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.”

The Real Force

I don't think there is anyone who hasn't see or heard about Star Wars. From those of us that were fortunate enough to see it play on the big screen back in the 70's to being able to share it with a new generation, there is something played out on the big screen that applies to all of us. A sense of good overcoming evil in the world and author Paul Kent takes readers into a 40 day devotional in his book, The Real Force.

In this book, he takes readers to 40 different devotions that begin with a famous quote from one of the six movies and then takes readers back to that particular part of the movie. He teaches us what happened in that poignant moment and how we can apply those same principles in our daily lives in a contemporary sense. As Master Yoda might say: "Inside this book, the answers are. Read it, you must."

An example of what you will find is Day 27 - I Hear Voices. "Mind what you have learned. Save you it can." ~ Yoda from the Empire Strikes Back.

"Everyone, it seemed, wanted Luke Skywalker's ear. Uncle Owen either barked out orders or begged Luke's help, depending on the day. Newly purchased from the Jawas, C-3PO kept up a barrage of questions and commentary. Han Solo cautiously probed Luke's thoughts on Princess Leia: "You think a princess and a guy like me - " Luke's quick "No" brought an end to that conversation.

The Jedi master Yoda taught, shamed, and cajoled Luke. Darth Vader shared shocking news that he was Luke's father - then urged the young man to join him on the dark side, suggesting they could rule the galaxy as father and son. The emperor coaxed Luke, over and over again, to give in to his aggression and hatred....

At times, we all need some affirmation and guidance. It would be great to have that in an authoritative, audible voice like Obi-Wan Kenobi's. God, however, tends to speak to Christians in different ways. In the Bible, He did sometimes talk directly with people. "The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend" (Exodus 33:11), and Jesus, after His ascension to heaven, got a proud Pharisee's attention by shining a bright light and asking, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" (Acts 9:4).

God's voice may never be as clear to us as Obi-Wan's was to Luke.But if we keep our ears tuned for God's "gentle whisper" (1 Kings 19:12) and confirm what we hear by God's Word, we will know exactly what He wants us to know.

Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. Acts 17:11 (excerpt pg 111-113).

This is truly a must have for any Star Wars fan as well as a firm believer who wants something unique in the way of devotionals that taps into that side of their life. How they can relive those famous moments in Star Wars films as well as get a bit of back story from the novelizations of those characters as well along with an applicable Biblical side we can apply in our lives today.

I received The Real Force by Paul Kent compliments of Worthy Inspired for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation aside from a free copy of the book in exchange for my honest review. This would make a great Christmas gift for any Star Wars fan especially in light of the new movie that comes to theaters in December this year. My family and I even had fun trying to guess who said the famous lines and from what movie they were from as part of our morning devotion. I would rate this book a 4 out of 5 stars in my opinion.

For more information about The Real Force, Paul Kent or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

The Real Force: A 40-Day Devotional by Paul Kent

You can find Paul Kent on Facebook to stay up to date with all his latest books.

To read more reviews on The Real Force: A 40-Day Devotional, please visit Worthy Inspired's website.

52 Little Lessons from A Christmas Carol

Just in time for the Christmas season, Bob Welch has released this amazing and beautiful Christmas inspirational book, 52 Little Lessons from A Christmas Carol. In it you will find those fond moments in the movie A Christmas Carol and how we can use those moments to impact our lives and those around us to help draw people closer to Christ in ways like never before. Most people have watched the movie The Christmas Carol and can identify with the them of the restoration and forgiveness and renewal Ebenezer Scrooge experiences in the course of one evening through the four spirits that visit him. He gets the opportunity to make amends before his life ends and therefore condemning him to the same fate of his partner Bob Marley.

The story of Ebenezer Scrooge probably stands out in all of literature as the one of the most redemptive - a hopeful portrait of a life radically remade and one that will inspire us all to take into consideration the little life lessons that can be gleaned when watching A Christmas Carol or perhaps reading it this Christmas in a whole new life and light. Bob Welch reminds us that if there is mercy for Scrooge, there must be deliverance in equal measure for all us in this heartwarming book.

