Category Archives: book reviews
Book Review: Passages by Brian Hardin
Passages by Brian Hardin
ISBN-13: 9780310329190
Publisher: Zondervan
Publication date: 11/28/2011
Pages: 224
Price: $14.99
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | CBD
The journey is the destination.
Description
Many of us would love to read the Bible more often, but we rarely make time for more than a few verses on the run.
But the Bible was never meant to be read in short segments here and there when you can fit it in. The Bible is meant to be experienced in sizable chunks–in passages–and read daily. It is not a book of mystical incantations, but the story of God’s passionate love–for you. It is not a distant relic, but a best friend offering counsel and companionship–for today.
Through his own remarkable story, Brian Hardin shows you how reading through the Bible in a year changed his life and how it will change yours too. Passages goes beyond exploring how the Bible was meant to be read, providing three distinct Bible reading plans to help you get started doing it right now.
Hardin, whose daily podcasts has more than a million listeners a month, guarantees you a life revolution, if you will only commit to a few minutes a day to read through the Bible in a year.
As you rediscover the joy of reading the Bible, visit www.dailyaudiobible.com and join a community of fellow readers to share your thoughts on your new adventure.
Review
I read Passages in two days. As soon as I read the description, I was hooked. I can’t tell you what an incredible book this is. I have read many books on this subject, but Passages is in a league by itself.
Brian Hardin begins by explaining how he came to read the bible everyday. He gives his testimony in Chapter One entitled “The Olive Couch”. Chapter Two talks about the reasons why we don’t read our bible. This was one of my favorite chapters.
Our number one excuse for not reading our bible is lack of time..
“Time is always an enemy. Reading Scripture is always on our perpetual to-do list; but as the day goes by, it ends up at the bottom of the list, and by the time we fall into bed, we’re just too exhausted to read anything that requires serious thought.” (Page 32)
Can you relate? I know I can because I struggle with this myself. The other is understandability which Brian Hardin discusses as well.
“The Bible is written as a story, a story that has not yet reached its conclusion. The story has wound its way through battlefields and wedding nights, through birthing chambers and funeral parlors, from transcendent pleasure to utter hopelessness. This is the unstoppable story of God and his profound love for humanity.” (Page 35)
Chapter Six was extremely interesting for me. The chapter discusses “Lectio Divina: Divine Reading”.
“Lectio divina is an unhurried, contemplative reading of a portion of Scripture. The practice of lectio divina includes four steps: Lectio, read; Meditatio, meditate; Oratio, speak or pray; and Contemplatio, contemplate or rest.” (Page 103, 105)
Brian Hardin also writes that reading the Word of God out loud has remarkable power and authority. I admit, I never read the Bible out loud to myself. However, after reading this book, I will now apply this new practice to my daily bible reading.
Brian Hardin has a unique, creative and eloquent writing style. Passages inspired me so much. I am now listening to his daily podcasts and also joined Daily Audio Bible online community.
If you struggle with reading the Bible, I highly recommend this book. Passages is full of wisdom and inspiration. I especially loved reading people’s testimonies throughout the book.
In conclusion, I want to thank Brian Hardin for writing this book. I also want to thank Litfuse Publicity and Zondervan Publishers for sending me a complimentary copy of this book to read and review.
Brian Hardin is a speaker, photographer, record producer, and an ordained minister. In 2006, he created the Daily Audio Bible, an online podcast that now delivers 1.5 million downloads a month. He has produced over 150 albums and works with artists and the arts extensively. He is married to Christian musician Jill Parr.
Book Review: Faith and Other Flat Tires
Faith and Other Flat Tires
by Andrea Palpant Dilley
Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Zondervan (February 6, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10:031032551X
ISBN-13: 978-0310325512
Price: $14.99
Purchase: Amazon | BN | CBD
Description
At age twenty-one, Andrea Palpant Dilley stripped the Christian fish decal off her car bumper in a symbolic act of departure from her religious childhood. At twenty-three, she left the church and went searching for refuge in the company of men who left her lonely and friends who pushed the boundaries of what she once held sacred.
