New, great resource

Ladies:

I'm excited to tell you about a new Biblical resource that I have found ever convenient and helpful. Also, you will be glad to know that this is not a huge book, like many Biblical resources tend to be. The book I am referring to is entitled, Nelson's Biblical Cyclopedic Index. You might be wondering what a Cyclopedic Index is, like I did! It is basically a concordance, topical Bible and Bible dictionary all in one book. You will also be glad to know that there are word study tools included, as well. Recently, after reading John McArthur's new book entitled, SLAVE, I took the Cyclopedic Index to see what it listed under the topic "slave". There I found, not only a definition, but all the references to slave arranged under topical headings, such as, Rights of slaves, Privileges of slaves, State of slaves under Christianity, Means of acquiring slaves, etc.... The listing was very comprehensive, easy to use, and had a very readable font. I have fallen in love with this resource and I think that you will too. The next time you are at your Christian bookstore, get a copy. You'll be amazed how often you will turn to use it! In case you can't tell, I highly recommend this resource!

Love this new devotion book

Thomas Nelson Publishers sent this book to me for review. I was pleasantly surprised when greeted by this wonderful book to guide morning devotions with God. Sheila Walsh has produced a very practical format that has enabled me to begin my day with God uppermost in my mind and heart. Sheila accomplishes this goal by beginning each days readying with a bold, core principle, briefly stated at the top of the page. For example, a daily principle may begin "Today i will count the cost of forgiving and the cost of not forgiving". Following the bold principle, the writer elaborates and expounds on the principle that enables us to begin reasoning through the core concept. Very practically, what follows are 2 application question that are very personal with writing space provided in order to journal and to take the truth of the lesson to a deeper heart level. This provides times of "quiet" where we can talk to God about us, about Him and when He can speak a word to our spirits. The day closes with a written prayer and a Scripture passage that undergirds the day's principle. This is a basic, but very good prompter to start communication with God early in the day with a focus on Him. I hope you will give the book a try. Truly, I think you will love it, like I do. Also, this would be a very nice personal gift to give to a friend or family member. These completed volumes often become family heirlooms to future generations as others walk behind you and read and discover your daily walk and commitment to the Lord Jesus. This could begin a legacy of faith for your family! Give it a go, girls!!

Book Review: Permission to Speak Freely

Recently, I have been captured by a new Thomas Nelson book written by Anne Jackson. It's title is PERMISSION TO SPEAK FREELY. The hook of the book is "What is one thing you feel you can't say in the church?" This question that Anne posed on a blog is what prompted her to write the book. There were countless responses to the question that she posed. Through several avenues, including essays and art, Jackson tackles the dilemma of the church being a "safe place of refuge" for broken, sinful people as compared to the very traditional, "got it all together", Sunday dress, best behavior kind of facade that many Christians portray. Anne, in fact, speaks very freely of her own life, her own hurts, bad choices, and many other personal topics that often make Church-people squirm. Biblical examples, personal examples, and testimonials from others are used throughout the book that encourage readers to be honest and transparent about their lives, their hurts, their addictions, their sin and other things that are often "shushed" by the church. I was refreshed by the author's transparency and authenticity. Since I am also the child of a pastor, it was quite easy for me to relate to the fear, distrust, and hurt is often propagated by the church when your father is the pastor! NOT FUN! Her premise is that as we believers become transparent and openly confess our brokenness and the messiness of our lives, it ministers by giving others what she calls "the ministry of going second", i.e. being first to open up gives permission and safety to others to be honest in regard to their brokenness and open up. Our "going first" begins a cycle of confession and begins the road to healing as our lives become an open book, of sorts, to others who relate to our realness. Anne Jackson courageously writes of this pathway to healing in her own life and challenges its readers to join her on the road to recovery. This is a quick and meaningful read that I think you will enjoy.

Book Review: JUNGLE WARFARE: A BASIC FIELD MANUAL FROM CHRISTIANS IN SALES

JUNGLE WARFARE: A BASIC FIELD MANUAL FROM CHRISTIANS IN SALES is targeted toward people employed in sales, which grew out of ideas the author found from reading his grandfather's field manual from his days in the military. He found many parallels between working in sales and jungle warfare that are compelling and clever. The book is divided by daily segments into short reads that include a military concept, a passage of scripture, a prayer and an application question with space to journal. The author discusses practical topics, such as, ethics, sales strategies, moral compromise, dealing with competitors, failure, and balancing work with life. This book is a keeper for those who desire to maintain an active spiritual lifestyle while living and working in the "real world" of business. I found this to be a book that will never make the NY Times bestseller list; however, it is a motivational work that is worth reading. Give it a go!

A Leadership "Keeper"

Whether you lead in a career position, or as a parent raising a family, YOU ARE A LEADER. I recently finished reading a small book by John Maxwell entitles, THE RIGHT TO LEAD. This is a quick, short read that I think you will find very valuable. Here is my recent review of this book:

In his book, THE RIGHT TO LEAD, John Maxwell uses real-life examples of true leaders down through the ages who have exhitibited strong leadership ability. Several people he uses to illustrate the leadership principles include the gladiator, Maximus, Harriet Tubman, George Washington, John Wooden, Eric Liddell, Eddie Rickenbacker, and other notable people. The book is broken into segments, based on various facets of leadership. These facets of leadership include, Action, Vision, Sacrifice, Risk, Determination, Service, and Integrity. Two things that I personally enjoyed in this book include short segments that are to the point, and are easy to read in a short amount of time. The other thing that I enjoyed in this book were the numerous quotes from notorious people down through time who have put the definition of true leadership in a nutshell with words. I highly recommend this book, both as a resource and as a nice gift to a leader in your life! I think you'll love it!

New book - 66 Love Letters

This month I want to share a review of the book, 66 LOVE LETTERS by Larry Crabb. Larry starts with the premise that God's Word is a "love letter" to His children. From this perspective, he condenses the message of each book of the Bible as if it is message from God to us. He begins each book of Scripture with a "what God wants us to know" section. This book is a powerful means for us to understand the entire message and the different themes of the Bible. The book's purpose is not to be source for reference, but as a source of inspiration; a book that encourages us to understand just how personal a God we have. The book ends with a 66-paragraph composite of the entire message of the Bible; quite a feat. I highly recommend this book since I have learned at a much deeper level how great and loving God is!

Book Review - How to Reach Your Full Potential for God

Dr. Stanley uses this opportunity to compile helpful principles that regulate a "productive life" that God can use. The criteria he proposes include:
1. A Clean Heart

2. A Clear Mind

3. Using Your Gifts

4. A Healthy Body

5. Right Relationships

6. A Balanced Schedule

7. Taking God-Approved Risks

This newest book gives very practical info for establishing priorities for your life. I rate this book poorly, not for the content, but due to the "staleness" of the material. Having followed Dr. Stanley for many years, I find this to be old material that has just been repackaged. I heard these sermons at First Baptist Atlanta several years ago. Then, I was overjoyed to go on a Christian cruise with Dr. Stanley's group. Believe it or not, he preached these same messages on that trip about 4 years ago. Now, we have it on the printed page several years later. I'm just wondering if he has come up with anything "new" or "fresh" in a long time. The taste this book left in my mouth is that our beloved Dr. Stanley is merely resting on the laurels of yesterday.