Review: Immaculate Assumptions: All the Stuff You Heard About the Bible That Isn't True by Cornelia Scott Cree

Immaculate Assumptions: All the Stuff You Heard About the Bible That Isn't True

by Cornelia Scott Cree

In a society increasingly ruled by secular humanism the notion that the unseen, unable-to be-seen-spirit world rules the natural seems almost quaint especially since modern men only want solutions not ideas. But increasingly the data of reality and science makes this more probable than not.

If we do the radical thing, accept the Holy Bible as truth whether we understand it or not, we can join theology with the movement of history as a spiritual exercise. This book is not about religion; religion is the day-to-day practice of faith. This book exposes the assumptions we have about faith and practice which keep us from learning and realizing truth in our daily lives.

My Take:

There is a lot of misinformation spread around concerning the Bible, God, faith, the path to salvation, the life and eternal security or lack thereof of the believer. In a hard-hitting, fireside-chat voice, Cornelia Scott Cree exposes 35 commonly heard heresies and untruths concerning the faith, backed with scripture and wit.

With a clear view on scripture based on a lifetime in the Lord's service, Cornelia lays down foundational principles by dissolving misconceptions that lead entire denominations astray.

Content:

Even though this is a non-fiction book on theology, figured I'd better put a bit about the content in here.

Language:

G - Squeaky clean.

Adult Content:

PG - There's some discussion of homosexuality, gender identification, and sex trafficking, rape. 

Christian content:

Um, it's a book about theology. It's principally Christian in content and nature. I have a few points where I may differ concerning the answers to a few of the questions, especially in regards to commentary and extrabiblical references in #15, Once Saved, Always Saved. But for the most part, the book is spot on in its treatment of the gospel, of faith, of the Spirit. Of the inaccuracy of the Word of God. Of the deity of Christ. I will just suggest that you be grounded in the Word and sober-minded.

Final analysis:
Cornelia has created a timely, witty and relevant quick read here that clearly presents biblical answers to common misconceptions concerning the Christian faith. The anecdotal stories and sometimes sarcastic commentary cause me to imagine her standing over me with a wooden spoon ready to give me a whack. An example of this is her declaration that she would soon expect Millennials to identify as cocker spaniels, referring to recent gender confusion.

While I found most of this short book to be meat, and entertaining, I will end with a note that there are a few places where I differ, and while I am not a qualified theologian, I expect these might take the reader through some bumps. There were also some ramblings which caused the pace through this to be a bit slow for my liking. So, a relatively well-researched and well written and entertaining read. Four Stars!

About the Author:
God said in Jeremiah 1:12 "I will watch over my word to perform it." At no time has He said "I will watch over the word of a TV anchor, the President or a movie star, or even you and me. Only His. 

"So I scoured the Bible to affirm how modern events verify His words. It is an inductive study, truthful and untainted for 4,000 years and my books and other writings are not about a church or what any man says, but what God says and means to come true. So you can see the future in the Bible too."

Cornelia Scott Cree studied the Bible especially in the original Greek, plus Latin for vocabulary and etymology, French, and Chinese; she wrote her Master’s degree thesis on theological sign language and finished one-half her doctorate at University of South Africa. She had a private school classical education, attended Smith College and other universities and colleges as well.

On TV Churchill's grand-daughter said the following. "Hitler made you believe he could do anything. Churchill made you believe you could do anything." As an author of Christian books my mission is to make you believe God can do anything.

She has an unusual work history, as a print journalist for a scientific, business and tech newspaper, as a wallpaper hanger and many years working with inmates and victims. She has three grown children, three grandchildren, and one great granddaughter. Except for those years spent in the foreign mission fields of China and the Philippines, in Texas and her youth in the Eastern USA she lived most of her adult life in North Carolina.

Please visit http://www.americanthinker.com/ to read her other articles and blog posts.

Waynesville, Maggie Valley, North Carolina 2017 桃李

Review: Hope of Home by Samuel Cronin

Hope of Home

by Samuel Cronin

It's finally Christmas Eve. The entire Straw family has gathered to celebrate the best day of the year. But there's a problem. Grandpa Straw, a wounded veteran of World War II, on the brink of retirement, and facing cancer, has lost the spirit of their tradition. When the family goes caroling, he stays home alone. And perhaps he wants it this way, where he does not have to face the season with all its promise of good tidings and joy. But when his family does not come back, events transpire that encourage him to confront his bruised past and embrace his family, becoming the warm grandpa everyone longs to love. A story within a story, Hope of Home is a novel that Grandpa Straw has penned and gifted to his estranged grandson Marcus, written in the hope of helping him reunite with his family and bring him home. 

My Take:

Marcus Straw has been estranged from his family, living as far across the United States as he can get from his strict and distant grandfather Douglas Straw, and his eccentric family. But shortly before Christmas Eve he receives an unexpected present from Grandpa Straw, a book, and an invitation to please return one final time to his home to face his past and the unreconciled pain residing there.

