Today's book review is by my wife Kelly and is for "This Little Prayer of Mine" by Anthony DeStefano. Illustrations are by Mark Elliot.

My Thoughts
This is a cute children's book. It is written as a prayer to show kids how and what to pray. It shows two children in different aspects of life and how they can pray during those times. I liked that it included asking God to help in making good choices and showed asking for forgiveness when wrong. The pictures are nice and show great detail. I read it to my four year old and she enjoyed it too.

Publisher's Info
Author Anthony DeStefano’s adult books, The Prayers God Always Says Yes To and A Travel Guide to Heaven, have sold a quarter-million copies. Illustrator Mark Elliott’s cherished artwork has appeared in popular picture books and novels for young readers, including Gail Carson Levine’s ever-popular Princess Tales series.

Now, these acclaimed inspirational experts have come together to create This Little Prayer of Mine, a beautiful and alluring book designed to guide children into a very simple, real and expressive relationship with God.

Through engaging rhymes and alluring illustrations, This Little Prayer of Mine shows children—and their parents and grandparents—that complete dependence on God is what brings peace and fulfillment. It invites children to know and believe that God is always just a simple prayer away and that He longs to respond to them with a resounding, “Yes!”
This Little Prayer of Mine appeals to readers from all different faiths. Easy-reader format allows children to read alone, or with someone older, and encourages them to openly express their fears, thanks, and needs directly to God.

Author Bio
Anthony DeStefano is the author of The Prayers God Always Says Yes To and A Travel Guide to Heaven. He has received prestigious awards from religious organizations worldwide for his efforts to advance Christian beliefs in modern culture.

Mark Elliott’s brilliant illustrations have appeared in popular picture books and novels for young readers, including Gail Carson Levine’s Princess Tales series. His acclaimed artwork delivers inspiration, wonder, and timeless beauty on every page.


My favorite place to buy books is Amazon and you can find the book there. Or of you are inclined, you can find out more about it from the Random House web site.

This was book was provided for review by WaterBrook Multnomah, a division of Random House.

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This book review gets a nice introductory story to go with it. At the beginning of this year I seemed on a roll in winning free things. I won a free iPhone app, an ebook of my choice from O'Reily Media, a book by Scott Wilson, and then a book by Margaret Feinberg. For the Scott Wilson book, my name was mentioned in a live interview as having won a copy and I replied to confirm it, but my name was never listed on the Web site as being a winner. I assumed that there had been some mistake. A few days later I had an opportunity to get a free copy of the book by agreeing to blog about it, something I already do with books from Multnomah. Since it appeared that I wasn't getting the free copy I thought I had won, I signed up for a copy to review. The very day I signed up to review it my free copy arrived. I tried to email and cancel the other book, but a few days later it arrived. So, I will do something that I haven't done for awhile. I will give away the second copy free. Just post a comment on this and I will randomly select a winner next Thursday.

My Thoughts
Great book. That was easy. I know this type of book isn't for everyone as it is primarily written for pastors and those in church leadership, but it is definitely worth reading. The book deals with the various things that we are going to face as we attempt to lead a church through change. It discusses ways of getting people on board, dealing with the struggles that arise, keeping yourself from burning out, and how to communicate. Not only that, but it goes into depth on why we need to prepare for change in advance of actually needing the change. It's a challenging read and you come away from it both thinking "I hope I never have to go through that" and "I need to prepare for this." Some books I read and then I don't mind getting rid of them. This is one of those books though that will become one of my reference books, something that I can refer to from time to time.

For full disclosure, I met Scott at a minister's conference that he taught at. He spoke on the topic that he covers in this book. So my review comes out of both reading the book, hearing him teach on it, and having the opportunity to talk to him. That, and he gave me a free copy of his previous book because I jokingly questioned his ability to teach us. Yes, making fun of the speaker before he teaches sometimes scores you free stuff.

