No Regrets

The one statement most of us dreads, is that we are dying. Perhaps dying before we have even had the chance to do some of those things we always thought we would have time to do. So what do you do when you get that kind of news, perhaps even personally, or a family member does? All of us wants to live a life so that when we look back, we can see it was a life well-lived. Filled to the brim. A life without regrets. Perhaps those that get that devastating news are the ones living their life to the fullest. Making every single moment count. Because in all reality they don't know when that last day will be. But doesn't it affect us all? No one knows when our last day might be. We might go without any warning or we might go over time.

How can you take the time right now to learn to make the most of your life. To love deeply and unconditionally. To let the past stay behind. Forgive those who have wronged you and for whom you still might be carrying resentment against. How to choose life. To choose joy. To choose love and live a life with no regrets! In Robin M. Bertram's book, No Regrets, she shares her own personal journey of her own death where she began to take an honest look at her life, do an inventory and change some of the things she wasn't content to spend whatever days left, doing. You will learn in this book, how to live every moment as if it were your last. To see things through a biblical perspective and live the way God would have you spend that moment in time. To see blessings instead of disappointments with the things that happen to us and most of all, to participate in a thirty day Love Challenge, which is something of an intentional challenge for all of us. To live like we were dying. How very different our own lives would be.

We have the opportunity NOW to look at our life and make a change. To live a life now without any regrets so when we are facing our final days, we can look back in satisfaction, knowing we lived our life well and hopefully lived it for Christ! It will change your life in ways that will express the importance of living today with greater joy while making every moment really count. It will encourage you to develop an intimate prayer life, to develop a willingness to forgive, to embrace every good gift you've been given with a thankful heart and to live your life to the fullest because no one is guaranteed a tomorrow. Through Scripture combined with the insight gained from real-life stories with victorious outcomes, No Regrets will encourage you to forgive, to love, to mend broken relationships, and to begin building a legacy now so that when that days comes, there will be a strong spiritual legacy to leave behind.

I received No Regrets by Robin M. Bertram compliments of Charisma House. This book will help you overcome those "If only..." moments, and using the Pillars of Abundant Living, scriptures that will give you comfort, wisdom, and insight during your own personal journey. The Intentional Living section at the conclusion of each chapter are several keys that will help you become more intentional in living your life for Christ and embracing today. The Shareworthy section are text boxes scattered throughout each chapter to expand on the ideas in this book that are worthy sharing on your social media platforms, and the 30-Day Love Challenge is a way to personally evaluate your own love walk on a daily basis for thirty days to get an honest picture of where you are and where you can grow. This is such an inspirational book and one that would be a great gift to anyone dealing with their own personal adversity. I love that this book can inspire us even now to take greater responsibility for the life we choose to live each day, and for that reason well worth 5 out of 5 stars.

For more information about No Regrets, Robin M. Bertram or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

No Regrets by Robin M. Bertram

You can find Robin M. Bertram on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest books.

To read more reviews on No Regrets, please visit Charisma House Publisher's website. 

Kingdom of Grace

Grace as defined by a dictionary is unmerited favor or goodwill. Think of it as kindness, charity, or even mercifulness. It is what sets being a Christian or Christ-follower apart from the world's religion. There is nothing you can do to work your way into heaven, it's a free gift. You don't have to do anything to earn it, just simply take it and accept it from Jesus. Yes, it's that simple. That is why most in the world reject it or spend their lives trying to earn their way into heaven by what they do. Now, don't get me wrong, works are important, but they are a reflection of that grace we have accepted. It is what defines whether we are loving as Jesus would have. It is a by-product of Jesus transforming our lives and now that is what comes out of who we have become, a changed person reflecting the love and grace of Christ in our own lives, much like a mirror.