For example in the Lesson 6 "It's About More Than Christmas" we are given a quote at the beginning of each chapter from Charles Dicken's classic novel, A Christmas Carol, and in this case, "The only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely." ~ Scrooge's Nephew, Fred.

"When you think about it, it'd odd that the world selects a particular time of year when everyone is supposed to be nice to everyone else. The unspoken inference is that you should feel no particular responsibility toward others the rest of the year. Oh, sure, children might be told their Christmas cache is dependent on whether they've been naughty or nice all year long, but the overriding message is that this is a special season of kindness.

"Dickens was particularly fond of the Christmas season, and he expressed that fondness in A Christmas Carol through Bob and Fred, the latter of who makes an impassioned defense of Christmas: " a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time: the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their hearts freely." Hear! Hear! But shouldn't we amortize such spirit all year long instead of offering only a lump-sum payment come December? The point isn't to deride such others-oriented thinking, but to remind us all that that's how Scripture suggest we should live: All year long, 24/7. Every day. In good times and in bad times. In sickness and in health. Joyfully. With others in mind. "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit," says Philippians 2:3. "Rather, in humility value others above yourselves." At Christmastime. and not at Christmastime. All the time." (except from Lesson 6, page 19-20).

I received 52 Little Lessons from A Christmas Carol by Bob Welch compliments of Thomas Nelson Publishers for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation, aside for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This would make a great gift for anyone who loves Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol or simply looking for a great inspirational book for Christmas that they can reference any time. There is so many great quotes and life lessons that you can't help but want to review the book or movie once again and see it from a different perspective. This would even be a great resource to incorporate into small groups Bible Studies or for youth or church lessons as well. There is so many great aspects you can glean from this book and it makes for a perfect book to begin 52 days before Christmas to put you in the right frame of mind. I rate this one a 5 out of 5 stars and has found a permanent home with my Christmas collection.

For more information about 52 Little Lessons from A Christmas Carol, Bob Welch or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

52 Little Lessons from A Christmas Carol by Bob Welch 

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

To read more reviews on 52 Little Lessons from A Christmas Carol, please visit Thomas Nelson's website. 

Heaven is for Real

The one thing we all hold onto is that when this life is over, it is not the end for those of us that believe that Jesus Christ, is the Son of God. That Heaven is a real place and it will be our eternal home. To say that Colton Burpo had a life altering experience would be an understatement. Colton Burpo, a 4-year-old boy facing a life threatening appendectomy is not expected to live. But with the countless prayers that are happening all around him, Colton makes it. In fact what he tells his parents over the next few months will be mind blowing to even those who are believers. Colton never died. He never lost his heart beat nor did the doctor's ever say he came close to death, so why then is Colton saying he went to Heaven and came back?

The one thing that no one can explain is how it happened but the explanations Colton gives his parents and those willing to listen, is that this is NOT the end. That Heaven does exist and it is real! He explains that he met Jesus and that he was introduced to a sister he had never met. He didn't know her name, because she said she didn't have one. Her parents never named her. When Colton shared this with his parents, they had no explanation since this was something they never shared with Colton or his older sister, Cassie. It was a child they lost while his mother was pregnant.

Now Colton shares with his father that he met his grandfather, Todd's father, who is known simply as "Pops." When Todd shares a photo of "Pops" to Colton, he told him that that is not the man he saw. He said that everyone in heaven is young and no one wears glasses. Todd then shows him a younger photo of his father, and Colton immediately tells Todd, "That's him, that's Pops!" As a pastor of his church, Todd has his own personal struggle with whether or not, what Colton claims happened, actually did. But soon enough he can't explain how Colton knows so much if he really didn't go to Heaven.

I received Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo and Lynn Vincent compliments of Thomas Nelson Publishers for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own. This book is a special movie edition, which contains photos from the movie, Heaven is for Real as well as photos of the real Burpo family, as well as interviews with the actors from the movie about how they felt about the story of Colton visiting heaven. This is such an exceptional story that everyone should read regardless of your beliefs, because it's about something extraordinary happening to an ordinary family that forever changed not only them, but those around them in remarkable ways. I easily give this one a 5 out of 5 stars. This contains the original edition of Heaven is for Real along with extras such as updates from Todd and Colton on recent events including the making-of-the-movie experience and "From The Set" Q&A's with the filmmakers and actors! Trust me, you definitely want this edition!

