Showing posts with label Christianity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christianity. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 4, 2020

"Beyond Hope's Valley" by Tricia Goyer

Image from Goodreads
Beyond Hope's Valley by Tricia Goyer is the last book in the Big Sky series about Mari's two marriage options.  Will she choose the good Amish man she grew up with or leave the Amish way for Ben, the man who captured her heart?  Ben pursues his music career in this book and Mari moves back to Indiana to help her brother and Naomi during Naomi's pregnancy. 

This book dragged a bit for me.  It seemed it could have been wrapped up quicker.  It became kind of repetitive and tiresome for me.  I did not like this one as well as I did the others. 
(Karen's review, 3 stars)


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Wednesday, September 11, 2019

"Hearts of Fire" by the voice of the martyrs--8 co-authors

Hearts of Fire is a compilation of the stories of the faith and persecution of eight women in the Underground Church. This is non-fiction and eye-opening, thought provoking and inspirational. I didn’t realize before I read this book the persecution of Christians is so prevalent around the world. The stories were heartbreaking but al showed how costly it is to be a Christian in some places and how we take so much for granted here in the USA. I would recommend this to any Christian.
(Karen’s review, 5 stars)

Teaser from page 21: Once more Adel realized she was the only hostage in sight. She didn’t dare imagine how many of the others had been killed. At that moment she didn’t know which was worse—to be dead or to be held captive by these vicious madmen.


Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Wednesday, June 26, 2019

"walk it out" by Tricia Goyer is Inspirational Non-Fiction

walk it out--The Radical Result of Living God's Word One Step At A Time by Tricia Goyer is  her story about how God's Word made a difference in her life.  It is inspirational and covers many different topics that the Bible covers.  It challenges the reader to live out their faith by completely surrendering to God and actually obeying his word.  It is full of true examples of how the author lives out her faith and what true Christianity looks like.  At the end of every chapter are a few questions for reflection.

I liked how Tricia shares her life with the reader and is truly a servant of God.  She is pretty amazing and has a very interesting story to tell.  I also liked how she worked in scripture.  I was just a bit disappointed that it didn't have more about her family.  The Cleveland City Mission is having a "Stand In" event on Public Square, Saturday, June 29 to help raise awareness of almost 3,000 children in Cleveland and to learn what can be done to help.  At first, I wasn't going to go, but after reading this book, decided to participate.  Homelessness is an issue close to my heart so here is an opportunity to become involved in a solution.  You can pre-register for Stand in at www.thecitymission.org/stand-in.
(Karen's review4 stars)

Teaser from page 45:  When the topic of abortion came up in church or Bible study, I sank deep into my seat, especially when people spoke doggedly against it.  My stomach knotted up, and I was certain everyone within twenty feet of me heard the frantic pounding of my heart.

Visit Tricia Goyer's blog.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Saturday, June 15, 2019

"Everyone Can Be a Ninja" by Akbar Gbajabiamila

Everyone Can Be A Ninja by Akbar Gbajabiamila, host of American Ninja Warrior, is his story about how he got to where he is today and the obstacles he had to overcome to reach his dream.  This is an inspirational read that was pretty interesting.  He shared advice from his dad, his mentors and how he overcame many bad circumstances in his life.  I especially liked how he shared learning from his failures and how he moved on.

I liked him as a host of the Ninja Warrior shows and like him even more after reading his book!  The gist of the book is that everyone has some gift from God and we need to use our gifts to help others and accomplish God's purpose for our life.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 32:  Don't be ashamed of who you are and what you want to accomplish.  To others, it might sound crazy, absurd, a waste of time.

See a blog post I wrote about American Ninja Warrior September 1917:  American Ninja Warrior Was Disappointing.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Saturday, August 5, 2017

"Praying For Your Children" by Elmer L. Towns and David Earley

I got Praying For Your Children by Elmer L. Towns and David Earley when it was offered for free on Kindle because I thought it would help me to be more effective in praying for the kids in my Sunday School class.  This book has lots of prayers included right from scripture and then lists specific points to pray specifically for.  It is helpful in praying for specific spiritual needs for the children instead of just asking God to bless them and their families. I recommend it to parents and Sunday School teachers.  It would be a great baby shower gift for any Christian.  The one thing I found slightly annoying though was repetitiveness; some scripture passages were repeated.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Wednesday, May 10, 2017

"The Dog Who Was There" by Ron Marasco (We Both Liked This!)

