Mysticism mixed with Christian theology

 

The Sacred YearMapping the Soulscape of Spiritual Practice -- How Contemplating Apples, Living in a Cave, and Befriending a Dying Woman Revived My Life

By Michael Yankoski 

I really liked the front of this book so was a little taken back by the authors writing!  I was particularly touched by the idea of writing gratigraphs, letters of appreciation to people who have blessed our lives, from his chapter on gratitude.  

I began this book thinking this would give me some insight into growing closer to the Lord and learning  from others struggles.  I wanted to make  this fall and the yar 2015  a better one!  I also thought this volume would be making me more apt to seek out a more purposeful life for Christ, but honestly I felt none of that as I read it. The only thing the book really left me with was a sense that it was a bit too new age-y for my liking or catholic .  I felt like the author was in another time where men lived a lone like hermits. .

I felt like  Michael focused to much on himslef. Let  me show you an example. . He gains an insight into his own mortality digging a grave by hand. "The fact that I'm going to be down there someday. That we're all going to be down there someday. And the whole world will just keep on going about its business above us, like we were never even here."(pg 114).

I did get one good  quote  an a yummy bread recipe from the book "The God who called you into existence ex nihilo---out of nothing---is the same God who holds you in existence this moment and every moment. Were he to withdraw this hand, you would vanish without memory.....he wants you to exist. And not just exist. He wants you to live life in all its fullness."

I do agree that we as Christians today do need to do more in our lives to really seek the Lord and His will and often times our life is too busy and running so fast that we aren’t still enough to hear His voice

 I don’t agree with many of his viewpoints, Thus in the end I felt like  I was left hanging. Not worth the read

 I received The Sacred Year by Michael Yankoski compliments of Thomas Nelson Publishers and Litfuse Publicity for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed here are strictly my own unless otherwise notated. 

Newness of life!

Live: Your Life with Christ Handbook & DVD by Rebecca Manley Pippert

I was surprised how much I enjoyed this book and Dvd!To. In five interactive, informal sessions combining DVD clips, Bible study, discussion times and testimony footage, Becky explores the truth and content of the gospel, and how to begin and keep going in the Christian life.
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Internationally renowned speaker, evangelist and author Becky Manley Pippert’s newest resource is the What Next and the How To. In five interactive, informal sessions combining DVD clips, Bible study, discussion times and testimony footage, Becky explores the truth and content of the gospel, and how to begin and keep going in the Christian life.

Short chapter questions so this is perfect for Bible studies or for those who do not read!Each session is approximately 10 minutes long so this is perfect for any ones busy schedule! Not oe of those  courses that will sit om  your self never to be sued!. Purchase of the DVD includes access to free downloadable materials that will help leaders facilitate the study more effectively.

Go  to this page to see  a video about this!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guMb04ArNMQ


*I received a free copy of this book from Cross Focused Reviews in exchange for writing a fair review.*

Trusting the Bible!

I was really blessed to read the third book in this series. I thought it was  well written that I will pass it on to a friend to enjoy and  probably use in their church. I think this would be  good to give to young christians.

These questions are:
1) Does the Bible claim to be God's Word?
2) Does the Bible seem to be God's Word?
3) Does the Bible prove to be God's Word? 
are all answered in this volume which you can get as a paper back or a kindle book!
Too often in books for young believers, Christian values and doctrines are so weak they hardly exist but this book was not like that.

. The "Questions Christians Ask" series is extremely helpful in answering pressing questions facing Christians today in a biblically-focused manner. I highly recommend this book and series to every pastor, professor, Sunday School teacher, and anyone else seeking answers to  questions of the Christian faith.
This book is great and I will recommend it to others. Cooper also dispels the claim that the Gospels are merely legends.While the book is very short (a small book with 81 pages), it really is substantial and fairly complete.This is a great book to read and understand, and small enough to finish in one day. Highly Recommended!

