The Jesus Code by O.S. Hawkins

The Jesus Code by O. S. Hawkins is basically a series of questions. Fifty-two questions, to be exact. Hawkins takes 52 essential questions from the Bible and asks them of the reader. Thankfully, he also provides background, context, and answers from scripture. The questions Hawkins addresses are ones that believers need to understand and be prepared to answer. Many of them are questions asked by Jesus within the Bible. The format of the book is simple to follow. Hawkins begins with the question and the verse of scripture from which it is taken. He then provides the context and background for the question. What was happening at the time the question was asked? Who was involved? It is important to see the cultural context and understand the purpose of the question. He then ties the question into a more modern context and looks at ways it may apply to modern believers. He wraps up each chapter by repeating the question with a summarized answer.The introduction states the book is set up into 52 chapters, allowing for readers to study one chapter a week for a year, really taking time to dig into each question, go back into the Bible and read the references, and pray over the answers. I enjoyed reading this book. Each chapter was short enough to fit into a small window of devotional time in the morning, yet the concepts covered required much more thought. The book was easy to follow, and it felt as if I were having a conversation with the author each morning as I read. The questions covered topics ranging from what new believers must do, to following the Holy Spirit. This would be a great book to give to new believers to help guide them into Bible study. I would recommend this book to anyone looking to deepen their relationship with God. Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their 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 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Woman of Courage by Wanda E. Brunstetter

Woman of Courage is the story of Amanda Pearson, a Quaker determined to become a missionary to the Nez Perce Indians. When she discovers that her fiancé is in love with her friend, she sets out on a journey of over 3000 miles. Traveling in 1837 is not easy, and she has difficulties on the way. She suffers loss that leaves her wondering if she on the right path or not. She also meets many people on her journey, and has effects on them in ways she did not expect. There are twists and turns in the story, catching the reader off guard. However, the ending was somewhat predictable based on the genre and some of the foreshadowing in the story itself. There are many interesting characters, and I enjoyed reading about the diverse cultures represented in the book. However, I did have some difficulty with Amanda's speech at the beginning of the story, as she used "thee" and "thou," which sound foreign to our ears. It did help me understand her background as a character, though. Overall, the story was enjoyable and a quick, easy read. I actually liked the character Jim the best, and his transformation as the story continued. Although I liked the premise of the book, this is not normally a genre I read. I would recommend this book, though, to anyone who enjoys Christian literature or historical fiction. I received this book from Handlebar Publishing.

The Hope Quotient

The Hope Quotient by Ray Johnston came to me at a perfect time. I am a teacher, and I use some of the time during my summer break to reflect on the past year and prepare for the next one. This being said, hope is a huge part of teaching. Johnston argues hope is the main ingredient of any success, and after reading his book, I would agree. If I didn't have hope for my students each year, the problems I see in their lives and in education in general, would leave me broken. Hope is what gets us through. Hope is believing that God has something better, that better days are coming, and that I can be part of that. Johnston explains how hope can change everything, because it changes how we see and how we act and react. Without hope, there is no point to life. And all hope stems from God. Through personal stories, biblical ideals and real principles, Johnston touches on ways to increase your hope and areas of life in which we need to raise our hope. He argues that when we have hope rather than discouragement, there are eleven major differences in our lives. Some of those differences include being healthier, being more willing to help others, being more successful, and being more forgiving. Johnston asserts that hope is the beginning of everything. But he doesn't stop with just trite words or cute phrases. He digs into the areas in life where real people struggle: marriage, parenting, career, church, community and the world. The struggles we face may differ, but Johnston gives practical advice on how to raise our hopes in each area so we are better able to face those struggles. And when we face our struggles with hope, we provide hope to others too. Johnston writes in a conversational way, making you feel like he is talking directly to you. He provides real examples of people in history who were knocked down, but got back up because they had hope. And he gives you tools along the way to help you gage your own level of hope, and tools to help you improve you hope quotient. Johnston's book reads like friendly advice. His ideas and writing style cannot be ignored. You will want to pass this book on to others who seem to be losing hope. And it will inspire you to go out into the world and be hopeful and to make a difference. I highlighted many helpful passages that I imagine I will return to over and over when I need to build back up the hope I have that things will continue to get better. Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their 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 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

What's Best Next

What's Best Next is a book by Matt Perman. It is what I would consider a self-help, and other-help, book. To explain, the premise of the book is that it will help you get organized and set goals, and do both with the mind-set of helping others and following God. While I truly believe in many of the statements in this book, I did have some issues with it as well. First of all, I agree with many of the concepts in this book, and Perman makes valid points along the way. His basic argument is that in an age of technology and busy-ness, we need to stay organized and focused in order to do valuable work and accomplish goals. This is true. It is easy to get side-tracked with entertainment, technology and a "me first" mentality. He points out that if we are to be our best, we not only need to be organized and goal-focused, but we need to be sure what we do helps others too. The book has 24 chapters covering all of the ways we can do these things. To be honest, the issue I had with the book was that I felt a little overwhelmed. As Perman is trying to convince me I need to simplify my life and focus on what is best, he is also setting up a system of organization that seems heavy. According to his methods, I need to do things on a weekly and daily basis to be organized. I need to set a mission and clarify my roles in my life. I need to create routines that free up time and allow me to do some things automatically, with little thought. I need to eliminate or delegate less important items that are not on track with my personal (and biblical) mission. I need to create a weekly plan, which entails multiple lists and strategies, including project lists and action lists. To me, these are valuable ideas, but due to the length of the book and the multiple ways he addresses things, I became overwhelmed at the idea of setting all of these systems into place. I like the concepts, but I wish Perman had created a simple check-list with an overview of his ideas, and then spent time developing each one. That way, I could use the book more like a reference manual. At the end of the book, Perman does complete a recap of his information. I found this to be the most helpful part of the book. For me, I think his entire concept boils down to this one sentence in the recap, "The gospel teaches us that the good of others is the be the main motive in all that we do and the chief criterion by which we determine what's best next." In the recap, Perman provides good advice and a short outline of the basic ideas in his book. This was short, sweet, and direct. On a personal level, I found the book to be to encompassing for what I need in my own personal life. I will adapt some of his ideas, such as the action lists and focusing on helping others. However, most of the ideas seemed more directed at businesses to me. I would recommend this book to those who are managing other people or need to help develop leaders in their organization. It was worth a read, but I only pulled a few things from the book for my own personal use. Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their 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 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Soul Keeping by John Ortberg

