From this Day Forward: Five Commitments to Fail-Proof Your Marriage by Craig and Amy Groeschel

From this Day Forward: Five Commitments to Fail-Proof Your Marriage by Craig and Amy Groeschel is what readers would expect: a real, slightly sappy, and slightly comical, book of advice about marriage.

Craig Groeschel writes the chapters and leaves Amy a few pages at the end of each to insert a woman’s perspective. Craig gives a lot of personal examples – successes and failures – which of course help to endear his readers to him. The three commitments that the Groeschels address are 1) Seek god, 2) Fight fair, 3) Have fun, 4) Stay pure, and 5) Never give up.

This book was interesting. I chose to read it because it seemed as though it would be a concise, helpful reminder about how to freshen up a marriage. It was – and it was even a little less cheesy than I thought it might be. Craig Groeschel’s undertone is genuine – when I read I believed the advice that he was giving me because it seemed in tune with God’s design. I really only got a couple of lasting take-aways from this book, but perhaps that’s enough. Other parts will appeal to other people.

I recommend this as a book with basic ideas. It didn’t present any “wow” ideas, but it did offer some tips.

http://booksneeze.com/blogger/resources/9781400203048

The publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book through BookSneeze®. I was not required to write a positive review.

The First Christmas Ever, Illustrated by Dennis Jones

The First Christmas Ever illustrated by Dennis Jones delivers the happiness that the cover art suggests that it will.  

The highlight of this children’s book, as hinted by the fact that an illustrator but no author is listed for the book, is the artwork. It is the story of Baby Jesus. The story begins with Mary and Joseph traveling to Bethlehem and ends with a statement and pictures about Baby Jesus growing up and doing his Father’s work. The back cover of the book says that the book is for ages 4-8, but children as young as age 1 would be attracted to the pictures.

The cover illustration is what lured me to this book, and I was not disappointed. A strong, spiritual message is conveyed through the words and artwork. Dennis Jones has a talent for telling the story through his art. Every detail he includes seems to be intentional. What I noticed most were the character’s expressions. They gave a perspective that was not written down and that pushed me to recognize the character’s thoughts and anxieties during this story. I expected to read a story I’d read many times and simply enjoy the artwork, but the artwork actually made me see this age-old story differently – Jones’ details made me empathize with Mary, Joseph, Jesus, and the shepherds and to see the story through their eyes. I definitely recommend this book to others.  

http://booksneeze.com/blogger/resources/9781400203048

The publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book through BookSneeze®. I was not required to write a positive review. 

Kidnapped by the Taliban by Joseph Dilip

Joseph Dilip’s Kidnapped by the Taliban is a thorough account of a man’s kidnapping, rescue, and discovery.

Joseph tells about his background. He respected his parents and has a strong sense of family instilled in him. He tells about his passion for service, his education, his medical mission in Afghanistan, and his own wife and children in Colorado. And then he tells about being kidnapped by the Taliban. He writes in detail about each day – the conditions, his worries, and his hopes – but most notably his surprising interactions with the Afghan Taliban.

The main reason I wanted to read this book was to learn more about Afghanistan and her people, and I did. I’ve learned that Afghans value hospitality. I was reminded of how technology and media affect all parts of the world – we are all connected and live in a small world. I was reminded about how significantly situation and background affect a person. And lastly I was humbled by the heroism of American soldiers. This book made me think and held my attention. The book is thorough – no parts are left to the reader’s imagination, and not much room is left for creative thought.

I recommend this book to others. Joseph gives a compelling, honest, and humble account of his experience and leaves his readers with compassion and admiration for the Afghan people.  

http://booksneeze.com/blogger/resources/9781400203048

The publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book through BookSneeze®. I was not required to write a positive review. 

NIV Once-a-Day Bible for Women

The NIV Once-a-Day Bible for Women has an appealing cover.

This is a daily study Bible. The Bible is designed to be read in 365 days. Each day’s reading includes scripture from the Old Testament, the New Testament, and Psalms or Proverbs. Also included in each day’s reading is a devotional intended, of course, for women. Also included are some maps and tables and a few indexes to make searching helpful.