For more information about Heaven is for Real, Todd Burpo, Lynn Vincent or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo and Lynn Vincent

You can find Heaven is for Real on Facebook and stay up to date with all the latest information.

To read more reviews on Heaven is for Real, please visit Thomas Nelson Publishers website. 

The American Bible Challenge - A Daily Reader - Giveaway and Review

I've been a huge fan of The American Bible Challenge since it's premiere because not only is it fun, but they raise awareness of some great charities that are vying for the chance to win money to help out their causes. Yet for me, it's even more personal. It drives me back to my Bible. A chance to study in a completely new and fun way like never before and the best part of it is, that I can get my entire family involved in the process. For me, anything that makes learning fun, garners my interest and that's why I can't wait to share The American Bible Challenge - A Daily Reader by Troy Schmidt with you!

There are 9 weeks of Daily Bible Challenges backed into this wonderful hardcover book, and yes, the answers are included in the back. I found myself challenged in so many areas, knowing some things about what I remembered about things like the building of God's temple, but I missed out on the details. Something God finds important and also included in the Daily Bible Challenge. It draws you more into the Bible to understand, just why is all this stuff important anyway, and I was amazed at just how important the small details in my own life are relevant to God. He's all about the details!! Look closely at anything He has created and you can see this just all about a instant big bang. God really planned the way our lives are, and everything He has created and breathed life into.

The best part about this book is that is can be done in little over 15 minutes and still last forever. The Daily Reader makes this study more relevant in terms we can all understand, from social media, to catching the latest catch phrase to make interpeting the Bible scriptures easier for kids to understand.

For example defining why prophets were necessary back in the old days (Old Testament) asking a rabbi in Jerusalem traveling to Iran, walking into downtown Tehran, and saying, "Hey, get your act together, or God is going to destroy you." Probably not the best plan. This is what God was calling Johah to do in preaching his message of repentance to the people of Nineveh, the capital city of the Assyrian Empire, who were, at the time, oppressing the Israelites. So Jonah did what any sensible Israelite would do: he ran and caught a ship going to Tarshish, which was in exactly the opposite direction of Nineveh.

If you are truly looking for a way to make your devotions or Bible Study more fun, I would highly encourage you to pick up a copy of The American Bible Challenge - A Daily Reader by Troy Schmidt! It will take things to a whole new level and one that would make a youth study or Vacation Bible Camp more fun for everyone!

I received The American Bible Challenge - A Daily Reader by Troy Schmidt compliments of FlyBy Promotions and Thomas Nelson Publishers for my honest review and did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable one. If you're like me and are looking for fun ways to get together with your family and incorporating God's Word into it, then trust me, PICK THIS ONE UP! I rate this one a 5 out of 5 fun stars!!!

Now it's about to get even more fun!!! I'm going to give away a copy of The American Bible Challenge - A Daily Reader to one lucky follower of my blog, Reviews From The Heart. Here are your guidelines 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. Please No P.O. Boxes.

3. "Like" The American Bible Challenge on Facebook.

4. Leave a comment below telling me why you'd love to win a copy of this amazing book and how you plan to use it if you're the lucky winner. Don't forget to include your email address, otherwise, I won't have a way to reach you if you're the winner. You can even use the words (at) and (dot) instead of the symbols.

I will notify the winner of the giveaway by email when it ends on May 1st.

For more information about The American Bible Challenge: A Daily Reader, Troy Schmidt, or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

The American Bible Challenge: A Daily Reader by Troy Schmidt

Here's a look at just what The American Bible Challenge is all about.

You can also find out more information on the Game Show Network by clicking here.

"Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. 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."

Waking Up in Heaven

"My name is Crystal McVea, and in 2009 I died and went to heaven.

"How is that for an icebreaker?

