‘Life Without Limits’ Book Review January 15, 2014

Title: Life Without Limits: Inspiration For A Ridiculously Good Life

Author: Nick Vujicic

Rating: 4/5

This is the second of Nick’s books that I have read, the first having been Unstoppable. I find Nick’s writing to be humorous, truthful, and engaging, so I was very excited to have the chance to read another of his books.

In case you are not familiar with Nick Vujicic, this man was born with neither arms nor legs. However, his positive outlook, constant faith, and heart for others is truly an inspiration to myself and to many others. In this book he discusses ways in which we can live life…without limits. Whether the thing that threatens to limit us is our own insecurity, fear, or supposed shortcomings, he speaks truth on letting nothing stop you from living a better, more influential, and more fruitful life.

As I said before, Nick has an engaging writing style, using stories of his own experiences, as well as those of others, to illustrate points more clearly. This (at least for myself) made the book both easier to enjoy, and easier to understand.

There were very few aspects of this book that I did not care for. For example. Nick does not use a significant amount of scripture throughout the book. Although some appear occasionally, they are very few and far between. While the content of the book is still great, I would have preferred to see more scriptural support for the points that he made. My only other negative remark would be that if you have read another of Nick’s books, such as I did before this one, you may find multiple stories repeated in this book as you have already read elsewhere.

Overall, I would recommend this book both to Christians and non-believers alike. The truth that Nick shares and the way in which he does so creates a helpful, uplifting read that I hope you will enjoy.

Note: I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. However, my opinions are my own.

‘God Girl’ Book Review September 12, 2013

Title: God Girl: Becoming The Woman You’re Meant To Be

Author: Hayley DiMarco

Date I Finished Reading: September 2,2013

My Rating: 5/5

I absolutely love when I find a book that is both biblical, and practical. I do. I love when I can be challenged in ways that can be applied in my everyday life. This is one of those books. Directed towards teenage girls, it provides biblical guidance on living as godly young women. Touching on topics from happiness to communication, it offers a biblical perspective on issues that are far too often negatively affected by our culture today.

Hayley did an excellent job when writing this book. She wrote in a way that is easily understood, with it’s humor, comparisons, and stories. It was easy for me to become engaged and interested in what was being said, and often found myself thinking “oh, yeah! I can completely relate!” This writing style, along with the lists of applications at the end of each chapter, helped me to apply what was being taught to my own life, and to examine myself to see where I was and was not showing these godly attributes in my own life.

I would definitely recommend this book to young women. I read it in a single afternoon, and found that it was a simple read, yet was so full of applicable truths!

 

About The Author:

Hayley DiMarco is the best-selling author of more than thirty books, including Dateable, Marriable, Mean Girls, The Woman of Mystery, and Cupidity. She spent the early part of her career working for a little shoe company called Nike in Portland, Oregon and Thomas Nelson Publishers in Nashville, Tennessee.

In 2002 Hayley left Nelson and founded Hungry Planet, a company intensely focused on feeding the world’s appetite for truth by producing books and new media, taking on issues of faith and life with a distinctly modern voice. Shortly after founding Hungry Planet, Hayley successfully completed a nationwide executive search for someone to run the company so she could focus on writing. She describes her husband, Michael, as her most successful business acquisition!

‘The One Year Devos For Teen Girls’ Book Review August 9, 2013

Title: The One Year Devos For Teen Girls
Author: Dannah Gresh and Suzy Weibel
My Rating 2/5
I believe that it is very important that we are in God’s word on a daily basis. I also believe that it is important that teen girls have a firm, biblical foundation on practical, applicable issues in society today. I was hoping that this devotional would provide just that. However, I came to have mixed feelings about it.
I liked the way that this devotional was formatted. Each day’s reading began with a passage from scripture pertaining to the topic that is to be discussed. Next, the author shares her feelings, beliefs and thoughts with the reader, normally tying in the verse with a relevant subject. Each day’s reading ends with an ‘action step’ which is a practical, personal application based on the passage and devotion just read.
However, although I did like the format, or layout of the devotional, I was not overly impressed by the content. Although I thought the topics were relevant, important issues, I did not find the information, or thoughts shared, to be very deep or thought-provoking. I believe that the content was basic, perhaps even watered-down. It may possibly be beneficial for a new believer, but I do not believe that a more mature Christian would be challenged by, or learn from this devotional.
Overall, I would say that although I was pleased with the format in which the devotional is written, I do not believe that many girls would truly benefit from the content within it.
Although I would not necessarily recommend this devotional, I would recommend the Josh McDowell’s One Year Book Of Youth Devotions.
Note: I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. However, my opinions are my own.