In this deeply personal memoir, Andrea navigates the doubts that plague believers and skeptics alike: Why does a good God allow suffering? Why is God so silent, distant, and uninvolved? And why does the church seem so dysfunctional?
Yet amid her skepticism, she begins to ask new questions: Could doubting be a form of faith? Might our doubts be a longing for God that leads to a faith we can ultimately live with?
Review
Faith and Other Flat Tires is as unique as its title. The subheading reads, “searching for God on the rough road of doubt”.
I have a penchant for memoirs, and this one was especially captivating.
Andrea Palpant Dilley was the daughter to Quaker missionaries who served in Kenya most of her childhood. She had grown accustomed to living in Africa, that when she returned to the States, she had difficulty assimilating into the American culture.
While living in Africa as a child, Andrea Palpant Dilley was exposed to a great deal of suffering and death. Those early experiences planted a seed which then germinated into doubt and her crisis of faith.
As we traverse this earth, sooner or later, we will face doubt. We will wrestle, as Jacob did, with an invisible God, we can’t see or touch. Doubt will inevitably be our companion or foe on this sojourn.
The following excerpt encompasses the beauty and brilliance of this thoughtful, philosophical and superbly written memoir:
To me, longing for God was like hearing music from an open window on the street or seeing mountains off in the distance. The yearning felt almost like grief. A cry born into my heart before the human heart ever existed. A desire so deep and far back that it seemed almost prehistoric. I sensed the imago Dei, the image of God within me. I was Plato’s child searching for the lost language of my origins. I was a homing bird traveling with my outspread wings, carried by the innate compass and crossing a thousand miles to get back to the place where I began. (Page 235)
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Faith and Other Flat Tires and highly recommend it to adults who are struggling with faith and doubt.
In conclusion, I want to thank Zondervan and Handlebar Marketing for sending me a complimentary copy of this book to read and review.
Author
Andrea Palpant Dilley grew up in Kenya as the daughter of Quaker missionaries and spent the rest of her childhood in the Pacific Northwest. She studied English literature and writing at Whitworth University. Her work as a writer has appeared in Rock and Sling, Geez, and Utne Reader, as well as the anthology Jesus Girls: True Tales of Growing Up Female and Evangelical. Her work as a documentary producer has aired nationally on American Public Television. She lives with her husband and daughter in Austin, Texas.
Book Review: You Are a Writer
You Are a Writer
By Jeff Goins
Print Length: 77 pages
Publisher: Jeff Goins
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Published: 1st Edition April 27, 2012
Language: English
ASIN: B007YJEIAS
Price: $4.99 (Kindle)
Purchase: Amazon
Description
You Are a Writer is a book about what it takes to be a writer in the 21st Century.
Author Jeff Goins shares his own story of self-doubt and what it took for him to become a professional. He gives you practical tips for freelancing, how to get published in magazines, and what it takes to build a platform that brings the gatekeepers to you.
This journey of becoming a writer begins with a simple but important belief: You are a writer; you just need to write. Readers will learn the importance of passion and discipline and how to show up every day to do the work.
Here’s what else you will learn:
- How to stop waiting to be picked and finally choose yourself
- What it takes to build a platform
- Why authors need to brand themselves (and how to do it)
- Tips for freelancing, guest blogging, and getting published in magazines
- Different ways to network with other writers, artists, and influencers
- The importance of blogging and social media and how to use it well to get more readers and fans of your writing
You Are a Writer is a book that will help you fall back in love with writing and make the connections you need to build your brand as a writer. It’s about living the dream of a life dedicated to words.
And it all begins with you.
Review
I have had the pleasure of following Jeff Goins’ blog for over several months now. I was first introduced to his writing through friends on Twitter. I was completely blown away. I’m not exaggerating when I tell you that I love every single thing this man writes.