Cho Larson in his wonderfully written book, Kingdom of Grace, the fourth book in his Kingdom Series, allows us to see this very nature at work in the lives of believers. Using the way Jesus chose to heal people, He never punished them for their way of life up to the point of His healing touch. He didn't worry about what people might think if He touched an unclean man with leprosy, it was all done out of love and compassion for the person He healed. It doesn't mean others were simply neglected either. It was to demonstrate what the simple act of grace could do, not just in the transforming of the outside of someone but more importantly what it did on the inside. It just couldn't be contained! Jesus even asked those He healed to tell no one about what happened, but they couldn't help it. They were forever changed on the inside and out.

I guess it is easy for some people to see it in order to believe it. Imagine how many more people might be won over for Christ, if He simply appeared and healed all the diseases and illnesses in the world. But it is that kind of faith that won't last. It's like thanking someone for a gift you wanted, and then when you no longer desire that gift, you lose interest in it and even possibly the person who gave it to you. That isn't the kind of grace Jesus provides when it is genuine. It changes you from the inside so much, you can't go back to the way you were before. You don't want to! This is a wonderful book that explores that life changing grace in a way, you might not have considered before. Believers and non believers alike will all get something amazing out of it, if you are willing to be open to see what the grace of Christ looks like!

I received Kingdom of Grace by Cho Larson compliments of Westbow Press. This is such a profound book using the scriptures found in the Bible to illuminate the differences of the grace the world sees and the one that Christ offers to all who put their faith and trust in Him. They will be forever changed by the simple definition of grace according to Jesus. For this reason I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars. This would make for a great small group Bible study along with the previous books in the series to help you grow in your spiritual walk.

For more information about Kingdom of Grace, Cho Larson or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

Kingdom of Grace by Cho Larson

You can find Cho Larson on Facebook to stay up to date with all his latest books.

To see more reviews on Kingdom of Grace, please visit Westbow Press' website. 

Attend

Everywhere we look into our busy days there simply doesn't seem like there is enough time to get our items crossed off our "To Do" lists. The biggest challenge is not forgetting time with God during our busy days as Moms, Dads, Women and Men. So how do we find God in the ordinary things we do every single day? Is it possible that we can take time to converse and be in the presence of God while doing our mundane chores that must be completed like making our beds, cleaning up a mess, making ourselves a snack, lighting a candle to fragrance our home or even sitting with a loved one during a painful moment?

Laura Davis Werezak takes readers into the heart of 40 simply ways we can do just that and in the process find that God loves nothing more than to walk with us in every detail of our lives that we complete each day. Often times we feel cut off from God, when it is simply that He is very present, we have simply chosen to forget about inviting Him into the things we do each day. I believe we are simply forgetting those meaningful connections we used to have with Him and strive to find some time in our days and hope at the end of it, we will have a few minutes to connect with him. We find ourselves looking for the next best thing to connect with God so we can feel better about ourselves and the fact we even included Him into our day.

We need to begin to look for God in our every day moments. Take a moment and discover with all our senses that God is very present in everything we do. From the brush of the wind against our cheeks to the gentle kisses of water from rain drops on our skin. God is here. "Unpacking the truth of Isaiah 30:15, this book delightfully ventures through this process of turning toward God, resting quietly in God's presence and taking action to serve and glorify Him. To attend is to live with attention instead of retreating into a spiritualized reality or a digital virtual reality. To attend is to live the reality that God has designed, shaped, and formed specifically for us and for our benefit. Let us turn away from distraction, look one another in the eys and re-learn how to live in the world." (Front Flap).

I received Attend by Laura Davis Werezak compliments of Faith Words, a division of Hachette Book Groups. This is such a simple way to get back to understand the importance of our intimate connection to God in the simplest ways. God isn't looking for over-achievers, just people willing to spend some real quality time with Him. I love the simple lessons found in this book and learning to mediate and understand how things like making a bed can teach us to manage tasks better, and that even if you have a terrible day in which nothing goes right, at least you can come home to an inviting bed. A made bed gives you the encouragement that tomorrow will be better! This would be a wonderful give of encouragement to someone you might know that needs a gentle reminder that God is very present in all things. For that reason, I easily give this book a well-deserved 5 out of 5 stars!

