Uplifting

I received a free copy of this book from Waterbrook Multnomah's Blogging for Books program.

There is some good that could be taken from this book. Wise acts of generosity could well be considered among the good works we are to encourage each other to do, and there are some accounts in this book that could well be good ones to read and think about.
http://ilikegiving.com/book

When I choose to give with no strings attached and no sense of obligation, I have the sense that I am valuable, that I am needed, that I make the world a better place", or "Remember, giving is for you--it gives you life", then this seems to be doing much the same thing that Lewis describes. 
I wondered as I read what If my act of generosity is more about making myself feel good, or about giving life to myself, rather than a real and genuine concern for the one whom I wish to help, then am I really being generous? Am I not really being selfish?

I Like Giving by Brad Formsma is thoroughly positive. The premise is straightforward, simply, and hopeful. Formsma wants the reader to know that life is better when generosity is a life practice. He clearly takes tremendous joy in giving made me want to volunteer. The book is comprised of his own ideas about giving. Story after story of people, each told in first person and shared with Formsma through his organization, are interspersed throughout the book. Overall, I find it to be uplifting.

It is loosely grounded in theology and in psychological theory, but the references are sparse. Scripture appears to influence Formsma’s worldview.  Much of what Jesus said is alluded to, but chapter and verse are not given. I read once and it was good maybe I should of gotten it from a library

Disappointing did not help me...

If I Had Lunch with C. S. Lewis: Exploring the Ideas of C. S. Lewis on the...

Alister McGrath

Readers familiar with Lewis’s fictional writing in the 7 volumes of The Chronicles of Narnia will appreciate McGrath’s explanation of many of the images Lewis employed. There was a lot brought out about his life but the author excuses him to much.

Imagine having lunch with C.S. Lewis. What questions would you want to ask him? That's exactly what Alister McGrath invites us to do in his book, "If I Had Lunch With C.S. Lewis". Mc Grath states, "See the book as my invitation to you, my reader, to sit down with Lewis and me in some quiet place to think about some of the persistent questions and dilemmas every human being faces in this life."

Through this book we experience eight imaginary lunches with C.S. Lewis, exploring a different topic at each one. With these eight topics we discover more about C.S. Lewis the man, his transformation from atheist to Christian, and his thoughts which led him to write his books, such as the Chronicles of Narnia and Mere Christianity.

Did you know C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien (The Lord of the Rings) were friends and members of the same writers' group? Read this book to find out more. Yet the author does not go into what was wrong with his life and thinking. Tries to make a good christian out of him. I was disappointed with it.

C.S. Lewis was a longtime atheist, who admitted how easily he had been taken in by it. He said that we are easily "spellbound, caught up in a secular and secularising metanarrative that insists our destiny and good lie in this world" (p. 59). He warned that our educational system was "designed to suppress our deepest instincts about right and wrong, and open the way to an insipid moral relativism" (p. 136). but he never says what to turn to.

(Tyndale House Publishers provided a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes)

Good read!

Taking to heart the command in Matthew 25:31-46 to care for the poor and needy, Pastor Emeritus Charles L. Roesel and members of First Baptist Church of Leesburg, Florida are faithful to this message, providing church members and the surrounding community with a rescue mission, a children’s shelter home, a pregnancy care center, a women’s care center, a medical clinic, at-risk youth ministry, a thrift store and counseling ministries, among others.

It’s a God Thing: The Powerful Results of Ministry Evangelism is about pressing to reach the goal God set before us: caring for people’s needs, while at the same time, sharing the good news of the gospel with them. There is much here to be savored by every child of God. Indeed, the emphasis in this book is following Jesus’ example and reaching out to others in His name. Combining evangelism and social action to meet a person’s deepest needs – both body and soul – churches, no matter how small, can engage in ministry evangelism. 
This is an eye-opening and encouraging account written by a wise servant of God, giving insight and direction on providing for the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of the people we encounter. Dr. Roesel also challenges us to fulfill God’s mandate to care for people in order to introduce them to Jesus and bring as many to Christ as we can.

Dr. Roesel asks us to ponder the question, “What are we doing that will matter a million years from today?” He boldly and enthusiastically explains the process that needs to take place in order to put into practice the Great Commission. Clearly written, this book expresses the importance of loving and serving God and loving the people created in His image. As ambassadors of Jesus Christ, we are called to live out our love for Him by proclaiming the gospel and serving through good deeds.
He is honest about his own leadership and the resistance he encountered in moving a dead, tradition-bound congregation toward ministry evangelism. It is a compelling read, fast paced and yet with enough detail to give churches with a passion for outreach opportunities more than enough clues to get started. Thought provoking, this book lists practical application steps for those ready to jump in and do the work.

