Touching Heaven

"Every human is guaranteed a forever; it's just a matter of where "forever" will be spent."

Scripture says, "People are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment" (Hebrews 9:27-28). The ungodly, the rebellious "will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life" (Matthew 25:46 NASB).

"There are no ordinary people," C.S. Lewis reminded us; everyone we see, meet or know is an immortal being, destined to live our eternity in Satan's realm or God's." I've heard Reinhard Bonnke say, "The border to eternity runs parallel to this life and is just one step away. It may be crossed over any time by anybody." The question is" What are we going to do with that? We have a choice to make.

"Depending on which side of eternity's question you take, death is either dreadful or desirable; the greatest loss or the consummate gain. Charles Spurgeon preached, "Death to the wicked is the King of terrors. Death to the saint is the end of terrors, the commencement of glory." No one can anticipate advantage, benefit, profit in death - except for the Christian. If we don't live for Christ, dying means hell."(pg 110).

In his latest book, Touching Heaven: A Cardiologist's Encounters with Death and Living Proof of an Afterlife, Dr. Chauncey Crandall shares his many years of witnessing healing, loss of life including his own teenage son, and resurrections of many of his patients that he now prays for all of his patients as part of his practice and God has come through and shown him so much, he can no longer deny that God is real, and heaven is an eternal realm that goes beyond our senses. He has observed that when people are dying, they either register frightful reactions, including shock, torment or despair...or they reveal peaceful reactions such as calm and restfulness. There is almost never a middle ground - it is one extreme or the other, regardless of their symptoms or medication. He shares some of these first hand accounts that help him confirm that heaven does exist for those who believe in Jesus and hell awaits those who don't.

I received Touching Heaven by Dr. Chauncey Crandall compliments of Faith Words, a division of Hachette Book Groups for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation aside from a free copy of the book, in exchange for my fair and unbiased personal opinion. What I love are the stories of what he experienced as well as those of his patients, all coupled around what the Bible says about heaven, God and what believers can experience in their faith through Christ. There are scriptures referenced throughout to back up the claims of what he or his patients observed as well as Bible verses to conclude each chapter. I have no doubt that what he has seen and witness is true and look forward to the day when I too, step into my eternal life in heaven one day. This is a true testimony of the power of faith and what a life with Jesus awaits those who breathe our life. It also gives hope to those dealing with their own grief and loss until we are reunited one day in our eternal home. I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars.

For more information about Touching Heaven, Dr. Chauncey Crandall or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

Touching Heaven: A Cardiologist's Encounters with Death and Living Proof of an Afterlife by Dr. Chauncey Crandall

You can find Dr. Chauncey Crandall on Facebook to stay up to date with all his latest books.

To read more reviews on Touching Heaven, please visit Hachette Book Group's website.

GI Brides: The Wartime Girls Who Crossed the Atlantic for Love

"The US Army was not keen on its soldiers marrying while on duty abroad, and the process of obtaining permission to wed was an elaborate one. A commanding officer had to approve the application, and write a letter to the civil or church authority who would conduct the marriage, having interviewed the GI in question. The potential bride was also subject to questioning, usually by an army chaplain, and was required to provide character references. The Army did its best to dissuade prospective brides, who were often accused of using marriage as a ticket to a more prosperous country. Meanwhile, checks were made into any dependents of the GI in the US, to ensure that the husband could afford to keep his new wife. Unsurprisingly, the process often took many months, but any GI caught violating the Army's strict procedures was subject to a court martial." (pg 57)

In the book, GI Brides: The Wartime Girls Who Crossed the Atlantic for Love by authors Duncan Barrett and Nuala Calvi, tells the personal stories of four warbrides who weren't looking for love during WWII but love eventually found them. Sylvia Bradley, Rae Brewer, Margaret Boyle and Gwendolyn Rowe, all share their very different accounts of the war, their service, family life and what it was like coming to America. The stories are bittersweet because you realize that they were virtually leaving their entire life behind to follow the man they loved to come to a country where they knew no one. Their stories of one of courage, admiration and strength in the direst of circumstances and for some they didn't find the American dream but instead found a nightmare in the man they though they knew.

