Monthly Archives: November 2014

Book Review: Storm by Jim Cymbala

19 Wednesday Nov 2014

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Storm

Storm is yet another great read by Pastor and author Jim Cymbala. I found it insightful and full of wisdom for living in the world today. It will make my list of favorite non-fiction reads for 2014. I think the most surprising thing about the book is that Pastor Cymbala identifies several areas in which Christians have gotten off task when it comes to reaching the lost. If there was ever a time to keep the main thing the main thing, it is now!

My favorite parts of the book were the stories of life change. I love to hear stories of people experiencing the gospel and as a result their lives are never the same. The most inspiring to me was the story of Avril. Most of us would look at her life and count her as a casualty of her circumstances. However, Avril overcame and not by her own hand but by the grace of God and a Pastor who took the time to show her Christ’s love. His simple act of blessing her with furniture changed the course of not only her life, but the lives of so many people.

If you have time to read one more book this year, pick this one. I was given a complimentary copy of this book by its publisher n exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I have not been compensated.

Book Review: Not a Chance

16 Sunday Nov 2014

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016219R.C. Sproul with Keith Mathison in this newly expanded edition of Not A Chance confront the scientific community in their belief of a self-creating universe. This is a thought-provoking read worth the time it will take you to digest each chapter. It will bolster your confidence in a Creator God if you have the wherewithal to devote yourself to reading Not A Chance in its entirety.

To be honest, I have done little in my life to pursue science. I have a Bachelor of Arts for a very good reason; it meant I only needed three credit hours of science to graduate. In light of that, I knew before this book arrived I would struggle to follow Sproul regardless of his attempt to put his argument in layman’s terms. However, I welcomed the challenge because I believe it is important to defend my faith. For this reason, I encourage anyone and everyone to read this title. Regardless of your personal belief, Not a Chance is a book for those on both sides of the creation argument.

I admit I could not help but hear Morgan Freeman reading this book to me. And now you will too, should you choose to read it! I was given a complimentary copy of this book by its publisher in exchange for an honest review. I have not been compensated and all opinions are my own.

Surprised by Love by Julie Lessman

12 Wednesday Nov 2014

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Suprised by Love

Somehow, someway, I missed Julie Lessman. How have I never read one of her titles? She writes what I like to read and she does it so well. The only disappointment I felt in reading this book was that it was book three. I so wish I had read one and two, and not because I needed them to enjoy Surprised by Love. This book stands alone, but you will want to get to know the stories of the other characters in this title.

In Surprised by Love, Megan McClare is returning home after spending a year in Paris. She has changed so much in her time away from San Fransico. All grown up and gorgeous, Meg reunites with her long time and dear friend Bram. Bram is taken aback when he feels attracted to the girl who he often thought of as a sister. As a bonus, Lessman includes a second love story in Megan’s mother Caitlyn and her Uncle Logan. It sounds kind of odd, but Logan was her father’s brother and her father is no longer living. The arrangement made for a page turner. I was excited to see to relationships develop between characters and in a wholesome way. I loved it!

If you are a long time fan of Julie Lessman or a lover of Christian Historical Fiction, I know you will enjoy Surprised by Love. I am excited to discover another fabulous author in this genre. I received a complimentary copy of this book by its publisher in exchange for an honest review. I have not been compensated and all opinions are my own.

Book Review: Churchless

05 Wednesday Nov 2014

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Churchless

Churchless written by Barna Group, is not a book intended for the masses. Honestly, outside of Christian circles, a reader would be mystified by this particular title. Editors George Barna and David Kinnaman have provided an amazing piece of research for churches and for the Christian who have noticed the culture shift in our country. Quite frankly, it is hard to miss! Churchless offers insight into our nation and why church is no longer a priority even for those who claim to know Christ.

I think one of the most striking descriptions in this book is that of the “actively churched.” According to Churchless, actively churched can be defined as those who attend church once a month. This truly shocked my socks off! Maybe I am old-fashioned, but to think that the most devoted to the church attend so little is a discouraging thought.

According to Churchless, 1 in 6 “unchurched” Americans is a born-again Christian, totaling 18 million people. If all of them came to church on a Sunday, it would be the equivalent of adding 50 people to each of the 320,000 Protestant churches in the United States! I am guessing most churches haven’t seen that many first-time guests in a long time. There are many more golden nuggets of information in this book that make it a must read for churches and Christians.  The best of which is a detailed list of  what does and does not work in attracting the “churchless” to your church backed up by researched data.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book by its publisher, Tyndale House in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I have not been compensated.

At Bluebonnet Lake by Amanda Cabot

02 Sunday Nov 2014

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At Bluebonnet Lake

At Bluebonnet Lake is the first in Amanda Cabot”s Texas Crossroads series. It is easily described as contemporary romantic fiction written with the lovely state of Texas as its backdrop. In fact, I love to read books that take place in Texas. It is why I chose to read this particular title!

In this novel, overworked Kate Sherwood agrees to travel to Texas to allow her grandmother to revisit a memory. Soon after arriving at Rainbow’s End, Kate is no longer distracted by work, but by a handsome stranger named Greg. As a bonus, Cabot writes in a second romantic side story in Kate’s grandmother Sally and a local man who has experienced the loss of his dear wife.

To be honest, this was not my favorite read this year. I felt like it was a bit long-winded and some thought processes of the characters were over explained. If you enjoy location driven fiction with a delicate love story, this is likely a novel you will appreciate. Further, Cabot is picking up the story line in the next title in the series with characters you meet in this book. I am typically found of books that are tied together in location and related characters.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book by its author and publisher in exchange for an honest review. I have not been compensated and all opinions are my own.