Ancient Practices Series - In Constant Prayer

I chose this book because my local church is doing a study on prayer.  This book interested me because it reminded me of a passage of scripture that means a lot to me about walking daily with the Lord.  1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18  Rejoice always,  pray continually,  give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Prayer to me always seems more communication and relational then what this book is proposing.  I studied it a little further and came to the conclusion that I do not like this book and its legalistic approach to our personal relationship with our Lord.

Prayer is supposed to be from the heart not from a script.  Matthew 6: 5-8   “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.  And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.  Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

This to me is what “The Office” is all about.  This seems more Catholic legalistic then Christian relationship.  For that reason I cannot recommend anyone who truly values a relationship with Him to read or study this book.  It will not bring about comfort, only more effort and scheduled worship.

I received this book free through the booksneeze blog program.  While the book was free my opinions are my own and not those of any other entity.

Pujols: More than the game - Lamb and Ellsworth

My entire sports life has shown me many truths in life.  One of the most important to remember is that everyone, given enough time, will disappoint you eventually.  It is our sinful nature that causes us to slip and because of that athletes, whose lives are magnified, should not be placed on a high pedestal.   After all according to Charles Barkley athletes are not role models.  Throughout reading this book a few thoughts kept coming to my mind.  I admit that they are not fair and not warranted but given this day in age and the high rate if disappointment in fandom I couldn’t control the thoughts from being there.

First, given the era that Pujols played we should be careful how high we view any him or any player from his era.  How disappointing would it be to find out that he was one of the many who tried to “get an edge”?  While that doesn’t change his place in salvation, it does place a chink in the armor of his morality, guilty by association only, but in the minds of many still guilty.

Second, would this story be written a year from know if he doesn’t resign with St. Louis?  How much of this reputation and love that Albert feels today from his fans would go away if he left them behind?

Third, how many times have we seen athletes who obviously are not living Christian lives throwing religion around when they need it?

Fourth, If Albert is such a wonderful Christian athlete, why is he not out there proclaiming his faith in a more real way, like Tim Tebow?  Tim is persecuted for his faith; Albert seems to get a pass.

The book itself is a great look into the life of a man who we would all be happy our sons looked up to (to the extent that athletes should ever been looked up to).  It is a great read for any sports fan, especially one who may not be saved.  I pray that Albert doesn’t fall like so many other athletes. 

I am required to disclose that I received this book free from the publisher through the 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/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html>

The Adventures in Booga Booga Land: Squid Sushi Loses His Marble (DVD) By Richard Milne

The Adventures in Booga Booga Land: Squid Sushi Loses his Marble by Richard Milne  is a DVD that includes 3 stories: Squid Sushi Loses His Marbles(The Lost Pearl), Wally the Waiter(The Soil and the Seeds), and The Flaming Monkey(The Wedding Banquet). Each story is about 15 minutes long, making the complete DVD 45 minutes long. These short stories are suppose to resemble modern day parables to help kids understand them.

That said, I would have to say that it is interesting that there is no mention of Jesus at all, my son, who can normally follow movies well, had no idea what it was about when I questioned him. To top it off, it did not hold his interest. He was down and playing with his toys in a few minutes with no looking back. I had to redirect him back to the T.V. several times.

Also, I think the graphics are very poor for this day in age, it makes it look cheap. I would say that it would have had more potential if it would have reviewed at the end by telling that particular parable of Jesus.  

I received a copy of this DVD from Book Sneeze to review and was not obligated in any way to write a positive review.

Slave: The Hidden Truth About Your Identity in Christ, Written by john MacArthur

In Slave: The Hidden Truth About Your Identity in Christ, Dr. John MacArthur illustrates that the gospel has been minimized over time due to many English translations of the New Testament choosing to translate the Greek word "doulos" being translated as "servant" instead of "slave." MacArthur believes that this slight change has huge ramifications in our attempt to understand our role as followers of Christ.

John MacArthur is a brilliant theologian and does a great job showing the implications of this error.  Returning scripture to its proper translation John takes the reader through a challenging viewpoint that we are called not to be mere servants of the Lord, but sold our slaves.  As slaves we were paid for by the bloodshed of the Lord.  This is to be the backbone of our faith, repayment for the debt we owe to Him for the freedom found as slaves of Christ.

Like each book of John’s that I have read this one is a thought-provoking, challenging, and faith restoring quest to strengthen your faith and push your understanding to a new level.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson as part of the BookSneeze program.

On this Day in Christian History written by Robert Morgan

With eager anticipation I received my copy of “On This Day in Christian History” written by Robert Morgan.  I sat down to read this book as any other; setting aside the notion of reading in the daily devotional format it is written.

For someone who knows the more famous stories of Christian faith;  Polycarp, Origen,  Joan of Arc, and more modern Richard Wurmbrand, this book is a fine addition to the your knowledge and understanding of the lives of those who suffered for their faith.  However if you don’t know these stories this book doesn’t go into all of the more popular stories and therefore seems lacking as a teaching aid for new believers in this regard. 

Covering more than just martyrs there are stories about popular ministers such as John Wesley and Charles Spurgeon.    It is important I feel to acknowledge the efforts and sacrifices given to Christ by “lesser” known people such as John Hooper, James Guthrie, and Luwum.

I would recommend this book as an inspiring reading to anyone looking for a quick pick me up and a daily reminder that through it all Christ will see us through for the greater good.

I was given a copy of this book through the site booksneeze.com however the opinions expressed are mine.

The American Patriot's Almanac - Revised by William Bennett and John Cribb

The American Patriot's Almanac is a walk through the history of country laid out in a one year devotional format.   Much like a daily devotional this book is meant to be read one page a day, with each day's reading outlining an important event from that day in American history. In addition to focusing on one main event each day, at the bottom of each page is a recap of other important events that occurred on that day.

I love this book and while my children are too young to understand now, this book will be used again and again as a teaching tool to ensure that my family understands what events transpired in our nation’s history to form and mold this land.  In a time where “truth” is whatever you want to believe it is important to understand that real truth still exists, and this truth rests in the significant events of our past.  Without these stories history can be made to whatever you want it to be, instead it is important to understand the struggle and fight that went into our history.

Along with historical information there is other timeless information to ponder as well, including;

                The history of our flag,

                Proper flag etiquette,

                Declaration of Independence,

                History of the Constitution,

                Famous speeches in history,

                50 Greatest All-American Movies,

                Songs of American Patriotism

This book would be an excellent read for anyone who professes a love for this country or for a student who wants to learn more about history.  I will be recommending this book to fellow patriots for a long, long time.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher as part of a book review program (booksneeze), the opinions however are entirely my own.