Book Review: Divanomics

Author: Michelle McKinney Hammond
List Price: 12.99
ISBN: 978-1-4143-3382-3
Trim Size: 5 1/2 x 8 1/4
Binding: Softcover
Release: April 2010

How to still be fabulous when you’re broke
This book* is so cute and timely. There is so much that is good about this book, I’m not sure where to start. First of all, I am sure you know Ms. Hammond…her books on relationships are sooooo down to earth and enjoyable, if you are not familiar with her book, might I suggest (in addition to this one) “Men are like buses”…

Now back to this book review- this book is a quick read – I was already halfway through the book in probably an hour or so. It is easy to read and easy to understand. Her honesty was very refreshing! Let’s just say she had to learn the budgeting lesson the HARD way!!!

With chapter titles like “how to say no and still look beautiful,” and “Walmart, Tarjay and other exotic places” you can’t help but learn to budget and spend wisely, while having fun.

I particularly enjoyed the chapter entitled “Damsels and Knights” Ms. Hammond talks about letting men take care of women…not to take advantage of their desire to help, but to see it as a way to bless them by letting them know that they are valued.

I have some minor critiques
  1. She uses a  LOT of cliches, proverbs and sayings (as in every other sentence)- this can be a little distracting when you really just want her to get to what she is really trying to say.
  2. She has a chapter on tithing where she talks about how tithing helps God to keep away the devourer- this is just not true. Yes it is good to tithe (give and you will receive), but the devourer is an old testament concept- we are no longer to give out of obligation (2 Corinthians 9:7) but to give cheerfully we have decided to give, in appreciation of what God has done for us…(can read more on this in blog post “Is God a Mobster“)

* Tyndale Press provided me with a free copy to review.
For more information and to purchase this book click here.

I remember your goodness

Runway at Sky Harbor AirportCreative Commons License Kevin Dooley via Compfight

 

Lord I remember your goodness.

Through tests in school, where I felt nothing but loss,

Through tests of life, when I thought I wouldn’t make it,

Lord I remember your goodness.

When hearts were broken

When hope was lost

Lord I remember your goodness.

When disappointments abounded

When fear held strong

Lord I remember your goodness.

Before I was born, you were.

Before I was, you set me apart.

Before I knew, you called.

Before I could, you rejoiced.

How great you are almighty God.

How great you are my father.

How great you are my living king.

I’ll always remember your goodness.

(By O 2010)

Book Review: How Should a Christian Live?

Title: How Should a Christian Live? Word of Promise Next Generation Devotional

ISBN: 1400315603
ISBN-13: 9781400315604
Publisher: Tommy Nelson
Format: Softcover w/MP3 CD
Trim Size: 6.90 x 8.80 x 0.60
Style#: 023755048196
Page Count: 176

Features include:  GET-IT (help to understand difficult concepts); GRAB-IT (how does this look in your own life); HOLD-IT (how to maintain in everyday life);  GIVE-IT (how does this affect others in your life); DEFINE-IT (in-depth look at key words); and LIVE-IT (presentation of ideas, questions, challenges to support each session’s content).

This book* is a very timely and useful devotional, perfect to help youths delve into the word of God. The devotional and the MP3 disc goes from 1 Corinthians through Philemon, with Bible study topics like “Abundant life is,” “God gives,” and “All good things” the student is encouraged to learn more about God.

The lessons are presented in youth-friendly format, and are applicable to things that young people are dealing with today.

There are many blank pages for journaling, which in my humble opinion may be a bit excessive, but the idea is to get students not just reading but participating in the Bible study. You really ought to get it for your young one, Boys and girls will equally enjoy this tremendously.

* Thomas Nelson provided me with a free copy to review

For more information and to purchase this book Click here.

When I fell in Love…

“I have loved you,” says the LORD.
“But you ask, ‘How have you loved us?’ (Malachi 1:2)

Sometimes I read the old testament and I feel sad, I hear God begging us, pleading with us, asking us to realize how much he loves us…but we think he is being controlling and mean…but when I started to see how much He loved me…I fell head over heels in love…the kind of love that never fades…because I am teaching myself to love him daily.

What made me fall in love with Him? I began to realize why he died for me…

  1. For God soooooo loved the world that He gave his only son to die for me (John 3:16)
  2. Why did He choose to die for me- Jesus died so that I would be free to make the best decisions, instead of feeling weak and being compelled by everything that was “attractive” (Galatians 5:1)
  3. So what are we to do with this new freedom? Anything we want? – NO! we are to teach ourselves to begin thinking like the new people that we are (2 Corinthians 5:17)
  4. How do we teach ourselves about our new selves?- through the word of God (Hebrews 4:12)
  5. So what are the characteristics of this new Spirit- Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness…etc (Galatians 5:22-23)

Christ died so that we could have peace, love, joy, healing, prosperity (in everything) etc. So we no longer have to make decisions out of fear or anxiety. When we give our lives to Christ, our new spirit has everything we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3)…we just have to have faith, and to bring the revelation of these things from our spirit into our physical existence…

So…why do I love Jesus?

Because He first loved me and He is a giver…

How about you- why do you love Jesus? or if you don’t love Him, why not?

