seven secrets to praying

Seven Secrets to Power Praying by Jane Glenchur is a guide to improving, increasing or starting your prayer life.  It is an easy to read guide which manages not to read preachy.  She pulls from her own experiences in life as she tells the Keys to praying (petition, passion, presence, preparedness, and perseverance).  She then expands to the 7 secrets: Say yes first, Give God your password, Tap into God’s heart, Toss the pros and cons list, know when to give up, Open locked doors, Employ the power of testimonies.  She then describes how the reader can further expand their relationship with God further including increasing your daily Bible reading, deepening your prayers, and tightening your own time management skills.

This book is written in a way which speaks to the reader as if they are carrying on a conversation with the author.  This author really speaks to me the reader in a friendly way and makes the reader really see that increasing their own prayer life is a no brainer improvement into anyone’s life.  She points out how those of us with tight schedules can easily find time to place prayer into our daily life and how that very act can increase our time to do other things.  All of us have wasted time in our schedules which we spend doing things not nearly as valuable to our eternity as prayer.  God is happy to and just waiting for us to ask for blessings for which we are not asking.  This book spoke to me and I do not easily say those words.  I have read many books which are “good for me” but this book forced me to look as my life and desire to change it.

This book was provided by Chosen which is a division of Baker Publishing Group for this review.

heaven and earth review

Between Heaven and Earth by Steve Berger is a thought provoking small book providing insight on preparing oneself for a life in heaven.  Steve as a pastor has undoubtedly had his thoughts firmly placed on spending his eternity in heaven but the untimely death of his 19 year old son in a car accident certainly increased his thoughts on this subject.  Steve’s book provides a simple to understand Bible based manual on preparing for eternal life in heaven.  He provides scriptural background for all of his thoughts and preparations.  Though Steve certainly discusses the grief and sadness that the death of his son, Josiah, brought into his life he chose not to dwell upon his death but rather to focus on the beauty of his son’s certain home in heaven with his eternal father.  Steve’s life and that of his family changed forever when Josiah died but rather than despair over what he had lost Steve has made to choice to work to make sure of those around him have the opportunity for this same salvation.
Steve further includes in the book that if you are planning for life in heaven that it should be self evident to anyone who just watches you.  That you should have your hand in the harvest of souls for Christ.  He then provides the plan for helping in Christ’s soul harvest.  In the book he quotes James where it is stated that faith without works is dead and Steve states that many want their faith to get them into heaven but that Christians should want to take many with them when they go.
I enjoyed this book and it certainly makes the reader contemplate on whether they could be doing more to insure that the many mansions the Jesus has prepared for us are full.
This book was provided by Bethany House for this review.

pursit of Tamsen Littlejohn

The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn by
> Lori Benton is the newest historic romantic novel by this
> author.  This novel is set in the late 18th century of
> the state of what is now Tennessee.  At the time was
> called Carolina (as a part of North Carolina) or as Franklin
> depending upon their political leaning or it could be called
> by the particular tribal names is one happened to be one of
> the native people in the areas quickly filling with white
> people claiming ownership to the land.  It was a time
> of ownership—ownership of peoples of different races or of
> women—either by title or merely by lack of rights.
> Tamsen Littlejohn has grown into womanhood being groomed to
> be married above her station by her stepfather who uses
> might and anger to control Tamsen’s mother as well as
> Tamsen herself though her mother takes all the punishment
> from his hands.  When her stepfather, Hezekiah Parrish,
> kills her mother in a fit of rage after Tamsen rejected his
> latest choice for her husband Tamsen flees the town with a
> man she has just met, Jesse.  When Tamsen runs she
> doesn’t even know his name for the first few days.
> This story tells of the hardships faced not only by the
> whites settling the new areas as well as the well-settled
> natives of the area who are constantly having their lives
> upset by new treaties and breaking of the old ones
> previously signed.
>
> This book is a good one by Ms. Benton that anyone would
> enjoy reading.  She has remained true to history as
> well as written a novel which holds the readers
> interest.  It is a difficult to put down novel though
> it is too long to be easily read in one setting (378
> pages).  This book tells how a person can remain true
> to their faith in Christ even when faced with severe
> adversity and only resorting to violence when faced with
> their own death or that of loved ones.  I would
> recommend this novel to any woman or teen.
>
>
> This book was provided by Waterbrook Multnomah Press for
> this review.
>
>

rich in years review

Rich in Years is an uplifting book about aging in America.  Mr. Arnold tells many stories of the priviledge all of us who have lived life here on Earth and have less time ahead of than we do behind us.  But in this book also is a reminder that we do not know the day or the time of our death and that we always should be prepared for the end here on Earth and the beginning that awaits us.  He tells us of the time that we now have that we did not have when we were raising our children and that we should use that time wisely doing productive things for those around us.  We should be not only doing and sharing with and for those that we love but also making amends to those to whom we have done wrong.  Our forgivness of others is not only for them to be able to go on celebrating with more happiness but it is for the forgiver also.  The weight is now off our shoulder and onto God's.  This walk that we call life we should enjoy.  Take the time to thank those in your life who have made your life more blessed. The life that we have been given is a gift.  Take a look around and see all the blessings that are around us--the simple and the complex--the Lord God He made them all.  Mr. Arnold and his wife have taken the time to interview many older people who are now facing death and letting them tell their story so that we do not feel afraid to walk through that door of death that Jesus is on the other side of-"for it is only when we die will new life begin."(page 151)  Some of these people have spent a lifetime celebrating and working for God's plan for them and some only come to God as it is obvious that their life is short.  All came though and all are rewarded in God's plan for no matter how much we do we only can come to the Father through Grace. 

