Tuesday, June 19, 2012

To Heaven and Back by Mary C. Neal, MD

To Heaven and Back by Mary C. Neal, MD is a true story of Mary Neal’s experience of her life before and after she experienced drowning, near death and her time spent in heaven and on earth.  She was on a trip with her husband in Chile.  She was kayaking with a group when her kayak became pinned under another kayak underwater.  She was known to be submerged in the water for at least 11-14 minutes as a watch was started as soon as one of the leaders realized that someone was missing.  This book details the experiences that Mary and her companions had surrounding this time as well as her family’s experiences dealing with the ordeal and recovery.
I found this book to be a good read of one family’s experience with death and near death experiences.  It is told in a very true manner.  When Mary tells of her experiences they seem very true and comforting to her.  It is told in a manner of a woman comfortable with her life and what God has chosen for her.  This does not mean to say that her life has been easy as she has went on to have many life altering experiences that we all face in life which are not pleasant such as the deaths of some of her family members one of which is her beloved son.  She tells of how she with God’s help as well as those around her she has grown to accept life as it comes and finds it good.  I would recommend reading this book, it is a good one.
I received this book from Multnomah Press for this review.

Saturday, June 16, 2012

What You Need to Know About Bible Prophecy by Max Anders

What You Need to Know About Bible Prophecy by Max Anders is a book about end times as told in the Bible using both the Bible as well as other well known commentaries for his research.  This book reports both from The Old Testament prophets as well as the Revelation of John as told in the New Testament.    You can through reading this book develop further understanding of the future of this world and the next.   He tells of the various theories of how the end times predicted in the Bible will unfold though we will not know the exact timing of these events.  The book is divided into 12 lessons which can be done as self studies or group studies.  It provides discussion points as well as questions to ensure understanding of each of the points.  Mr. Anders gives his beliefs but yet provides other beliefs which differ from his in a nonconfrontational manner as well as reasons for each of the conflicting beliefs in a very well written way.
I enjoyed reading this book.  In the context of one of his chapters Mr. Anders states, “For those readers for whom this material is familiar, it may seem as though we are laboring the issues.”  I am one of those readers that found this material very familiar but I don’t feel that anyone most especially myself know all there is to know about end times and I found this book fascinating.  There is always much to learn about end times prophesy before knowing all there is to know on this subject.  Great book to be read and enjoyed by all those interested in what God has in store for us in the future.
I received this book for this review from Booksneeze.

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Confronting Jezebel by Steve Sampson

Confronting Jezebel by Steve Sampson is a book describing the Jezebel spirit which is a demonic spirit of control.  It further describes how to recognize the Jezebel spirit in one’s own self as well in those around you.  It has strategies for how to bring it under control in the church and in the life of the people of the church and come under the control of the Holy Spirit in order to do God’s Holy work.  It tells how to protect yourself and free yourself from those of the Jezebel spirit as well as strategies to expose others with the Jezebel spirit and get yourself free from them.  It further details how to educate those who are of the Jezebel spirit and how to rid themselves of this demon spirit.
Confronting Jezebel does a better job as a self help book on recognizing the Jezebel spirit within yourself and how to free yourself from those tendencies than as a book for how to rid yourself of others with those  tendencies.  It comes off as preachy in that regard.  Mr. Sampson comes off as a know it all who evidently only has friends who have been demonized by Jezebel.  I read the revised and expanded version and maybe should have read the unexpanded version as even though it was short at 191 pages, it seemed it could have been shorter and still told all that it said.  I would give this book only an average rating.
I received this book from Chosen for this review.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Where Lilacs Still Bloom by Jane Kirkpatrick

Where Lilacs Still Bloom by Jane Kirkpatrick is just a delightful book telling of the life of Hulda Klager who immigrated to the United States from Germany as a child.  She had only an eighth grade formal education but to say that she was uneducated would be a mistake.  Her father had taught her to propagate plants and she improved on that through her life by reading and experimenting with her own plants and trees.  Her first goal was to create an easy peeling good tasting apple for her pies.  Her husband though always loving and supportive could not in the beginning understand her driving force in hybridization.  He did however love her apple pies and became her biggest supporter in times when the community spoke out against her and said she was going against God’s intention for nature.  After perfecting her apple she then chose the lilac to improve upon.  Her goal became to make a creamy 12 petal, hardy stalked and finer fragranced lilac.  As she worked toward that goal, she also worked toward a pretty red lilac and a deeper purple but all needed to have the perfection of the hardy stalk and nice fragrance.   She worked with the community by employing their children to work either with the cattle or in her gardens, always teaching them about her work as she went and giving away starts, bulbs, and seeds which endeared her to the public.  Hulda was a hardworking, humble, giving woman who wanted to make the world a better place by making it more beautiful. 
To say that I loved this book would be an understatement.  This book teaches loving your fellow neighbor.  It teaches that giving something away in love always comes back to you not only in the good feelings that it gives right away but by getting something that you least expect in the future.  But more than all the life lessons this book teaches this is just a good read from beginning to end.  It tells the story of how poor immigrants can come to this country and through hard work can make something of themselves.  It was true then and though it is more complicated now it is still possible now.  This book can be enjoyed by all.