Jeff Goins is an incredibly gifted writer and communicator. He creates what Michael Hyatt calls in his book Platform, a “Wow” experience. Everything Jeff Goins does and writes is remarkable. I have learned so much from him by following his blog and participating in his writing challenges.
One of the things I love most about Jeff Goins is his heart. He is kind, generous and a servant, which makes him such a great leader. I am blessed to be a part of his tribe.
You Are a Writer is a brilliant book. I started to read it and couldn’t put it down. This book goes step by step on how to make “You Are a Writer” a reality in your life. The first step is by confessing, believing, accepting and then acting upon it.
The way I did it was by first looking at myself in the mirror and saying to my reflection, “You Are a Writer”. I confess I had to say it more than once to let it sink in. It’s incredible how much resistance I faced with while doing this simple exercise. Those unrelenting negative voices kept trying to convince me otherwise.
After I did this, I took it a step further by confessing it to the world on Facebook, Twitter and my co-workers. I was surprised and happy to get a lot positive responses, which was encouraging.
If you ever dreamed of being a writer or if you are one and not really pursuing it, I highly recommend this book. You Are a Writer will definitely help, inform, inspire and encourage you!
Author
Jeff Goins is a part-time blogger, speaker and author. He works full-time for a nonprofit organization called Adventures in Missions, where he serves as the Communications Director. In his free time, he writes books and shares ideas worth spreading.
Originally from the suburbs of Chicago, Jeff graduated from Illinois College with a double major in Spanish and Religion. There, he spent a semester in Spain, which opened his eyes to different cultures and stretched his worldview.
After a year of travel and long-distance communication, he moved to Tennessee to chase the woman who became his wife. In 2008, he married her.
Since 2006, Jeff has worked out of his home, overseeing marketing, communications, and innovation teams from afar. He is passionate about not only telling great stories, but living them, as well.
His blog, GoinsWriter.com, is one of the fastest-growing blogs on the web and is a well-respected resource for bloggers and writers. In 2011, it won the Top 10 Blogs for Writers award on WritetoDone.com. Each month, he receives over 80,000 visitors to his website.
Jeff’s work has been published online and offline in a variety of publications, including RELEVANT Magazine (which has a circulation of more than 150,000 readers), Copyblogger.com (voted by Ad Age as one of the top marketing blogs online), and ZenHabits.net (one of Time Magazine’s Top 50 Websites for threes years in a row).
Jeff and his wife, Ashley, live just outside of Nashville, TN with their son and dog.
Book Review: God Loves Broken People
God Loves Broken People
By Sheila Walsh
Hardcover: 224 pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Published: March 13, 2012
Price: $21.99
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1400202450
ISBN-13: 978-1400202454
Purchase: Amazon | CBD | Barnes and Noble
Description
God loves broken people. And when weary, wounded men and women find a way to open their bruised hearts and somehow welcome Him into their personal darkness, they will find a love beyond anything they have ever known.
When the glass house Sheila had lived in for so many years came crashing to the ground, she began a new life outside the safety of those walls. No, it didn’t feel good or safe — not at all. But it felt true. Sheila saw herself as a broken lamb limping after the Shepherd, not knowing where He was going, but knowing that wherever He went, she wanted to go with Him.
In twelve stirring, and deeply revealing chapters, Sheila Walsh shows how personal brokenness can open doors of intimacy with Jesus Christ that might never open in any other way. It’s not that God loves broken people more than those who imagine themselves to be whole — it’s simply that they know they are loved. They dare to believe it… and through such trust, a new wholeness emerges from yesterday’s broken pieces.
Review
Several months ago, I heard Sheila Walsh speak for the first time on a Focus on the Family broadcast. I had heard of her, but didn’t know much about her. This particular day, I was home sick and laying in bed depressed. I decided to turn on the radio to 570 AM for some encouragement. Sheila Walsh was introduced and began to speak about her life. I felt as if she was speaking directly to me. The Holy Spirit was using her to minister to me in a deep way so that I found myself in tears. She left such an impression that when I saw God Loves Broken People (And Those Who Pretend They’re Not) I knew I wanted to read and review it.
