HOW TO HEAR THE VOICE OF GOD

Monday, September 18, 2017

WHISPER
How to Hear the Voice of God
By Mark Batterson

OVERVIEW: Mark Batterson believes that God still speaks and he's asking if you know how to hear His voice. In this book, Whisper Mark writes that God is actively speaking through: Scripture, Desires, Doors, Dreams, People, Promptings, and Pain. Batterson gives you the tools you need to unlock each of these languages. By learning to tune in to and decipher each language, you'll be able to hear His guidance in simple as well as life-altering choices. God's whisper can answer your most burning questions, calm your deepest fears, and fulfill your loftiest dreams.

AUTHOR: Mark Batterson is the New York Times best-selling author of more than a dozen books. He is the lead pastor of National Community Church, one of the most innovative and influential churches in America. One church with eight campuses, NCC also owns and operates Ebenezers Coffeehouse, the Miracle Theatre, and the DC Dream Center. Mark holds a doctor of ministry degree from Regent University.

MY REVIEW: He's done it again! Whisper is now one of my favorite books, replacing In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day at the top. Mark Batterson knows how to keep your attention. This book, like all his others is a book that is hard to put down.

Many people have a tough time believing God still speaks. I have struggled with this. But I find little in Batterson's book to disagree with. I'm still rethinking and going over in my mind some of his examples of persons hearing God's voice. I'm not saying they did or did not. I'm thinking and praying about it and always going back to Scripture. My advice is that you do the same. I think Batterson would encourage that.

I recommend this as a book that needs to be read by every sincere Christian wanting to hear the "voice" of God.

(I received this book from Blogging For Books in exchange for a fair and honest review.)

GOLIATH MUST FALL

Friday, August 18, 2017

GOLIATH MUST FALL
Winning the Battle Against Your Giants
By Louie Giglio


OVER VIEW: In Goliath Must Fall, pastor Louie Giglio uncovers a newfound twist in the classic story of David and Goliath. The key to living free from our giants is not better slingshot accuracy, but keeping our eyes on the one and only giant-slayer—Jesus. Put your hope in him and watch Goliath fall.

AUTHOR: Louie Giglio is pastor of Passion City Church and the founder of the Passion movement, which exists to call a generation to leverage their lives for the fame of Jesus. Since 1997, Passion has gathered collegiate-aged young people in events across the U.S. and around the world. Most recently, Passion 2017 gathered more than 55,000 students in Atlanta's Georgia Dome in one of the largest collegiate gatherings in its history. Louie is the author of six books. As a communicator, Louie speaks at events throughout the U.S. and across the globe. He is widely known for messages like "Indescribable" and "How Great Is Our God." An Atlanta native and graduate of Georgia State University, Louie has done postgraduate work at Baylor University and holds a master's degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

MY REVIEW: Goliath Must Fall found its beginning in a series of messages that were preached at Passion City Church. The book is recommended by someone as young as Sadie Robertson and as old as Dr. Charles Stanley. We all, regardless of age face giants that must be dealt with. Maybe not literal giants but BIG problems and challenges that we can't handle. This book offers a pathway away from the fear that has you in its grasp. God wants you to overcome your fears and He is using Louie Giglio and his book to teach you that Goliath must fall. Your Goliath!

Goliath Must Fall is written in a way that keeps your attention. As I read through the chapters I felt like I could hear Louie's voice. There are nine powerful, uplifting chapters. As you read through them your confidence will build. By the time your finish the book you will truly believe that your Goliath must fall. This is a book you will want to read and this pass it on to someone else who needs it.

(I received this book from BOOKLOOK BLOGGERS in exchange for a fair and honest review.)

EVICTED—Poverty And Profit In The American City

Friday, August 11, 2017

EVICTED
Poverty And Profit 
In The American City
By Matthew Desmond

OVERVIEW: In Evicted, Harvard sociologist and MacArthur "Genius" Matthew Desmond follows eight families in Milwaukee as they each struggle to keep a roof over their heads. Hailed as "wrenching and revelatory" (The Nation), "vivid and unsettling" (New York Review of Books). Evicted transforms our understanding of poverty and economic exploitation while providing fresh ideas for solving one of twenty-first-century America's most devastating problems. Its unforgettable scenes of hope and loss remind us of the centrality of home, without which nothing else is possible.

