Prayers of a Stranger – A Christmas Story – Davis Bunn

An easy read and very enjoyable – sometimes lifes hurts send us into auto pilot.  Feeling anything, is too much to bear.  This was especially true for Amanda who upon the readers entry into the story, is dealing with a deluge of emotion almost a year after her baby had been still born. Going through the motions, helping people in her hospital job environment but not allowing herself to feel anything, changes gradually as she decides to go on a chance trip to Israel and encounters a little girl in desperate need of her help.  She embarks on a journey to reconnect with herself, her husband and with God and in so doing finds the healing she needs in Israel.  A sweet story, well written, the characters are as normal as you or your neighbor and the reader is very quickly transported into the world of Amanda, her husband Chris and the people that there story unfolds around.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Dreams and Visions : Is Jesus Awakening the Muslim World – Tom Doyle & Greg Webster

A collection of accounts of Jesus’ appearing to Muslims in dreams and visions – even in some of the most extreme Islamic countries such as Mecca, where anybody who is not a Muslim would be killed for even trying to get in – I’ve often heard it said that God is not a respector of persons  and it is good to know that He loves all of His children – he appeared to Haggar in the desert when she had given up all hope of life and he spoke over the life of Ishmael and his descendants.

Simple calls of “follow me” from Jesus have seen these Muslim people, turn their lives for him in the most amazing ways.  I have to say that this book really encouraged thoughts of how our Western way of life provides too much in the way of choice and “taking up ones cross” is not fully understood as it is when a Muslim converts to Christianity – these people are persecuted in the most horrific ways for their faith.  Jesus wants them as much as He wants you or me.  Doyle and Webster, set out to highlight Jesus’ love for the Muslim people as our Christian world today is generally suspicious and unwelcoming toward these people. This book highlights how these Muslim converts risk life and limb for the one we call Messiah.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Wild Grace - Max Lucado and James Lund

A book about Grace – for teens – Wild Grace.  With Lucado’s exceptional writing ability and his great wit, targeted at today’s youth, this book was hilarious yet incredibly touching at the same time.  There are so many books written about God’s Grace but in such clear narrative, Lucado portrays the true meaning of Grace and helps teens (and moms and dads) navigate the wild water of God’s Grace.  It’s Wild!!   

There’s nothing God needs us to do, nothing He wants us to do except to believe that Jesus paid the redemptive price for Grace to be released into this world for everybody – including teens who feel like they’ve really messed up – Grace is deep.  Deeper than we can fathom.  

Lucado gives credit to James Lund for his ability to relate to teenagers and much of the metaphors in the book must have been written by Lund – spot on.  This is a book that I would sure like to include in my son’s Christmas stocking this year.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Twelve Unlikely Heroes: How God Commissioned Unexpected People in the Bible and What He wants to do with You – John MacArthur

Written by John MacArthur, known well for his teaching of God’s Word around the world and through his media ministry, Grace to You.  Accomplished author and pastor, he sets out the 12 Unlikely Heroes of the Bible, showing the strengths and weaknesses of 12 men and women that God used throughout the old and new testament – people who in their own individual stories were the world’s true heroes of faith.  Enoch, Joseph, Miriam, Gideon, Jonathan, Jonah, Esther, John the Baptist, James, Mark and Onesimus all from different backgrounds, different times, displayed two specific qualities – they had faith in God – some of the situations were deadly , yet they trusted God and they responded in faithful obedience to the Lord.

Well written, with many interesting facts thrown into the narrative, this book seeks to empower us to realize that whilst these heroes of their time had faith, walked in obedience, they too battled with their sinful nature and overcame it to bring glory to Him.  The Word of God shows us that none of these heroes were perfect and in this itself is assurance that He has provided that which we need to walk with Him in faith through His Son’s perfect sacrifice.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

 

The River – Michael Neale

Sooo good! So good, is The River by Michael Neale.  I read it in five hours and kept it in my mind for a while, before penning my thoughts about this book.  The Author gets you right in the very first pages and you can’t leave until the book closes. 

A five year old boy loses his river-guide father who embodies everything that this boy knows to be true and good about his world.  He loses his father to the river and struggles through growing up with an ever present depression that threatens to swallow him up.  His journey through life brings him back to the river and he encounters the river as he was not able to as a five year old boy watching his father drown.  He experiences love, release, learns to forgive and find life once more – a life connected to the river.  This book is so very beautifully written, you can’t help falling in love with the characters portrayed and feeling a part of their story.

I hadn’t heard of Michael Neale before reading this book and in the follow up notes, discovered that this was his first book.  A Dove award winning song writer, he captures the essence of our life stories, yours mine and Gabriel’s.  The core statement of the book, “You were made for the book” sums up the theme that we are made for adventure, for the unknown and that settling for what is safe and known is never in our best interest.  Neale puts it this way: “The only true joy and fulfillment in life comes from living out our purpose and destiny  in the greater story of life, which I believe is God’s story.  Read this book and enjoy it as I did.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”