In my history classes, I remember learning about the lives of the more than 70,000 war brides that came to American looking for a better life, dreaming that things would be different, a land filled with hope and promise, of abundance and riches, but instead often found themselves denied entry. When they came off the ships bringing them to America, the very men they married, denied their marriages leaving them to the care of the Red Cross workers to help them find a way in this new world. Women with children were often subject to ridicule by the American citizens who thought very little of them, calling them prostitutes and worse. You discover how difficult life was living in Britain and London while bombs were literally being dropped at random.

"While soldiers were being killed every day on the Continent, life on the home front was far from safe. Since the Normandy landings, the Nazis had begun using two devastating new weapons. The V-1 or 'doodlebug', was a pilotless plane that would fall from the sky when its engine cut out, causing a ton-weight warhead to explode on impact. Even more terrifying was the V-2 rocket, which travelled at nearly five times the speed of sound. The only warning it gave was a sonic boom as it dropped from 30,000 feet, and could destroy a whole row of terraced houses." (pg 90).

I receive GI Brides: The Wartime Girls Who Crossed the Atlantic for Love by Duncan Barrett and Nuala Calvi compliments of William Morrow, a division of Harper Collins Publishers for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation and the opinions contained here are strictly my own, unless otherwise notated. This is simply a must read for fans of WWII non fiction. It is filled with pictures from the 4 GI Brides featured in this book and besides their personal memoirs, you get a lot of historical facts about what the process was like, that it truly is an exceptional book. It reads like a fiction novel, taking turns alternating the chapters between each of the four women. For me, I was so entranced with their stories, I found the toggling between the four to be a bit distracting and instead maintained my reading with one woman at a time, finding her name in each chapter to keep the story flowing. It is honestly that great to read. It is heart-warming, poignant and in the end you get a chance to get to know the authors a bit more personally and find out what it was like for them to write this book. You might just be surprised to learn even more about them. I literally finished this book in a handful of hours because I was drawn into the lives of these four women in unforgettable ways.  I easily rate this one a 5 out of 5 stars and it will definitely be joining my collection of WWII books in my personal library.

For more information GI Brides: The Wartime Girls Who Crossed the Atlantic for Love, Duncan Barrett and Nuala Calvi or where to pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

GI Brides: The Wartime Girls Who Crossed the Atlantic for Love by Duncan Barrett and Nuala Calvi

You can find Duncan Barrett and Nuala Calvi on Facebook to stay up to date with all their latest books.

To read more reviews on GI Brides: The Wartime Girls Who Crossed the Atlantic for Love, please visit William Morrow's website.

Train Tracks

I received a copy of Train Tracks by Michael Savage, the wildly popular host of a radio show, The Michael Savage Show which claims it is family stories for the holidays. I was hoping for a book geared along those lines but this one is merely a sampling of Michael's personal memoirs from his life and those people who he believed has a great impact on the person he became and how he arrived at his current lot in life. With that said, I believe the title is a bit misleading. While reading through his collection of stories from his harsh and cold upbringing in the 1950's, these would NOT be stories I would share with my family members. There is a story from the chapter, Boy in the Basement that tells of remembering a man named Charlie who used women in exchange for providing them with rag dresses, a different form of prostitution in my opinion and one that does not make for a story to tell family members or even appropriate for the holiday season.

If you are looking for a personal memoir of the life of radio personality and storyteller, Michael Savage than perhaps this is the book for you. It is not in my personal opinion a story suitable for family's or for the holidays. I received this book compliments of William Morrow, a division of Harper Collins Publishers for my honest review and have to say based on the misleading information not only on the cover but inside the book jacket as well, the reader will be confused when they pick this one up. There are some forms of profanity as Michael shares certain stories and others offer questionable content. In this case, my review rating of this book is 1 out of 5 stars. The story collection starts in his childhood and then move back and forth without a rhyme or reason. It's kinda of confusing. If you are interested in Train Tracks, Michael Savage or where to pick up a copy of this book, please click on the links below:

Train Tracks by Michael Savage

You can also find Michael Savage on his website by clicking here.