Sheila Walsh is an eloquent speaker. She is also a wonderful storyteller and Bible teacher. I appreciated her honesty and transparency in her writing. There is no fluff, Sheila Walsh tells it like it is. She also writes with a heart of compassion and love for people which is revealed on every page of this book.
I identified and resonated with what she wrote on page 45:
“God isn’t some cosmic jukebox in the sky, from which, so long as you have the right coin, you get to pick the soundtrack for your life. Those who peddle a health-and-wealth message have wounded uncounted thousands who are left reeling with only one conclusion: The reason that my child died, or that my marriage failed, or that we lost our house… is because I didn’t have enough faith.
‘That is beyond cruel; it is blaphemous. Christ never promised an easy path. He never said there would be roses with no thorns, or seasons without winter, or pathways without obstacles. In fact it is quite the opposite.”
This was comforting for me to read. For years I felt condemned by Christians because they would judge me for being depressed. They would accuse me of lacking faith because I was hurting and struggling with depression. I’m so glad I no longer believe those lies.
Sheila Walsh addresses these misconceptions and more in God Loves Broken People. She also touches upon the hard questions we wrestle with as believers. Those questions we are afraid to ask others or even talk to God about. This book gave me encouragement and hope. If you are hurting, depressed, struggling, suffering or wondering why bad things happen, I highly recommend God Loves Broken People.
In conclusion, I want to thank BookSneeze for blessing me with a complimentary copy of this book to read and review.
Author
Sheila Walsh, Women of Faith® speaker, is the author of the award-winning Gigi, God’s Little Princess® series, The Shelter of God’s Promises, and a new novel, Sweet Sanctuary. Sheila lives in Texas with her husband, Barry, and son Christian.
Worthy Publishers Book Review:
“Break Through”
Break Through
By: Tim Clinton and Pat Springle
Hardcover: 279 pages
Publisher: Worthy Publishing
Published: May 22, 2012
Price: $19.99
Language: English ISBN-10: 1617950734
ISBN-13: 978-1617950735
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes and Noble
Description
“Well he does have a good side.”
“You know, it’s probably my fault.”
“She’s had a rough life. I need to cut her some slack.”
When you really care about someone, it’s easy to get stuck in painful, even destructive patterns — caving in to a spouse’s manipulation, ignoring a live-at-home son’s irresponsibility; not confronting a friend’s addiction. We excuse people again and again, and then kick ourselves for not setting better boundaries. But this important book, with its transformational tools and insightful illustrations from leading Christian counselor Tim Clinton and noted author Pat Springle, will guide you in not only breaking through to better relationships but making big changes for the better.
With their expert principles for learning to say yes when you want to and no when you need to, you’ll discover how to give up your need to please, rescue, fix, or control anyone else. Leave others’ unrealistic expectations behind. Speak hard truth to those who have hurt you. And exchange harmful relationship habits for healthy ones. Here is expert advice you need for knowing when to give in and how to push back for the best life you can have with the people you love most. Check out the video here:
Review
Break Through is an insightful and helpful book written for anyone who struggles with co-dependency. This book reminded me of another book I read and have recommended to many people, Boundaries by Henry Cloud and John Townsend. However, Break Through goes deeper into defining what loving well looks like in relationships. Many of us believe we are loving others when we really aren’t. We think we are being helpful, when we’re actually not. This book helps expose the true dynamics in relationships. Whether the relationship is with a spouse, parent, friend or co-worker.
I loved this entire book, but my favorite chapter is five: “Dismantling Our Idols.” This chapter really opened my eyes to the function of idolatry in relationships. I was surprised by what I learned. Dr. Tim Clinton mentions the role in which parents play into these unhealthy dynamics. Parents frame how we relate to others. We mirror their example, whether it is functional or dysfunctional.
