Blogging for Books Review : Lazarus Awakening

 My latest review is of the book, "Lazarus Awakening" by Joanna Weaver.  Joanna is the best selling author of "Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World" which has sold more than one million copies...Wow!  "Lazarus Awakening" is her third book in her Bethany (Mary, Martha, Lazarus) trilogy.  I received the book complimentary from Blogging for Books, and in return  I agreed to write this review.

   "Lazarus Awakening" was written to shatter spiritual formulas for performance -driven faith, by clearing a path to sweet intimacy with Jesus (paraphrased from the back of the book).  I so need to hear a message like this as my own life has been performance driven to please Jesus,  instead of just receiving the love that He has already freely given me.  Joanna shares with her readers about her own struggle to believe that Jesus truly loved her, and how she finally started to believe that truth.

   This book is a wealth of knowledge and addresses many topics that Christians struggle with today.  Topics such as identifying strongholds, our identity in Jesus Christ, and helping others become free in Christ.  The book also includes a study guide that can be used to turn this book into a bible study that you could go through with a small or large group.

   I really liked this book, and would highly recommend it to anyone who would like to learn more about how much Jesus really loves him/her.  Jesus has called us to a full life in Him, and we need to take him up on that offer. Jesus raised Lazarus from the grave and He wants to raise His children from our so called "graves" too.

Blogging for Books Review (940 Saturdays)

  My latest review is not typical as I did not read a book, but reviewed a "keepsake journal".   940 Saturdays by Harley A. Rotbart, MD is a "Keepsake Journal" with a list of family activities included in the back of the book.

  The premise of the book is that there are exactly 940 Saturdays between the time a child is born and the day that he or she will turn eighteen.  Dr. Rotbart, a nationally renowned parenting authority created this resource to help parents document and capture their family's precious memories by writing them down in this book/journal.

  The book has 940 Saturday entries that are blank except for the fill in the date portion.  The fill in portions are not big, but enough room for the reader to fill in a few special memories from his/her Saturday adventures.  The author of the book chose Saturday for the day to document, but you can choose an alternate day if that suits your family better.  The goal of this book is that you make a memory weekly with your child/children, not necessarily that all your activities will fall on a Saturday.

   At the back of the book are a few pages that list "developmental milestones" for children ages, birth to eighteen.  Dr. Rotbart also attached a envelope to the very back of the book with a removable activity booklet inside.  In the booklet, Dr. Rotbart gives parents ideas of activities they can do with their children from ages birth to eighteen.  Some ideas are specific and others are general so you can choose what is best for your family.

  940 Saturdays is a nice resource and would make a good gift for a new parent, or any parent that wanted to start documenting his/her family memories.   I received this book complimentary from "Blogging for Books" and I in turn agreed to write this review.

Blogging for Books Review: Heart Wide Open

 I received a complimentary copy of "Heart Wide Open" by Shellie Rushing Tomlinson from the Blogging for Books website, and I in turn agreed to write this review.

    Over the past few years as I have been reviewing books for different companies I have had been introduced to many new, rather unknown authors.    I love reading books from authors and teachers I know well, but it is always a nice surprise to come across a new author with a story to tell.  One such author is Shellie Rushing Tomlinson.  Shellie is an award winning author, popular blogger and speaker.

    Shellie's newest book is "Heart Wide Open (Trading mundane faith for an exuberant life with Jesus)" .  I was intrigued by the "mundane faith" statement in the title.  Sometimes I do feel like my faith walk is mundane, even though I don't like to admit it.  So I requested the book and began reading it right away.  I was sold on this book from the very first chapter as Shellie described her relationship with God in her early years.  I felt like I could have written the first chapter of her book.  It is amazing how God can connect people together that have never even crossed paths.

    The book is well written and Shellie is a master at bringing humor into her writing.  Honestly, she is just being authentic and telling the truth.  Sometimes that truth is funny and other times it cuts you to the core.  Shellie is vulnerable in sharing her story in hopes that it will encourage others that have felt the same way she had for many years.

 Shellie shares how her transformation began with a simple but honest prayer to God about the state of her own "mundane" faith.  She then goes on to share how her heart changed and how God gave her a love for Him and His Word.   I was engaged as I read about how God worked in her life and was encouraged to ask Him to do the same thing in my own.

   I would definitely recommend this book to other women, and believe it would be a wonderful one to read and work through in a Women's Bible Study group. There is a great discussion guide in the back of the book with questions you could ask in a group or use on your own.
I am thankful for new authors like Shellie and look forward to reading more of her work in the future.

BookLook Bloggers Review: Get to Know APOSTLE PAUL

 I decided to review a different kind of book from the BookLook Bloggers program this go round.  It is a full-color biography for kids written by Nancy I. Sanders.  Nancy is a bestselling children's author of over 80 books (www.nancyisanders.com).   Nancy has created the "Get To Know" series which includes several different biographies, including Jesus and King David.  I wanted to check out the biography for kids about the Apostle Paul, since he is one of my favorite persons from the Bible.