The Dog Who Was There by Ron Marasco is told by Barley, a dog who lived during Bible times.  He has a lot of adventures and also gets to see "the kind man."  This book is a very good read, especially for Easter, but I think you would enjoy it any time.  This is very good Christian fiction!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Karen's review:
The Dog Who Was There by Ron Marasco weaves the life of a dog in Judea during Bible times with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, told mostly from the dog’s point of view. Barley, the dog, has good times and bad, changes masters throughout the book and shows how forgiveness and love can change people. Although there is quite a bit of sadness in this book, it also has happy times with a marvelous ending! (4 stars) The Dog Who Was There by Ron Marasco weaves the life of a dog in Judea during Bible times with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, told mostly from the dog’s point of view. Barley, the dog, has good times and bad, changes masters throughout the book and shows how forgiveness and love can change people. Although there is quite a bit of sadness in this book, it also has happy times with a marvelous ending! (4 stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Thursday, April 6, 2017

"Tune My Heart to Sing--90 Devotions on Hymns from "Our Daily Bread"

Tune My Heart to Sing is a collection of 90 devotions on Hymns from Our Daily Bread that is very interesting if you are familiar with hymns. I really enjoyed reading about the background of different ones and as I’d read, the tunes would run through my mind. As you can see from the picture, I marked a lot of pages that had things that stood out to me. I think the scripture index at the back of the book is a helpful addition. I highly recommend this devotional book because they are short, only one page long, but all contain scripture passages related to the hymns.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Thursday, September 22, 2016

"The Undoing of Saint Silvanus" by Beth Moore

The Undoing of Saint Silvanus by Beth Moore is her first fiction novel. It takes place in New Orleans and centers on a group of people who live in an old refurbished church. When Jillian gets a mysterious phone call from a woman who works for her grandmother telling her that her father is dead, she hops on a plane and finds her grandmother living at Saint Silvanus. Jillian’s mother does not get along with her mother-in-law and was not happy about Jillian going to see her. Some family secrets are revealed, Jillian finds herself in great danger when she gets involved with the wrong person but makes some good friends with the bunch at Saint Silvanus. Jillian is not a religious person but Adella, the woman who called her, is and managed to help Jillian and her grandmother mend their relationship. This novel is about how God can pick up the pieces of broken lives and put them together.

I thought this Christian fiction novel would have more humor but most of it was pretty dark. It moved along very slowly and some things didn’t make sense to me, like why all the flashbacks to when the church was actually a church. Nor did I understand if the father had money for Jillian to inherit, why he lived on the streets like a bum. I liked Adella the best because although she was the Christian in the book, she was presented in a good light and provided at least some humor with her wit and direct ways. I didn’t much care for Jillian, the main character, but liked her better as the book progressed. It certainly is quite a story and one I will probably remember because of the original plot.
(Karen's review, 3 stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Sunday, August 21, 2016

Jesus, an Obedient Son by Michael Phillips

Jesus, an Obedient Son by Michael Phillips focuses on realizing and appreciating the humanity of Jesus and surrendering our will to God’s as Jesus surrendered his will to the Father. Michael Phillips rapidly gives the reader an overview of the life of Christ through the unique perspective of putting himself into the gospels and viewing the events as another disciple. Then he continues in a more preachy mode to emphasize the need to deny oneself and follow God’s will every day. He lists specific things Jesus told his disciples to do and also talks how Jesus came to be an example of how we should live our lives. It emphasized that we are to be obedient children of God by submitting our will to His, asking what He wants us to do and then doing it.

The first part of the book was written in an interesting way. This is a quick read that is very thought provoking and challenges the reader to search his own heart in regards to following Jesus. (Karen's review, 3 stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Thursday, August 7, 2014

The Risk Factor: Crossing the Chicken Line into Your Supernatural Destiny by Kevin and Chad Dedmon



The Risk Factor:  Crossing the Chicken Line into Your Supernatural Destiny by Kevin and Chad Dedmon is like reading the Book of Acts except with modern-day miracles of healing.  This father and son share examples of how Christians today can unleash God’s power by taking a risk to pray publicly for Jesus to heal people.  They include scripture that inspires believers to exercise their faith by taking action and lots of examples of how God used them to bring healing to others which opened the way to share the gospel. 

This is certainly a thought provoking book that I really enjoyed reading.  If you ever wondered why we don’t see the miracles of healing today that were in Bible times, read this book!  It opened my eyes to see that God does still do miracles today, but that spirit-filled Christians must risk looking foolish to release God’s power through faith.  We have to break through the spirit of doubt, cross the chicken line (comfort zone) and go for it.  
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

Friday, February 21, 2014

"Prepared for a Purpose" by Antoinette Tuff with Alex Tresniowski--an Amazing Story!