‘Billy Graham In Quotes’ Book Review August 7, 2013

Title: Billy Graham In Quotes

Author: Franklin Graham with Donna Lee Toney

My Rating: 5/5

When I was baptized, my church gave me a copy of The Bible Promise Book. It was a little book that contained many different Bible passages, organized by topics. This book reminds me a lot of The Bible Promise Book, only it contains quotes from Billy Graham instead of Bible passages.

This book contains hundreds of quotes from Billy Graham, covering 110 topics from anger to abortion, from society to worship. Each section of the book contains a passage that follows the same theme or thought of the quotes that are to follow, laying a biblical foundation for what is to be read. And I found that the quotes contained are biblical, encouraging, inspiring, and applicable.

I am very excited about this book. I believe that it is a great resource that I can put to good use. Whether in writing, preparing lessons, or looking for a credible source to quote for a school project, I believe that I will definitely  be coming back to this book frequently. I would definitely recommend the book to you for your own life, whether simply to read, or to refer to, I believe that it contains biblical, truthful quotes that you would benefit from.

Note: I received this book free from my blog in exchange for my honest review. However, my opinions are my own.

‘Bible Savvy’ Book Series Review July 28, 2013

Title: Bible Savvy (4 Book Set)

Author: James L. Nicodem

Date I Finished Reading: July 21,2013

My Rating: 5/5

I love when I come across a book that is just practical, yet still full of truth. I do! They are biblical, easy to understand, and easy to apply. The Bible Savvy Series is one of those reads. Based on scripture, easy to read, and full of biblical, practical applications, I found this series to be very beneficial to me!

Epic: The Storyline of the Bible

In this first installment of the series, NIcodem walks through the Bible, making a brief overview of it’s vast plot. Working his way from Genesis to Revelation, he shows how all of scripture is one common theme. Even though there are 66 books within the Bible, they are all part of one plot: The story of redemption. He discusses the outline of redemption prompted, redemption prepared, redemption prophesied, redemption purchased, redemption proclaimed and redemption perfected. Seeing how all books and divisions of the Bible fit together under one common story line helped me to better comprehend how the pieces fit together as well as to be reminded that each portion of scripture is important and not to be overlooked as unimportant.

Foundation: The Reliability of the Bible

In this second book, we are shown just how we know that the Bible is what the Bible says that the Bible is (comprehend?).  The key topic throughout is how we know that the Bible is truly the word of God? How do we know that it is God-breathed? How do we know it is true? How do we know it is without error? How do we know that we can trust the Bible? Basically, it describes to us why and how we can have confidence in the Word of God. In today’s culture it has become extremely important that we know what we believe, and how to defend that belief. This book proved to be a wonderful tool in answering those questions, and giving me knowledge to pass on to others when this topic arises.

Context: How to Understand the Bible

Out of all of the books in this series, I believe that I found this one to be most beneficial and helpful to me. In this particular volume, Nicodem discusses each genre of scripture and presents you with how to properly read and understand them. He discusses books of poetry, books of prophesy and everything in between. As I read it I was encouraged to better study and search scripture as well as to better utilize outside resources in order to better understand the context under which different scriptures were written, which will help me to better understand the meaning of God’s Word.

Walk: How to Apply the Bible

I feel that this book did an excellent job at wrapping up the Bible Savvy series and showing why this is relevant and applicable to our personal lives. He also walks through the COMA outline and provides wonderful examples that allow you to both learn how to as well as actively practice searching out the context, observations, message and application of scriptures. It was extremely helpful in helping me to comprehend how to better understand scripture as I read and study God’s Word.