AUTHOR: Matthew Desmond is the John L. Loeb Associate Professor of the Social Sciences at Harvard University and co-director of the Justice and Poverty Project. A former member of the Harvard Society of Fellows, he is the author the award-winning book On the Fireline, coauthor of two books on race, and editor of a collection of studies on severe deprivation in America. His work has been supported by the Ford, Russell Sage, and National Science Foundations, and his writing has appeared in the New York Times and Chicago Tribune. In 2015, Desmond was awarded a MacArthur "Genius" grant.

MY REVIEW: This New York Times Bestseller has been named one of the best books of the year by many reviewers. I agree. Pamela Paul, editor of the New York Times Book Review wrote, "It doesn't happen every week (or every month, or even year), but every once in a while a book comes along that changes the national conversation...Evicted looks to be one of those books." At the front of the book there are forty-five brief, and some not so brief, comments from important writers and publications praising the book and author.

This book is well written and reads like a novel. I agree with author Rebecca Skloot who said, "Evicted is astonishing—a master piece of writing and research that fills a tremendous gap in our understanding of poverty." I was born in 1934 and grew up in this kind of poverty. I am now eighty-two and this is the first time I have read or heard of this kind of in-depth study.

The Epilogue, Home And Hope, offers some answers to this part of the poverty problem. They are Matthew Desmond's answers and you may not agree with all of them. But if you are interested or concerned with this problem—this is the book you need to read.

(I received this book from Blogging For Books in exchange for a fair and honest review.)

AS SOUTHERN AS IT GETS

Wednesday, July 19, 2017

AS SOUTHERN AS IT GETS
1,071 Reasons To Never Leave The South
H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
# New York times Bestselling Author

OVERVIEW:
Life Is Sweet in the South
Full of small towns and sparkling cities, this welcoming area invites all who visit to put your feet up, have a glass of ice tea in a mason jar and reminisce on some of the most wonderful things in the South. Written by true Southern gentleman H. Jackson Brown Jr., As Southern As It Gets is a charming book of lists—a celebration of all things Southern that will charm and delight anyone who was raised south of the Mason-Dixon or who wish they lived there.
Recall the tastes, sounds, and beauty of Southern treasures such as:
Juicy Georgia peaches in July
Glorious changing leaves on the Natchez Trace
A steaming cup of gumbo from New Orleans
The smooth, soulful voice of Patsy Cline
From Music Row in Nashville, to Daytona Beach in Florida, and Charleston to New Orleans, As Southern As It Gets will remind you of why we Southerns so love our home.

AUTHOR:H. Jackson Brown, Jr. is an American author best known for his inspirational book, Life's Little Instruction Book, which was a New York Times bestseller. Its sequel Life's Little Instruction Book: Volume 2 also made it to the same best seller list in 1993

MY REVIEW: My wife looked at the book and said, "It's certainly a pretty little book." I agreed. It's plaid, blue and white checked cover is lovely and the basket of beautiful, ripe peaches lures you in. The sub-title, 1,071 Reasons To Never Leave The South is intriguing. It makes you want to find out what they are. You will need to read the book to discover these many reasons. But do you want to buy a book in order to do that? I'm not sure. Except for the introduction and several pages with single quotes on them, this is not a book that requires a lot of reading. It is a list of 1,071 reasons to never leave the South. Most of them are just two or three words like, George Strait, sawmill gravy, seafood gumbo and many more. This is the kind of book I can pick up in a book store, thumb through it for a few minutes and feel I have read it. Maybe you're not like that. You may be the kind of person that wants to take a book like this, sit down and lose yourself in it for hours. Taking the time to dwell on each word, remembering, laughing, crying. So I recommend if you are interested at all in the South, take a look at this pretty, little book.

The introduction to this book is only four pages long but it is well written and interesting. After reading it you will be off and running. There are many interesting quotes like, "Try to be a rainbow in someone's cloud." by Maya Angelou. The first list is a list of 20 of his favorites, like cheese grits, sweet tea, blazes of azaleas. And then he lists everything else from A to Z. So there you have it. 1,071 reasons to never leave the South. I like this book and I'm glad to have it.

