Grounded

By: Neta Jackson & Dave Jackson

Grace Meredith is an up and coming Contemporary Christian Music singer.  She is well-known for sharing her message about purity during her concerts.  Her passionate message stems from secrets from her past.  Secrets that she wants to keep hidden.  All seems well in life as she will soon be heading home to Chicago after her New Year, New You tour.  Grace loves touring but she is looking forward to returning home so she can see her family and her fiancé, Roger.  She is so excited to be engaged and feels it helps her share her purity message with even more passion.  Before Grace returns home she receives a shocking call from Roger.  He is breaking off their engagement as he feels her career is taking away from their relationship.  Grace returns home heart-broken.

This is just the beginning of Grace’s journey in the first of the Windy City Neighbors series.  Grace’s story is truly a heartwarming story about the grace and forgiveness that The Lord extends to us.  For me, this was a page-turner and it was hard to put the book down.  It was full of life lessons, romance and mystery.  I absolutely loved this book and cannot wait for the second book Derailed to come out in October!      

*I would like to thank Worthy Publishing for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

 

Beyond Heaven’s Door

By: Max Lucado

 

Come along on a journey with Max Lucado as he paints a beautiful picture of heaven.  Written in his unique story-telling style Max draws inspiration from scripture, as well as, real-life stories.  Max Lucado begins by describing his love of golf and how he felt when he was invited to the Masters Golf Tournament.  He was so happy to be at the event but he wanted more.  He wanted to go into the locker room.  The guard would not let him in because only players and caddies are allowed in the locker room.  The guard knew he was not a player and caddies are required to wear white overalls.  Max said his clothing was a clear sign that he was not going to be able to enter.  He relates this life experience to how we need to be clothed in Christ in order to enter heaven.   He then goes on to describe heaven.  I think Max said it best on page 74 when he described what John said in Revelation 21:4.  “Heaven will be great, he said, not just because of what is present but because of what is missing.”   Can you imagine living a life free of pain, problems, fear and sorrow?

I found this book to be very encouraging.  So often death is viewed as the end but really it is just the beginning. 

 *Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

 

Born to Be Blessed: Releasing God’s Promises into the Lives of Those You Love

By: John Hagee

In his new book titled Born to Be Blessed: Releasing God’s Promises into the Lives of Those You Love Pastor John Hagee uses scripture to illustrate how The Lord desires to bless us.  The first part of the book describes the Prophetic Blessing and how to release it.  Pastor Hagee also explains the difference between the Priestly Blessing and the Prophetic Blessing.  The second part of the book contains proclamations that can be spoken over your loved ones to release the Prophetic Blessing.  The proclamations include healing, family, new beginnings, protection, etc.  The book ends with a parting blessing from Pastor Hagee.

 
I enjoyed this book and found it to be a fairly quick read.  I enjoyed learning about the Prophetic Blessing and love the proclamations found in the second part of the book. The proclamations are great as they can be spoken over your loved ones but also used to encourage others who may be going through a difficult time.  I thought it is also worth mentioning that a portion of this book appeared in Pastor’s Hagee’s best-selling book called The Power of the Prophetic Blessing.
 

*I would like to thank Worthy Publishing for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Who is this Jesus: The Hope You Can’t Resist

By: Max Lucado

 

Max Lucado provides his readers with a unique perspective regarding the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.  The story is told from the perspective of a Roman solider named Claudius.  He was assigned to work in Jerusalem for a year and thought that it would be a peaceful place to work.  However, upon his arrival he had an uneasy feeling that would not leave him.  Jerusalem was not the peaceful place that he imagined.  Claudius soon found himself in a situation in which he did not desire.  He was given the assignment to work at Golgotha the day of Jesus’ crucifixion.  Claudius explains what he witnessed that day as well as the days to follow.

I love Max Lucado books and his relaxed writing style.  He can say so much with so few words.  This book is no exception.  I really enjoyed this story along with the original artwork provided by world-renowned artist C. Michael Dudash.  It was interesting to view the crucifixion and resurrection through a different set of eyes.  I believe this is a good book to read whenever  a reminder is needed of how much the Lord loves us.

*I would like to thank Worthy Publishing for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Full Armor of God: Defending Your Life from Satan’s Schemes

By: Larry Richards

 

 

 

The Full Armor of God is an interesting read about spiritual warfare. Author, Larry Richards, basis for the book is the book of Ephesians. The book is broken into seven parts and includes an Appendix A and B. Part 1 discusses understanding spiritual forces while Parts 2 – 6 focus on the Armor of God. The book concludes with Part 7. Appendix A and B discuss Christian Counseling and a “Live Free Support Group” lesson plan.

 

This book gives practical advice regarding spiritual warfare.  The author points out Satan’s schemes and what we can do to combat them.  One example is given in Part 3 about a man who was given a job opportunity that he always wanted.  However, the job required him and his family to move from California to Illinois.  The couple was excited about the opportunity but something was holding them back.  They became full of anxiety as the cold temperatures in Illinois would require them to purchase winter clothing for their three children.  They felt the calling to Illinois but did not have the money for the new clothing.  Larry explains how anxiety is one of Satan’s most common attacks.  He further explains how to combat anxiety with the shield of faith.  The book is full of other examples and guidance on how we can overcome the enemy if we only use the power given to us.
 

*This book was provided by Chosen Books for my honest review.

Revealing Jesus: A 365-Day Devotional

By: Darlene Zschech

 

Darlene is well-known for her song “Shout to the Lord” and for being an amazing singer, songwriter and worship leader.  In her new devotional, Revealing Jesus, she encourages people to see how Jesus is revealed in everyday life and how courage and strength can be found in His presence.   

 

I enjoyed this devotional and loved the unique design of the cover.  I also enjoyed the reader friendly layout.  Each page contains the month/day, scripture, daily devotion and prayer.  I appreciate how each scripture is written out at the top of the page for ease of use.  For those people who prefer to study from one bible version please note that several versions are used for the daily scripture.  For example, one day a scripture may come from the NIV version while the next day it may come from The Message.  I thought I would mention this as I have not found this in other devotionals and it could influence whether someone wanted to purchase this book.  Darlene also has a CD and DVD called Revealing Jesus to compliment this book.    

 

*This book was provided by Bethany House for my honest review.

Though My Heart is Torn

By: Joanne Bischof

 

 

Though My Heart is Torn is the second book in the Cadence of Grace Series.  Gideon and Lonnie O’Riley have finally found happiness and have settled into family life with their son Jacob.  Away from their hometown of Rocky Knob, they have found their home living with Jebediah and Elsie in the Blue Ridge mountains.  Lonnie’s world is suddenly shaken when she receives a letter from her father telling her that she must return home as her mother has fallen ill.  Gideon, Lonnie and Jacob travel to Rocky Knob only to find that there is no truth to her father’s letter.  Lonnie’s father lured them with a deceitful letter to resolve an issue that has come to his attention.  Cassie Allen has made claim that she is Gideon’s rightful wife and she intends to have him honor his vows.

Gideon and Lonnie are both distraught by the news.  Gideon thought he was a free man when he married Lonnie.  Unfortunately, she had no knowledge of his past.  Their lives take an unexpected turn as they find themselves traveling on undesired paths.  Will they allow God to restore their brokenness and find comfort in His plan for their future? 

I was not sure I was going to like the storyline but I could not put the book down once I started reading it.  It was an incredible story.  This author has a way of capturing your attention and not letting it go until you turn the last page.  I look forward to taking one more journey with Gideon and Lonnie in the third and final book in the series called My Hope is Found.    

 

*I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for my honest review.