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow (November 6, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 006221084X
• ISBN-13: 978-0062210845

Viper Pilot ~ Giveaway and Review

First of all I wanted to say that having men like Dan Hampton in the Air Force and military for the United States of America is what makes our country the greatest nation in the world! I could not believe the stories that Dan has told throughout the book about all of the missions he has been on, along with all of the other fighters in his unit and in Iraq! From the moment you read this book, you get a thrill ride that puts you in the back seat (if there was one) of the F-16 “Fighting Falcon” or Viper as the fighters call it! Thank you Dan and all of the other fighters, front line and support groups for all that you do to take it to our enemies and keep the fighting away from our homeland! You all deserve the highest honors our country has to offer and I for one am honored to call you a fellow American!

From 1986 to 2006 Lt. Col. Dan Hampton performed 151 combat missions as a Wild Weasel fighter pilot, flew over 600 combat hours around the world and has logged over 3000 flight hours while in the USAF from 1986-2006. He has 21 hard kills on surface-to-air-missile sites. 4 Distinguished Flying Crosses with Valor, 1 Purple Heart, and more medals and accommodations than I can list. He is a graduate of the USAF Fighter Weapons School, USN Top Gun School (TOGS), and USAF Special Operations School. Dan spearheaded the 2003 invasion of Iraq, leading the first flight of fighters over the boarder and deep into Iraq and Baghdad and also has several awards for tactical innovation.

Now retired, he has time to write about all of his experiences within the USAF and all of his missions while in Iraq and other places around the world. This book, if not to tell you how dangerous his combat missions really are, will make you realize that men like Dan risk their lives on a daily basis for our freedoms we hold so dear in this country. So sit down, buckle up, and hold on for a kick ass ride so to speak! I could not put the book down when I started to read the real life story of this amazing man who not only lived through every mission and ordeal, but wrote about each mission as if he can recall every detail that happened at every moment within that mission. I am sure that each time he went up it was like tattooing a mental image of all of his surroundings when his life was on the line. Each mission he describes puts you in the cockpit with him and brings you into the life and times of Dan’s life while in Iraq!

From actually flying an F-16 that goes into battle to not only be used as a target for surface-to-air-missiles (SAMS), and all other types of rockets, and gunfire being aimed at him to hunting, targeting and destroying these sites. Their acronym of “YGBSM” (You Gotta be Shittin Me!) is perfect for the type of Wild Weasel fights these fighters incurred on a daily basis. Who else but the Wild Weasels would go into a heavily defended area, have missiles and all other types of gunfire target them and try to destroy them while they seek out each missile site and destroy them! Dan I had respect for you and all of the other fighters like you, but this book gives me a new found respect for all of our military.

I received Viper Pilot: A Memoir of Air Combat by Dan Hampton compliments of William Morrow, a division of Harper Collins Publishers for my honest review. I rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars and would give an additional 5 stars if I could! Thank you Dan for such a well written, action packed and authentic in every detail memoire of your life as a fighter pilot! READ THIS BOOK!!!!!

For more information on Viper Pilot: A Memoir of Air Combat, Dan Hampton or where you can purchase a copy of this book today, please click on the links below: 

Viper Pilot: A Memoir of Air Combat by Dan Hampton

You can also find Dan Hampton on Facebook by clicking here. 

Now for the exciting part, thanks to William Morrow they are offering a giveaway copy to one lucky follower of my blog, Reviews From The Heart. Here's all you have to do to enter: 

1. Be a follower of my blog, Reviews From The Heart. 

2. Be a resident of the US or have a US shipping address. No P.O. Boxes please. 

3. Leave a comment about why you'd like to win a copy of Viper Pilot below. Don't forget to include your email address as well. You can use the words (at) and (dot) instead of the symbols. 

I will notify the winner of the giveaway by email once it ends on October 22nd!

Mud, Sweat and Tears: The Autobiography of Bear Grylls

"Life continues to be an adventure, and in many ways more so than ever. I have had to learn to prioritize clearly in my life: to be safe, get home fast, and keep it fun - the rest is detail."