Prepared for a Purpose by Antoinette Tuff with Alex Tresniowski is an amazing true story about how Antoinette stood up to a gunman who came into her school where she works and her own personal story.  Both are really good because this woman has been through a lot!  I enjoyed reading it and believe it will keep your interest as it did mine.  
(Gerard's review, 5+ stars)

Prepared for a Purpose by Antoinette Tuff with Alex Tresniowskiis mostly about Antoinette's personal life and very little about the gunman at the school who she confronted.  She is definitely a strong woman, coping with many problems while praying for God's help which is mostly what this book is about.  I liked it all right but it didn't really grab me.  I did feel sorry for her though having to deal with so many issues.  It's worth your time.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

Sunday, January 26, 2014

"A Woman's Passionate Pursuit of God—Creating a Positive & Purposeful Life" by Karol Ladd

A Woman's Passionate Pursuit of God—Creating a Positive & Purposeful Life by Karol Ladd took me several months to get through because I was reading it for a ladies Bible Study that met just once a month.  I finally just went ahead and finished it out.  It is actually sort of a commentary on the book of Philippians.  It has study questions in the back for use in group Bible studies in addition to the reflective thought questions at the end of each chapter.  I particularly liked that the author includes chapter summaries of the main points following each chapter to easily find main points.

After reading this book, I am going to make an effort to more gentle to all.  That is the chapter that spoke to me the most.  Although I liked her other book better, The Power of a Positive Woman, I would recommend this one too.  It has a lot of good advice and interesting examples.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

Friday, November 15, 2013

"David-Seeking a Heart Like His" by Beth Moore is a Fantastic Bible Study!

David-Seeking a Heart Like His by Beth Moore is the best Bible study I’ve done yet! WOW! I learned so much and it was a fantastic look at David’s whole life with its ups and downs. What an inspiration! Not only did this study focus on David’s life going through I and II Samuel but also into Kings and Chronicles. One of my favorite features of this Bible study was that she also pointed out Psalms that David wrote as he went through certain events of his life or looked back.

I found myself highlighting quite bit in both the book and my Bible as I went through this study. I spent about 45 min. to an hour a day on the daily lessons but the time flew by. There is so much life application included that it just made the scripture really come to life. Although I did it along with a group and viewed Beth Moore’s DVD once a week to introduce each week’s lessons, I got so much more from digging into the daily lessons during the week.

 If you want to grow in your walk with the Lord, this will be an eye-opener. It has raised my level of praise, worship, trust, understanding of God and prayer. I cannot say enough good about this study and highly recommend it! Now go order it!
(Karen's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

Monday, September 9, 2013

"The Eagle Christian" by Kenneth Price

The Eagle Christian by Kenneth Price is a short read all about Eagles and how Christians are like them.  I enjoyed the photographs of eagles the most.  It contains many interesting facts about eagles as well, the king of birds.  There are 16 chapters each talking about one characteristic. 

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

Saturday, September 7, 2013

I, II, II John and Jude are Short but Powerful Books!

I read all these books in one week because they are all short, some in fact are only 1 chapter!  I John is the longest with five chapters, and has a lot of good things in it with the primary theme of loving God and others.  I marked a lot of verses in this book and highly recommend it!  

II John is about truth and love and that we must believe Jesus was truly human.  Verse 10 says not to welcome people into your home or even greet them if they do not believe Jesus was truly human! 

III John is about working together and support people who leave to tell others about the Lord. 

The book of Jude is about false teachers being evil and that God will punish them.  I really like the greeting in verse two which says, "I pray that God will greatly bless you with kindness, peace, and love."  What a good thing to pray for my family and friends. 

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Glad I'm Done With Ezekiel!

I just finished reading the Old Testament book of Ezekiel and feel a sense of relief.  It has some interesting things but lots of symbolism and prophecy of destruction--kind of depressing.  I liked reading about the visions God showed to Ezekiel because they were pretty wild.  The last few chapters were encouraging about how God would bring his chosen people back and be with them.  The references to Gog and Magog and the city, the river and the temple all reminded me of things in the book of Revelation.  The main theme of Ezekiel is "Then they will know that I am the Lord God."  This phrase and slight variations of it are repeated throughout the book.

I am reading through the Bible for the second time and have only a few books left to go:  Philemon (1 chapter), I, II, III John and Revelation. 

Below are links to the posts I did sharing some highlights from Ezekiel on our other blog, Right Where We Belong:
God of Details
Dry Bones Come To Life
God is Loyal to Jerusalem
God is Fair
Would God's Message For the U.S. Be The Same?
The Lord Punishes But Warns First

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

Monday, June 24, 2013

I and II Peter written by Simon Peter Inspired by God

Need some encouragement?  Ever wished there was an instructional manual for living?  Want to know what the future holds?  The Books of First and Second Peter deals with all these issues and more! 

