How Do You Become Unstoppable?

I had seen Nick Vujicic (pronounced Voo-yi-chich) on You Tube before I found out about his book.  But once I saw it, it was on my mind for days until it showed up.
All of us have had or will eventually have challenges that will threaten to completely undo us. Loss of loved ones, loss of job, an unforeseen event. We come to a cross roads where a decision must be made: to be crushed, limp along or become unstoppable. UNSTOPPABLE is the newest book by Nick a man born with no arms or legs who used the challenges of his own life to encourage others.

It is at times laugh-out-loud funny, and other parts had me in tears. He addresses many difficulties facing many people today including personal crises, bullying, self-destructive thoughts, emotions and addictions as well as relationship issues. Along with his unswerving belief  that God made each of us unique and for a purpose, ha share  amazing personal tales of faith in action. Not only that, Nick has been a speaker around the world, and has brought back incredible stories  of others from his journeys.

Nick lives a full and interesting life which has included scuba diving, surfing and most recently, marriage. If you or someone you know needs a shot in the arm, needs a hopeful reminder about who is in control, this book could be exactly what you’re looking for. Are you ready to be UNSTOPPABLE?

 "I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review."

Have You Checked Your Pulse?

Are you FULLY ALIVE? I had to admit I’d stalled a little. I had just survived one of the most brutal years of my life. I had reached the other side of it, happier but exhausted. My low physical activity job left me psychologically tired at the end of each and every day. I had even gained weight.

KEN DAVIS’ book, FULLY ALIVE caught my attention “A Journey that Will Change Your Life.”  I’d heard Ken Davis on Christian radio stations off and on for years. He offered short snippets of encouragement each day. I wanted some of that.

Ken talks about his life and reaching a goal he didn't want: being overweight, often battling depression and out of breath.  His journey involved setting new goals and breaking those goals into hard but obtainable steps forward. He reminded me that anything worth having is worth going for. It was how I had ended up on the other side of such a tough year. I had realized that my life was nose-diving and I needed to make a change. I had changed, but I still wasn't the best version of myself.

Change is exhilarating, disconcerting and sometimes exhausting. What I needed now, was encouragement and new goals. FULLY ALIVE is packed with tales  and vignettes from the life of Ken, his friends and acquaintances that motivated me. He covers something that I have known for a while but his book was the proof I needed. I hit a major milestone in my life a few years ago. On that day, I said I wanted the next same number of decades to be more exciting than the first. So far, it has been. But with this book as a reminder, I not only believe it will continue to be, but I hope to exceed my wildest imagination.

 If you're someone who needs a jump-start, who feels like there’s more out there to experience, that if there’s one more drop of life to be had don’t want to miss out, I recommend this book.

I am a member of the Amazon Vine program. I received no monetary compensation for my opinions. A copy of the book was provided for me to read, in exchange for my honest opinions of the book.

You Can Get There From Here

The title of Gene Edwards book grabbed my attention straight off. I hadn’t been good at living close to God for a long while. As of late, I’m not great at morning devotionals, don’t usually have a list of prayers at the ready, nor will you find me burning out my kneecaps in hours of prayer. Somedays I need a drive-thru church, prayers that I can say while reheating my morning coffee in the microwave and sound bites from my Heavenly Father. I had fallen under the spell of “too-busy.” Add to that, I was thrown into heavy duty life changes every other year.

What I also noticed, however, (and usually late at night) is the insidious, ever-widening gap between me and God. Gene Edwards reveals that for him connecting with the almighty in a real way was elusive, not only to me and others,but to him, a pastor. I had beautiful seasons, life on the edge seasons, breath-taking, white-knuckle seasons, hold-your-breath-until-this-is-over seasons. When there is God or nothing, I choose all God. But honestly, outside of a crisis, when everything is going right, I didn’t know how to connect.  So how does one cross the threshold into continuous, meaningful relationship with God?

I found Gene Edwards answers surprising and simple. Almost too simple. He explains the entryways that led him to the heart of God, and profoundly impacted his journey. I appreciated Edward’s honesty that as a pastor he struggled in many of the same ways I did: falling asleep while reading the word or praying, running out of things to pray or talk to God about and his feelings of inadequacy.

His steps to living in communion with God are so easy anyone serious about their journey can follow. At the back of the book were exercises and questions that could be utilized alone, with another or in a small group setting. I will be sharing this book with my fiancé and in the fall, our writers group. I’m giving this book 5 stars.



Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Blogging for Books 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 Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

You Were Born For This

Maybe you’ve read The Prayer of Jabez and Secrets of the Vine. I like Bruce Wilkinson easy to follow approach and his accessible perspective. Certain books of his seem to appear at the times in my life when I start thinking, is this all there is? You Were Born for This is that book.
Have you been missing signals from Heaven? How would you like to learn the 7 keys to a life filled with predictable miracles?
Maybe you’ve been the recipient of a miracle. Someone you didn’t know, reawakened a dream? Gave you financial provision when you needed it most? Helped you forgive so you could be set free from torment?
I have to admit, that the role of Miracle Deliverer is one that I never would have imagined that I was born for. Would you like to tune into God’s plan and do more of it? This book will show you how to read the signals that God is sending and lead you step by step to delivering a miracle that will be life changing.
The book is important more now than ever. Almost everyone is looking for a leg up, encouragement, financial provision or a touch from God. You will learn how to know who is in need of a miracle, and the kind of miracle God wants to deliver. In you, there is a divine calling to be the miracle deliverer, too. I challenge you to pick up a copy of this book and see if it doesn’t change your perspective, and the world, one person at a time.




For more about this go to http://www.youwerebornforthis.com/


An electronic copy of this book was provided to me by Eidelweiss Above the Tree Line in exchange for my  honest opinion.

What Questions Would You Ask Max?

How great would it be to sit down with Max Lucado and ask the tough questions about life, and get his take? Initially, I thought the book would be for people new in their faith walk, or new Christians who hadn’t gotten around to translating the Bible into practical steps for daily living. But Max has a real understanding of what the word of God says and how it should be played out in our daily life. I bet a guy who’s been in ministry and written over 50 books would have a lot to say on just about any topic you throw at him:

~ “I really dread going home for the holidays…”

~ “I’d like to slow down and simplify my life…”

~ “Are the commandments in the Bible archaic?”

I found Max’s biblically based explanations easy to understand and accessible. (Notice, I didn’t say easy.) You don’t have to sit down and read through all the chapters to get nuggets of truth. You can choose from one of the 7 and read as much or as little as you like. The questions were an attention-grabbing mix from simple to complex, and his answers were thoughtful, inspired and sometimes even lighthearted. (Life isn’t all evil and darkness.)

He answers over 150 questions in this book, categorized by subject. Need Hope? Been Hurt? Need Help? He’s got answers for you. He maintains a positive spin, and it neither harsh nor condemning, which kept me reading. This book isn’t asking just the simple question, but also the hard-hitting ones:

~ “How do I forgive my son-in-law now that he’s broken my daughter’s heart?”

~ “What’s the big deal about pornography?”
~ “Does God hate homosexuals?”  (Answer 100 was one of the longest in the book.)

Chances are, there’s at least one question in here you have asked aloud. I was surprised to find that I wasn’t the only one asking the question, and Max gave me new lines to think along. A fresh perspective. So if you’ve got questions, you might take a look at Max on Life.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through Booksneeze a 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 Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255