As Marcus takes a long train ride across the country, he reads the story his grandpa Douglas Straw has written about a family Christmas gone terribly wrong. Dealing with an aggressive form of cancer and a short and certain lifespan, Grandpa Douglas alienates his entire family and they leave him to go out and look at Christmas lights, just as an EF3 tornado rips through the valley, destroying everything, and taking away Douglas' entire family in a moment.

As Douglas deals with the unbelievable grief and confusion, his friends help him unwrap the Christmas gifts left by his missing family, and rediscover the burdens and triumphs of the past. But as he tries to make peace with his loss and his estranged family, can Douglas make peace with the Maker that took them away?

Content:

Drug Content:

PG-13 - Alcoholism and alcohol-induced violence play a pivotal role in this poignant novel.

Violence:

PG-13 - The aftermath of the tornado, and the carnage it leaves behind, is rather graphic. Many people plead for help and die while waiting for assistance.

Language:

G - None.

Adult Content:

G - Squeaky clean.

Christian content:

The importance of family, the despair of catastrophic loss, reconciliation, redemption, and salvation are broad brush themes that permeate this dramatic tale of loss. Scripture is used in several places by the characters to encourage or admonish.

Final analysis:

The main character in this story within a story begins as a completely unlikable, unredeemable crotchety old rich man who never had time for his doting family or his patient and caring wife. As the story progresses, he grows less and less likable, until his despair and impotent rage reaches a critical mass. But his story is three dimensional and gripping, and his raw emotion and struggle is very real. The characters in this tale are real and the drama gripping, the character arc encouraging, and the conclusion satisfying. Five Stars!

About the Author:

Samuel Cronin was born in Burns, Oregon, and grew up in John Day, 70 miles north. He attended Corban University before transferring to Oregon State University, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in English. He later attended Eastern Oregon University to obtain his Master in Education. In 1999 he sailed as a deckhand aboard Schooner Roseway, whose port of call was Camden, Maine. This experience laid the groundwork for his novel "How Well the Sailors Run". Growing up in Grant County, where gold was discovered on June 8, 1862, captured his interest in prospecting lore and romanticized his view of gold mining. These experiences helped shape his historical novel "Warm Gold". Golfing with his father and brothers helped fuel his interest in golf, forming the basis for "A Season for the Blessed." As a boy he remembers traveling to his grandparent's house at Christmas to experience a tradition on Christmas Eve that forms the groundwork for his fourth novel "Hope of Home." He lives in Idaho with his wife and son.

Review: He Said, She Said: Marriage, Divorce & Restoration by Ernest Dave Bennerman, Roseline Roz Bennerman

He Said, She Said: Marriage, Divorce & Restoration

by Ernest Dave Bennerman, Roseline Roz Bennerman

Marriage is a sacred union. 
Divorce stinks! 
Restoration happens when we allow God to make a NEW Marriage. 

In words that are profound, often humorous, but always biblical, Dave and Roz draw from over 2 decades of marriage, divorce, and re-marriage. They openly share their struggles through their marriage and divorce experiences to challenge soon to be and married couples to ask this question: 
“What is it like being married to me?” 
In ‘He Said, She Said,’ you will discover practical strategies and exercises for creating and sustaining a fulfilling marriage. Although the struggles and challenges are real in a marriage, they share sound principles that, if applied, will create an environment of peace, love, understanding and respect. 
Know that God wants your marriage to be incredible, to be represented as a Kingdom Marriage. But that can only happen when unselfish love is at the center of it all. 
Dave and Roz Bennerman are passionate about encouraging and strengthening marriages. They have mentored numerous couples. Now, they focus their efforts on creating fun and engaging marriage bootcamps and workshops to help keep the Sizzle Alive and Smoking. 

My Take:
This book is a chronicle of Roz and Dave Bennerman, who went through a rocky eight year marriage ending in a divorce. As Providence would have it, they both came to Christ individually years later, and remarried. They have enjoyed a solid, bible-based covenant marriage for eight years since then, and have devoted their lives to helping singles, divorcees, and couples either approaching or in the midst of marriage, to find hope and guidance from their experiences.

Filled with anecdotal wisdom, liberally soaked in scriptural references, and stuffed with good advice, this book is a clear warning to adults in all stages of life to consider carefully before putting on the rings. Advice on dealing with your past baggage, getting right with God, understanding unrealistic expectations, and the principals of regular, steady communication, being committed for the long haul, dealing with differences and enjoying them, sex and its place inside and not outside marriage, and the importance of God in the marriage, this short book is a must-read for anyone considering marriage.

Content:

Even though this is non-fiction, figured I'd better put a bit about the content in here. This book has no profanity, as one would expect, and the subject of sex is only obliquely referred to, though the importance of it in marriage is underlined, and supported by scripture.

Packed with nuggets of wisdom and solid advice, this is a quick read that all couples considering marriage would benefit from. If you are in marriage and considering divorce, there's help in here for you as well. Well written, biblically based, informative and helpful, Five Stars!