What I like about this Bible is the variety of material that is included in the daily readings. However, this Bible is not easy to use. There is not an easy way to flip back and forth between the daily readings and the index. If I move away from my daily reading page, I have to flip and flip until I find it again. Also, there isn’t a way to keep track of how many days I’ve read. I would like to have a checklist so I can see what days I’ve completed – and maybe skip around a bit – but that isn’t an option. The devotionals included in each section are basic and don’t seem to be especially for women. They aren’t inspiring or challenging. Mainly because it’s not user friendly, I do not recommend this Bible.  

http://booksneeze.com/blogger/resources/9781400203048

The publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book through BookSneeze®. I was not required to write a positive review. 

"Get to Know King David" by Nancy I. Sanders

 “Get to Know King David” by Nancy I. Sanders is a colorful, interesting, and educational book.

This children’s book seems to be appropriate for kids as young as age six. It is a chapter book: Sanders organizes her book into twelve chapters that span David’s life beginning with chapter 1 “A Shepherd Boy” to chapter 12 “David’s Throne Forever.” The purpose of the book is to introduce kids to King David – to show the various parts of his life from killing Goliath, to fleeing from Saul, to becoming King, to seeking God with his whole heart.

The illustrations and art in this book make it educational – even for adults! Sanders includes present-day photos from the Holy Land, photos of ancient artifacts, maps, and more. She’s also included four features to increase her readers’ understanding of the content: “Bible Hero” in which she highlights Bible heroes such as Peter and Nathan, “Eyewitness Account” where she includes information from someone who witnessed an event, “Did You Know?” Where she lists various facts, and “Word Bank” which gives meanings of words the reader may not know. Sanders has expertly combined research and narrative to make this an entertaining and educational read for kids, and I definitely recommend it. It is informative, objective, and prompts further study.

http://booksneeze.com/blogger/resources/9781400203048

The publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book through BookSneeze®. I was not required to write a positive review. 

"Blessed are the Peacemakers" by Mike Berenstain

“Blessed are the Peacemakers” by Mike Berenstain is another happy, satisfying story from Bear Country.

Not surprisingly, the antagonists in this tale are Too-Tall and his gang, who target cubs unlike them – especially Ferdy Factual and his friends. Surprisingly, Queenie McBear (of Too-Tall’s gang) and Ferdy earn the main roles in the school’s play of Romeo and Grizzliet . . . and love’s magic takes its toll. When the two stars profess their love on the balcony, Too-tall sheds his role and disrupts the play, and all bears start to push and yell – even Mamas and Papas. At the end, all bears learn a lesson, and the play and the story finish peacefully.

Opening this book after a 20-year hiatus from the Bear Family made me feel as though I was sitting on the couch again curled up next to my mom as she read. I remember also as a kid looking at the titles listed on the back of the books and wishing that I could read all of them, and I found myself doing the same with this book. This is the first book of Mike’s I’ve read, and while I was happy to infer that his books have religious undertones, I was concerned that they might be cheesy. But they weren’t. The peacemaker message was appropriate, concise, and direct, and I appreciated the intentional mention of the Bible. I want to read more of Mike’s books, and I definitely recommend this book to others.

http://booksneeze.com/blogger/resources/9781400203048

The publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book through BookSneeze®. I was not required to write a positive review. 

Bathsheba Bathed in Grace

Carol Cook’s Bathsheba Bathed in Grace tells the stories of eight Bible women.  

Each chapter is about a different woman: The book tells the stories of Bathsheba, Sarah, Hagar, Rebekah, Leah, Rachel, Tamar, and Eve. Each woman has a story that reveals some darkness: deception, lack of faith, misunderstanding, etc., and Cook shows the reader how each woman came out on top because of their choice to seek and follow God.  

The first couple of stories were interesting, but after that they were predictable and not challenging and didn’t hold my attention. The characters all had the same voice, and the emotion portrayed through the writing style seemed forced and banal. There were a few times when a new idea was presented; Bathsheba’s entire story gave me a new perspective on her role in the affair, and I also hadn’t before related that Jacob deceived his father and then was deceived by Laban. Most of the time Cook’s stories paralleled the Bible stories, but there were times when her conclusions seemed a bit far-fetched.

While I believe that this book was written prayerfully, I do not recommend it to others.

http://booksneeze.com/blogger/resources/9781400203048

The publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book through BookSneeze®. I was not required to write a positive review. 