I would most definitely recommend this series to you if you desire to better understand, study and apply scripture to your life!

Note: I received this series free from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. However, opinions are my own.

‘Finding God In The Hunger Games’ Book Review June 19, 2013

Title: Finding God In The Hunger Games: 30 devotions to inspire faith
Author: Selena Sarns
Date I Finished Reading: June 18, 2013
My Rating: 3.5/5

I am an insane Hunger Games fan. After reading Suzanne Collins’ trilogy I discussed, contemplated and raved about the story for several weeks endlessly, and still do quite frequently. However, I never saw any Biblical parrallels in the plot, which is why the title of this book piqued my curiosity. I expected the book to be a bit far-fetched, failing to truly contain anything of use. Nevertheless, I grabbed my sunglasses, headed to the city pool, and floated leisurely in a tube as I explored this new devotional.
I was, in fact, delightfully surprised by what I found within the covers of this book. Where I had expected to find far-fetched, cliche points, I instead found biblical parallels that I could clearly see where I once had never considered before. Sarns did an excellent job of using passages of scripture and portions of The Hunger Games story to teach lessons through beloved characters. With topics ranging from unconditional love to gratitude, we find little life lessons tucked away between the pages of the trilogy.
There were only two negative aspects of this book that I discovered. The first is that although good points were made and explored, they were not necessarily deep or very thought-provoking. My second complaint has more to do with he book itself rather than its contents. I read the book within a day, yet as I neared the end, more than half of the pages fell from the binding, suggesting poor quality.
Overall, I would say that although this devotional is not extremely deep, I believe Hunger Games fans would definitely enjoy it. A word of warning, however: this devotion contains snippets of the story from all three books in The Hunger Games trilogy, and could contain spoilers for those who have not yet finished it.
Note: I received this book free in exchange for my honest review. However, my opinions are my own.

‘The Bondservant’s Life’ Book Review March 13, 2013

Title: The Bondservant’s Life: Foundation for Understanding Prophecy, and a Call to Maturity, Love, and Unity in the Knowledge of God

Author: John Brenner Chandler

Date I Finished Reading: March 13,2013

My Rating: 2/5

I was not expecting this book to be so big. Honestly. This book is a total of 500+ pages packed full of notes, thoughts, scriptures and teaching. It dives into the life of a bondservant and of submission to God.

Some positive attributes of this book would be Chandler’s knowledge. It became obvious as I read this book that he knew what he was talking about, and had illustrations, quotes, articles and other resources to support his thesis. I was impressed with how much scripture he brought into the book, making it centered around God’s word.

However, at the same time, I struggled to read this book. Chandler’s writings are very deep, but the way that he presents his beliefs is very difficult to understand. He is very wordy and at times long-winded. I understand and appreciate the use of good vocabulary, but this was excessive, to the point where it made the book difficult to read and understand. This is why I gave this book the rating that I did. While Chandler may have depth and substance to his writing, but how can you think on and apply the teachings if you can hardly make sense of what he is trying to say? I couldn’t.

Overall, I would say that this book had potential. It could have been a great resource, but the length and style of writing made it difficult to understand, enjoy, or apply.

Note: I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. However, my opinions are my own.

You can find a copy of this book here: http://www.amazon.com/The-Bondservants-Life-Foundation-Understanding/dp/0983810206/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1363189877&sr=8-1&keywords=the+bondservant%27s+life

‘Do Hard Things’ Book Review February 22, 2013

Title: Do Hard Things: A teenage rebellion against low expectations

Author: Alex and Brett Harris

Date I Finished Reading: February 21,2013

My Rating: 5/5

WARNING: If you do not want to be challenged or inspired to step out of your comfort zone and do something, then keep on walking, ’cause that is what this book is gonna do! Do Hard Things is the perfect book for our generation on rebelling against low expectations, and doing something hard, whether it is big or small.

