A Christian Survival Guide

What enables some to survive as Christians when so many others falter? Without resorting to empty answers, clichés, relativism, or smug certainty, A Christian Survival Guide provides an accessible and safe place to deal with issues that can give Christians sleepless nights. By focusing on spiritual practices, discussing solutions to faith struggles, and offering perspectives from multiple Christian traditions, this survival guide moves readers into a thriving relationship with God, even if that means not necessarily finding all the answers.

What happens when you are faced with tough situations?

We are reminded by the author that we must be grounded in our faith that is the first step to survival.  We have to be more than Sunday only bench warming Christians.  We must be deep in our faith.  And how do we do that you ask?

The author then takes us through some very good lessons on prayer, and how important it is to have a grounding in God’s word EVERY day by reading the Bible.

The author has done a great job at reminding us the basics of our Christian lives.   The chapters are short, but they make you think hard.

This would be an excellent book discipleship, a study group, or even on your own.  It is one that I will keep on my book shelf.

 I received this book free from the publisher  http://www.kregel.com . I was not required to write a positive review and 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.”

Beautiful on the Mountain

From the Publisher:

If you enjoyed the classic novel Christy and the bestselling Mitford series, then you’ll love Beautiful on the Mountain, a real-life tale about serving God in unlikely circumstances. In 1977, Jeannie Light left her fine plantation home amid heartbreak and came to Graves Mill, a tiny hamlet in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Alone in an utterly new kind of life, Jeannie was determined to find the courage to make a fresh start.

To Jeannie’s surprise, she found herself called upon by her new neighbors to open the old, deteriorated country church, a place that had once united the fractured community of mountain folk. With no training, and no small amount of trepidation, she undertook the task. And as she embarked on an unforeseen series of adventures, from heartbreaking to hilarious, Jeannie would learn more than she ever expected about faith, loving your neighbor, and doing the work that God sets in front of you. Because sometimes, God calls us to go where there is no path . . . and leave a trail.


This is a true story ( a biography) of Jeannie Light, and how after heartbreak, and disappointment, God moves her and uses her to help revive a small community.   

A good book, it is a bit slow at first, but once you get into it, it is a great story.  I just love how God works in everyone's lives and it truly brings out Romans 8:28-30.

 I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review and 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 Reluctant Detective

On her return to Winchester, Faith Morgan, newly ordained priest in the Church of England, witnesses the dramatic death of a fellow priest during a service - poisoned with pesticide mixed with the communion wine. One of the police officers called to the scene is Ben Shorter, Faith's ex-boyfriend. They trained together before Faith's calling took a different turn. At the request of the Bishop of Winchester, Faith stays on to look after the church at Little Worthy, where there have been some problems, and soon finds that the murder may involve not only the Bishop's family but her own nephew...

This is another well written Martha Ockley suspense novel.   This book takes us back before "The Advent of Murder" to when Faith Morgan is newly ordained and comes to Worthy as the new vicar.  As we learn about Faith, and her former life as a police officer, we find that she loves a good mystery!

This book is very easy to read, and hard to put down.   It is full of suspense and will keep you guessing until the end.   If you love a good mystery this is the book for you.  This is the first book in the Faith Morgan series, and I highly recommend it if you are into that type of genre.

I received this book free from the publisher  http://www.kregel.com . I was not required to write a positive review and 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.”

NIV Essentials Study Bible

The NIV Essentials Study Bible helps you quickly and easily understand, interpret, and apply God’s Word to your life. The variety of features in this Bible presents a multifaceted, exciting format for studying Scripture. There are many different ways to explore God’s Word: question-and-answer studies; detailed in-text study notes; timelines, photos and charts; helpful devotional insights; and profiles of Bible characters. Now you don’t have to choose, because the NIV Essentials Study Bible provides you the chance to explore the Bible using all these study methods and more. With each of these lenses included in one Bible, you will discover how to best understand the essentials of Scripture.This edition includes the entire NIV Bible text with the world’s best notes for learning. It incorporates the finest content, images, and study tools from the most popular Bibles that are loved and used by Bible readers just like you. It features:* Flyover Lens: Start each book of the Bible with the right perspective from easy-to-read introductions from the popular Essential Bible Companion.* Unpack Lens: Easily understand and interpret Bible passages with bottom-of-the page study notes and in-text charts from the best-in-class NIV Study Bible.* Dig Deep, Look Close Lens: Understand the fascinating historical significance of the Bible with articles and photos from the bestselling NIV Archaeological Study Bible.* Q and A Lens: Get concise, easy-to-grasp answers to your most perplexing questions about the Bible with questions and answers from the beloved NIV Quest Study Bible.* People Lens: View Scripture from the perspective of the 100 most important people in the Bible with notes for the student of any age excerpted from the timeless NIV Student Bible.* Guided Tour Lens: Get a bird’s eyes view of Scripture with a Guided Tour, also excerpted from the category-leading NIV Student Bible.* Insight Lens: Find meaning in the Bible by reading these magazine-style call-outs from the NIV Student Bible.* R and R Lens: Reflect and Respond with this quick inspirational focus time, which unveils the sweeping narrative of the Bible as seen in the award-winning The Great Rescue, NIV.

I thought I would try the e-version of this Bible, so I have a good study Bible on the go.   I have to say I was truly impressed with it.    I was impressed with the charts, the "dig deep look close" which takes you into a deeper study of topics such as fasting in the Bible.    The illustrations are very detailed, and have a great description.

What I truly enjoyed was the key concepts at the beginning of each chapter, and in the kindle version, all you have to do is tap the cross references, and it takes you right there.    All in all a great tool to work with. 

The print was easy to read, the only thing I had a hard time with was the charts were hard to read on the kindle version.  

 I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review and 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.”

NIV Teen Study Bible

This Bible keeps up with you, to help you keep up with God! As an on-the-go teen, you’re moving fast. God is moving faster! The NIV Teen Study Bible will help you keep in step with all he has done, is doing, and will do in the world—and in your life. This bestselling Bible will also help you discover the eternal truths of God’s Word and apply them to the issues you face today. Features include:

• “We Believe”—Unpacks the Apostles’ Creed to reveal the biblical foundation of faith
• “Panorama”—Keeps the big picture of each book of the Bible in view
• Topical indexes—Help with in-depth Bible study
• Book introductions—Provide an overview for each book of the Bible
• Bible Promises—Highlighted Bible verses worth memorizing
• Q and As—Test Bible knowledge
• 4 full-color pages—Includes a presentation page and information about the Apostles’ Creed
• 8-page, color map section
• Biblical advice about friends, family, school, and other issues
• Complete text of the New International Version (NIV) of the Bible

With over 3 million copies sold, the NIV Teen Study Bible continues to be a teen’s top resource for discovering the foundational truths of the Bible.

If you are looking for a Bible for a teen or even a middle grade child, this is the one.  It is easy to read with the NIV translation, and the type size is easy on the eyes.

Each chapter has a summary, and I love the "Dear Jordan", the questions and answers, the "to the point", and the panorama at the end of the chapter.  It is complete with maps, weights and measures, a reading schedule, concordance, and a Bible Truth Index.

An excellent book as I stated for teens and also for those in middle school,  I personally plan to give this one to my 10 year old.  This could be used for a new believer or one that has been a believer for a long time.    I think this is a great step up from the "Adventure Bible" which is popular with many children.

 I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review and 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.”