The Jeremiah Project Part 1: The Scrapbook

A.J. Foltz’s The Jeremiah Project Part 1: The Scrapbook serves as a basic introduction to the book of Jeremiah.

Each chapter (the book covers Jeremiah 1-10) includes a Prelude, a Chapter Study, a Tag-A-Long, and a Scrapbook Page. The Preludes connect general life experiences to the content in the Chapter Study. The Chapter Studies walk readers through verses – a few at a time – and Foltz asks questions and provides commentary (history, context, etc.) to increase understanding. Answers to the questions are included at the back of the Chapter Study. The Tag-A-Long summarizes the chapter and introduces the next, and the Scrapbook introduces Jesus.

I’d been wanting to read Jeremiah for a while but felt intimidated by the content. When I saw this book, I thought it would provide a simple study and context to drive me into Jeremiah. The information provided in the Chapter Studies was intriguing and informative and propelled me to read the next and the next chapter. I didn’t find the other sections of the chapters to be interesting to me, as I was looking purely for a Bible study – not for stories, interpretations, or sermonettes. However, I can see how these sections could appeal to others. One frustration with the book is that the Bible verses that were often given as places for further study didn’t seem to be relevant to the material and topics they were supposed to be supplementing. I’m thankful that this study took me into Jeremiah, and once finished I continued beyond Chapter 10 and read to the end of Jeremiah.  

This book was helpful to me, but if the author wrote a sequel, I don’t think I would read it. So would I recommend it to others? Not highly, but for some reasons and to some people, yes.  

http://booksneeze.com/blogger/resources/9781400203048

The publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book through BookSneeze®. I was not required to write a positive review. 

Redifing Leadership: Character-Driven Habits of Effective Leaders

Joseph M. Stowell’s Redefining Leadership: Character-Driven Habits of Effective Leaders offers a gentle and compelling reminder of the importance of leading as Christ led – humbly and modestly.

Immediately, Stowell establishes the difference between outcome-driven leaders and character-driven leaders – and he spends the rest of the book guiding his readers on how to become the latter. Who a leader is as a person is paramount; our results are an effect of our character. Stowell helps his readers to reexamine how they lead and who they are as they lead. He segues into the truth that a leader is ineffective unless he is a follower of God, and he concludes his book by delineating some of the beatitudes from which would-be “kingdom leaders” learn “core kingdom attitudes” (137).

This is a book that I will keep in my professional library and reference often. While the depth of many leadership books that claim to be “Christian” are scrawled Bible verses as chapter subtitles, this book is nearly scripture-based – and at any rate, Biblical principles drive this book’s focus. I will reference this book because it is clear that Stowell seeks the Word and his tips are inspired from it. One of the main ideas that I gleaned from this book is that Jesus was a “countercultural, counterintuitive leader” (89). Our world teaches that leaders need to be confident and results-oriented, but Jesus was humble, modest, reliant, and meek. Stowell titles Chapter 6 “Where Have All The Shepherds Gone” and makes me want to focus on being a shepherd-leader (87).

I recommend this book to others. It is an unpretentious and gracious guide to leading as a follower of The Leader.

http://booksneeze.com/blogger/resources/9781400203048

The publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book through BookSneeze®. I was not required to write a positive review.

The Nesting Place by Myquillyn Smith

Myquillyn Smith’s The Nesting Place is a crisp, creative, and entertaining read.

Within the pages of Smith’s book readers are challenged to be at one with their space – with their home – whether the building their home currently resides in is a shoddy rental, an unshapely apartment, an empty mansion.

Smith invites her readers to take risks. Paint walls. Even in rentals. Put nail holes in the walls. Broken is beautiful. Stop worrying about the opinions of people who don’t live in the house. Make it a functional, beautiful house for the people who live there. Smith advises her readers on whose opinions to listen to, where to find decorating treasures, and what risks are worth taking.

The comfortable, honest tone of this book makes it easy to engage with. Through sharing her own mistakes and lessons, Smith inspires her readers to take chances with decorating and to embrace and take charge of our spaces. I left her book thinking “yes, I can!” The photos that Smith included of her home added substance to her suggestions. What came across in Smith’s writing is that more than a decorator, she is a homemaker. She has a desire to create beautiful, functional spaces for her family – and she has a desire for other women to do the same. I would read this book again for its soft advice and pleasant reminders about the importance of imperfect beauty.

