faith

If God is Good, then

~ Ann Cuddy-Sullivan ~ Leave a comment

If God Is Good: Faith in the Midst of Suffering and EvilIf God Is Good: Faith in the Midst of Suffering and Evil by Randy Alcorn

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“Every one of us will experience suffering. Many of us are experiencing it now. As we have seen in recent years, evil is real in our world, present and close to each one of us.

In such difficult times, suffering and evil beg questions about God–Why would an all-good and all-powerful God create a world full of evil and suffering? And then, how can there be a God if suffering and evil exist?

These are ancient questions, but also modern ones as well. Atheists such as Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and even former believers like Bart Ehrman answer the question simply: The existence of suffering and evil proves there is no God.

In this captivating new book, best-selling author Randy Alcorn challenges the logic of disbelief, and brings a fresh, realistic, and thoroughly biblical insight to the issues these important questions raise.” Continue reading →

The Global War on Christians

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The Global War on Christians: Dispatches from the Front Lines of Anti-Christian PersecutionThe Global War on Christians: Dispatches from the Front Lines of Anti-Christian Persecution by John L. Allen Jr.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Global War On Christians – Dispatches from the Front Lines of Anti-Christian Persecution. As a Christian living in the United States of America, the title of this book caught my eye. We’ve all known for some time that Christians around the world have been, and continue to be, persecuted for their beliefs. We read from time to time their stories, and hear about the tragedy’s that befall them in their mission work. It is through my own naïveté, that I assumed that this was because these folks were “going into the mouth of the lion” when they headed to areas of the globe that were clearly anti-Christian. Little did I realize that so much of the Christian persecution that occurs is not just in those areas of the globe that we might deem hostile to Christians.

This book, a raw as it is in its descriptions of the horrors, clearly opened my eyes to what is going on around the world. While we here in the US are battling with legal challenges for our nativity’s and religious freedoms, more than two-thirds of the world’s 2.3 billion Christians who live outside the West, and are the minority of most regions, are battling far more persecution than any of us could ever imagine.

This book does contain graphic retelling of the stories of these martyrs. If you are sensitive to this, this might not be the book for you. Otherwise, I highly recommend this book as a must read.

About the Author:
JOHN L. ALLEN JR. is the senior correspondent for the National Catholic Reporter and the senior Vatican analyst for CNN, and writes for other national and international publications. He speaks at nearly fifty engagements a year and is the author of seven previous books, including his most recent A People of Hope: The Challenges Facing the Catholic Church and the Faith That Can Save It.
For more information about the author, go to: http://ncronline.org/authors/john-l-a…

Click here to read Chapter One of The Global War On Christians – http://www.imagecatholicbooks.com/sne…

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com® http://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 Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/wa… : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

*Reviews of this book were posted at the following locations:
Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Deeper Shopping, and Goodreads
View all my reviews
This book is available online at
Deeper Shopping Books and Bibles

The Singing Quilt

~ Ann Cuddy-Sullivan ~ Leave a comment

Every once in a while a book comes along that touches your heart.  The Singing Quilt by Kathi Macias is one such book.  It is not often that I read fiction, but I have to say that I did not want this book to end.  I wanted to know more about the lead charecter… I wanted to follow along with her new life in Christ.  Sadly though… the book came to an end.

Below is my public review of this book

The Singing QuiltThe Singing Quilt by Kathi Macias

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“Can another woman’s courage inspire the impossible? Jolissa Montoya, a shy, young Hispanic girl, believes God is calling her to work with disadvantaged children in the inner city. She is convinced that what God has spoken to her heart is impossible. Until one day when she shares her concerns with a confidante who shows her a quilt – a quilt that depicts the life of a courageous woman.” Continue reading →

The Hope Quotient

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The Hope Quotient: Measure It. Raise It. You'll Never Be the Same.The Hope Quotient: Measure It. Raise It. You’ll Never Be the Same. by Ray Johnston

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“What’s at the heart of every thriving person, every thriving marriage, kid and business? Hope! The Hope Quotient is a revolutionary new method for measuring—and dramatically increasing – our level of hope. Hope is more than a feeling; it’s the by-product of seven key factors. When these are present in your life, they cause hope to thrive.”