In Mud, Sweat and Tears: The Autobiography of Bear Grylls, I was inspired to pick this one up after reading a short article in Guideposts magazine about the life of the man we all know from his television show, Man vs. Wild on the Discovery Channel. Is all this staged? Where did his training come from? Why would anyone do this as a way to make a living?

This is where you will find yourself as you experience what it was like growing up as Bear Grylls. Being a born adventurer as a child, he often joined his father in expeditions that involved mountain climbing, romps through the mud and most of all a lesson in unconditional love and perseverance modeled through his eyes by his own father.

Bear struggled in school academically but was a huge lover of extreme sports, often found scaling the chapels on his school grounds at Eton College. He grew up and had a deep desire for adventure and soon found himself talking his best friend, Trucker into joining him at signing up for the Special Air Service or SAS, an elite group of what is known as the British Special Forces unit. The amount of challenges he would face there, would provide him with the additional support and love of adventure that would carry him through all of life's struggles.

He would later be called to put that mental and emotional training into affect, when during a parachuting accident, he would break his back in three places. It was one of many wake up calls where Bear would put his faith in God to the ultimate test, to see if he would ever walk again. He was almost lost to severe depression but realized without any goals to push for, he wouldn't likely recover. His next dream, to climb Mt. Everest at 23 years old. He remembered that from small acorns grow big oaks.

He would later on film almost six seasons of Man vs. Wild, Worst-Case Scenario, and a whole series on what it is like to go through basic training inside the French Foreign Legion; he would lead countless expeditions to Antarctica, the Himalayas, and the Arctic, raising more than 2.5 million dollars for children's charities around the world; he is considered the most admired person by the middle classes, second only to the Queen in the UK among many other things that have made him successful. There are also some great photos that are shared in this book of different aspects of his life up to this point.

His words of advice after it's all said and done, "Every day is the most wonderful of blessings, and a gift that I never take for granted. Oh, and as for the scars, broken bones, aching limbs, and sore back? I consider them just gentle reminders that life is precious - and that maybe, just maybe, I am more fragile than I dare to admit" (pg 401).

I received Mud, Sweat, and Tears: The Autobiography of Bear Grylls compliments of William Morrow, a division of Harper Collins Publishers for my honest review. The one them that remains a constant in this book is that through hard work and perseverance, you can achieve whatever you want in life. His goal in writing this was to show his roots: the early, bigger missions that shaped him, and the even earlier, smaller moments that steered him to become the man, husband and father, he is today. He wrote this book as a way of passing down the life lessons he has learned to his three younger sons, and there are so many great quotes and take aways from this book. I rate this one a 5 out of 5 stars and really admire the circumstances that he had to endure during his life that makes Bear Grylls, the man he is today.

For more information on this book, the author and where to pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

Mud, Sweat and Tears: The Autobiography of Bear Grylls

You can learn more survival tips from Bear Grylls at his Facebook page, by clicking here.

Fear, Faith and Patience

Just how far would you be willing to go to stand up for you innocence, even though it seems as if everyone else around you is willing to believe the lies? Would you be willing to risk public humiliation, being arrested and face trial in the face of lies? Felecia S. Killings takes her story to book format in her personal memoir few of us would be willing to face.

When Felecia was growing up she was an exceptional student, excelling well above her fellow students, so much so that her father withdrew her from private school and enrolled her in public school assigning her Advance Prep courses in all her subjects. Being a black student in mostly predominantly white schools, she witnessed racial prejudice throughout her high school and college years.

She vowed that by becoming a teacher she would work hard to treat her students better than they were being treated even if it meant setting herself apart from her peers. That is just what ended up happening as she found herself the center of controversy regarding the discrimination of students at Rodriguez High School in Fairfield, California in 2006. When white students were found to be driving recklessly in the parking lot of the high school with a Confederate Flag tied to their car and dragging a teddy bear with a rope tied around its neck on April 4th, Martin Luther King Day, they were given Saturday detention, while black students in the school received a three day suspension for using curse words on campus. It was clear to Felecia that something needed to be done even if she would lose her job as a teacher, she worked her whole life for.