Soul Keeping by John Ortberg addresses the part of humans that is often ignored; the soul. The Bible talks about the soul frequently, but it is ignored often in daily life. The soul deals with our interior lives, our spiritual lives. It is imperative to live the life we were meant for. This book talks about the soul in detail and explains why taking care of our souls is so important. It is easy to get caught up in the physical life, in the material life around us. It is easy to be selfish. But to be free to live the kind of life God planned for us, to know God and have an intimate relationship with Him, we need to nurture our soul. Ortberg discusses the multiple areas that care of our souls can affect. He gives reasons why nurturing the soul is so important. And while this is an important topic, I felt this book was very repetitive. Ortberg covers the same topic in each chapter, and takes many of his points from his mentor. Although his points were important, I felt as if Ortberg discussed the same ideas over and over. The book covers the needs of the soul, but I felt as if I could've read the first few chapters and absorbed the points he was trying to make. I enjoyed the main concepts and Ortberg's writing. I just felt this would've made a better small group study than a book. Ortberg needed to expand on practical ideas for this book to have been more valuable for me personally. Ortberg tells us to nurture our souls, for example, but in general terms, rather than specific suggestions. While the book had value, it is not one I would recommend for those looking for action steps regarding soul nurturing, but more for large ideas. Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their 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 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The God First Life

The God First Life by Stovall Weems is based on Matthew 6:33. "Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these thing will be given to you as well." Weems states that until we put God first in all things and seek Him above anything else on this earth, we cannot live a fulfilled and satisfied life. It isn't circumstances, relationships, or material items that satisfy us. It is only when we seek God and His kingdom do we find what we require for life. By understanding this, Weems says, we discover that God has a plan for our lives. We don't have to carry the burdens of this life ourselves. And we realize His ways are so much better than ours. When we seek God above all else, He promises us a new family (with Him and the church), a new life (in Christ), and new freedom (to be who He created us to be). We enter God's family through salvation. We enter His righteousness through Christ, but we seek His righteousness by ordering our lives according to Him so our priorities reflect His priorities. Finally, when we live His way, we experience true life and breakthroughs we never knew of. Weems insists that whatever has first place in our lives order them. That force is what shapes all of our decisions and actions. To live a life of blessing, God has to be that force that has first place in our lives. In this book Weems describes how we can make that happen. We need to start by being part of a local body of Christ, His church. No church is going to be perfect. However, we were made for community and we need corporate worship as part of our lives. To do this, we need to meet regularly with fellow believers. We need people to hold us accountable and to walk with us in tears and laughter. We need an extended family, and God will provide that when we become part of this community. We also need time with other believers in worship and study. We need to immerse ourselves in the Word individually and in a setting where we can talk about its applications. When others see the freedom that comes from putting God first, they will want it too. We need to keep our priorities in order according to God's kingdom. This book is clear and easy to follow. Weems intertwines personal experiences with stories and Scripture. He talks with passion about being part of God's kingdom. He demonstrates that freedom and joy are possible. I would recommend this book to anyone feeling stagnant in his or her walk with God. Or even to those who may just need a fresh infusion of God's love and practical advice on how to put Him first. Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their 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 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

How High Will You Climb?

How High Will You Climb? by John Maxwell is all about attitude. The right attitude can make the difference between a successful leader and someone who is stuck in neutral. The book begins by talking about what attitude is. Maxwell defines attitude as "an inward feeling expressed by behavior." (10) The idea is that we can express our attitudes even without speaking. When we let our inner feelings take control of us, we will demonstrate them by our expressions and mannerisms, not just our actions. He reminds us the heart is the most important part of our attitude, because how we feel and think will lead to how we act. He also discusses the importance of an obedient attitude, particularly in our spiritual growth. Sometimes our circumstances and our emotions do not seem to put us in the right place to have a positive attitude, but we can overcome those by being obedient despite them. Maxwell insists our attitudes can be controlled, and our attitudes affect many things: our approach to life, what we expect from life, our relationships with other people, whether we find success or failure, the outcome of a task, and even whether our problems become blessings or not. The second part of the book discusses ways to construct a positive attitude, all of which have a biblical basis. When we are young, our environment plays a large role in the development of our attitude. As we get older, we begin to have more control over what we allow in our environment, and therefore, have more control over our own attitudes. He encourages us to see ourselves as loved children of God, because we can never perform in a way we cannot see ourselves. Our self image is extremely important in developing our attitude. We cannot let fear or the opinions of others damage our self esteem or cause us to shrink back. We need to find ways to squash negativity when it enters our lives. We can prepare a plan ahead of time to be ready for attacks to our attitude. Overall, this book has a lot of practical pointers, and it includes a study guide, as well as questions and scripture to help guide readers. It is easy to understand and well organized, so the reader can return to sections of the book for inspiration as needed. The questions help the reader apply the principles Maxwell discusses throughout the book. Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their 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 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”