I received a copy of this book from The Good Book Company via Cross Focused Reviews in exchange for an honest review

Iceland cooking

 This is a great winter cookbook! From the pictures of scenery in this book I realized I  must some day visit this place and conquer my fear of the cold!
 This book is an eye opener to a culture we did not know about. Many of the recipes  have to do with fish but there are still some dairy ones which you can make! A beautiful copy table volume, even if some of the recipes are too difficult for the average American to make.
. Even if I do not make  most of the  seafood recipes I  drew  inspiration from this cookbook. My favorite chapter was collecting seabird eggs. This is such a neat insight to the land.This is one of the most beautiful cookbooks you will ever find. The photography of the food, people, and landscapes are breathtaking. The recipes are surprising.
Not so much as  the kinds of recipes   but the chapter titles  !
The Bacalao Producer 
The Arctic Char Smoker 
The Rugbraud Baker
The Fisherman 
The Seabird Egg Collector
The Barley Farmer 
The Dairy Farmer
The Birch and Mushroom Forager 
The Sheep Farmer
The Hardfiskur Producer 
The Salt Maker 
The Goat Farmer 
The Blue Mussel and Dulse Harvester 

I loved how the author who has a  restaurant honors the people of the land.  "This book celebrates the cuisine and nation of a forward-thinking chef and the producers who supply his restaurant." Try this recipe and then order your book!
\
Bacalao Potatoes 
with fennel Ribbons and Sorrel Ash
Serves 4  |  Preparation time: about 1 hour (plus 24 hours to rehydrate the cod)

On a visit to northern Iceland, Gunnar and I stayed in an inviting apartment on the outskirts of Akureyri, the second largest town in the country (at a whopping eighteen thousand inhabitants) and Gunnar’s birthplace. The only thing our cozy abode lacked was blackout curtains. Not surprisingly, the blinding July sun that drenches the country in light twenty-four hours a day results in severe sleep deprivation for anyone not accustomed to it. Gunnar, of course, is accustomed to his nation’s days of perpetual light and slept soundly each night. Perhaps because he was not bleary-eyed by dinnertime (and because he is a naturally hospitable fellow), he took charge of the evening meal.

One of the first things he made was this creamy potato recipe incorporating Elvar’s bacalao. It was not his intention to prepare it every night, but we couldn’t seem to get enough of its comforting virtue. The bacalao infused it with just the right amount of brininess, and the pungent horseradish perked up any sleepy brains. It’s hearty enough to work as a main dish and also makes a fantastic side. One night, Gunnar served it on toast; on another, he substituted smoked haddock, an ideal replacement for the cod. The profusion of herbs he added was dictated by whatever we foraged that day. This dish, which is inspired by a popular lunch item at Dill, is festively attired with fennel ribbons, a soft-boiled egg, and sorrel ash—the latter a mainstay of the Nordic kitchen.

Potatoes
1 pound (450 g) salted cod
1 pound (450 g) waxy potatoes
1/4 cup (60 ml) heavy cream, warmed

Sorrel Ash
Leaves from 1 bunch sorrel

To Serve
4 carrots, peeled, cut into bite-size pieces, and roasted
2 fennel stalks, cut into long ribbons using a vegetable peeler (see note)
4 eggs, soft boiled
Freshly grated horseradish, for finishing


To make the potatoes, immerse the salted cod in cold water to cover and refrigerate for 24 hours, changing the water several times to remove as much salt as possible. Remove from the water and, if skin and bones are present, remove them. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and roast the cod until warmed through, about 8 minutes. Once it is cool enough to handle, break into flakes, and keep warm.

To make the sorrel ash, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the sorrel leaves in a single layer on the prepared pan and toast in the oven for about 8 minutes, until blackened. Let cool to room temperature, then pulverize the leaves in a spice grinder, transfer to an airtight container, and store at room temperature until serving. The ash will keep at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Boil the potatoes in salted water to cover for 18 to 20 minutes, until tender. Drain the potatoes, let cool just until they can be handled, then peel them, keeping the peel intact if possible.