For more information about Attend, Laura Davis Werezak or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

Attend by Laura Davis Werezak

You can find Laura Davis Werezak on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest books.

To read more reviews on Attend, please visit Faith Word's website today. 

When Jesus Was A Green-Eyed Brunette - Giveaway and Review

We, as believers, know that Jesus exists in the world, but He might not be as we would imagine Him to be. For some, He might show Himself as a homeless man in need of a new pair of shoes, He might be a pastor of a church who is dying from cancer despite all the prayers of his congregation, and He might even be a green-eyed brunette. It isn't Jesus really, as you might think, but it is the Spirit of Jesus living inside someone that shows us what Jesus is.

He isn't religious but has come to have a loving relationship with us. Some people get all caught up living their lives under such a microscope of scrutiny of God that they know they will never be good enough. That is living under legalistic rules of a religion and not what Jesus came more than 2500 years ago to do and that is establish a personal loving relationship with each one of us. Grace is what we all need more of and Max Davis' latest book, When Jesus Was A Green-Eyed Brunette, shows us everyday how we fail to see it when it does come in the smallest of things that happen to us. He shares intimate stories of how seeing Jesus at work in the lives of others transformed who Jesus was to him. In doing so, it changed how Max would live out the rest of his life and connect with others along the way to change them.

There are moments in this book when you will laugh and others that have you on the edge of your chair ready to cry and I believe the message is different for each one of us. It will be a personally journey of your own to see where in your life you need more of Jesus' love and grace and how it can open you up to new freedoms in your walk of faith with a deeper more intimate relationship with Jesus. There are so many amazing quotes and stories that they will all inspire more reading I'm sure in the future but more importantly it will wake you up out of your spiritual slumber. As Davis puts it, "Jesus is very much alive today and still does incredible things - sometime supernatural things - through us!"

I received When Jesus Was A Green-Eyed Brunette by Max Davis compliments of Worthy Publishing and FlyBy Promotions/Propeller LLC. I love how this book weaves personal stories of people's faith in Jesus showing up in ordinary people that reveals to us that He knows us and is fully present in our every day circumstances, especially in our difficulties. Perhaps a quote from John Bunyan (The Pilgrim's Progress) sums up the book best, "In times of affliction, we commonly meet with the sweetest experiences of the love of God." For me, this was a breath of fresh spiritual air and well worth a 5 out of 5 stars. This will be a permanent part of my personal library, one I know I will reference often.

Now for the best part, thanks to the amazing blessed generosity of Worthy Publishing and Propeller LLC, they are offering a giveaway copy to one lucky follower of my blog, Reviews From The Heart. Here's all you need to do to enter.

1. Be a follower of my blog Reviews From The Heart, or "Like" my Facebook page. 

2. Be a resident of the US and please no P.O. boxes.

3. Leave a comment below telling me why you'd love to win a copy of this book, along with your email address. I will be contacting the winner by email so don't forget to include it. You can even use the words (at) and (dot) instead of the symbols.

4. If you are on social media instead of a blogging follower, leave me a comment why you'd love to win a copy of this book. I will private message you if you're the winner and you can contact me to provide your mailing information.

I will notify the winner by email once the giveaway ends on December 16th.

For more information about When Jesus Was A Green-Eyed Brunette, Max Davis or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

When Jesus Was A Green-Eyed Brunette by Max Davis

You can find Max Davis on Facebook to stay up to date on all his latest books.

To read more reviews on When Jesus Was A Green-Eyed Brunette, please visit Worthy Publishing's website. 

"Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the
Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post. Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway.  If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win.  Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”

2 Chairs: The Secret That Changes Everything Giveaway and Review

Where would you turn in your time of crisis? When the floor falls out from underneath you? Perhaps the unexpected death of a family or friend? The loss of the only job that is keeping a roof over your head? A medical illness that threatens your very existence? You name it, but where would you turn? Would you turn to alcohol or drugs as a way to help you cope? Would you seek a family member or friend, perhaps a counselor or church?