You can read the first chapter of the book for free at www.scribd.com.

I've also embedded a YouTube vide below where Scott discusses the book. It's worth watching. I don't know if Facebook notes will pull in the video or not. If you don't see it, you can either see it on my blog or on YouTube itself.

And don't forget a comment could win you a free book. Show a little comment love if you can.



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Tonight I am reviewing the book "Dug Down Deep" by Joshua Harris. First a little information about the book and then my thoughts follow.

Publisher's Info
What will you build your life on?

With startling transparency, Joshua Harris shares how we can rediscover the relevance and power of Christian truth. This is book shows a young man who rose quickly to success in the Christian evangelical world before he realized his spirituality lacked a foundation—it rested more on tradition and morality than on an informed knowledge of God.

For the indifferent or spiritually numb, Harris's humorous and engaging reflections on Christian beliefs show that orthodoxy isn't just for scholars—it is for anyone who longs to know the living Jesus Christ. As Harris writes, "I've come to learn that theology matters. It matters not because we want to impress people, but because what we know about God shapes the way we think and live. Theology matters because if we get it wrong then our whole life will be wrong."

Whether you are just exploring Christianity or you are a veteran believer finding yourself overly familiar and cold-hearted, Dug Down Deep will help you rediscover the timeless truths of Scripture. As Harris challenges you to root your faith and feelings about God in the person, work, and words of Jesus, he answers questions such as:

What is God like and how does he speak to me?What difference does it make that Jesus was both human and divine?How does Jesus's death on the cross pay for my sins?Who is the Holy Spirit and how does he work in my life?

With grace and wisdom, Harris will inspire you to revel in the truth that has captured his own mind and heart. He will ask you to dig deep into a faith so solid you can build your life on it. He will point you to something to believe in again.

Author Bio
Joshua Harris is senior pastor of Covenant Life in Gaithersburg, Maryland, which belongs to the Sovereign Grace network of local churches. A passionate speaker with a gift for making theological truth easy to understand, Joshua is perhaps best known for his runaway bestseller, I Kissed Dating Goodbye, which he wrote at the age of twenty-one. His later books include Boy Meets Girl, Sex Is Not the Problem (Lust Is), and Stop Dating the Church. The founder of the NEXT conferences for young adults, Joshua is committed to seeing the gospel transferred to a new generation of Christians. He and his wife, Shannon, have three children.

My Thoughts
I've read some of Joshua Harris' books in the past and have enjoyed them. When I had the opportunity to read this book, I jumped at the offer. I did this because the book was promoted as digging down to orthodoxy. I phrase it as theology for the rest of us. I remember being in college and working through a heavy volume of systematic theology. It wasn't something I enjoyed. So I was curious to see how the author would approach it. My opinion is that he does a good job. The book isn't written to be an exhaustive scholarly work, but the thoughts of of a regular person wanting to ground their faith. He works to make some of the foundational truths of the Christian faith more accessible. Having come across a lot of Christians that only scratch the surface of what it means to follow Christ, I feel it is very timely to encourage others to go a little deeper. Especially in the hour that we're living.

The book is easy to read, but as you do you find yourself having gut checks every so often. It comes down to confronting what you believe and asking yourself if it is Biblical. I walk away from the book tempted to pull out my Systematic Theology text that sits abandoned on a shelf and starting to dig into it with my Bible right beside it. I'd encourage you to pick up a copy and read it.

My favorite place to buy books is Amazon and you can find the book there. Or of you are inclined, you can find out more about it from the Waterbrook Multnomah web site.

This was book was provided for review by WaterBrook Multnomah.