I recommend this book to others.  

http://booksneeze.com/blogger/resources/9781400203048

The publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book through BookSneeze®. I was not required to write a positive review.

The Happiest Life by Hugh Hewitt

If read from the perspective given in the introduction – that this book is a gift to the author’s children – it is tolerable. It reads as an autobiography and displays anything but humility from the author.  

As promised on the cover of his book, Hewitt addresses seven gifts and seven givers. Each gift and giver is given its own chapter. Much of the book is consumed with stories and examples from Hewitt’s experiences with guests on his radio show. Hewitt has interviewed many colorful people, and this is clearly evident in his book.

Simply reading the list of what the seven gifts are and who the seven givers are would have been enough for me. They served as solid reminders. However, I found the chapters themselves to be vapid. Hewitt talked at length about his numerous interviews, and I found the prose to be pretentious. The word “wonderful” was used to abundance, and overall I think the book lacked substance, and as mentioned before, humility. Hewitt’s advice about the seven gifts and seven givers almost seemed unattainable for someone who hadn’t had his experiences – but of course they are not. Not that this is a requirement, but the only Biblical mention seemed forced and trite – Bible verses appeared after the title of each chapter.

I do not recommend this book to others.

http://booksneeze.com/blogger/resources/9781400203048

The publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book through BookSneeze®. I was not required to write a positive review.

The People Factor by Van Moody

Van Moody’s The People Factor is everything the cover suggests it is – efficient, honest, and interesting.

Moody addresses the many types of relationships that people have and confidently but strategically and carefully teaches why some relationships hold us back and others propel us. While giving Biblical and personal examples of relationships good and bad, Moody shows his readers what they are losing by being in toxic relationships and how they can be more effective by changing, ending, or beginning relationships.

On the cover of this book is the statement “How building great relationships and ending bad ones unlocks your God-given purpose.” Often books lure readers with spiritual references and promises and fail to deliver thoughtful, meaningful Biblical study and relativity. Moody, however, delivers. While teaching his Laws of Relationships, Moody delves into Biblical relationships as models for his readers. He does not simply give a passing reference – he searches their lives and stories for relevance for what he teaches. His laws are Biblical and logical. It was satisfying to read a book whose principles for living are authentically grounded in the Word. Reading this book often felt like a Bible study.

I recommend this book to others. Moody’s chapters are intelligent and easily digestible.

http://booksneeze.com/blogger/resources/9781400203048

The publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book through BookSneeze®. I was not required to write a positive review.

Humility: An Unlikely Biography of America's Greatest Virtue by David J. Bobb

If nothing else, Humility: An Unlikely Biography of America’s Greatest Virtue by David J. Bobb compels the reader to thoughtfully deliberate the definition and effects of humility.

Immediately, Bobb intentionally dismisses any “sissy” definitions of humility and highlights its strengths. He writes, “Humility is strength, not weakness. It is the crown of the virtues . . . It is the backbone of temperance, and it makes love possible” (6). With this definition firmly established, Bobb introduces “five humble heroes” (9): George Washington, James Madison, Abigail Adams, Abraham Lincoln, and Frederick Douglass. Bobb devotes a chapter to each American figure and shows how their humility engendered their greatness.

Bobb is certainly a committed and impassioned scholar. Nonetheless, I had a hard time following his theme throughout the entire book. All parts were interesting and informative, but at times Bobb seemed to strain to make connections to humility, and I think the book could have been more engaging if he included other character traits as well, and even stories, in an effort to highlight humility.

The section on Frederick Douglass was by far the most interesting, as it clearly showed how Douglass’ understanding of humility changed during his early years and how his change in understanding allowed him to become a magnanimous man. The final three sentences of Bobb’s book are true and provocative and encapsulate his message (and highlight his style): “The arrogance of our age supposes that prosperity is perpetual and success inevitable. America’s history of hard-won humility tells us otherwise. As individuals and as people, we must rediscover our greatest virtue” (188).

I recommend this book to other readers.

http://booksneeze.com/blogger/resources/9781400203048

The publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book through BookSneeze®. I was not required to write a positive review.