Forged in the Fire – Shaped by the Master
God wants to do great things through you, but whether or not his will ever comes to completion in your life depends to a great extent on whom you allow to shape your life. Do you insist on following your own patterns, habits, and ideas for change? Are you willing to allow God’s pattern to shape your life into a masterpiece bearing His signature? David met God personally and intimately through His provision in the wilderness, and it forever changed him into “a man after God’s own heart.” Joseph met God in the dreams of his youth, and when...
read moreSelf Help Advice for the Rest of Us
Are You Living or Existing? by Kimanzi Constable My rating: 5 of 5 stars I don’t know about you, but I don’t connect with some of the self-help Experts and Gurus out there. I know they do good work, and if their income is any reflection to the quality of their advice (which is what I’m supposed to think, I think) then their advice is worth its weight in gold. Yet I have a hard time peeling away the pounds of plastic and veneer of their presentations to find something that really feels genuine. I met Kimanzi Constable at a local conference...
read moreAn International Adoption Goes Terribly Wrong
We’re spoiled here in America. Laws are written to protect us from corrupt officials who use their offices for their own benefit at the expense of the helpless. We rely on just officials to hold our rights as sacred, as gifts from our Creator, as they hear disputes and work toward equitable solutions when inevitable conflict happens. Here between the oceans shores, a place where corrupt governments haven’t yet been allowed to flourish for centuries, we are spoiled. What happens when fair laws disappear under the whims of men seeking their own...
read moreSeriously, God? Really – Seriously?
Jenny Smith wrote Seriously God as a way to tell her family’s story. After building the stereotypical American home and career, Jenny and her family experienced a home foreclosure and job loss combined with high gas and grocery prices that twisted the family budget hopelessly out of shape. The title and the message of this book arose from Jenny’s heart-felt prayer. “Seriously? Really? We’ve been doing everything right, and this is how life is ending up? Seriously God?” The turmoil in the author’s life is the genesis of this book, and she...
read moreLetters to Ethan: A Grandfather’s Legacy
What sparked the idea to write Letters to Ethan? One day I started thinking about my own mortality and how I would want to be remembered by my children and grandchildren. I just didn’t want to die and leave them a memory, although positive memories are certainly important and valuable. I wanted them to know that they’re here for a purpose, that God loves them; that I love them; and I wanted to share the mistakes and miracles of my own life with the hope that it would be of some benefit to them as they encountered their own challenges and...
read moreBook Review – The Light under the House
What inspired you to write this story? I feel very strongly about the breakdown of the family and fatherlessness and how there is much dysfunction and despair because of it. I wanted to tell a story to shed some light on the situations that many face and hopefully bring some type of reversal to the current dynamic in whatever small way I could. I wanted to challenge men, fathers especially, to be who they were created to be … its certainly a challenge I face myself daily. A challenge that I often fail at but keeping picking myself up to...
read moreIntercessors Arise
As I read Debbie Przybylski’s latest book, Intercessors Arise (Navpress, 2008) my first reaction was not what I expected. A few chapters in, I was asking “Where is the fire? I’m interested in this subject. As a believer, I want a more dynamic prayer life. But this book is, well, uninteresting.” I’ve heard the anecdotal stories before, and felt I should pray more than I do. However, I already know this stuff. The book was missing the proverbial trigger. Debbie didn’t pull the trigger on how to make the reality she described a part of my life....
read more“Confessions of an Insignificant Pastor” Book Review
Who sets the image of what is ‘normal’ in a Christian’s life and experience? Where does the place of transparency reside in a Christian’s life when our culture promotes accomplishment, size and performance? Pastor W. Mark Elliot, in his recent book Confessions of an Insignificant Pastor confronts the image of what too often is the ‘rugged individualist’ Christian persona. In its place, he reveals a transparent, genuine, real “pastor from nowhere, just a nobody from zip code 47492,” and he’s in good...
read moreHow Can I Run a Tight Ship Book Review
Released early 2009 by New Hope Publishers, Kathi Macias’ How Can I Run a Tight Ship when I am Surrounded by Loose Cannons? is a light hearted look at discipleship from an experienced Christian writer. During our interview, Kathi described the book as “discipleship with a grin.” As I easily consumed the book’s message, I would have to agree. Like Mary Poppins’ spoonful of sugar, the sometimes thick discipleship message is a joyful read in this book. Kathi said her inspiration for the book was a conversation with a trusted...
read moreForged in the Fire – Shaped by the Master book review
Often people do things haphazardly then justify their actions with these words – God knows my heart. The truth of the matter is – He really does. “Forged In The Fire – Shaped By The Master” speaks to the issue of heart matters by bringing readers face to face with reality – we are ordinary people who can be used by God. How and to what degree depends upon the condition of the heart. Author, Tim Burns has presented a study that invites its participants to the table of choice and self examination. Throughout...
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