Again I find myself in the position of having a book to review that I haven't finished. This time though, I think I have a pretty good excuse. I was in Kenya. When the original offer came out and I accepted it, the book was scheduled to arrive before I left on my trip. I thought the timing was going to be perfect. I would have ample time to read during the flights (I didn't know then that I would be sick). Also, for some odd reason I really wanted to read a book called Primal while I was sitting in Africa. Anyway, due to a slight publishing delay the book arrived two days after I left. My return home threw me right into the middle of my youth group's dinner theatre and the overall business of the Christmas season. Mark Batterson is my favorite author and he deserves a better blog entry, but what can I do. My only consolation is that I have some time off in the upcoming days and I'm looking forward to enjoying the book. So below you will find the publisher's info and then a brief word from me based on the little I've been able to read.

Publisher's Info
Be astonished again. We have a tendency to complicate Christianity. Jesus simplified it: Love God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength. If we are to live out the essence of Christianity, we must commit to being great at this Great Commandment.

In Primal, Mark Batterson explores the four elements of Great Commandment Christianity: compassion, wonder, curiosity, and power. Along the way, he calls you to be a part of God’s reformation, starting in your own life.

As Mark writes, “Is there a place in your past where you met God and God met you? A place where your heart broke for the things that break the heart of God? Maybe it was a sermon that became more than a sermon. Maybe it was a mission trip or retreat. Maybe it was a vow you made at an altar. In that moment, God birthed something supernatural in your spirit. You knew you’d never be the same again. My prayer is that this book would take you back to that burning bush—and reignite a primal faith.”

Primal will help you live in light of what matters most and discover what it means to love God. It will help you become great at the Great Commandment.

Author Bio
The author of Wild Goose Chase and In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day, Mark Batterson serves as lead pastor of National Community Church in Washington, D.C. One church with nine services in five locations, NCC is focused on reaching emerging generations and meets in movie theaters at metro stops throughout the D.C. area. Mark has two Masters degrees from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Chicago. He and his wife, Lora, live on Capitol Hill with their three children.

My Thoughts
I personally enjoy Mark's writing style and within the first few pages he has already challenged my thinking. Quoting former Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Mark discusses the idea of there being simplicity on the near side of complexity and simplicity on the far side of complexity. Near side simplicity is is only mind deep and has never been tested in fires of adversity, doubt, trial, and pain. That's where the complexity comes in. Most of us have asked the question "why" a thousand times. Why do so many things happen to us as we follow Christ. Yet, there is that simplicity on the far side of complexity. It's a place where we have been tried and maybe don't even understand completely, but we know God is the truth and we continue to follow. We find ourselves at a place of simple faith. Not immature faith, but faith that focuses on the main things that God has called to do.

Already this idea has been challenging my thinking and to be fair, I must point out this comes from page 5. Five pages in and I'm already challenged. I'm looking forward to the rest of the book. I know that Mark and his publishers are promoting the book as the first book you read in 2010. It would be a good idea, but I encourage you to pick it up and end 2009 with it.

My favorite place to buy books is Amazon and you can find the book there. Or of you are inclined, you can find out more about it from the Waterbrook Multnomah web site.

And for the government I need to let you know that this was book was provided for review by WaterBrook Multnomah

A Collection of book reviews from Kelly

Publisher's Info about "Treasured"
In Treasured, Leigh McLeroy considers tangible reminders of God’s active presence and guides readers in discovering evidence in their own lives of his attentive love.

“The idea for the book came from a cigar box filled with odds and ends of my grandfather’s life that arrived a few months after his death. Sifting through the objects in the box, I experienced him in a fresh new way. This made me wonder what treasures might be tucked away in Scripture that could frame God for me in an equally intimate, tangible way. This process also helped me uncover my own “treasures” of my walk with the Lord: objects that remind me of my history with him and his faithfulness to me,” says McLeroy.

Drawn from the pages of Scripture, the author considers twelve such treasures and personalizes their meaning for readers, such as a green olive branch that offers proof of God’s “new every morning” mercy and a scarlet cord that demonstrates his willingness to adopt “strays” of every sort.