    First of all, I have to say that the biography is beautifully illustrated.  The book is so colorful throughout, that it will help keep your child's attention as he/she is reading factual information from Paul's life.  The book includes 4 colored maps and a timeline, as well as many Scripture references and fun facts.     The book is 121 pages long and it includes a glossary, source notes and a selected bibliography.

  This book would be a wonderful resource for a student to complete a book report about the Apostle Paul.  It is an easy read, and honestly could be read in one setting if a person wanted to read it that quickly.  In my opinion,  children and teens will enjoy reading this book because of the way this book is written, organized and illustrated.

 I recommend this book (as well as others in the series) for parents to purchase for their children.  I think the "Get To Know" series would be an excellent resource for homeschooling families too.   Another great perk is that this book is only $6.99 retail, a good deal for a resource with so much information included.

 I received this book complimentary from BookLook Bloggers and I in return agreed to write this review.

Blogging For Books Review: Crash the Chatterbox

  My latest book review is of Steven Furtick's "Crash the Chatterbox" (Hearing God's Voice Above All Others) .  I received a complimentary copy from the Blogging for Books program, and I in turn agreed to write this review.  I am a bit conflicted in writing this review as I have come across some information about Steven Furtick and some  of the practices of his church that I do not agree with, but I have agreed to write this review so I will give it my best shot.

   Steven Furtick is the founder and lead pastor of Elevation Church in North Carolina.  In "Crash the Chatterbox" Furtick refers to the Chatterbox as the lies that are in your heart and head, those negative thoughts that do not stop running through your mind.  In his book, he focuses on four main areas: insecurity, fear, condemnation, and discouragement.   For combating the four areas, Furtick divides the book into four sections, "God says I am", "God says He will", "God says He has", and "God says I can".

   I do like that Steven shares personal experiences from his own life, and he isn't afraid to admit his own struggles with sin.  I always appreciate when authors share their own personal struggles with their readers.  Overall, I did enjoy this book and found much of what Furtick wrote about helpful to me personally.  At this point in my Christian walk, I look for an author to quote the Bible and God's Word for direction. Furtick did use Scripture, but also used quotes from random persons of the past, present and future.  In and of itself that is not a bad thing, but as a Christian it is most important to base our decisions on what the Bible says, and not what others say.

    I do think a person could read this book and gain some very helpful information that would help them combat the lies and negative talk that comes into their minds.  Furtick does stress the importance of what God says and what Jesus did for us so we don't have to live with this constant stream of negative talk in our lives.  Again, I am conflicted as I write this review because of some of the information I have read about Furtick recently.  So, with that I will end this review and say as you read this book make sure that you always go to God's Word for the truth.  We should always do that when we read any book written by any man or woman.

Blogging for Books Review: 10 Days Without

 My latest review for the Blogging for Books program is of the book by Daniel Ryan Day titled, "10 Days Without".  It is Daniel's documentation of his "radical" experiments of going 10 days without certain "necessities".  The foreward was by Joni Eareckson Tada whom I just love, so I decided to read the book.

  Daniel's subtitle on the cover of his book reads, "Daring Adventures in Discomfort that will change your world and you".  Well, after reading Daniel's book it is clear that his world and perspective changed drastically after engaging in these radical (well, radical to us maybe) experiments.  I would have to venture to guess that if I actually engaged in any of these experiments I would be changed in some way too.

  So what did Daniel go without for 10 days?  Some of the "necessities" were shoes, a coat (in winter), media, furniture, legs, his voice, and touch.  Daniel didn't just stop at going without these things, but he blogged about his experiments in order to raise awareness and funds for different organizations that were making a difference in our world.  For example, Daniel went without his voice (speaking) for 10 days in order to raise awareness for those that do not have  a voice, the modern day slaves.

   One of the things that I liked about the book was that Daniel listed different organizations at the end of each chapter that his readers could get involved with to also raise awareness.  He too listed ways that readers could do similar experiments on their own as well (I like that).

 I would definitely recommend this book for all to read.  I would even go as far to say that in some ways this book could lead to individuals having life changing experiences.

The Blogging for Books program gave me this complimentary copy of this book and I agreed to write this review.  Thanks to the Blogging for Books program!

Blogging For Books Review (Clear Winter Nights)

  My most recent review is Trevin Wax's,  Clear Winter Nights .  I received a complimentary copy of this book from Blogging For Books and I in turn am writing this review.  Trevin Wax is the managing editor of The Gospel Project which was developed by Lifeway Christian Resources.  He is a former missionary and pastor, and writes on his blog, Kingdom People.  

  Clear Winter Nights is a fictional book, but Trevin weaves theology into the story.  The book's main character is Chris Walker, and he ends up questioning everything he has come to believe about his faith in God.  Chris spends a weekend with his grandfather, Gil, a retired pastor who has recently lost his wife and has suffered a stroke.  The rest of the story is really a dialogue between Chris and Gil.

  What I love about the book is that the reader gets to take a journey with the main character, Chris as he questions his faith and wrestles with some very tough questions.  The dialogue between Chris and  his grandfather engages the reader from the very beginning of the story.  I found myself loving the "grandfather" character by the time the book was over.