She united with parents, teachers and faculty members to present her findings before the Fairfield Suisun Unified School District Board of Directors. She had tried to work things out with the principal at the school but nothing was done, so she was left with no other choice than to take this matter before the board. It seems like this type of discrimination and hate crimes were happening at other school as well and something must be done to change the policy.

What happens to Felecia during her stand to change the policy is what she believed God called her to do, a Queen Esther Prophecy, she believes and it only gets worse from here, just like Esther had to stand up for the Jewish people, Felecia will stand the ultimate test and you can read about her personal story in her book, Fear, Faith & Patience: My fight for justice in an injustice system.

I received this book compliments of Pump Up Your Book Tours and Felecia Killings for my honest review. This is one book that should be read by everyone who has ever tried to stand up for what is right only to face persecution of the worst kind. The best part is that God will stand with us through it all and I think that testimony of God's presence with Felecia is present in her personal memoir. I rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars because it shows that even today, persecution still exists for God's chosen people!

For more information about this book, the author and where to purchase a copy of this book, please click on the links below:

Fear, Faith & Patience by Felecia S. Killings

Cruising Attitude

I'm sure most of you have flown before and have had the opportunity at sometime to interact with a flight attendant. I think there are quite a few details we, as passengers, never consider when flying and that's just how hard of a job, flight attendants actually have. It takes more than a nicely dressed attendant who smiles graciously as you enter and sets about to make sure your flight is enjoyable.

In the book, Cruising Attitude by Heather Poole, a reader is taken on a behind the scenes tour of what it takes to make it to a flight attendant. From the long and grueling training most don't pass, to the crazy stories of some of the things passengers expect while flying. Not to mention just where do they go in between flights, what happens when flights are delayed and what are some of the perks about being a flight attendant.

Heather Poole has been a flight attendant for various airline companies in the past fifteen years and has seen it all. Things we would never think about but that people have tried, done and some have been arrested for. She shares some celebrity encounters without mentioning the names of just how some use their status and some are strictly just like us as passengers. I think for me the most unusual story is that flight attendants don't get paid until the plane leaves the gate, which means, when faced with delays, they aren't getting paid to hear our complaints. Another crazy story is one passenger who packed his deceased mother in a garment bag to get her to her final destination to avoid the exorbitant fees to have her shipped any other way.

This book is packed with amazing and down-right shocking stories of just what a career in being a flight attendant really is like and for me, makes me appreciate what they do a whole lot more. Never will I see them the same after reading this great book. I received this book compliments of William Morrow, a division of Harper Collins Publishers for my honest review and LOVED it! This one rates a perfect 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion and look forward to sharing this one with my readers. If you're a frequent flyer or are just interested in what it takes to be a flight attendant, you'll definitely want to check this book out.

For more information about this book, the author and where to purchase a copy of this book, please click on the link below:

Cruising Attitude by Heather Poole

An Invisible Thread

"An invisible thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place, and circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle. But it will never break." ~ Ancient Chinese Proverb

"Excuse me, lady, do you have any spare change?"

This was the first thing he said to me, on 56th Street in New York City, right around the corner from Broadway, on a sunny September day.

And when I heard him, I didn't really hear him. His words were part of the clatter, like a car horn or someone yelling from a cab. They were, you could say, just noise - the kind of nuisance New Yorkers learn to tune out. So I walked right by him, as if he wasn't there.

But then - and I'm not sure why I did this - I came back.

I came back and I looked at him, and I realized he was just a boy. Earlier, out of the corner of my eye, I had noticed he was young. But now, looking at him, I saw that he was a child - tiny body, sticks for arms, big round eyes. He wore a burgundy sweater that was smudged and frayed and ratty burgundy sweatpants to match. He had scuffed white sneakers with untied laces, and his fingernails were dirty. But his eyes were bright and there was a general sweetness about him. He was, I would soon learn, eleven years old.