Book Review: The Secret Holocaust Diaries

Title: The Secret Holocaust Diaries (The untold story of Nonna Bannister)

List Price: 14.99
ISBN: 978-1-4143-2547-7
Trim Size: 5 1/2 x 8 1/4
Binding: Softcover
Release: April 2010

Rejoice Always (1 Thessalonians 5:16)

This Book* is a great reminder of what a true relationship with Christ looks like. Through it all – the hardships in Russia, World war II, the holocaust, Families torn apart, People brutally killed… – through it all Nonna Bannister finds reasons to rejoice.

The story is well told, and very encouraging. Reading stories like these remind me that I really have nothing to complain about.  Ms. Bannister does not focus on just the hardships (though there are many), but instead she focuses on the good times, the enjoyable times, the times spent celebrating family and celebrating Jesus. Reminding us of how harmful it is when we forget the importance of our freedoms…

This is a definite must read…if nothing else it will open your eyes to how we should never devalue humanity, because even in the most “unexpected people” we can find boldness, truth, and much to be grateful for.

*Tyndale Publishers provided me with a free book to review

For more information and to purchase this book Click here

Is God a Mobster?

Most of us are familiar with movies like “the godfather” where the godfather protects people for a “price.” The mobsters go around “informing” people of how there has been a rash of burglaries and deaths in the neighborhood, and that for a price the mobsters will make sure that nothing happened to them…

The people knew that it was the mobsters themselves that were causing the “rash of burglaries and deaths” and that they were not paying the mobsters to “protect” them, but instead they were paying the mobsters “hush money” to prevent the mobsters from harming them…

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Unfortunately, this is how many people see God, especially when it comes to giving to the work of God…
We often hear people quoting Malachi 3:11 that God will not resist the devourer from our lives if we don’t give…or that tithes are required…
Brothers and Sisters in Christ- we are under a new covenant…we should do nothing out of a motivation of fear! (1 john 4:18) (Jesus bore all our curses! all of them! Galatians 3:13)
Nothing is required of us, except what we purpose in our hearts to give, not out of necessity (2 Corinthians 9:7).

The beautiful thing is once you realize that when you give out of love and in faith you always get back much more than you can imagine! (Luke 6:38) God is a giver…He wants to give…but one of the laws of life that God has established is that in order to get, you have to give…so when God asks you to give it is because he wants to bless you…

  1. God is NOT a mobster!
  2. God is NOT El cheapo!

GOD IS EL SHADDAI !!!

Click here for Andrew Wommack’s teaching on financial stewardship

Book Review: This Little Prayer of Mine

Author: Anthony DeStefano

Illustrator: Mark Elliott

  • Format: Hardcover, 40 pages
  • On Sale: February 16, 2010
  • Price: $12.99
  • ISBN: 978-0-307-45804-9 (0-307-45804-0)

This book* is a really cute book. It shows the applicability of prayer to the life of a child. The pictures are very colorful, descriptive and attractive, and the words are very lyrical and God-focused. I like this book a lot. Your child will really enjoy reading this book over and over again.

Some of my concerns

  1. No prayer is “little” so while children are little, their prayers should never be referred to as “little”
  2. The prayer goes on to say…”I’m just a little child. Will you answer my short prayer?” – God answers every prayer! (Luke 11:9-12) The prayer should be thanking God for answering, not asking if He will answer.
  3. The prayer also says …”Forgive me, God. Please don’t be mad,”…- God has already forgiven us since Christ’s death (1 John 2:2), and God is no longer angry at us…Instead the prayer should be thanking God for His forgiveness.

Nevertheless…it is a decent book…and I applaud the author and illustrator for their efforts.

* Waterbrook Multnomah provided me with a free book to review

For more information and to purchase this book Click Here.

I Declare Today "Saint iyasO Day"

Good News y’all…

The sin nature is DEAD!!!

We (Christians) are NOT sinners saved by grace, we are NOT daily crucifying the sin nature…We are the RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST (1 Corinthians 1:30).

As soon as we give our lives to Christ we have a new nature (2 Corinthians 5:17), sin nature is dead and was crucified with Christ (Romans 6:6)…and since the only one that has the ability to resurrect is Christ, sin nature can never be resurrected!

So why do we still have the desire to sin? because our knowledge or perception of truth controls our emotions and experiences (Proverbs 23:7). If I told you that your family member was dead (even if I lied) you will have the emotions attached to that grief even if it is not true. This is why we have to renew our minds (Romans 12:2) then we may be able to know and act upon God’s Truth. Then we can know that anything that goes against our new spirit, that is anything that goes against love, joy, peace, patience, kindness etc. (Galatians 5:22-23) is not from our new nature. It is either from the devil, or it is from the residue of an unrenewed mind- therefore instead of feeling condemned, we can resist it, and it will flee (James 4:7).

Therefore brothers and sisters, since we know that we have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16), let us walk in it and no longer serve sin (Romans 6:6).

Let us move from a place where we think that we are “daily crucifying the flesh” to a place where we know that we are the saints of God (Ephesians 1:1, 1 Corinthians 1:2, 2 Corinthians 1:1, Philipians 1:1 etc.)

Join with me in declaring today “Saint [Insert your name here] Day!”

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Check out Andrew Wommack’s teaching on this Romans 6:6

Check out Andrew Wommack’s audio commentary on Romans 6:6

For those who would say that even Paul talked about having to constantly crucify his sin nature read Romans 7:14-8:14 in its entirety- he was saying that without Christ the sin nature ruled and he was unable to do the good that he wanted to do…but thank God for Christ because with Christ there is no more condemnation but there is victory!!!

Praise God!