I got this free to review. My opnions.

Music

La Montaña (Original Soundtrack)

I was sure this was going to be good. I was a little disappointed. Having not seen the movie I find a little of it is heavy but after all it is movie music and the story from what I have read is intense .http://www.lamontana.us/ will give you more info on the true  christian guerrilla story. I hope to see it soon. Some of the music was beautiful such as the national anthem. I believe this story will speak to those in guerrilla lands. This is not sit down dinner music but would be great aerobics music or for long road trips to keep one awake. Order it on amazon or better yet go to http://www.shop.lifesentencepublishing.com/La-Montana-DVD-CD-20120-20500.htm

On a mountain in Colombia, paramilitary forces have Marxist rebels cornered against a high ridge without food. In search of a way out, the guerrillas ask an old friend (a missionary they had held hostage and released some 20 years ago) for the number of a humanitarian priest in hopes of finding someone to bring food to the mountain. The missionary mistakes the priests’ name for the head paramilitary leader and inadvertently gives the guerrilla commanders the wrong number. Through a humorous confusion, two sworn enemies end up face to face in an emotional encounter that unveils the very core of Colombia’s conflict and the journey each one must take to finally find peace in a lifetime of war.

Some of the  music is worth listening too!
I was given this cd by 

to review freely.  All opinions are mine!

Do not read

This book was not what I expected it to be and I frequently wondered where it was headed It was the front that caught my attention but i could not get into it.These stories were full of pain, and were heart-wrenching and even horrific in nature and caused me to wonder is the world all bad. There was very little “answers”, like why was God allowing these things to happen . it was more like a book that shows all peoples lives will go bad, it is just that way!Very little answers to prayer, at least it seemed to me as I was reading it. There were a lot of why’s with no answers. Not enough scripture either.

God is with His children in their firestorms, and, though no one can understand His ways, all can be confident that He will rescue His children in His perfect timing, whether in this lifetime or by eventually leading them into eternity with Him I felt like the author was saying there are no answers on earth but a better something in heaven. I disagree. Also some stories I would have rather not read. Not worth the read.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from publisher through the Booklookbloggers.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book for a gift

Let There Be Light by Archbishop Demond Tutu ~ Review

This was a beautiful picture book which grandparents should purchase for their grand kids and read to them as I have always considered books to be great gifts to give. A book that is beautifully written, beautifully illustrated, and just an over all treasure.  I have recently found such a book. Often I find a book that is well written but pictures are dull, not this one! It will indeed find itself in a grandmas hands soon to read to her grandson and granddaughter!

This is a beautifully illustrated picture book for children telling the story of creation through its whimsical and almost magical illustrations.  The colors are vibrant and the text on each page is short, which allows the children to really enjoy the pictures.  The story chronicles Genesis 1 fairly accurately, with the artist's illustrations perhaps a bit simplistic, but beautiful nonetheless.  My children truly enjoyed looking at the pictures.

The only fault I could find with the book was that instead of Adam and Eve on the sixth day, just "people" were created and the illustration shows a group of children.  This is not scriptural.

Do read today!

I received these books for free from the publisher through the booksneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning th

Behold what Christ has done.

That  is just what this book was. For interview with author go to link .

We live busy lives and the story of Christ death and resurrection has been heard so many times, that i fear at times we do not ponder and marvel at it.
 Thabiti's mission in this book is simple--to get Christians to gaze at Jesus, especially in his death and resurrection. We can often make things so complicated, but sometimes we must reorient our schedule to contemplate the two events which turned the whole world upside down. This book puts us back into worshiping Jesus!

The book is split into five sections, which are question found in the Biblical books of Matthew, I Corinthians, and Luke. They are: Is There No Other Way?, Why Have You Forsaken Me?, Where, O Death, Is Your Victory?, Why Do You Look for the Living among the Dead?, and Do You Know These things? Each one was great!

I really enjoyed reading this book and finished it in a few days. It's a mere 100 pages and the writing is very clear and simple to digest. I highly recommend it. It powerfully brings forward the gospel with many of its implications, and it would be a great read for just about anyone at any time, and I will  read again many times.The only way for us to please and glorify God is by picking up our cross daily and following Jesus. In Gethsemane, Jesus shows us not only what God has done for man but also what man owes God” (18). so many lessons to learn!: http://youtu.be/M8rD3dj8BpU

Thanks  for letting me review this book!