He stretched his palm toward me, and he asked again, "Excuse me, lady, do you have any spare change? I am hungry."

What I said in response may have surprised him, but it really shocked me.

"If you're hungry," I said, "I'll take you to McDonald's and buy you lunch."

"Can I have a cheeseburger?" he asked.

"Yes," I said.

"How about a Big Mac?"

"That's okay, too."

"How about a Diet Coke?"

"Yes, that's okay."

"Well, how about a thick chocolate shake and French fries?"

I told him he could have anything he wanted. And then I asked if I could join him for lunch.

He thought about it for a second.

"Sure," he finally said.

We had lunch together that day, at McDonald's.

And after that, we got together every Monday. For the next 150 Mondays.

His name is Maurice, and he changed my life.

Thus begins a life changing adventure not only in Maurice's life, but also in Laura Schroff's as well. How one day when you make a small step towards doing something different in your routine, it will alter your life and take you on a different path that will make you a better person than you ever dreamed.

An Invisible Thread by Laura Schroff and Alex Tresniowski is the true story of 11-year-old panhandler, Maurice, and a busy sales executive, Laura Schroff and their unlikely meeting with destiny that fateful day. Much like the movies, The Blind Side, this novel takes the reader into the journey of what that one encounter did for both of their lives to enhance it and make it more than they ever imagined. It also shows us just how similar their lives were in how they grew up and how it made Laura more empathetic to the situation Maurice was in.

Forced into making a living for himself since his mom and family were hooked on drugs and in selling them as well, they didn't have time to look after Maurice. This is where Laura finds him that Monday afternoon, looking for some spare change to get enough to eat and a warm place to kill time before he heads back home in the welfare apartments that he shares at times with twelve other family members.

Laura is a successful ad executive now working the USA today and is single. All she does is spend time working and finding more clients to purchase ads for the newspaper. It isn't until that one Monday that she realizes that there is more to life than simply putting all her time and effort into her job. There is a life outside just waiting and she will at least change one life, one day at a time through her meetings with Maurice on Mondays.

I received this book compliments of Howard Books, a division of Simon and Schuster Publishers for my honest review and LOVED this warm story of hope being revived in both of their lives. Laura doesn't want to rescue Maurice and become his family, she simply wants to make sure that Maurice understands a different view of the world than what he has seen. She takes the time to really know Maurice and in return shares a part of her life that she hasn't shared with anyone, not even close family or friends. They compliment one another very well and the reader is in for a very memorable ride and an opportunity to see that there are no "chance" encounters! Hands down a wonderful 5 out of 5 stars that will restore our faith in humanity again!

For more information about this book, the author and where to pick up a copy of this book, please click on the links below:

An Invisible Thread by Laura Schroff and Alex Tresniowski

If My Body Is A Temple, Then I Was A Megachurch!

About the Book: If My Body Is a Temple, Then I Was a Megachurch: My journey of losing 132 pounds with no exercise!

IF THERE’S ONE THING that’s guaranteed, it’s that you will bust a gut reading comedian Scott Davis’ hilarious yet poignant story about how he lost 132 pounds without any exercise. Spiced with his trademark comedy and self-deprecating humor, Scott serves up a dose of reality about the correlation between the state of our hearts and the location of our waistline. Scott explores the spiritual depths and practical steps to losing significant weight and shows how you can adopt a healthy lifestyle too.

Whether you need to lose 150 pounds or five pounds, Scott’s hilarious memoir will not only make you laugh but it will also equip you for your own journey to a happier and healthier you.

About The Author:

Scott is a comedian, singer and entertainer. He received Christ at the age of sixteen on July 10, 1979. He graduated from Liberty University where he attended on a full scholarship for traveling with the Light Singers. While working toward his degree in cross-cultural studies, Scott traveled across the U.S. and to ten foreign countries.

Scott’s ministry has continued in the U.S. and abroad since his graduation in 1984. He has appeared on Mark Lowry’s videos and has written comedy for Mark while under contract with Word Records. For a year, Scott appeared weekly on the national television show, “The Mark & Kathy Show,” with Mark Lowry and Kathy Troccoli. Along with his weekly appearances, he has been a guest on numerous religious and secular radio and television broadcasts, including an appearance with comedian Dennis Swanberg on Swan’s Place.