I found this book especially helpful because I’m a parent. I don’t want to pass along any of these learned behaviors, dysfunctional patterns or toxic functioning on to my children. Break Through gives good examples and teaches you how not to do that. Dr. Tim Clinton writes with sensitivity and compassion. He is not preachy nor does he condemn. He demonstrates grace to his readers and encourages that breaking free is attainable. If we do the work, we are guaranteed a breakthrough.
I highly recommend this life changing book. I believe everyone can benefit from it, I know I did. In conclusion, I want to thank Worthy Publishers and Handlebar Marketing for sending me a complimentary copy of this book to review.
Author
Dr. Tim Clinton, LPC, LMFT, is president of the nearly 50,000-member American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC) and founder of Light University Online, which has over 160,000 students enrolled. He is also the professor of counseling and executive director of the Center for Counseling and Family Studies at Liberty University.
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Book Review: “Exposed: Inexcusable Me… Irreplaceable Him”
Exposed: Inexcusable Me… Irreplaceable Him
By: Shannon M. Deitz
Publisher: Believers Press
Published: May 2012
Price: $14.99
Language: English
ISBN: #978-0-9852503-0-0
Purchase: Amazon
“Take no part in fruitless works of darkness; rather expose them…for everything exposed by the light becomes invisible.” Ephesians 5:11,13
Description
Having spent nearly two decades of her life in the darkest valley of self-destruction, Shannon Deitz believed she was unworthy of God’s love. After she witnessed, as a child, the sex and drug-induced downfall of her sister, Shannon turned away from her Catholic faith and found herself caught in a wild and carefree lifestyle where she drank, partied and sought comfort in abusive relationships. She was raped — not once, but twice — by two different boyfriends. As she hit rock bottom, Shannon experienced an intense spiritual battle and inner struggle. Finally seeking truth, she understood that her life had never belonged to her. It had always belonged to God. His desire was for her to come to Him on her own — not out of compulsion, but from a heart full of love.
EXPOSED: Inexcusable Me… Irreplaceable Him is the story of one woman’s courageous journey from a destructive self-filled life to a place of spiritual self-discovery. This book exposed the awful truths of sexual and emotional abuse that many experience today. But it also reveals a restorative truth-no matter how deeply your wounds may run, you will always be worthy of God’s healing grace.
Review
EXPOSED: Inexcusable Me… Irreplaceable Him is a transparent memoir which chronicles the life of Shannon M. Deitz I became interested in this book after I read the description. Unfortunately, I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. This book hit close to home; as if I was reading about my own life. I was completely caught off guard. I wasn’t expecting nor was I prepared for my past to hit me like a tsunami and overwhelm me like it did. Needless to say, this book was difficult for me to read. There were so many parallels the author and I share. I identified with the various experiences she went through and also how she felt on many levels
What did appear to be a common thread or theme for me throughout the book is spiritual warfare. She described many spiritual battles and supernatural experiences which I also related to. Unfortunately, these experiences weren’t positive ones which I believe tied into why she went through so much. Shannon Deitz spoke a great deal about her Catholic faith as well. I’m an Evangelical Christian, so I had some difficulty relating to her experiences with C.C.E., Catechism, The Eucharist and praying to St. Bernadette of Lourdes.
EXPOSED: Inexcusable Me… Irreplaceable Him is a poignant and powerful story about tragedy, forgiveness and redemption. Shannon M. Deitz does an excellent job writing explicit details with integrity and tact. However, based on the content, I would strongly recommend this book be read by mature audiences only.
In conclusion, I want to thank Shannon M. Deitz for the courage in writing her story. I also want to personally thank The B&B Media Group for sending me a complimentary copy to review.
Author
Shannon M. Deitz is the founder of Hopeful Hearts Ministry and a worldwide speaker reaching out through personal testimony to offer the hope of Christ’s light and love to those who are suffering. A portion of the proceeds from EXPOSED: Inexcusable Me… Irreplaceable Him will go directly to help survivors of abuse through the Maria Goretti Network. Learn more about Shannon’s ministry.
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