I enjoyed reading I and II Peter very much.  Peter was one of Jesus' inner circle of friends who was an eye witness to things Jesus did when He lived on earth.  The book of Acts records many things Peter did after Jesus returned to heaven. 


It is an encouraging book about hope that addresses how to respond to suffering, how to live a life pleasing to God including advice for husbands and wives, and a little about the end times and how this world one day will be destroyed by fire.  There are many interesting topics in these two short books and lots of practical advice. 

I got a lot out of it and encourage you to read the Sunday Sharing posts where I share some scripture highlights from it.  This is a quick read:  Just 5 chapters in I Peter and 3 in II Peter.  I highly recommend it!
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

Find out more:
How To Avoid Becoming Useless
The Connection Between Scripture and My Life
God Answered My Prayer in a Surprising Way

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Talk About Suffering Unfairly, Read the Book of Job

I finished reading the book of Job this week which I have been studying in my Circle of Friends group at church.  It is all about how Job lost everything including his health to prove that he did not worship God only for what he could get from him as Satan claimed.  Throughout the book, Job’s “friends” came to comfort him but instead accused him of sinning and kept telling him to repent.  They claimed God was punishing him for something but this was not true at all.  In the end, Elihu, a friend who finally spoke truth about God even though he was the youngest one.  Job never cursed God, although he did get to the point of being so depressed that he wished he had never been born.  The last few chapters, God speaks to Job and Job realizes what an all-powerful and mighty God he has.  God was angry with Job’s friends for not speaking the truth about Him and told Job to pray for them.  God also blessed Job with twice as much as he lost and gave him more children too!    After this, Job lived 140 years.
 
The first few chapters and the last few chapters of this book is the best part because the middle chapters are repetitive with each friend accusing Job and saying things that aren’t really true and Job’s rebuttal after each friend speaks.  The last few chapters is where God poses questions to Job, none of which Job can answer, showing God’s mighty power.  God never does explain to Job why he let Job suffer, but does give him even more than he had before.  There are lots of good lessons we can learn from reading this book such as, (1) even good, righteous people may suffer; (2) God is more powerful than Satan; (3) Satan cannot do anything without God’s permission; (4) people on earth are discussed in heaven; (5) not all suffering is punishment; and (6) accusing those hurting is not a good technique for comforting them.

As far as the Job study book, Trusting God in Times of Adversity by Kay Arthur and Pete De Lacy goes, I didn't much care for it.  Our Bible class quit using it about halfway through.    


Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

Sunday, February 17, 2013

"Ecclesiastes" written by King Solomon, Inspired by God

"A Wise Man Believes in God"
I just finished reading the book of Ecclesiastes from the International Children's Bible and enjoyed it very much!  Although it gets a bit depressing at times, it is a very interesting read.  It talks about how a lot of life is useless, like chasing the wind. Some common phrases that we hear today like "Ignorance is bliss," "A little bird told me," "Follow your heart," and "Where there's life, there's hope" seem to find their start in the book of Ecclesiastes.  For example, one I thought was funny is Eccl. 9:4 for the phrase "Where there's life, there's hope" which says:  But anyone still alive has hope.  Even a live dog is better than a dead lion.

The main point of the book is to enjoy your short life while here on earth but know that God will judge you for your actions.  After a detailed description of old age in chapter 11, it closes with the admonition to remember thy creator in the days of your youth.  The most important thing people can do is to honor God and obey his commands.  It is only twelve chapters, but very thought provoking and at sometimes funny. 
(Karen's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

Monday, January 21, 2013

"The Power of a Positive Woman" by Karol Ladd

LOVED IT!  A MUST READ FOR WOMEN!

The Power of a Positive Woman by Karol Ladd is the best inspirational non-fiction book I ever read and plan to read it again! I absolutely LOVE this book and can't say enough good about it! It is Biblical, has scriptures included throughout it right in the text, interesting facts about people used as examples of putting the principles into action and is uplifting, encouraging and challenging! Topics include: faith, wisdom, prayer, joy, love, courage, hope and the main theme is making a difference.

I used it as a devotional book the first time I read it and highlighted lots of things. It is divided into chapters with subdivisions so provides short thought-provoking passages easily used as devotionals. At the end of each chapter is a a short application section called “Power Point” which includes further scripture with some questions to think about, a prayer, a main point to remember and some activity to do. If you are looking for a practical book that will encourage spiritual growth, this is it!

The Power of a Positive Woman is a wonderful book to use for a women's Bible study group which is how I came to read it. I highly recommend this book to all women, but I think men could certainly benefit from it as well.
(Karen's review, rating 10 stars!)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!
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