  "Clear Winter Nights is a story about faith, forgiveness, and the distinctiveness of Christianity" (taken from back cover).  After reading this book, you may actually come away learning something from the Bible that you did not know before.  I really liked how this book was a fictional story, but was biblically based.  I would recommend this book, and definitely would like to see more books written in this style.

Blogging For Books Review: humble ORTHODOXY

I received a complimentary copy of the book "humble ORTHODOXY" from the Blogging for Books program, and I in turn promised to write this review.

 I have come to really enjoy the writings of Joshua Harris.  He is the pastor of a church in MD, as well as an author of several books.  I loved his book, "Dug Down Deep" so was I delighted to find that this book (feels more like a booklet with 79 pages), humble ORTHODOXY was written because people that read "Dug Down Deep" wanted him to expand more on his chapter, "humble Orthodoxy" and so he wrote this little book.

   The book stresses that is so vitally important that we have a commitment to biblical sound doctrine.  We must know the truth of Scripture, but as we share that truth with others we must be humble.  Boy is that hard to do!  I realize in my own life that way too many times I knew the truth of God's Word, but I did not share it in love and humility.  There is a balance and Joshua Harris unpacks how we can go about this approach.  Actually, Harris explains what it means, but as Christians we need the help of the Holy Spirit to accomplish this goal.

 I really did enjoy the book and the very last chapter (number 4) was wonderful.  I wanted to quote the whole chapter on my blog.  Harris paints a vision of what it might be like in Heaven when the body of Christ realizes that we got it wrong about so many things (not the core belief of our Salvation).  Of course this is Harris' idea about what might be, but just the way he told the story made me want to live with a spirit of humility now.  The book also challenged me to make sure that I know the truth of Scripture, and that it is my responsibility to study the Bible and seek God for His truth.  I definitely recommend this book!

Blogging for Books Review: Unstoppable

   I was really excited to read Nick Vujicic newest book, "Unstoppable (The Incredible Power of Faith in Action)".  I requested this book to review because I thought reading about Nick's experiences would be an encouragement to my children, and myself as well.  I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group and I in turn am writing this review.  I am so glad I requested this book as it was so encouraging and left me feeling challenged to grow in my faith as a Christian. 

  For those who do not know who Nick Vujicic is, he is a motivational speaker, evangelist, author and director of the nonprofit organization;" Life Without Limbs" (visit this link to learn more).  Nick was born without arms and legs with no known cause and although he had a difficult time when he was young, Nick went onto to embrace the way God made him and now he preaches the Gospel around the world to millions.  Nick physical disability has given him a platform to share the good news of Jesus and to encourage so many who are hurting around the world.  Please click on link above to see more of Nick's story.

  Nick's book "Unstoppable" was wonderful!!! It is an easy read, and not only does Nick share many of his own personal stories, but he shares those of many of the people that he knows personally and those who have been affected by Nick's ministry.  One of things I love best about Nick's book is that you can totally see Jesus working in the life of Nick and those he has come in contact with.  One story Nick shared had me thinking how wonderful our God is because He is in control of every circumstance in our life, even in the tragic events.  God is present and He loves us so much. 

   As a Christian this book encouraged and challenged me in my faith, but I believe this book would be appreciated by anyone.  Nick took time to address some challenging topics in his book such as; bullying, persecution, addictions,  and many more.  I would read this book for those topics alone. 

  This book is a definite read for everyone.  Thanks to WaterBrook Multomah for sending me this book. 

Blogging for Books Review: Breaking Free from Fear

   I review books/resources for the website "Blogging For Books", and when I saw the title of my most recent review "Breaking Free from Fear" I couldn't request the book fast enough.  Plus the fact that the author of this book was Kay Arthur I knew that this resource would be a great one for me and others.

 "Breaking Free from Fear" is actually more of a Bible Study than a book.  It is one of the books in Kay's 40 Minute Bible Studies from Precept Ministries International.  It is set up as a 6 week, no homework Bible Study.  For this reason alone I think this would be a great resource for someone who doesn't have a lot of time, but who still wants to get into God's Word and learn what It has to say.  It is a Bible Study to work through in a group, but I made my way through it alone.  Alone or in a group, the format of the Bible Study will work well.

  One other thing I do like about this study is that all the selected topical Bible verses (word for word)  are written in the book.  This study is set up as an inductive Bible study so you will go verse by verse and Kay will ask you to underline, circle, or draw symbols that represent certain words.  If you prefer you can write in the book instead of your Bible, although you may want to write in your Bible too. 

  Lastly, Kay does discuss the Bible verses in the study and she will ask questions about the verses, but she leaves most of the discovery to you in hopes that you will delve into God's Word for yourself.  The best way to use this resource is to take time to pray before you complete each week.  Ask God to reveal to you what He wants to show you through His Word.  Kay's study is set up to help those new to Bible study and also to guide those who have been in God's Word for years. I definitely recommend this book for your personal study or as a group study.

  I received this book complimentary from "Blogging for Books" and in return I am writing this review.