Many people are living on borrowed time not believing or praying that nothing will happen this bad to them. But it will catch them when they least expect it and not every situation warrants a desperate plea for help, but often times help is needed. Where would you turn?

In the book, 2 Chairs, by Bob Beaudine, he offers you the opportunity to sit down for a heart to heart, one on one with Creator God. Don't believe it's possible? What do you have to lose? What if there was a 1 % chance He would show up, wouldn't you try?

Then comes the question of what would you say, if God was sitting in a chair next to you or even across from you. Bob Beaudine's mother gave him those three questions, that help put it all into perspective and allows you to hear from Him. Being a believer, and strong in my own prayer life, I thought, what did I have to lose? I mean to dedicate my mornings and spend a few minutes or more talking with God might open up a strong interpersonal relationship between me and God and I want more of God than what I have been experiencing, especially since a close friend is dealing with cancer for the third time and doctors believe she has less than a year to live. I mean how could I lose right? What insight might God have that will help me to help her deal with this. My personal experience with this was beyond what I could ever imagined or dreamed of and now it is the one thing I look forward to more than anything in my day.

I received 2 Chairs by Bob Beaudine compliments of Worthy Publishing for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation aside, from a free copy of this book, in exchange for my unbiased and personal opinion. For everyone who tries this, be prepared for something unexpected and unexplainable but life changing. What God has to say to you will be different than what He will say to anyone else. For me, my first conversation resulted in tears, then encouragement and finally a peace, I can't put into words but I know that conversation between God and I was as real as a conversation between you and anyone you could have. All it takes is two chairs and three simple questions coupled with the valuable insight Bob Beaudine offers in this book to help you in their personal journey to a closer relationship with Jesus than you could ever imagine. I would easily give this book a 5 out of 5 stars.

For more information about 2 Chairs, Bob Beaudine or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

2 Chairs: The Secret That Changes Everything by Bob Beaudine

You can find Bob Beaudine on Facebook to stay up to date on all his latest books.

To read more reviews on 2 Chairs, please visit Worthy Publishing's website. 

Now the best part. Thanks to the generosity of Worthy Pubishing, they are offering TWO giveaways of this book to TWO lucky winners. Here are your guidelines to enter:

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

2. "Like" Bob Beaudine's Facebook page.

3. Leave a comment below telling me why you'd love to win a copy of this book. Don't forget to include your email address. You can use the words (at) and (dot) instead of the symbols. If you don't include it, I can't notify you if you're one of the lucky winners.

4. You must be a resident of the US or have a U.S. mailing address. No P.O. Boxes please.

The winner will be notified on October 12, 2016, when this giveaway ends by email. Don't forget to include it with your comments.

Hearts for the Kingdom

We all know about God, while some may profess He truly exists or others deny His existence, the fact remains, there is a God. Some people may claim that He is simply someplace called heaven, far removed from the lives of us living on earth as if He is some entity that isn't concerned at all with us. So besides the Bible, how can we know for sure that God does really exist and that true change comes from a personal relationship with Him?

Enter Hearts for the Kingdom, the first book in the Kingdom Series from author Cho Larson, who quite literally takes readers by the hand and introduces them to the very real God of the Universe, Heaven and Earth and showcases what the life of faith looks like for a believer while casting aside any doubts that one might have in such issues like our foundations of faith, spiritual gifts, are we saved and if so, how can we tell, along with understanding such simple areas like worship, praise, forgiveness and unconditional love.

