Your past does not define you

Your Life Still Counts: How God Uses Your Past to Create a Beautiful FutureYour Life Still Counts: How God Uses Your Past to Create a Beautiful Future by Tracie Miles

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“God still has a plan for you–not in spite of your past, but because of it! Do regret and shame over your failures, sins, and shortcomings make you wonder how you could ever be loved, much less used, by a holy God? Tracie Miles felt the same way until she discovered the path to healing, peace, and significance.

She helps you recognize that God not only has a purpose for you, but He has prepared you for your divine purpose based specifically on the experiences of your past. Through her own story and stories from other women who have discovered God’s purpose for their lives because of adverse experiences, Tracie helps you see how God can turn pain into purpose. You will find forgiveness and healing from the troubles of your past, discover the courage to step out of your comfort zone to help others find hope and strength, and be inspired to step into the beautiful future God divinely designed for you.”

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Empowered By His Presence

Empowered by His Presence: Receiving the Strength You Need Each DayEmpowered by His Presence: Receiving the Strength You Need Each Day by Kevin G. Harney

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“Receive God’s power for the journey ahead. Are you in need of strength, encouragement, and hope? Empowered by His Presence will set you free to face life head-on and follow God’s glorious vision. Kevin Harney weaves together biblical stories and modern narrative to form and stunning tapestry of grace and hope? In the pages of this book, you will find four surprising and God-given sources of strength: Suffering, Loss and Pain, Sabbath and Rest, Community, and Mission and Purpose. Discover how each of the power sources can help you live boldly, serve humbly, and overcome life’s obstacles.”

This book, as the author suggests, should probably be used as a four-week study whereby the reader can really uncover the wisdom and truths written on these 200+ pages. Or you can, as I did… devour the book in a couple of days.

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Just Breathe

…  letting go so you can fully life…

 

Breathing Room: Letting Go So You Can Fully LiveBreathing Room: Letting Go So You Can Fully Live by Leeana Tankersley

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“AN INVITATION TO BREATHE. Catastrophe or no catastrophe, if you are unhinged, disoriented, suffocating, or otherwise generally dragging, I’m inviting you to pull up a chair at this table . . .

Breathing Room is a beautiful release of self-condemnation, a discovery of the rest that comes when we offer ourselves some space to breathe. Vulnerable and winsome, Leeana Tankersley shows you how to stop beating yourself up, how to be radically on your own team, and how to truly experience grace. If you’ve been putting on a strong front and yet are secretly coming apart, you’ll find in these pages a trusted friend.”

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Peace Through Prayer

have had the priviledge of reviewing a book called “The Stress Cure“.  There are just some authors that just “get it” and this author, Linda Evans Shepherd is one of them.  Sometimes you wonder what makes a person an expert on a particular subject that they would write a book about it.  Well…  read this book, understand her story and you’ll know that she Just gets it.

Thank you Ms. Shepherd for allowing me to read your book(s).


The Stress Cure: Praying Your Way to Personal PeaceThe Stress Cure: Praying Your Way to Personal Peace by Linda Evans Shepherd

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“We live in a world filled to the brim with advice, and when it comes to dealing with stress, there’s plenty of advice to go around. Sleep more, eat better, avoid this, seek out that. But more ideas about how to cope are not necessarily what we need if we’re stressed and anxious. What we need is a cure. The true remedy to stress, Linda Evans Shepherd says, is prayer.”
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Be A Rebel

Be Rebellious: Fight Back Against A Culture That Doesn't Care About YouBe Rebellious: Fight Back Against A Culture That Doesn’t Care About You by Megan Clinton

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“Why are we trying so hard to fit in when God created us to stand out? Many of us have been tricked into believing that life is all about starving yourself into a size 0, wearing sexy clothes, and snagging a hot guy. We measure our worth by the number of our followers on social media or “likes” on our digitally enhanced selfies.