(I received this book from Book Look Bloggers in exchange for a fair and honest review.)

HOME—THE SENSATION OF BELONGING

Friday, June 30, 2017

ALMOST THERE
Searching for Home in a 
Life on the Move
By Bekah DiFelice

OVERVIEW: ALMOST THERE  answers the question "Is it possible to build a permanent sense of home in a rootless life?" The impermanence of home tends to be one of life's most recurring surprises. If home is where the heart is, what can we love that will quiet the restlessness within? Take heart. You aren't adrift after all. When our hope of home is rooted in an unchangeable God, we are not uprooted, lost, or made homeless by change. We become found ones on the move.

AUTHOR: Bekah DiFelice is a writer, wife to a former Marine, and mom to two kids. In Almost There, Bekah shares her story of discovering pieces of home in the most unexpected places. With imaginative storytelling and witty, relatable prose, Bekah offers wisdom for those struggling to belong in a world where home is constantly shifting. 

MY REVIEW: If you are an older, more mature adult you will find yourself nodding in agreement with Bekah DiFelice from the first chapter to the last. Memories. We all have them. We know what it's like to feel adrift. And we know what it's like to belong. If you are young and searching for a home in a life on the move. This book is for you. I agree with author, Jen Pollock Michel, "Almost There reads like a long-awaited letter from a long lost friend. It's immersive, as the best kind of storytelling should be. It's honest and warm, as the best kinds of friends are. DiFelice writes about home as it's lived and lost and loved. Her book is a rewarding read."

DiFelice wrote, "It was in the desert that I realized I was far from home." Maybe you have never been to the desert but you have always felt adrift. Going somewhere. But never arriving. You will find help in this book. Author, Dana Yeakley says, "Bekah enlists us to share in her inmost responses of faith. Her story is an enjoyable read that touches the deep places of faith many young women experience."

(I received this book from Tyndale Publishing Company in exchange for a fair and honest review.)

LIVING GENEROUSLY—A LIFE OF ADVENTURE AND RISK

Wednesday, June 28, 2017

GIVING IT ALL AWAY...And Getting 
It All Back Again
David Green with Bill High

OVERVIEW: David Green, founder of Hobby Lobby, says true wealth is based on faith, strong family, and generous living. This is his story and more. It is his best advice in print. In it he shares principles that have guided him in growing a business from scratch, weathering a Supreme Court case, raising a loving family, and leaving them a lasting legacy.The decisions you make today build the legacy you'll leave behind. Now is the time to begin.

AUTHORS: David Green is the founder of Hobby Lobby and an in-demand speaker at business and leadership events. he serves on the Board of Reference for Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and is a recipient of the World Changer and the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year awards. He and his wife, Barbara, are the proud parents of two sons and one daughter, grandparents to ten, and great-grandparents to eleven. Bill High practiced law for twelve years before becoming the CEO of the National Christian Foundation Heartland. His mission is to change the way people think about generosity and their practice of it. He is married to Brooke, and they have four children, two sons-in-law, and two grandchildren. He can be found at billhigh.com.

MY REVIEW: "In this book—part memoir, part personal manifesto—David Green, the founder of Hobby Lobby, shares lessons that can help you reap benefits for multiple generations. Dr. David Jeremiah, founder and president, Turning Point Ministries wrote, "Because of his faith and generosity, David Green has changed the world. His love and friendship have changed our ministry. His story will change your walk with God." Bestselling author and nationally syndicated radio show host said, "If you want to be smart, you find out what smart people do and imitate that. and I've known David Green long enough to understand that he is worth imitating. His business wisdom is surpassed only by his integrity and faith. This book reflects David at his very best.

I love the title and sub-title of this book: Giving It All Away...And Getting It All Back Again---The Way of Living Generously. What a challenge! This splendid book has five parts and an epilogue. Part 1: A Radical Way Of Living, Part 2: It's All God's, Part 3: Giving It All Away, Part 4: The Legacy Of Work And Family, Part 5: The Eternal Legacy That Is Right Now.

This is a small book. It is well written and easy to read. You will find it hard to put down. This is the kind of book you will enjoy giving to others. It can make a difference in their lives. 

(I received this book from BookLook Bloggers in exchange for a fair and honest review.)