When I picked this book I did not expect it to speak to me as it did.  I expected it to be a sad book but I have to say that it is a happy book on preparing for one's own death and it is easier now to look forward.  As it is stated in one of the stories that I do not know what it on the other side of heaven's door but I do know who is there and I look forward to that time whenever it comes.  It is a quick good read for anyone facing death and we all are--some sooner/some later.  The book has scripture throughout to support the view stated and that would make it a good study companion for a group study also.

This book was provided for this review by Handlebar.

quilted heart review

The Quilted Heart is 3 novellas in one book.  All of which have in common Mrs. Elsa Brantenberg's quilting and Bible study.  The women of the little St. Charles community meet here to try to understand the trials of their life after the ending of the Civil War.   In the first, Dandelions on the Wind, Maren who is an immagrant to the country as a jilted mail order bride too poor to return back to her home she lives with Mrs. Brantenberg and cares for her little 4 year old granddaughter, Gabi.  She has grown quite close to the family that is until Gabi's father returns from war Maren becomes uncertain of her future and gets a job in town so that she can earn money for her passage home--buuuuut she feels pulled toward Wooly, Gabi's father.  What to do, what to do.  Bending Toward the Sun continues the story but takes it up for the point of view of Emilie, another community woman from the quilting/Bible study.  Emilie has been helping her father run the general store of St. Charles.  While all of her friends are paring off with new male interests she has no real interests outside of helping her aging father run the store but Mr. Heinrich has bigger plans for his daughter, he wants Emilie to go to the University and further her education.  Then just to spice things up she meets again a boy who has grown into a man during the war.  He has an Irish background and her father is sure that an Irish man is not good enough for his daughter.  The story continues on in Ripples Along the Shore Caroline has all during this book not heard from her husband.  She is afraid of what to think--she doesn't think he could have been killed.  She would have felt it wouldn't she have?  Garrett Cowlishaw has come into town in order to lead a wagon train to the west and into California.  Caroline instantly hates him because he was a Confederate soldier.  Even though St. Charles is in Missouri which had gone with the south this group is decidedly antislavery and Caroline just can't stand the thought of this Confederate in her town--that is before he told her he would see if he could find out the where abouts of her husband and so she decides to trust him.

 

These stories are all good and I like that though the story is a continuation of each the plot is different in each.  I have like all of Ms Hodgson's books and so of course I liked this one.  I think that this is the best that she has done so far.  This book would be good reading for girls and women of any age and I would encourage your reading this book.

 

I recieved this book from Waterbrook Press for this review.

nelson review

Nelson's Annual Preacher's Sourcebook vol 3 edited by O.S. Hawkins.  This is a guide for the year of Sunday sermons as well as holiday, funeral and marrage ceremonies.  This sourcebook contains quotes, outlines,and illustrations for numerous sermons throughout the year.  It also gives helps for difficult times such as weddings gone wrong as well as planning simple weddings to large weddings requiring coordinators. They work through premarital counseling in a discussed though not in much detail on the other had there is a complete ceremony for the wedding.  The various authors of the book help with getting through funerals with more than just the sermon but also pastor helps for advising and just being with the family listening to their stories and feelings both during the days leading up to the funeral as well as the days and weeks after.  This book recognizes that the leadership of a church is much more than giving a good sermon on Sunday morning.  This book assumes that the pastor will be preaching on the Word of God and not just having it be the starting point of the sermon.  This book has mostly outlines for the pastors use as ideas and beginning points but some ideas are more fleshed out and  complete giving more complex points that could be missed especially by an inexperienced pastor. 

 

I think that this book definately deserves a position on any Christian pastor's book shelf.  At 544 pages it certainly is not the only planner that a beginner pastor would need but it certainly would be a help in sermon planning for the year.  All sermons contain the personality of the pastor leading the congregation.  This book was written by 15 different writers and so has a variety of opinions for delivering a sermon.  I would buy it as a good resource for sermon writing and it would be money well spent.

This book was provided by Booksneeze for this review.

the loveladies

Miss Brenda and the Loveladies by Brenda Spauhn and Irene Zutell.  This is the story about Brenda Spahn who was well know in her society.  She ran a tax business which had many branches in her area and was well know as a hard worker who expected her workers to work hard also.  She was self made and proud of it living as she did in her big house on Hob Hill along with others who had made it big with a second house on the Gulf Shores.  She had grown up in that little trailor with her parents just knowing that one day she would be successful at something and she had--well until she had this little run in with the law.  She had been falsly accused of a crime she didn't commit.  That was when she made a bargain with God to do as He wanted her to do and He would get her out of this trouble she was had found herself and her family in.  Well she got out of the difficulty and now she needed to figure out what it was God wanted her to do.  She decided to become a minister first and then to work with women prisoners.  She had to buck the system fighting against the professionals in charge of the prison system to make a system that would actually rehabilitate the female prisoner with which she worked eventually bringing them into her own home to live together.  She founded the Lovelady Center which grew to serve 450 women and children providing them with the tools to live a law abiding life successfully outside the prison from which she took them.

 

This book is an interesting book telling what one woman could do with God's help and direction to help her community.  She didn't let the system tell her it couldn't be done.  This book just covers the first year of her plan working with the female incarcerated in her area.  I enjoyed reading it and feel that this should be a lesson on what anyone can do it they put their mind to it.  So much of the time we are given we waste when it could be put to good use for those less fortunate around us. I am so glad I was given the opportunity to read this book.  Now let us all get busy and figure out what it is that God wants of our time.

 

This book was provided by Waterbrook Press for this review.