Cho Larson breaks down each of these relevant areas of the Christian walk for readers in what he calls Mission Possible. Taking it in small manageable chunks, along with Bible references, he introduces believers to what a life as a true Christian really looks like. From understanding the importance of creating a strong and lasting foundation, to realizing what worship really means and how we are all created unique and different in the ways we follow Jesus along in our spiritual walk. I found this extremely important because so often for new believers, they feel like they have to conform to the same spiritual mold, and in doing so miss out on the very aspect of giving God the glory while we struggle to understand if we are doing faith right in our own lives. We miss out on the personal growth that can occur when we simply agree to follow in Jesus' footsteps each day in obedience and look back at the end of the day to see where we may have fallen short and therefore learn to follow along more closely.

I received Hearts for the Kingdom by Cho Larson compliments of Westbow Press and the author himself for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation aside from a free copy of the book in exchange for my heartfelt and unbiased review of the book. This book is unique in that everyone will glean something different in regards to their own spiritual walk when they open this book. You might be a seasoned believer who has suddenly experienced a dryness in their walk and feel like God has grown quiet, this will restore that connection and allow you to continue to move forward, or perhaps you are someone who is curious about this "relationship" with Jesus Christ and simply want to know more about it. Trust me, then this is the perfect place to start. The chapter on worship really hit home for me, personally, because worship is different for everyone, from that private prayer time with God, to singing praise songs to Him at random points in your day, to standing corporately before a body of believers and still experiencing that one on one time with the Creator of the Universe. This is a great individual study or would work great with big or small Bible Study groups as well. There is something for everyone tucked between the covers of this book and the reason for the 4 out of 5 stars in my opinion.

For more information about Hearts for the Kingdom, Cho Larson or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

Hearts for the Kingdom by Cho Larson

You can find Cho Larson on Facebook to stay up to date with all his latest books and resources.

You can find this book in paperback, hardcover and ebook formats at your favorite retailer. 

The Sacred Year

How could staring at an apple for over an hour help you to change your focus? How could digging a grave help give you a deeper understanding of what our own mortality means? How long could you sit in a room in utter silence until you had to do something or engage in another activity? How can you learn to appreciate all that life has to offer when you can't seem to find hope and happiness anymore?

I found some amazing insights into one man's spiritual walk, Michael Yankoski during one year he entitled in his book, The Sacred Year. In meeting with a man known as Father Solomon, he engaged Michael to take his own spiritual journey to find deeper nourishment, deeper encouragement, and deeper hope in a book that follows, through the ups and downs of one honest questioner's year of spiritual practice. There are simply so many amazing things that my poor copy of this book is more dog-eared than not. From outstanding quotes that open each chapter to the insights Michael discovered in so many profound ways, causes the reader to stop and pause at their own life, and realize how much we are truly missing. From learning to appreciate a great meal simply by fasting for 24 hours gives you a greater sense of the food you are eating. A good meal is never more appreciated than when you have gone without food for a few days. How too often we simply give up appreciating the abundance of food and flavors we have available to us simply by walking into a grocery store.

How when challenged to learn how to reclaim items that too often we simply discard not because we can't use them any longer but because we don't want them anymore. "We humans throw away such an astonishing amount of stuff every year, especially in the developed world. Resources are scarce, clean air and water and land are precious, and perhaps one of the ways of protecting what remains includes reclaiming what we might throw away, like lumber scraps, clothing or furniture. If we truly don't want them, and they are perfectly good, why not consider donating them instead? Michael actually spent time dumpster diving to see just what we so often throw away that still has value left in it.

How learning what is really important instead of the stronger overtaking the weaker, building something bigger, better and bolder, when you consider what is the point of it all anyway? "Is everything we build just destined to become rubble in another's ambition? For all the power and wealth here, for all the cultural influence and clout these culture-makers possess with their red carpets and private jets, they will all - we will all - one day be six feet under." (pg 111). He gains an insight into his own mortality digging a grave by hand. "The fact that I'm going to be down there someday. That we're all going to be down there someday. And the whole world will just keep on going about its business above us, like we were never even here."(pg 114).