In a saucepan, mash the warm potatoes and cream together until smooth. Add the warm cod and stir gently to incorporate. Keep warm.

To serve, spoon the potatoes into a bowl. Top with the carrots, a generous handful of fennel ribbons, a soft-boiled egg, and a spoonful of horseradish. Dust with sorrel ash.

Note:
To prevent browning, immerse the fennel ribbons in acidulated water until ready to use.

http://www.randomhouse.com/book/224616/north-by-gunnar-karl-gslason-and-jody-eddy#excerpt
Thanks bogging for books for the book to review!

Revelation!

 I found this book to be well rounded.  The history about the churches was very good. the 7 churches  are in Turkey, Russia and the Ukraine to the north and Syria, Sreal and Saudi Arabia  to the South.  I enjoyed how the author brought out the fact that this book refers to the number 7 a lot ; 7 churches, scales, trumpets, persons, vials, dooms and more.


The book of Revelation is a love letter to the church. Yet most view it as troubling, and many misunderstand what the Lord is trying to tell us. Didn’t the Jews in Jesus’ day have some of the same problems? 

Follow Joh as he is sent to  the isle of Patmos in the Agean Sea 30 miles  off the west coast of Turkey. Then see what visions the Lord gave him. In the first chapter you will see a description o who Jesus is . Chapter 2 tells  what is happening  in the churches during John;s  life.  

Revelation: The Best is Yet to Come provides a simple running commentary and interpretive guide for the beginner. Our hope is that laypersons and preachers not familiar with the book of Revelation will be encouraged to do a more in-depth study. The material takes an unashamed pretribulation, premillennial position within a traditional dispensational framework.

I felt like the author did a good job and it was worth the read, even if I am not dispensational or premillennnial. Check it out at http://www.lifesentencepublishing.com/revelation-blog-tour/
Thanks for the free book to review 

Frustrating read.

I was terribly saddened with this read. He Michael,  tried to show us that we can be of the world and still be of Christ One idea which shocked me was that of  surfboard church. A meeting on the beach for surfers  so they can attend church and still go surfing after. Or the "mall church" for the men who wont go to traditional church. They get a church service in the mall with prayers and songs and any one can speak a word of advice.  Then this group of men would go preach a traditional service for the ladies.

I read it three times to try and glean some ideas from real life stories but I just could not! It   did not  fit in with my theology . God calls we do not have to spruce up the church to attract  people. I did not care for the way it was written either.  In Being Church Doing Life: Creating Gospel Communities Where Life Happens, Michael Moynagh explores the practical nature of taking the influence of the gospel into the heart of the culture . True but he did it in his own way.

I leave you with one good note! Communities are God's strategy for individuals to make a difference.”  If you want to read get it on line  instead of ordering it. Then decide if you really want it

I received this book free from the publisher http://www.kregel.com . I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Dating or courtship?

I am very interested in the authors ideas on this subject and he did a good job!

"There are thousands of Godly young people who want to get married, are ready to get married, and should be married… indeed should have been married long ago… who are not married. Their church, their friends, and their families have all prepared them for marriage, for early marriage, for early, fruitful marriage… and they are not married.  This caught my attention and so I read and saw that many times we do not know  why we o something.  Right now I see why s many seem to fall back into dating when courtship does not work.

"Scripture provides clear answers to this crisis: which we have ignored because they run counter to our culture. It is time that we began to take every thought captive to Christ, and throw off the chains of bondage to this world. It is time we ‘let them marry’."

This book pints out  what dating, courtship and  betrothal are and lets the reader  decide which one to follow. I loved how there were conversations  between different characters. I felt like I was with them and could really relate to them.

Even though i did not agree with all of the authors  beliefs I was very glad to have  been given a free copy of this book to read! Think twice about why you want to court. what is the most important part the start of a courtship or the engagement. Which one is more of a surprise to you. Read this book for Biblical answers!