"I am sharing that story with you, in this book. I knew God's plan for me was to share what happened with as many people as I could. Now, are there people out there who will think I'm a fraud, or a religious nut, or crazy? I'm sure there are. The truth is, I know my story is hard for some people to believe. I know what I went through is beyond the realm of what we can experience on Earth. But I also know that this book deals with the biggest and most important question of them all: Does God exist? Is there a heaven? What is God's plan for us? Why are we even here?

"I certainly don't pretend to have all the answers. In fact, I still have plenty of questions. Nor am I claiming to be anyone special. But what happened to me did happen, and now I know - after a lifetime of not knowing - that God does exist. He gloriously, beautifully, wonderfully does exist.

"And since God told me to share my whole story, that is what I'm doing - even though much of my story is painful and not always pretty. You will learn as you get deeper into this book that for most of my life I lived with terrible shame and horrible secrets. For the longest time I hated myself and believed I was worthless, and as a result made so many bad choices.

"But it's important to realize who I was in order to understand who I became. Some of what I describe about my time in heaven may be familiar to you from other accounts of people dying and coming back - the quality of the light, the shimmering entranceway, the presence of angels - but some of it probably isn't. Everything I describe is absolutely, 100 percent how I remember it - that has always been my one and only rule for sharing my testimony. Nothing is embellished or exaggerated even the tiniest bit. What I describe is what I experienced, nothing more or less.

"What I can say is that the things God showed me were simply astonishing in their power and impact, and now the reality of God's presence bursts forth from my heart every day. The truth is, I was more alive in those nine minutes than I have ever been in all my years on this Earth. I can only hope that through my descriptions, however inadequate they may be, you will feel even a fraction of the power and the impact and the absolute glory of what I experienced." (pg 4-5).

In the book, Waking Up In Heaven, author Crystal McVea shares her experience not only of her incredible nine minutes in heaven standing alongside God, but also the testimony of her entire life before and after that moment. It is painful to know and read how her childhood was and how often times, these things go on right next door and we never know it's going on. The people we may interact with may have stories similar to Crystals but we can never know unless we are willing to get to know them more and have them peel back the layers of shame and pain to reveal the person they really are on the inside. The book toggles back and forth between the moments of Crystal's experience in Heaven with chronologically walking with her from her childhood to the present through the chapters.

I received Waking Up In Heaven by Crystal McVea and Alex Tresniowski compliments of Howard Books, a division of Simon and Schuster Publisher for my honest review and received no monetary compensation for a favorable review. I was excited to read this book because it's not just another book about a person's experience of dealing with a life after death encounter, but also incorporates a memoir of Crystal's life. It's not always easy to hear stories that aren't the happily ever after fairy tales, but then again, most our us have stories in our own closets we aren't willing to let anyone see. I applaud Crystal for taking the step to share her life story as well as her after life story with readers. The time she shares of her heavenly experience is one I have always imagined it would be. Difficult to capture in words that pale in their description in human terms and one is which I look forward to sharing in one day. I rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars and highly recommend it to anyone who questions if God exists and what Heaven will be like!

For more information about Waking Up In Heaven, Crystal McVea or where to pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

Waking Up In Heaven by Crystal McVea

Video clip of Crystal McVea's testimony.

Mended: Pieces of a Life Made Whole

"If you would have told me fifteen years ago I would be working on a book about my Christian walk, I would have laughed. And so the story goes, right? God has a way of redefining our expectations.

It has been a labor of love to walk back through some writing published over the past four and a half years on my blog, Bring the Rain. The blog began as a way to keep family and friends informed as we walked through the pregnancy of our fourth daughter, Audrey Caroline, who we only got to have with us on this earth for a few short hours. I blogged through the brokenness and hurt, clinging to God's Word and a community emerged. Somewhere along the way I began to consistently get e-mails from people asking if there was some way to combine my more devotionalesque entries into book form. Mended is the fruit of that vision, and I hope it blesses you and reminds you how loved you are by your Creator. Has something convinced you that you aren't a worthy recipient of His love? Where are the distractions and the noise of life getting in the way of your walk with Him?