About the Authors:

Coach Dave captivates his audience from all walks of life, developing needed skills that will bring transformation to his listeners for generations to come through humor and visuals. He’s well-received and loved by his students (mentees) and colleagues. As a Certified Personal Life Coach, author and speaker, Dave focuses on transforming the lives of people through goal setting, life planning skills, and accountability measures. He grew up in Northern New Jersey, surrounded by violence and poverty, with a loving sister and a mother, who instilled hard work and perseverance into their lives. After finishing high school, he joined the United States Army and later met his wife, Roseline ‘Roz’ during his college years; they are blessed with one son, Terrell. Dave took a wrong turn in life and discovered problems, heartache, and disappointment do not discriminate. He lost everything that was dear to him and made a decision to seek God for healing and restoration.

Now, he empowers countless individuals in his surrounding community and shares his faith and love for God with many individuals from diverse cultures. He has also committed himself to empower, encourage, and bring hope to our youth who have made mistakes and who've found themselves detained within local juvenile detention centers. In 2012, he was ordained as an Evangelist, and he travels around the world encouraging people to live on PURPOSE.

Roz has teamed up with her husband, Dave, to encourage and empower marriages. They've found, through their own challenges, first being married for 8 years to each other, then 10 years of divorce, and now as they write this book, 8 years remarried, when each spouse puts the other first...No One is Left Out. After being asked to plan married couples' fun and engaging events, which they felt unqualified to do, they eventually realized that through these activities, marriages became more passionate, and everyone had lots of fun. Their passion is to encourage and empower marriages through fun and engaging workshops.
Along with her passion for seeing marriages strengthened and having fun, Roz has mentored numerous young adults through the Development School for Youth. She mentors married women, and she's an author, publisher, and fitness enthusiast, who's passionate about inspiring and helping women create and sustain a Fit Lifestyle. She has found, because women are natural nurturers, they put everyone else before themselves, causing them to put their fitness on the back-burner.

Now she and her husband, Coach Dave, have teamed up to structure fun and engaging marriage workshops and bootcamps that will connect couples on another level. The workshops and bootcamps are designed for interaction...they've moved away from the typical marriage conferences, where couples gather, sit, and listen. These bootcamps and workshops are for married couples to INTERACT and have FUN! Their marriage bootcamps and workshops are based on Biblical principles.

For the Joy Set Before Us: Insights Into the Missionary Journey by Erica Fye, Erica Mbasan

For the Joy Set Before Us: Insights Into the Missionary Journey
by Erica Fye, Erica Mbasan

What does it take to leave behind everything you know, all the comforts of home, to travel into the unknown to answer the call? For the Joy Set Before Us invites you into the depths of the mission field, offering insights into the life God may have in store for you. Whether you are called to serve overseas or to serve right where you are, this book is for you.


My Take:

The call to Missions can be a daunting and frightening concept to many Christians in our comfortable air-conditioned living rooms. Those of us who are considering whether we are called to short-term or long-term missions work would be well-advised to pick up a copy of this book. In it, Erica Mbasan clearly illuminates many of the mysteries and covers some of the misconceptions and fears surrounding the surrender to the mission field.

With riveting true stories of salvation and the miraculous work of God in the war-torn country of Uganda, this book equips the new missionary with an understanding of what to expect both at home and abroad during their life as a missionary, including such topics as mission board requirements for service, spiritual warfare, loss of friends, disillusionment, pride and its consequences, wolves in sheep clothing, the loneliness and isolation. It encourages camaraderie with other Christian missionaries to bolster and encourage you in the faith, how to stay immersed in the Word and prayer, how to get out of your comfort zone. How to deal with the culture shock both when immersing into the field, and when returning home for short visits to the home church or family.

There is much more meat in this book for the aspiring missionary, I'd label it a must-read if you are considering service in the mission field, or if you simply want to understand the decision your friends have made in going to the mission field, the struggles and opposition they will face, and how you as a fellow believer and friend should support them.

Content:

Drug Content:

PG - There is some mention of rampant homemade alcohol, alcoholism and its devastating consequences. 

Violence:

PG - A few scenes in this book cover some very violent true events, including one where a fellow missionary is tied up, stabbed multiple times, and left for dead. The ravages of war and its impact on the people of Uganda is covered, though not in graphic detail.

Language:

G - No language issues.

Adult Content:

PG - There is some discussion of the widespread AIDS epidemic and wanton rape. Missionaries are warned that the missionary is not immune to the violence, rape, and even threat of robbery or death. No adult events are described, that I remember, however.

Christian content:

It's full of meat and brimming with scripture and encouragement, as well as admonishment and biblical warnings. I would say that if you read this, you cannot come away without a clear understanding of the reality of spiritual darkness outside our comfy borders, or the crying need for workers in the field.

Final analysis:

Oh, wow. My heart goes out to those on the mission field. It's both harder than I ever dreamed, and more rewarding than this armchair quarterback could ever imagine. This book is well-written, clearly equipping missionaries for the field, from a spiritual readiness standpoint. Five Stars!