He uncovers how God views us all not as a harsh judge looking for the moment to wipe us off the planet but in discovering through a close friend who is dying of cancer, how God views sin in our life like as a father views cancer taking the life of his daughter. The father hates cancer with an absolute, burning passion. So sin is like cancer, eating us alive, diminishing what we're made to be. It's a cancer of the mind, a cancer of the heart, a cancer of the soul. And it has spread out like a tumor throughout our whole selves. And, like the Bible says, "the wages of sin," are like the effects of untreated cancer, "is death." "And God like the father of the child with cancer, hates sin, hates the cancer that is eating us alive. He loves us and so he hates whatever it is that is killing us. He doesn't hate us, though, He loves us. He loves us and hates cancer, hates cancer because He loves us. God desires for us to live, to flourish, to thrive. That is why He made us. That is why God keeps us in existence from moment to moment." (pg 131).

I received The Sacred Year by Michael Yankoski compliments of Thomas Nelson Publishers and Litfuse Publicity for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed here are strictly my own unless otherwise notated. There is simply so much to be gleaned from Michael's book and in his own year long search for something more than simply making it through this life doing the best we can with what God has given us. For those of you looking for a little bit more insight as the world grows at an exponential rate leaving us as debris in its wake, you just might uncover a true diamond in the rough tucked between the covers of this book.. I easily give this one a 4.5 out of 5 stars and can't wait to begin my own journey!

For more information about The Sacred Year, Michael Yankoski, or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

The Sacred Year by Michael Yankoski

You can also find Michael Yankoski on Facebook to stay up to date with all his latest books.

To read more reviews on The Sacred Year, please visit Litfuse Publicity's book tour page.


God is at work everywhere. And every-when. We only need to open our eyes and take the time to notice.

Michael Yankoski became jaded and disillusioned with his life as a Christian motivational speaker, feeling as though he was another act in the “Christian Carnival.” Religion started to become a façade instead of a deep, nourished, lived experience of faith. He knew he needed to stop talking about his faith and begin living and practicing it. In a sort of desperation, Michael dedicated the next year to engaging various spiritual practices, and The Sacred Year is a firsthand account of the downs and ups, the failures and successes of an honest search for answers to the human yearning for life, love, and God. It’s time to stop talking about your faith and begin living and experiencing it.

Join Michael and #EmbraceTheSacred—seek out God at work in the mundane and attend to what God is doing in your life. Share those moments on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and make sure to use the tag #EmbraceTheSacred.

As a thank-you for ordering The Sacred Year, Michael is giving away a free ebook! Email your proof of purchase of The Sacred Year to TheSacredYear@gmail.com, and you will receive A Straightforward Guide to Three Essential Spiritual Practices ebook for FREE! Learn more here.

 

Everything

"Sometimes our obedience to Jesus Christ costs others."

I know if you're a Christian, most of us can agree with that statement. Simply put following Jesus can cost us the lives of people who were once in our lives or often times keep people from truly getting to know us. Sometimes just the label of the term "Christian" is enough to steer people in the opposite direction. So just how do we keep on the path we are intended, while the world around us falls apart and points the fingers in our direction often times?

Jesus said it Himself, that persecution would follow those of us that take us the cross and follow Him. He never promised that the path would be smooth and beautiful along the way there, but there would be a cost involved. Is it one you have considered taking? Is it one you have questioned whether the effort is truly worth it in the end?

In the book, Everything by Mary Demuth, she illustrates some of those changes believers face on their walk of trying to be the best we can in virtually everything we do as Christians. She writes this book as a fellow struggler who is learning that what we think about God matters, how we allow Him to reign in our hearts matters, and how we obey Him in the moment matters. It all matters. Everything. Author and speaker, Mary DeMuth has been abused, foreclosed, abandoned, and betrayed. She has been pressed and drained till it was too much and it was enough to bring her to surrender piece by piece. In this book, she illustrates how she did it and hopes to encourage you wherever you are at in your walk right now.

