 
• Gun control

She ends the book with a look at the best solutions and how to move forward.  I appreciated the fact that Kieffer did point out many faults and shortcomings of her generation, the millennials.  She took them to task on the ways they've overlooked many of President Obama's lies. 

I read this book because I wanted it to stretch me in my understandings of politics and how President Obama has manipulated the people.  Yet, at the same time, I read with a certain degree of skepticism, but appreciated the many references and notes Kieffer includes in the book.

This was an enlightening book and I recommend it.

"I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this review."

Excellent and Practical Book!

In her newest Sticky Faith book, The title is The Sticky Faith Guide for Your Family: Over 100 Practical and Tested Ideas to Build Lasting Faith in Kids, Kara Powell has hit another home run.  This is an excellent book, with great practical suggestions. 

The author has realized we are losing a young generation of Christians as they become older.  What's the solution?  Kara Powell believes it is helping our children gain a greater "practical" understanding and usage of their faith.  That all starts with parenting and planning how we can help our children grow in Christ.


There is some theory, but mostly there are many, over 100 ideas for helping our children grow into the people Christ calls them to be.  Their premise is that we make plans for so much of life, but we leave out the plans to help our children hold onto their faith through all of life. 

Topics of chapters touch on

• Forgiveness
• Mistakes
• Family Relationships
• Communication
• Vacations
• Senior Citizens
• Servanthood, 
• and more.

If you are wanting to read something which has tons of practical ideas which don't take hours to prepare, but will help you and your child connect better and at the same time help them to become more Christ centered, then this is a great book to read.

I highly recommend it.

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

A New Understanding to Prayer

This book was very refreshing!  So many times we pray with the expectation that God will hear our prayers and God will be the one who has been moved to action.  In his book, Wasted Prayer: Know When God Wants You to Stop Praying and Start Doing, Greg Darley reminds us that often times the opposite must occur. 

We are one's who are called to take action.  Yet, too often we feel paralyzed because we are waiting and wanting God to act, rather then trusting in God and taking action ourselves.

Darley takes the reader on a journey reminding us we need to overcome our procrastination and sense of paralysis and follow God's call in our lives. 

In many respects we use prayer as a means not to act.  Yet, God is calling us to take action.  We are called to break what he calls the "Religious Cycle" and enter the "Discipleship Cycle."  As we become more active following Christ, we will also find ourselves drawing closer in our relationship with Christ.

This is an easy to read book, with chapters averaging about 10 pages.  The entire book is just under  200 pages.  I would highly recommend this book.

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review.

Raunchy and Funny!

In her book, based on her blog, People I Want to Punch in the Throat, Jen Mann has written a raunchy (swearing), yet hilarious book.  If you can get by her language, you will definitely identify with her. 

She has a knack for finding herself in difficult situations with difficult people and the results are often crazy, but you're left shaking your head in disbelief wondering if she made up the story. As I read this book, I found myself laughing outloud at some of the situations and end results from her encounters with other people, especially as it came to bowling and her daughter's hopeful play date.

Jen doesn't take herself too seriously, yet, at the same time she's dead serious.  She understands life, even though she would be the first to admit she has no clue.

She writes about her marriage, her marriage day, the kids, the daily events she encounters and the people who are in the middle of her life who seem to cause the stress in Jen's world. 

Again, while the language is right out there, the reader will certainly identify with her life and situations.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Division for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review.

Interesting Premise, But I Disagree!

Yes, blog readers, your pastor read this book.  Occasionally, we need to read books which stretch us and even ones we know we are not necessarily going to agree with. 

I was hesitant to review this book because I do not believe the Bible says Yes to same sex marriage.  However, I wanted to read The Bible's YES to Same-Sex Marriage, by Mark Achtmeier.  The book because it would force me to think critically about what the author was trying to state.  I was intrigued by what Mark Achtemeier states, yet was very disappointed in his arguments for same sex marriage. 