About the Author:

Erica was born and raised in New York State. She developed a passion for writing at a young age, and also a desire to help those in need. In 2006, Erica went to Kitgum, Uganda for the first time. She fell in love. After that, her life has revolved around doing missions work, writing, and traveling. She is the founder of Africa for God NGO in Uganda. She works with orphans, widows and others who were negatively effected by a 20 year war. She works with a wonderful team of people doing Biblical discipleship, literacy training, and outreaches. Her passion for writing has never dwindled, and in late 2014 Erica published her first book. She also maintains a personal blog, ministry blog, and writes a quarterly newsletter for the missions organization.

In August 2015, she was blessed to marry an amazing man, Robert (Robb). Robb and Erica live together in Kitgum, sharing the Good News and reaching out to the most vulnerable people.

Six Months to a Year by E.P. Grace

Six Months to a Year
by E.P. Grace

Scottslynn Steele and Martin Drake happened into each other’s lives out of the blue and fell in love just as quickly. It was love at first sight – perfect chemistry. Most would call it fate. Scottslynn calls it God’s Will. But then the unthinkable happens. A latent disease becomes terminal. It cannot be stopped - neither can her reason for living. In what will become her darkest hours Scottslynn must learn to accept God's Will no matter what it brings, and find the courage to face a future that suddenly leaves her with only Six Months to a Year.

My Take:
When Scottslynn Steele accidentally cuts her foot on barnacles in the ocean, her blase lack of treatment of it causes a serious infection. A newfound acquaintance, Dr. Martin Drake, suggests she get it treated at his office. It doesn't take long for chemistry to take effect, and the two fall in love. Both are strong Christians with a solid faith, and Scottslynn is sure their future together is God's sovereign will.

But just when her future seems brightest, a latent lung disease she has carried since birth becomes terminal, and Martin must give Scottslynn the tragic news that her time left is only... six months to a year.

Content:

Drug Content:

PG - There is a some slight discussion of drinking, but the main characters do not drink.

Violence:

G-The most violent thing that happens in this book is a debilitating disease that slowly suffocates the main character. Much of the suffering in that decline is glossed over, so there's only a light dwelling on the serious physical aspects of the disease..

Language:

G - I don't recall running across a single swear word in the novel.

Adult Content:

G - There is one short discussion about one of the ladies in the church suspecting the main characters in the novel of having an affair. This is squeaky clean.

Christian content:

There is a tremendous amount of meat in here, of the struggle for faith in doubtful circumstances, or crying out to God for an explanation, of being angry with Him. Some emotions are very raw. Good Christian advice is shared between good friends, and the characters must come to grips with the brevity of life. Heaven is portrayed clearly in a positive light. Scripture is quoted only a few times in this book, and it does not come across as preachy but open and honest.

Final analysis:
I normally don't like to dive into a book that is filled with the promise of impending death and suffering, and usually expect I will have to crawl through it kicking and screaming to the tragic bitter end.

But what i found instead in between the covers of this 270pp novel is a chronicle of faith and doubt, love and loss, and ultimately acceptance and triumph over one of our darkest foes, Death. The characters and struggle were believable and the setting was immersive. The pace was good and the conflict was real. Five Stars!


About the Author:


Hello everyone, I'm E.P. Grace, author of Six Months to a Year. 

I've read a lot of books over the years. Lots and lots. And I've figured out that my favorite types of stories are usually kind of sad. They're the ones that stay with me, the kind that make me think about the plot and characters after I've finished the book and ultimately make me go back and say hello again a year or two later.

I have a little stack of those books that I keep in my bedroom. They aren't all best sellers and they aren't ALL bittersweet or sad (I have some happy favorites too!) Some were given as gifts and some are library discards by obscure authors. Their social status isn't important to me. What's important is that they leave me wanting more when I reach the end. As a reader and as a writer, I think that's the best place to stop. 

My hope - my goal really - is that you as readers will think about the characters in Six Months to a Year even after you've reached the end. Because if you do, if you can put yourself in one of the character's shoes and emote with them and think about them when you're away from the pages then I'll know I've succeeded as an author and that'll make me really happy.

So. All of that said, I'd love your feedback! if you liked Six Months to a Year please let me and others know by leaving a comment and a rating here on Amazon and over on my Facebook page, facebook.com/epgrace.author

Review: One of the Few: A Marine Fighter Pilot's Reconnaissance of the Christian Worldview by Jason B. Ladd

One of the Few: A Marine Fighter Pilot's Reconnaissance of the Christian Worldview

by Jason B. Ladd, TVS Design Craft (Illustrator), Julie Gwinn (Editor), Satoshi Hirokawa (Photographer)

A US Marine fighter pilot explores life’s important questions as he prepares for combat, searches for truth, and wages spiritual warfare during his mission to become a better husband and father. “I highly recommend it.”— John Njoroge, speaker and radio host at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries.

Jason B. Ladd grows up in a military family with loving parents but spends his young life filled with spiritual apathy. Ladd enters the US Marine Corps, becomes a fighter pilot, and sees combat in Iraq before life events align to nudge him into profound spiritual inquiry. Digging deep into his quest for truth, he realizes the art and science of fighter pilot fundamentals can help him on his journey.

Filled with stories that contrast his spiritual apathy with his post-Christian worldview passion, One of the Few is the compelling life story of a spiritual seeker engaged in a thrilling profession combined with a strong, reasonable defense of Christianity.