We shape our lives around these lies, unaware that we’re on a pathway to brokenness and destruction: Eating disorders. Depression. Addiction. Abuse. We may think we are “rebelling” by breaking the rules of our parents’ generation—but the reality is, we’re anything but rebellious. Instead, we’re slaves to our culture, desperate to fit in.

But we don’t have to live this way. We have a choice. Do you want to make a difference and change the world? Then take your heart and life back from a culture that doesn’t care about you! Grab hold of the truth that your value isn’t based on your relationship status or dress size—it’s based on who you are.”

Be Rebellious – Fight Back Against a Culture That Doesn’t Care About You. Now there’s a challenging title. Had I not read the back of the book, I would certainly think that this book was about a whole other subject. But it isn’t. It’s about being a Rebel. It’s about being what society isn’t. It’s about being our true self… the self that God created us to be. It’s okay to want “a more traditional faith, rather than a hip version of Christianity” (page 67). It’s okay to want to rebel against everything that pulls you away from total intimacy with God, and it’s okay to have doubts and to beg Him for answers and to turn to HIM for the answers to the questions of our life.

We can rebel against a society that says that purity is old-fashioned, that “keeping ourselves” for our husband is not cool and so outdated, and that any form of Godliness is totally “uncool”.

Why is it we as a society ridicule any professional athlete or otherwise that proclaims their Christianity, or unashamedly admit their chastity on national television? We watch, and perhaps chuckle, as they are mercilessly “roasted” by the late-night comedians and the liberal press. We read the nastiest of twitter comments about a 30+-year-old female tennis player that admits her virginity. And yet on the flip side we, also as that same society, celebrate those engaging in an alternate lifestyle. Clearly something is very amiss with our national moral compass.

This is a book that, while it is written by a woman much younger than I, I can clearly see her passion and accept her challenge to Rebel. “Will you dare to believe and follow Christ in a world that says moral values and integrity are crazy? (Page 177) or is it “go along” to “get along”?

About the Author: Megan Clinton (now Megan Clinton Allison) graduated from Liberty University with a degree in Pre-Med/Biology and is currently attending Physician Assistant (PA) School at Jefferson College of Health Sciences. As part of the Extraordinary Women travel team with her mom, Julie Clinton, Megan has a passion to see young women find their identity in Christ, be set free, and live God’s dream for their lives. In addition, she is excited to be equipped as a PA to provide medical care to those in need through international mission work.

Visit the Author’s website: http://meganclinton.com

*Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book through the Worthy Publishing Blogger Review Program, in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own, and no monetary compensation was received for this review.

*Reviews of this book were posted at the following locations:
Amazon, Christian Book, Deeper Shopping, and Goodreads

View all my reviews

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Steel Will

I just finished this memoir called Steel Will.  It is the story of SSG Shilo Harris – a young Army Ranger that was injured in an IED explosion in Iraq.

This is the finest book that I have read.  This book grabbed a hold of me and didn’t let go.  It was my honor to read and review this book.

I urge you to pick it up and read it.  Then give it to everyone you know.  You will not be disappointed and you will never look at your life the same again.

Be aware, this book contains some seriously vivid descriptions of this Warriors wounds and recovery.


Steel Will: My Journey Through Hell to Become the Man I Was Meant to BeSteel Will: My Journey Through Hell to Become the Man I Was Meant to Be by Shilo Harris

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“On February 19, 2007, SSG Shilo Harris was patrolling an infamous southern Iraqi roadway when his Humvee was struck by an IED. Moments later, three members of his crew were dead and Shilo had sustained severe burns over 35 percent of his body, lost his ears and the skin off his face, and lost much of the use of his badly mangled fingers. This fiery moment was just the beginning of an arduous road laced with pain, emotional anguish, and much soul-searching. For forty-eight days Shilo lay trapped in a medically induced coma as his wife, unable to ease his suffering, had to come to grips with a man utterly changed. Continue reading

A Rooster Once Crowed – Leader’s Guide

A Rooster Once Crowed: Leader Small Group Study GuideA Rooster Once Crowed: Leader Small Group Study Guide by Bryant Cornett

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“A Rooster Once Crowed was built for group study. If you loved the commentary on the greatest story ever told, you’ll love it even more in community. Leading a study can be daunting. Or if you’ve done it before, you know that the time involved in preparation can be a barrier. Consider this Leader Small Group Study Guide like a guidebook to a city written by a friend who loves it and has spent years exploring it. This Leader Small Group Study Guide guarantees a deeply profound experience for you and your group.”