I absolutely loved this book… and needed it too! Alex and Brett discuss very practical, very true points. They speak on things that keep us from striving towards and achieving big things, whether that is lies within the culture and media, or our own pride or fear. They explain to us where our mindsets are wrong, and how WE, teenagers can truly accomplish something amazing, whether it is ourselves individually, or us as a team. One point that I really needed was the reminder and encouragement to keep on doing the small hard things, cheerfully. They say that small things, such as chores, homework, and repetitive, even mundane duties help to strengthen us and to prepare us for the bigger hard things to come.

Alex and Brett did an amazing job on this book. They use humor, personal examples, and also the examples of others to encourage teenagers to stand up and step out. The book was actually fun to read.

I would say that I DEFINITELY recommend this book. Every teenager out there needs to read this and be motivated and encouraged to Do Hard Things.

Check out these links!:

• VIDEO: Do Hard Things
• Study Guide
• Do Hard Things Website
• More Info
• Read Chapter One
• Author Bio

Note: I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. However, my opinions are my own.

And you can find a copy of this book here: http://www.amazon.com/Do-Hard-Things-Rebellion-Expectations/dp/1601421125/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1361544289&sr=8-1&keywords=do+hard+things

‘Made To Crave For Young Women’ Book Review January 29, 2013

Title: Made To Crave For Young Women: Satisfying Deepest Desires With God

Authors: Lysa TerKeurst and Shaunti Felhahn

Date I Finished Reading: January 28,2013

My Rating: 5/5

Chocolate. Caffeine. Boys. Friends. Shoes. Stuff. Diets.  We all have cravings, and we all attempt to fill those cravings with different things or people. But the satisfaction is only temporary, or perhaps non-existent. Why is it that we can never find satisfaction?

In  this book, Lysa and Shaunti speak to young women on cravings and desires. They discuss emotional, physical, and material cravings, and the wrong things we tend to look to in order to fulfill them. This ranges from food to shoes to shopping sprees and all the in-between. They discuss the error in our turning to these things for satisfaction, joy, and contentment, and also encourage you to take active steps towards abstaining from these tendencies and longings, instead turning toward God and his love for fulfillment.

There were several aspects of this book I liked. Lysa and Shaunti do a great job at connecting with areas that affect each and every one of us, relating well to young women. They are also honest and open about the difficulties of turning away from cravings and idols in our lives, not attempting to give you a false view of this journey. They use personal accounts, real-life stories, and great illustrations to relate to the reader as  well as to keep your attention.

Overall I would say that this is a wonderful book for teens and young women. It is filled with truths that can and do greatly benefit the reader. I would recommend this to any and all young women!!

Note: I received a copy of this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review, but my opinions are my own.

You can find a copy of this book here: http://www.amazon.com/Made-Crave-Young-Women-Satisfying/dp/031072998X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1359492901&sr=8-1&keywords=made+to+crave+for+young+women

‘The Wild Goose Chase’ Book Review January 20, 2013

Title: The Wild Goose Chase: Reclaim the Adventure of Pursuing God
Author: Mark Batterson
Date I Finished Reading: January 19,2013
My Rating: 5/5

When you think of pursuing God, what comes to your mind? Duty? Struggle? How about adventure? Do you ever view your walk with God as an exciting, adventurous thing? In this book, Mark Batterson discusses spiritual barriers that can prevent us from growing closer to God, or finding satisfaction in him. He explores the barriers of:
~responsibility
~routine
~assumptions
~guilt
~failure
~fear
He discusses how each of these things can, at times hinder us from growth, and the signs of them in our lives.
One thing I liked about this book would be Batterson’s writing style. He writes with honest humor that makes the book an easy, enjoyable read. I also liked how applicable this book is. The issues addressed and the actions recommended are practical and applicable to our personal and daily lives.
I really had no complaints about this book, besides the fact that Batterson becomes a bit repetitive at times. Other than that, I have none!
I would highly recommend this book to you, especially if you are struggling with spiritual growth and desire a resource to help you identify what barrier may be hindering you from pursuing and growing closer to God.

Note: I received a copy of this book free from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. However, my opinions are my own.

You can find a copy of this book here: http://www.amazon.com/Wild-Goose-Chase-Adventure-Pursuing/dp/1590527194/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1358641942&sr=8-1&keywords=wild+goose+chase