For fans of Ravi Zacharias, Lee Strobel, and Frank Turek, Ladd’s remarkable journey shares the transformative power of faith during a time when belief in God is dismissed and religious liberty in the military is attacked.

My Take:

This is a non-fiction memoir and apologetic, so to speak, of a Marine fighter pilot and his journey to faith. Jason begins this account as a cocky, self-assured agnostic with a fiery ambition to be the best of the best, a Top Gun fighter pilot in the Marines, who DON'T just take 'anybody.' He ends the account in a settled faith in the Lord of Creation, and his journey from A to B is laid out for all to see, with a well-thought-out, erudite apologetic for the faith, for purity, for moving on with God.

Content:

Drug Content:

PG - Alcoholism is quite common in the military, and it is unveiled in a frank and clear exposition as to its dangers and effects. Jason is clear that while drinking is not prohibited in scripture, drunkenness is described therein as unwise. Smoking and other drug use are also discussed briefly.

Violence:

PG - In wartime, there is bound to be death on both sides, whether dealing or receiving it. The struggle in military conflict is exposed without giving sensitive information. Jason struggled with the death of insurgents he was ordered to take out. A death by dragging is described.

Language:

G - I do not recall any language in the book at all.

Adult Content:

PG - There is a brief description of the soldiers' life and forays on leave with the ladies in town calling for attention. Nothing is described, but one soldier who left early as the group went to a strip club, later mentioned offhand that he left early because he took two girls home with him. There is some mention of the struggles of loneliness and infidelity when deployed, and the high divorce rate in the military. Pornography, its additive perils and collateral damage are clearly explained and decried.

Christian content:

This is a solidly Christian conversion story. It is rife with apologetics at every step as Jason takes us along on each step from unbelief through reasoning and analysis of the Christian faith, to solid belief. He doesn';t just cover the basics, but also delves into God's requirements for purity and holiness, and several of the common threats to it. Each chapter begins with two opposing quotes - one from the worldly, atheistic point of view, and one from either a biblical apologist or straight from scripture, exposing the opposing worldview for what it is. Quotes from Chuck Colson, Ravi Zacharias, Norman Geisler, Walter Martin, and C. S. Lewis share pages with Deepak Chopra, The Satanic Bible, and Manuals on Military Codes of Conduct. Strange bedfellows, but every page is directed to the cross.

Final analysis:

Jason has done a masterful job of presenting the truth couched in terms a person in the military (or anyone else) can identify with, as well as clear guidance for a seeker beginning from where he was, an agnostic or atheist with an open mind. It is well-written, erudite, well-informed, solidly Christian, informative, hard-hitting, challenging, even convicting. Five Stars!

About the Author:

Author website: http://www.jasonbladd.com
---
Jason B. Ladd is an award-winning author, US Marine, and Iraq War veteran. Ladd served on active duty with the Marines for fourteen years and has flown as an instructor pilot in both the F/A-18 and the F-16 fighter jets. He is the founder of Boone Shepherd, LLC and creator of IndieListers.com, the largest live online database of book promotions results built by authors. He and his wife, Karry, are the parents of seven children.


His book One of the Few was awarded as Finalist in the 2016 Next Generation Indie Book Awards and has been optioned for film adaptation. He is represented by Julie Gwinn of the Seymour Agency.

Review: Arm in Arm with the Holy Spirit by Patrick Day

Arm in Arm with the Holy Spirit
by Patrick Day

Paul Chambers is perplexed and frustrated. He wants to experience more of God in his life more of the time but is thwarted by his flawed humanity and the demands of the modern world. At every turn, he has to choose between his way or God's way, and God's way too often comes up short - until he learns to listen to the Holy Spirit.

He starts telling the story of his spiritual journey the day he is diagnosed with an aggressive cancer. As he looks back, he sees that his busy life, demanding job, and tendency to do things his own way have interfered with experiencing a consistently close relationship with God. 

But Paul is not on his own. The Holy Spirit shows up in a series of encounters, revelations, and metaphors that transform Paul's faith and empower him to walk arm in arm with the Holy Spirit every step of the way.

My Take:

The author's personal battle with cancer and struggle to reach a point of walking with God most of the time, sound loud and clear in this story, which is both a fictional account and a reflection of the author's path of discovery.

Paul Chambers uses the devastating news that he has terminal pancreatic cancer as the catalyst for him to write his memoirs, with the help of his loving wife Molly. The news affacts all the poeple who do life with him, and their input is invaluable in helping him along this dark path to the brilliant light of Heaven.

 Content:

Violence:
PG-13 - The only violence in this book is the ravages that cancer performs on the body of its victim. In that respect, it's painful to read as I empathize with the experience, having watched several close family members and friends succumb to the disease. The book realistically describes the pain, the nausea, the treatments, and their side effects.

Language:
PG - There are very few curse words in this novel.

Drug Content:
PG -  The effects of morphine are described, and other drugs used in the treatment of cancer and its symptoms. Drinking is discussed and the main character was an occasional drinker prior to his conversion.