Whatever calls our name louder than the voice of Jesus needs to be identified as an obstacle in our walk. Life is busy and days are short. We don't take the time we need to let our souls breathe. I want to invite you into my little corner of the world for a few minutes of your day and ask you to sit with me in silence. There's no wrong way to read Mended. Go at the pace that matches how God is speaking to you. But as you start, let me suggest that you carve out a half hour out of the madness each day and let's talk about the way He loves us in spite of ourselves.

My hope is that will be a resource that leads you to pray and dig deeper into His word. I have given you some prompts to help with this along the way, whether you are reading alone or with a trusted friend or spouse. Each entry has a focused Scripture, a devotional, and then some brief application ideas." (pg 2).

In the book, Mended: Pieces of a Life Made Whole by Angie Smith, she incorporates her own stories as a way to help the reader look into their own life circumstances and be challenged to see how God can heal all those broken places and renew us in ways we might never have imagined. This would be a perfect for a women's small Bible Study to help heal the areas within us all that remain broken and make us feel less than perfect, when God's whole purpose is restoration in our lives. I think the way Angie has utilized her own stories creates a bonding of sorts with what women can relate to on their levels. The overachiever, the one never feeling worthy enough, the ones whose past is holding us back from the future God has imagined for us. This book does just that and more and one I highly recommend!!!

I received Mended: Pieces of a Life Made Whole by Angie Smith, compliments of Shelton Interactive and B and H Publishing Group for my honest review. Far too often, as women who are busy in families and marriages we place our own needs far below others and this book helps heal those places and makes us better equipped to deal with those challenges that women face. I rate this book a perfect 5 out of 5 stars.

For more information on Mended: Pieces of a Life Made Whole, Angie Smith or where to pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

Mended: Pieces of A Life Made Whole by Angie Smith

You can also find Angie Smith on Facebook. 

To visit Angie Smith on her website, please click here. 

The Ultimate Conversation

If you are a believer, then I am sure you understand that prayer is a part of a Christian's life. That there is a power to prayer and it's a direct line of communication for us to God. Yet so many of us wonder just how to pray or if our prayers are even worth it. Often times we find ourselves resorting to prayer as a last ditch effort when everything else fails and hardly believe that anything will change when we do. So how can you be assured that God hears our prayers, how can we tell if God is speaking to us, how do we know if our prayers fall in line with God's will instead of it being simply a wish list or to do list for God to act in our lives?

In the latest book by senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Atlanta and best selling author, Charles F. Stanley, he begins to answer these questions and such much more in The Ultimate Conversation: Talking with God Through Prayer. In this book, Charles Stanley answers the questions that all of us as believers have often wondered along with great stories from the Bible and scripture to encourage us in just what our prayer lives should be and what we should be doing on a daily basis. Topics include why you can trust God's character, how the Holy Spirit helps you pray, how to win your battles on your knees, how to pray for others and God's ultimate goal in speaking with you. You can help but be encouraged through this book as I found myself in desperate need of prayer when this book arrived. Just in the first chapter alone, I was immediately comforted.

At the conclusion of each chapter it closes with a prayer guiding the reader in the next step in working toward learning more about the will of God and in using prayer. This will definitely help you grow deeper in your relationship with God and enable you to understand just how simple and powerful adding to prayer to your daily walk will change not only your life, but even the lives of those around you that not only request your prayers but in some cases never ask. Lives can be changed in the most simple response to anything in a Christian's life. We need to make this a first response to our lives in all situations instead of a last minute desperate plea. See how your own life can be profoundly impacted today by picking up a copy of The Ultimate Conversation today!

I received The Ultimate Conversation compliments of Howard Books, a division of Simon and Schuster Publishers for my honest review and think this is a MUST HAVE for any believer. There is so much knowledge to work this into a Bible Study for a personal or even a small group Bible Study to grow in your personal faith with Jesus Christ today! I rate this resource a 5 out of 5 stars and can't wait to see the growth and changes in my own personal walk with Jesus.