Each chapter in this book includes a timeless quote or scripture reference from the Bible, a personal story from Mary's life, how she incorporates that into the Christian walk and what the Bible has to say about that situation, along with some discussion questions to draw you deeper into your own personal study or perhaps in a small Bible study group. There are chapters dedicated to worry, healing, dealing with your own thoughts, money issues and growing as a Christian. There are countless pieces of wisdom contained with these pages and ones that you will want to capture, notate and highlight to help encourage you when the storms of life come calling.

I received Everything by Mary DeMuth compliments of Thomas Nelson Publishers and TLC Book Tours for my honest review. Even great running cars need a tune up every now and then to keep it in the best shape it can be and to help keep it running smooth. As a believer in Christ, I truly believe that books like this one, are designed to encourage us and keep us running smooth and to keep up in the best possible shape we can be in our personal walk of faith in Jesus Christ. I encourage you to pick up a copy of Mary's book today and even use it for personal study or more importantly in a small church group Bible Study! I personally rate this one a 4 out of 5 stars.

For more information on Everything, Mary DeMuth or where to pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

Everything by Mary DeMuth

You can also find Mary DeMuth on Facebook by clicking here. 

To read more reviews on Everything from the TLC Book Tour, click here. 

Nudge

Have you ever experienced the nudge of the Holy Spirit in your life? Are you able to recognize that God is alive and active in every moment of your life and that He is actively working in every circumstance of your particular situation? Leonard Sweet’s latest book, Nudge: Awakening Each Other to the God Who’s Already There, encourages all believers to live every moment of their lives in holy awareness of Jesus’ activity all around them. Sweet contends that most people who claim to follow Christ are more adept at gaining attention than at paying attention, furiously beating bushes that advance their personal interests while not paying attention to the burning bushes all around them that showcase God’s activities. When believers begin to focus upon God’s activity all around them rather than on their own needs and desires, they will begin to not only notice what God is doing all around them, but will also be able to interpret and respond.

Nudge explores and explains a method of evangelism that causes believers to have all five senses fine-tuned to Christ’s active work in their lives. Sweet believes “nudgers” live their lives believing in the present-tense of Jesus, where Jesus is perceptible—able to be felt and sensed and experienced. Scripture study enables believers to actively recognize Jesus where He is appearing all the time–in situations, in people, in creation. Life then becomes filled with opportunities to “nudge” others to wake up to the alive and acting Jesus.

“Jesus spent His time creating a new sensory regime of the Spirit by telling stories (sound and sight), sharing meals (taste and smell), healing people (touch), and traveling the countryside building His team while connecting and praying with people (all five senses) that they might have life more sensational in all its dimensions, in all its senses,” explains Sweet.

Nudge reminds us that what we see is not all that IS, and that the nudge we feel reminds us to remain firmly present in the awareness of both. Living life in tune with Christ’s presence and activity all around us opens up hearts and minds to respond to others in ways that reflect Jesus. Sharing a hug, offering to pray for someone, or enjoying a meal with friends are all opportunities that become active encounters with the living Christ. If believers are paying attention instead of trying to gain attention, then they will be able to hear, see, taste, smell, and feel the nudge of the Holy Spirit and then, in turn, be able to nudge those who are seeking Christ toward an eternity filled with Christ’s presence. Nudge expresses Sweet’s hope that “someday we’ll trust [God] enough to know what He’s going to do so that we can be like Jesus and just show up where God wants to perform a miracle.”

I received Nudge by Leonard Sweet compliments of B & B Media Group for my honest review. I would easily rate this book a 4.5 out of 5 stars and a must read for any Christian who is currently experiencing a dry spell in their spiritual life.

Nudge: Awakening Each Other to the God Who’s Already There by Leonard Sweet

David C Cook/August 1, 2010

ISBN: 978-1-4347-6474-4/256 pages/Hardcover with jacket/$19.99

www.davidccook.com ~ www.leonardsweet.com