Adult Content:
PG - One minor character appears to objectify women. Most all other dealings in the book are squeaky clean.

Christian content:
Very heavy. The story covers a spiritual journey over a span of thirty years in the life of the main character. Scripture is quoted and metaphors are sometimes drawn from other works. One of some concern is Watchman Nee. There was a misquote of Eric Liddell's famous line, "...when I run I feel His pleasure." However, what I read in the book seemed grounded.
While the main character seems to listen and follow the inner leading of the Holy Spirit through the revelation of visions, he is warned by wise friends to be cautious, because every inner voice is not from God. Examples are given where the Spirit leads Paul, and others where he discovers the voice and thought was his own. The admonishment is given that we should be striving to be 'with' God, rather than asking Him to be 'with' us. After all, He's always with us, He promised in Heb 13:5, but we are not always 'with' Him.

Final analysis:

Arm in Arm with the Holy Spirit was an encouraging, thought-provoking life journey in growing closer to God and hearing His still small voice. Coupled with brilliant insight into our struggle to be like Christ or be IN the world but not OF the world, Patrick Day immerses the reader in the life of one dying of cancer, and dealing with the brevity of life, the mortality of our flesh, and the hope beyond death. While some portions seemed to drag for me, the meat for my daily walk is impossible to miss and dangerous to ignore. Clear, memorable metaphors abound that help the reader determine whether they are listening to God or hearing from the world, the flesh, and the devil. There's life application that can be gleaned here, that leads me to give this book Five Stars.


About The Author
Patrick Day's active Christianity has seen him work as a church elder, prison minister, Sunday school teacher, mentor, and long-time Gideon. As a cancer survivor, he has first-hand insight into the healing power of God and the enduring human spirit.

His passion for writing grew from a Master's Degree in English Literature at the University of Minnesota and encompassed his twin careers of education and advertising.

He is an author of two previous novels: Too Late in the Afternoon and Murders and Genealogy in Hennepin County. He also writes a weekly blog entitled the Melody of the Holy Spirit, which you can access at www.melody33.com.

Review: Cupcakes for Breakfast by Su-Ny Kluckow

Cupcakes for Breakfast
by Su-Ny Kluckow

To every man and woman who has ever been unhappy with the way they look, to every person who has found themselves eating when they were full, because they were bored, or angry, or watching TV, or out of guilt because someone expected you to, to anyone who thinks they might be obsessed about, or addicted to, the consumption or control of food, this book is for you.

In a heart-felt book that reads like a daily devotional, Su Ny has laid bare issues in her life with eating, and has provided insight and encouragement for anyone who might be on the same path. Whether you find yourself obsessed with the scale or binge-eating, or depressed about your weight, the content in this book gives a hand up through the deliverance found in Christ.

As a Fat Daddy, I found this book applicable in my own life, as we love to spend our meals in front of Netflix, and this tends to make me overindulge; I find myself continuing to eat until the show is over, and often find that I've taken more than my share.

Food addictions, like any other addiction, require boundaries, dependence on God, and accountability, and Su-Ny gives solid steps for establishing these foundations.

Each chapter leans heavily on God's Word for its basis, with well-researched thoughtful and appropriate passages to support each step in deliverance. Each chapter closes with an appropriate heartfelt prayer.

I highly recommend this book for anyone struggling with weight and food issues. Five Stars.


About the Author:
I’m from a small coastal town called Jeffrey’s Bay on the Eastern Cape of South Africa, where I live with my husband and two baby boys whom God gave to us after an 8-year walk of faith. I believe that I am wonderfully and fearfully made in the image of God. I am His devoted daughter and princess of the Almighty King.
Would I write if no one would ever read it? I look at writing as a form or worship, a time to be intimate with God. When I am writing He is inspiring me, prompting me to engage Him on a level that sometimes is deeper than prayer or the words that I might speak otherwise. I feel close to Him when I hear my keyboard chatter with anticipation, each keystroke inviting Him to bless my thoughts and interact with my soul. Writing is a way that I bless others, with words of encouragement and love via, E-mail, text or a physical letter. If I was the last person on the planet...you could find me at any coffee shop banging away at my laptop; provided being the last person on the planet there were electricity or coffee shops...wait who would make my coffee?
It is my mission and purpose to advance His Kingdom and love His people.

Review: Shepherding a Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp

Shepherding a Child's Heart
by Tedd Tripp

Ok, I feel led to start this review off with three caveats, to clear the air on this particular review:
1) I was concerned that with the popularity of this book, that it was not generated by a small press, but I did my homework and it appears that it is. The publisher, at least of the version we own, has about eight authors in its 'fold' and has published some thirty books.
2) This book review came as a request from my wife; we have four kids, three pretty much grown, and it's been mainly a review of our parenting to see what we've been doing right and wrong.
3) This book has received a LOT of polarized reviews, pro and con. Hardly anyone appears to be in the middle camp, more on that later. I hope this review can clear the air on some of that.

ON to the review:

Amazon Blurb:
Written for parents with children of any age, this insightful book provides perspectives and procedures for shepherding your child's heart into the paths of life. Shepherding a Child's Heart gives fresh biblical approaches to child rearing.