Today, Scott conducts GET REAL national conferences with the nation’s top speakers and musicians. He also presents music and comedy concert events.

My Review:

This is a great book at what motivated Scott Davis to lose the weight and gives the reader insight into why Scott allowed himself to gain so much weight in the first place. I was expecting an insider's look into how he did it but it's more of a retrospective into why he began eating, how he felt during his binges and what he took away from the process in losing all the weight. In the end, Scott lost the weight through Quick Loss Weight Centers of Atlanta, which promises that you can lose between 3-5 pounds per week and still eat real food.

However, if the reader is looking for what the program looks like, you'll have to consult the Quick Loss Weight Centers of Atlanta. I was disappointed from that perspective but if you are looking into what lessons he learned along his journey with a comic flair and a whole lot of laughs then this is perfect for you.

I received this book in a eBook format compliments of Media Guests for my honest review and I would rate this a 3 out of 5 stars just for the fact it's a bit misleading on what you are hoping to get out of it and what you really do based on my comments above. If you're looking for another diet book, then this is not it. It's a personal memoir of one man's journey through weight loss.

For more information on this book, the author and where to purchase a copy of this book, then click on the links below:

If My Body Is A Temple, Then I Was A Megachurch by Scott Davis

For more tour information, you can click here.

Kisses From Katie

The average, eighteen-year old girl, when she graduates from high school begins to plan her future. When she has a wonderful boy she's in love with, graduated at the top of her class and her parents have told her she can attend any college she wishes, that is the perfect stepping off point towards her adult life.

Yet for Katie Davis, she leaves it all behind. ALL OF IT! Breaks up with her boyfriend, packs up enough personal belongings and leaves for Uganda, Africa. No college plans, no getting married, just leaves for a missionary life helping out in the orphanages in Uganda.

It started off as a year long project with promises to her family she would return and begin college, yet Katie could leave behind the new friends and children who truly needed her. Even though she was only one person, sometimes that's all it takes to get the process moving. To quote Katie in her own words:

"Sometimes working in a Third World country makes me feel like I am emptying the ocean with an eyedropper. And just when I have about a half a cup full of water, it rains: More orphaned children from the north migrate to where I live, more abandoned and dead babies are found, more people are infected with HIV. It is enough to discourage even the most enthusiastic and passionate person. And yet the discouragement lasts only a moment and God tells me to keep going. That He loves me. That He loves these people. That He will never leave or forsake any of us, not one. That my work is important to him. That love is the reason I just keep filling up my little eyedropper, keep filling it up and emptying my ocean one drop at a time. I'm not here to eliminate poverty, to eradicate disease, to put a stop to people abandoning babies. I'm just here to love. "



In the novel, Kisses From Katie by Katie Davis and Beth Clark, we see how one person is making a difference in the lives of children, one child at a time. This is the story of Katie Davis and how she is telling the story through this book of how God is changing lives through her hands and heart. She is showing people who can't communicate with her, the love of God and Jesus, and it shows in every single page. While at times she gets frustrated with efforts to not be able to help fast enough or big enough, Katie teaches us all through this book, we can all work towards helping to put an end to starving, orphaned children. God does provide enough, we simply have to ALL be willing to do our part to help.

I received this book compliments of Simon and Schuster for my honest review and was so deeply touched by Katie's story. How could you not? Katie's message is very clear. We may not all have a call of being a missionary on our lives, but we can all help. We can all begin today to make a difference in the lives of people all around us, we simply need to be willing. Once God finds a willing heart, watch out for the amazing things He will be able to do! I rate this novel a 5 out of 5 stars and if your interested in more about Katie Davis, the novel or where you can purchase this book, click on the links below:

Kisses From Katie by Katie Davis and Beth Clark

You can also follow Katie on her blog by clicking here.
If you want to help out to support the people in Uganda and Amazima Ministries, click here.