For more information on The Ultimate Conversation, Charles F. Stanley, and where to pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

The Ultimate Conversation: Talking With God Through Prayer by Charles F. Stanley

You can also follow Charles F Stanley on Facebook by clicking here. 

Charles F. Stanley is part of In Touch Ministries and you can learn more by clicking here. 

52 Little Lessons from It's A Wonderful Life

"It's full of romance, that old place. I'd like to live in it." ~ Mary, on the night she and George throw rocks and make wishes at the old Granville House.

This is the quote from Chapter 19, titled " Don't look for What is, but for What May Be" in the book, 52 Little Lessons from It's A Wonderful Life by Bob Welch. In this chapter, the reader is reminded of how vastly different George and Mary view their world; for George at 12 years old working the soda fountain he informs Mary where Coconuts come from, "Tahiti, Fiji Islands, the Coral Sea!" Mary has no idea where they come from, she just wants chocolate ice cream while George wants to go exploring.

But here's the thing about Mary Hatch: She knows what matters. She has keen insight. Imagination. Initiative. Intuition. Perspective. And, when you boil it right down, wisdom. And what it all seems to tell her is this: the grass isn't necessarily greener somewhere else. Why not, instead, take what you have right now, right here, and make the most of it?

We first see that in the soda shop scene. Forget the ice cream. Forget the Fiji Islands. What Mary wants, among other things we can assume, is to grow up and marry George Bailey. It may only be puppy love, but when Mary whispers into George's bad ear, "I'll love you till the day I die," we're witnessing the initiative of a young woman who knows something good when she sees it. Never mind that this model comes with its deficiencies; the kid can't hear out of one ear since he jumped into that icy pond to save his brother. Despite George's weaknesses, Mary sees something special in him. Mary sees potential in things where most see only weaknesses, like God does with us. He doesn't care as much about where we've been as where we are going. About what we look like now as what we might look like in the future. About the defeats of yesterday as what might be our victories of tomorrow. With Him, all things are made new. Even decrepit folks like us." (pg, 74)



This book takes readers back to their favorite Christmas classic and teaches us through the movie, It's a Wonderful Life, how God wants us to learn things through His word to make us better people. I am so excited to share this treasure with you through my review and since there are 52 lessons captured in this book, there is one for each week, but I had to read them all. Such classic lines are quoted to open each of the chapters, and we are taken back to specific clips in the movie to see things we didn't know were there, little nuggets of pure Godly wisdom that when applied can change our perspective on things much like how Mary Hatch views the Granville House that is abandoned and in a state of complete disrepair. George doesn't even want to live in it as a ghost but Mary sees the potential of what good be.

We are reminded that it's far too easy to focus on how bad things look instead of simply changing our perspectives and seeing the greatness that is there instead. Mary's ability to take what life has given her and she makes the most of it. Quite simply, Mary teaches us that the best things in life are simple things that surround us, especially when coupled with our imaginations. Then we can exploit those things for goodness. And with God's help, to make it more than anyone else could have imagined.



I received 52 Little Lessons from It's A Wonderful Life by Bob Welch compliments of Thomas Nelson Publishers for my honest review and HIGHLY RECOMMEND this one to anyone who is a fan of It's A Wonderful Life. There are such amazing things tucked inside this wonderful book, fun movie facts, and life lessons that are bound to keep the Christmas spirit going inside us all year long. I easily rate this as a 5 out of 5 stars and will definitely keep this one near me all year long for reference and a constant reminder of what is good in our lives everyday if we are simply willing to find it.

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

52 Little Lessons from It's A Wonderful Life by Bob Welch

You can also visit Bob Welch's website by clicking here.

Become a follower of Bob's on Facebook as well.

Globequake

In today's news, we are bombarded with stories of unrest, joblessness, health care concerns, the state of our country, and it seems as if we have lost hope. We are searching for something more than the current state of the country and wondering to ourselves just when will it end? How bad will things get? Will it ever get any better?