Dispelling the myths:
This book does not suggest that it's too late for you if you have not shepherded your children's hearts early on. This book does not advocate spanking only, or that it's ever appropriate to spank in anger, or because you are bothered by something your child did, or the damage they did to something valuable, or the noise level in the home.

This book does not imply you should control and dictate every decision your child makes, from what we have for breakfast to what to wear to school.

This book does not suggest that you should rule your home by fear; fear of the Rod or the Parent, anyway. Fear or Respect for God is the motivation and authority for rule in your home.

Affirming the Truths:
This book mandates parents must be involved in the rearing of their children, and in their lives. That discipline is training for LIFE, not revenge or punishment for wrongs.

Dr. Tripp points parents to the cross as a beginning point, that the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked (Jer 17:9) and that foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child.

The author makes it clear that if you have issues with abuse in your past, or problems with anger, then it's better to get your partner to administer discipline, unless you can get alone with God forst, get your own heart right, before you take your child aside.

The method of discipline in this book states you should discipline (1) your OWN child (2) in private communication to (3) get to the heart issue rather than just the surface sin (4) encourage the child to confess this root issue (5) using God's Word to show what God says about the heart issue (6) by using God's authority to give the child the knowledge that Love requires the rod, and that it's to move them toward God rather than punish, that Christ took the punishment (7) tell your child how many swats they will receive (8) administer exactly that many (9) hug your child and remind them that you and God still love them. (10) consider the matter completely over and the relationship restored.

This book condemns shaming, belittling, abusing, and terrorizing children. It clearly labels such things as child abuse. It communicates that spankings are not for punishment or vengeance but to put a child back into a right relationship with their parents and more importantly, God.

My take:
My wife had read some but not all of this book, and was discouraged that the author seemed to imply that shepherding begins at birth and if you haven't gotten behind the wheel and begun this process by the time they reach 5 then it's too late.

I read the book cover to cover, and really did not see that anywhere. Tedd breaks the life of a child up into three age ranges: 0-5, 6-12, and 13-18. The most polarizing content in this book concerns corporal punishment for your kids (0-5, less for 6-12), and that is the reason for a great many of the negative reviews on Amazon.

Dr. Tripp spends a chapter removing the non-spanking methods of discipline in a child's life (time-outs, groundings, etc.) as non-biblical, using portions of Proverbs as the basis. While it seems he gives no other recourse for discipline, this book is for parents and he is clear that this form of discipline is ONLY for parents to administer to their OWN children.

The entire first half of the book covers getting at the heart of an infraction, of disobedience.
An example of this would be, Steve and Bobby are fighting over a toy. Bobby is trying to pull the toy away, Steve shoves Bobby, who falls down and screams. Who is wrong here? What is going on?

The natural reaction would be to ask, who had the toy first? Let's set a timer, and when it dings, pass the toy to the other child. These might address the symptom, but not the root. In fact, both children are wrong. The toy itself is surface. The heart issue is not loving your neighbor. Not sharing with others. Not looking out for the welfare of others.

Review questions are placed at the end of every chapter, and imply this book would lend itself to small-group discussion in a church study group among parents of infants to teens.

Content:

Violence:
Well, this isn't a novel, it's a parenting help. It discusses spanking your child. It describes how this is biblically accomplished in love and firmness.

Language:
Very clean.

Adult Content:
This discusses purity for teens, and how to discuss with your kids.

Christian content:
This entire book is based on and infused with the biblical basis for correct parenting and discipline. It quotes multiple passages of scripture to defend its stance. It is solidly biblical in its presentation.

Final analysis:

Every Christian parent could use a read through this book, no matter the ages of your kids. It is encouraging and instructive and well-written. Five Stars.

About The Author:


Dr. Tedd Tripp is pastor of Grace Fellowship Church in Hazleton, Pennsylvania and author of Shepherding a Child's Heart.

Review: An Arrow in Flight by Jane Lebak

An Arrow in Flight
By Jane Lebak

Ever since Adam left the garden, Gabriel has known why humans sometimes act irrationally, and he helps them without hesitation whenever God gives him an assignment. All seven Archangels of the Presence do as much, sometimes even without orders — whether it's redirecting a lovesick princess, encouraging a terrified hero, or dealing with an amulet-wielding old man who's compelling an unlikely service from the angel least likely to give it. But after a brutal attack during one assignment, Gabriel starts getting touchy and harder to deal with. The other angels love him, but it's been going on for centuries, and he won't take redirection. Then God gives Gabriel an assignment that could result in the destruction of Jerusalem, and Gabriel makes the wrong decision. God forces Gabriel out of Heaven. He's got one year now to make things right between him and God, except he can't possibly do enough. He's isolated from the other angels and being propositioned by demons. Even worse, as Gabriel wanders the Earth trying to change others' lives for the better, it's becoming more and more obvious that the one thing he needs to change is the only one he never wanted to risk. An Arrow In Flight features each of the seven Archangels of the Presence in their own short stories, from Abraham to the fall of Nineveh, all leading up to a long-story crisis that requires each working in unison to help Gabriel when he doesn't seem to want their help at all.