I felt he was stretching for answers that were not present.  It was basically, if the Bible does not say, no, then the answer is yes, and even if the Bible does say no, we’ll find a reason to say yes.  I was disappointed even in his thoughts on premarital sex.  He speaks of “treating virginity as an arbitrary rule” and later states, “Treating Biblical sexual regulations as arbitrary expressions of divine authority also imbues them with a kind of radioactive aura that can do enormous spiritual damage to those who, even once, yield to temptation and fall short.”  In other words, give in to temptation so you don’t have to feel bad about the guilt of sin.  I totally disagree.

He also attempted to argue from the fact that there are rules and God needs to explain the rules to help us know why we can’t do something.  Yet, according to Achtmeier’s logic, adultery is acceptable since it is not a crime.  God does not need to explain why something is wrong, because God is the authority. 

He attempts to use logic by comparing answers with ice cream and cars.  He seems way off base on this. 

He attempts to explain the scriptures which spoke directly to homosexuality referring to these passages as fragments.  Again, with that type of logic, the Bible is filled with fragments and their interpretations would be scattered all over.  Furthermore, to say that they are contextual also takes away the Word and its authority to speak in our lives. 

At the same time, we often use fragments to our advantage if we can.  So, he is not totally off base, yet to use that as an argument for same sex marriage does not work.  Nor to say that as one of his chapter titles indicate, “Gay People have an Honored Place in God’s Heart” is almost an insult to gay people.  It’s like saying, “hey, I know some gay people and they’re nice.” 

He uses a number of examples in the first part of the book and while I can sympathize with the situations he describes and the people in their difficult situations, I still have to live according to the Word of God, which tells me this is sin.  Finally, in his conclusion, Achtemeier states, “I find that the biblical case in support of gay marriage is overwhelming.”  Overwhelming?  I think not. 

I appreciate the opportunity to read this book.  While I don’t agree with his theology, this was a great opportunity to read and grow in my own beliefs. 

I received this book from Westminster John Knox Press in exchange for an honest review.

Pursuing Justice? Yes!

In his book, Pursuing Justice: The Call to Live and Die for Bigger Things, Ken Wytsma has written a very important book.  So many of us are living our lives with one thought in mind, our personal pleasure.  We do that at the expense of those who are desperately in need of justice.  Not criminal justice, but justice according to the Word of God.  People who have been 'left behind.'

Wytsma paints a picture of what justice looks like, arguing from a theological standpoint of its importance.  He tells stories, uses history, theology and art to help the reader gain a better understanding of what justice is, according to God.  He starts by relating the stories of his grandparents and his parents and finally how God changed him and he met justice.

While the book looks a little intimidating . . . it is not!  I was struck at the ease of reading the chapters, the stories and illustrations, the humor, the self-revelations helped the book to move at a crisp pace.  I also felt that Wytsma was not preaching at me.  He was using passion to help me see the passion and need for justice in our world. 

In the end, he helps us to see that justice is a very real part of our theology and religion.  This is not a how to book, with a list of steps you need to follow so that you can feel better about yourself.  Instead, I believe Wytsma wants the reader to be moved so that they take action, whatever and wherever that may occur and look like. 

For those who want to learn more about a Christ-centered approach to gaining a better understanding of justice, I would highly recommend this book.

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Book of Great USA Facts and Stories

Here is Where: Discovering America's Great Forgotten History by Andrew Carroll is an imposing book by it’s size, but is a great read!  Carroll uncovers places in the United States which are obscure, yet have important cultural and historical significance.  His writing style easily draws the reader into the book and his adventures.  He did a great deal of research on the various places he traveled to and helps the reader to see places that even those who lived in those locations were unaware of.

There’s a sense of history and adventure; intrigue and mystery woven into most of the stories.  The stories range from inventions to deaths to body snatching and our first venture into World War 2 in an obscure Hawaiian Island I never even heart of.   For anyone who enjoys reading about history, especially forgotten USA history, this is a fun book to have sitting on your coffee table.

I would have really enjoyed pictures of the many places he went to which would have helped make the book even more alive.  Of course that would have added pages, but it would be worth it.

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