When the offer came to me to review Wallace Henley's book, Globequake and reading the synopsis of what it was about, I had to read it. Too often I find myself wondering if we are on the threshold of something bad just about to happen before Christ, himself, returns and puts an end to all this unrest. Christians still remain the most persecuted people in the world and why is that, when all the other religions of the world remain virtually untouched. Is there some piece of wisdom to glean from it all when you look back at the course of history from the time of Christ's birth?

Wallace Henley believes there is and offers insight into the signs that seem to overlap one another whenever chaos seems to reign out of control and how to offer hope to the Christian during such trials. While the book is difficult to get into, there are moments of clarity where you find information that creates an "Ah-ha" moment for the reader throughout. I love where he takes a look at seemingly difficult situations but shows that with great leadership most of them can be overcome and hope is assured. Using examples from George Washington and Winston Churchill that had to endure difficult wars where people need a strong leader to rise, remain calm and instill in the people they led that it will get better.

History has proved that when chaos is intense and doom is certain, there must be an immovable center. Right at the core there must be a point so sturdy that those hurtling through terrifying change can lock on and find safety, sanity, and stability. He provides amazing scriptural references to all his ideas and using Hebrews 11, shows us that God often uses the most flawed people to bring about His biggest changes.

For any believer, we need to hold on to our spiritual beliefs, have faith and remember that nothing that happens in this world, doesn't happen without God's knowledge. We need to be diligent in our prayers even when uncertainty is right in front of us. God will provide the strength to endure it all and no matter how bad things get, we have to remember God is in control.

I received Globequake by Wallace Henley compliments of B & B Media Group for my honest review and think that it's a great book for anyone who needs that reminder of just how a Christian needs to view the world when things seem like they are falling apart. I rate this one a 4 out of 5 stars due to having a difficult time remaining focused on reading through this one, but like I stated before, there is wisdom in perseverance in reading it through!

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

Globequake: Living in the Unshakeable Kingdom While the World Falls Apart by Wallace Henley

You can also find Wallace Henley on Facebook by clicking here.

Growing Up Ziglar

If you were the child of Zig Ziglar, the world's biggest and most notable motivational speaker, wouldn't you think that you'd grow up feeling great and positive almost every single day? Well that is what Julie Ziglar Norman thought most people would think about her, if they knew who her infamous dad was, so she tried to keep it hidden as much as she could. However, when she could no longer hide it, she did the next best thing, she pasted on her best smile and kept all her negative feelings and emotions buried deep inside.

That is until the day God placed a call on her life that would change how people saw how she had grown up and what that would mean for those that would hear her story. In the book, Growing Up Ziglar, A Daughter's Broken Journey From Heartache to Hope, Julie candidly shares how difficult it was growing up trying to be the poster child of what she perceived to be perfect. She never once blames her father or anything he did or didn't do. In fact he set the bar quite reasonable, but Julie just never really understood the why's of why she shouldn't do things.

Her father understood that if drinking made you feel too good, that he should simply stop doing that, or if carrying on led people to believe that he was acting a different way than he should, he simply changed how that perception appeared. For example he never was alone with a woman who wasn't his wife or daughter for any reason. He didn't want rumors or gossip to spread even when there wasn't an ounce of truth in them so he didn't place himself in situations where people might get the wrong idea. While Zig set the examples by leading, Julie went in the complete opposite direction.

She lays bare all the things she did wrong growing up and hiding things from her parents, her self destructive behavior, drinking and getting caught staying out late, when the police had to bring her home. She tells from her point of view why she did these things despite her struggle to understand a relationship with God. She saw herself as a disappointment to Him, one that she couldn't measure up to when she failed and thus would end up spiraling right back into bad habits again. She shows readers how despite their lifestyle choices there is still hope and redemption in coming to God no matter how bad you think you might be. This is the story of her heartache and redemption back to God.

I received Growing Up Ziglar by Julie Ziglar Norman compliments of Summerside Press and Guideposts for my honest review. I think her honest and open story will really touch readers at the core of where they may find themselves and hopefully bring them back to God in the process. They will understand how deep and wide God's grace and forgiveness truly is and for that reason, I rate this one a 5 out of 5 stars.

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

Growing Up Ziglar by Julie Ziglar Norman