Continue reading →

SuperGal vs. God

~ Ann Cuddy-Sullivan ~ 2 Comments

I’ve thought for years, that I should write my story….  the story of those 56 days that started in December 2005.  The story of my husband’s home-going.  As I read this book, I thought that I was reading my own story.  This author, Lori Hynson,  she get’s it.  She was so able to write not just my story – no matter how similar the circumstances – but the story of every SuperGal out there.  This book has left me thinking through alot of old lately.  Memories I should have put away a long time ago.  Thank you Lori. Continue reading →

The Top 8 Things to Think About

~ Ann Cuddy-Sullivan ~ Leave a comment

This article was originally posted on Charisma Magazine/News.  My attempts to “share” the link were not successful, so I have copied the entire article – unaltered.  The original link is:

http://www.charismanews.com/opinion/clarion-call/44394-the-top-8-things-to-think-about

Breathe

The news is negative. The enemy is pulling out all the stops because his time is short. Christians need to take a deep breath and focus on the things of the Spirit. (CreationSwap/Paul Burger)

Look at your life. Life is hard. Look at the news. In our fallen, sinful world, evil swirls about like a violent dust devil, clouding the air of absolute truth and muddying the waters of pure grace that flow to eternal life through Christ Jesus. Continue reading →

Psalm 46:1

~ Ann Cuddy-Sullivan ~ Leave a comment

“God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble” PS 46:1

God IS…
It struck me as I was reading this the other day that God IS… it does not say that God “was”… it says…. God “IS”.   God is not past tense. He is with us today, just as He was with Adam, Moses, Abraham, and Isaac… all the saints that have gone before us. He is present and available to you and me just as He always has been throughout all eternity.  It continues to boggle the mind that the same God that walked with Adam in the cool of the evening in the Garden (Genesis 3:8), is that same God that “IS” today.

 God IS our REFUGE…
He is our safe place, hiding place, our shelter from danger, our shelter from the storms. He is our safe haven, our sanctuary. I found this definition interesting… a place to flee Back To. Interesting… “Back To” suggests that I’ve been there before and I can go there if I need???

ps 46 1a
God IS our REFUGE and STRENGTH…
Strength is not just physical power. It is also defined as courage, authority and influence. It is the inherent capacity to endure. It is also a stronghold or fortress. I know that everything is under Him; He has authority over all. I know that nothing can hurt me, attack me, or remove me from the REFUGE I seek in Him. He is our stronghold … our fortress. Continue reading →

Home Behind the Sun

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I will let this book review speak for itself… there is nothing more that I can add.
Home Behind the Sun: Connect with God in the Brilliance of the EverydayHome Behind the Sun: Connect with God in the Brilliance of the Everyday by Timothy D. Willard

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Home Behind the Sun – Connect with God in the Brilliance of the Everyday – by Timothy Willard and Jason Locy.

“How often do you encounter the healing and beauty, the hope and the Glory of Christ? Home Behind the Sun offers us a glimpse of joy in the daily grind or work, relationships, and parenting: healing for our suffering: forgiveness in the midst of our hurts; and purpose through the journey. We can live each and every day with an eternal perspective. And we can share this light with the world around us.”
Continue reading →

Deep Relief Now

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Deep Relief Now: Free, Healed, and WholeDeep Relief Now: Free, Healed, and Whole by Dennis Clark

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“Go beyond self help and get spiritual help! A time comes for everyone when theirs and mental exercises just don’t cut it, and you need something more to heal your pain. It’s time to go beyond merely easing the hurt, and move toward complete, deep relief!

Deep Relief Now is an interesting book filled with many personal stories and testimonies of folks that have experienced deep comforting healing by living in the Spirit by adjusting their understanding of communing with God with their whole life… not just hit and miss… here and there.

The authors, Dennis and Dr. Jen Clark, openly share their painful stories, as well as their triumphs in this book. They share/teach the reader to connect with God on a deeper, richer level and show us how to recognize when we are out of alignment with Him.

This is a book that requires some time to read, study, understand and put into practice all of the “techniques” (for lack of a better word) that the author’s have learned over many years.

*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, Barnes & Noble, Deeper Shopping,  and Goodreads

View all my reviews
This book is available at
Deeper Shopping Books and Bibles

God is just not fair

~ Ann Cuddy-Sullivan ~ Leave a comment

If you’re like me, I’m sure that more than once you’ve wondered and perhaps even said out loud…  God why do you let bad things happen?  Why do “bad” people seem to be having it all when all I seem to do is struggle?  Why do you allow us to suffer?  Why didn’t you stop that murder?  How can you allow this cancer diagnosis? 

These are the huge questions of life that most, if not all of us, don’t have an answer to.    Sure we have the pat answer that “God was there when that mom lost her unborn baby”… or “God was right there weeping when that young girl was killed”…  or “God was holding you as you said your final goodbye to your husband” or my favorite…  “Your husbands work on earth was done and God needed him in Heaven, more than you needed him here”!!!  But to me, that is all they are …  simple, pat answers that really don’t mean anything when you are in the midst of it all. Continue reading →