An Arrow In Flight is a series of vignettes concerning the Seven Archangels and various missions they are sent on, beginning with the investigation and destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. The interactions between the angels are believable and the characters well-developed. The interactions they have with humans are realistic and the instances recorded are usually reflecting biblical accounts. Halfway through the book, the vignettes drop and the second half of the book concerns Gabriel, who hesitated to destroy Jerusalem when ordered to by God, and therefore was sent out of God's Presence for a year. The remainder of the book chronicles his experiences when severed from connection with the Holy Father.

Gabriel's account is poignant and raw, believable; and sinners can identify with the shame and conflict he feels, attempting to reconcile himself to his state, the fear of ultimate destruction in the hands of an angry God, the sorrow of loss of fellowship with Him.

Satan as an antagonist is depicted in a believable manner. His character is three-dimensional if a bit shallow, with some of the flavor found in Paradise Lost, but with much less airtime. The main antagonist in this story seems to be Gabriel's flaws, which his character successfully works through in the course of the novel.

Perhaps it's my Protestant viewpoint, but I had some issues with Gabriel starting out female, though I concede the point that angels can appear to be any human in disguise form. Also, the timeline points, especially in the early chapters, could use some work, as the time lapse between the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and the fall of Jericho is a bit longer than 400 years, considering the period Israel spent in Egypt is recorded as 400 years in Gen 15:13.

Content:

Violence:
The story opens up with a brutal attack of two angels by the men of Sodom, involving a near-rape and brutalization, and the shock this causes to the victim. There is a depiction of the destruction of Jerusalem and a battle between a Babylonian soldier and Michael the Archangel.

Language:
Very clean.

Adult Content:
PG. As mentioned above, there is a near-rape scene. There is a chapter involving a woman whose husbands never make it to the marriage bed because of a demon's infatuation with her.

Christian content:
This book is clearly Christian in nature, Catholic in denomination. Some of the book pulls from the Book of Tobit, one of the apocryphal books included in the Catholic bible and omitted from the Protestant canon. The handling of salvation by grace, the plight of the sinner, the idolatry of the people and its consequences, and the holiness of God, are fully explored and crystal clear.

Final analysis:

I found it uplifting and poignant, reading a story from the perspective of angels trying to keep humans on the path to heaven, while battling demonic forces. While I had a few qualms from the outset concerning the timeline and treatment of Gabriel as 'half-fallen', I was pleasantly surprised by the content. Five Stars.

About the Author:

Jane Lebak talks to angels, cats, and her kids. Only the angels listen to her, but the kids talk back. She lives in the Swamp, writing books and knitting socks, with the occasional foray into violin-playing. You'll also find her blogging at QueryTracker.net, a resource for writers seeking agents and small publishers. 

Review: The Writer's Anointing by Londa Hayden

The Writer's Anointing
By Londa Hayden



Do you ever wonder if your writing will ever go anywhere? Does God really have a purpose for your passion? This book will help the writer within you realize your true anointing in Christ Jesus and how to walk in it. Don't give up on your writing endeavors until you read this book. Get equipped with practical tips and steps to take for a greater confidence in yourself, your God, and your dreams.

This book is really more of a booklet, about 3000 words, and a free download on SmashWords. However, I felt it was worth mentioning, as it covers the basics of Why do we Write, and is it a Calling?


From a Christian perspective, Londa recounts her own journey of faith into writing, and the questions she asked, which it would do well for those of us who are writers to consider.Spiritual and practical, this booklet is a good resource for the Christian considering stepping out on faith as a writer.

I gave it four stars.

About the Author

Londa Hayden is a native Texan, who attended East Texas Baptist University and pursued a major in music. Using her skills in music therapy both in public and private schools, she worked with special needs children of all ages. Her talent carried over into children's worship ministry. After being a stay at home mom for several years, she worked part-time in the medical field. Besides writing, Londa also enjoys arts, crafts, theater, movies and volunteering for humanitarian causes. She's contributed to a local Christian writer's newsletter and organizes workshops and retreats as the president of Bartlett Christian Writers. As the Memphis Christian Writer Examiner for three years, Londa featured interviews with local authors and offered advice corners from Christian publishing leaders such as Sally Stuart, Terry Whalin, James Watkins, and Dr. Dennis Hensley. Currently, she contributes as a staff writer for Southern Writers Magazine. She has published work in Devo, an Upper Room devotional magazine for teens, "Popcorn Boy," the winner of the Blog2inspire contest, and "Date Pray Wait" along with several anthologies. A fundraiser project "In the Savanna," and a free ebook to writers titled "The Writer's Anointing." She also has a Christmas Children's book series, Candy Moon, and the sequel, Candy Moon Choo Choo. "Where Two Rivers Meet" formerly titled "Jasmine in Bloom," came in as a Fraiser Finalist and released September 2015 with two sequels to follow in this Washington's Woods series. Today, she enjoys spending time with her three sons and living in beautiful Tennessee with her husband.

Learn more about Londa by visiting her website at londahayden.com.