This Leader’s Guide is a great addendum to the book – A Rooster Once Crowed. The Leader’s Guide – via e-book – is packed full of resources that will make the Leader’s role a lot easier. The author has supplied thought-provoking questions for discussion in your small group. In addition, there are Leader’s Only pages with downloadable materials, as well as prayers and a music playlist to go along with the lessons.

It really is a complete guide especially helpful for a novice leader where more time can be spent on the subject versus the overwhelming task of putting together the study, notes, etc. Great job!

*Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book through the “For Readers Only” group at The Book Club Network, in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own, and no monetary compensation was received for this review.

*Reviews of this book were posted at the following locations:
Amazon, The Book Club Network, Goodreads, and on my blog at http://titus3.wordpress.com

View all my reviews

This e-book is available at the Author’s website at
http://www.fullporchpress.com/

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Walking With God

Walking with God (Front)

Walking with God: 101 Lessons for Life and Ministry by Dr Stephen a Gammon

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“Are you longing to walk closer to God, or wondering if it’s even really possible? Would you and your sphere of influence benefit from being mentored for a lifetime of walking with God? Or, are you a minister leading people of various ages and in various seasons of life, but finding it difficult to relate to them?”

Walking with God; 101 Lessons for Life and Ministry by Dr. Stephen Gammon is a treasure. Over the course of 14 chapters of various stages of his life, he shares treasured personal stories and insights of his own walk with God, starting with his walk with God as a Child through adolescence to young adulthood. Continue reading

God’s Amazing Power To Restore

This book will inspire you to believe that God can and will work all things out for those who love Him.  it is filled with hope and the promise of restoration for any situation….  Donald Driver” (from the back cover of “My Breaking Point – God’s Turning Point“)

“Restoration require you to release your resistance to change.  Restoration begins the moment you stop defining yourself by your   It begins when you accept that you can’t keep going on as you have been and instead you allow God to give you the power to move on.  It begins when you ask Him to give you a new perspective, a larger, timeless glimpse of how your breaking point can become a turning point.”  (From the Introduction – “My Breaking Point – God’s Turning Point“)


My Breaking Point, God's Turning Point: Experience God's Amazing Power to RestoreMy Breaking Point, God’s Turning Point: Experience God’s Amazing Power to Restore by Ricky Texada

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“At some point in our lives, most of us will experience a loss so devastating that it knocks the wind out of our souls and leaves us gasping for hope. In My Breaking Point, God’s Turning Point, Ricky Texada shares his own story of unexpected loss transformed into unimaginable blessing, offering new perspective on God’s amazing ability to restore his people. After losing his wife Debra in a devastating car accident, Ricky wondered if he would ever be able to trust God with the certainty he once had, let alone ever love again. Biblically based and borne out of Texada’s own experiences, My Breaking Point, God’s Turning Point shares the much needed hope and practical guidance to help people get back on their feet and experience the healing balm of God’s loving care.” Continue reading

Do you have a fear of being unnoticed and fogotten

Are we striving so hard to be remembered?  To be noticed?  To be important?  To leave our mark on this world?  Do we matter?  Does anyone see us?

Those are questions that are posed… and answered in this book.  It caused some real thought on my part.  I hope it will do the same for you.


The Significant Life: Overcoming Your Fear of Being Unnoticed and ForgottenThe Significant Life: Overcoming Your Fear of Being Unnoticed and Forgotten by George M Weaver

My rating: 4 of 5 stars Continue reading