Weaving these treasures together with scenes from her personal history, Leigh McLeroy invites readers to discover God’s heart for them and embrace their unique role in his redemptive story. Treasured offers readers a guided experience of God’s love and character and invites them to consider their own treasures that point to their part in God’s ongoing story.

Kelly's Review
I did not get a chance to read this book.

Publisher's Info About "God Gave Us Love"
In God Gave Us Love, Little Cub and Grampa Bear’s fishing adventure is interrupted by mischievous otters, and the young polar bear begins to ask questions like why must we love others . . . even the seemingly unlovable? Why is it easier to love those we like? Where does love come from? And why does God love her so much?

Grampa Bear patiently addresses each one of Little Cub’s curiosities by explaining the different kinds of love we can share: the love between friends, the love between families, the love between moms and dads, and the love for God.

He also assured Little Cub that because of the love God has given her through his Son, there’s nothing she can do to make God love her any more or any less. Through Grampa Bear’s encouraging Little Cub to love others with a “God-sized love,” children will be inspired to love others and to be patient, gentle and kind, so that in every way, they too can demonstrate God’s love.

Kelly's Review
I have read some of the God Gave Us books before and this one was a great book too. It talks about the different kinds of love in a way that kids can relate to. It also told about the difference between liking and loving. The most important love of all is the love that God has for us. Through his love he shows us how to love others. I enjoyed reading it and my kids liked it too. I know it will be read over and over again.


Publisher's Info About "God Gave Us Christmas"
In God Gave Us Christmas, as Little Cub and her family prepare to celebrate the most special day of the year, the curious young polar bear has something on her mind: “Who invented Christmas?” she asks. “Is God more important than Santa?”

Her questions reflect the confusion of so many children during the holiday season. And this heartwarming story takes them on a wonderful journey of discovery—right to the heart of Christmas.
Through Mama’s gentle guidance, Little Cub learns that God loves her and everyone— polar bear, moose, or human—so much that he gave us Jesus, the very best gift of all.

Kelly's Review
This book was another great one. It tells how God gave Christmas to us and it is not just about Santa Claus. Christmas is a special gift from God for all of us. He sent his son to earth because he loves us so much. The story shows that God is all powerful and everything about Christmas points us to God’s gift of his son for us. I enjoyed reading this book too. I recommend it to anyone wanting to get the focus off of the cultural things of Christmas and back on Jesus.

As always, you can find out more about the books at Random House or Amazon.

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

Here's a quick book review by Kelly.

Publisher's Info
Amanda Janvier’s idyllic home seems the perfect place for her niece Tally to stay while her vagabond brother is in Europe, but the white picket fence life Amanda wants to provide is a mere illusion. Amanda’s husband Neil refuses to admit their teenage son Chase, is haunted by the horrific fire he survived when he was four, and their marriage is crumbling while each looks the other way.

Tally and Chase bond as they interview two Holocaust survivors for a sociology project, and become startlingly aware that the whole family is grappling with hidden secrets, with the echoes of the past, and with the realization that ignoring tragic situations won’t make them go away.

Readers of emotional dramas that are willing to explore the lies that families tell each other for protection and comfort will love White Picket Fences. The novel is ideal for those who appreciate exploring questions like: what type of honesty do children need from their parents, or how can one move beyond a past that isn’t acknowledged or understood? Is there hope and forgiveness for the tragedies of our past and a way to abundant grace?

Author Bio
Susan Meissner cannot remember a time when she wasn’t driven to put her thoughts down on paper. Her novel The Shape of Mercy was a Publishers Weekly pick for best religious fiction of 2008 and a Christian Book Award finalist. Susan and her husband live in Southern California, where he is a pastor and a chaplain in the Air Force Reserves. They are the parents of four grown children.

Kelly's Thoughts
I really enjoyed reading this book. The characters were realistic and fun. The use of historical events to tell the story was good too. It was interesting to learn about some of the things that happened during the holocaust. The underlying theme of having hidden secrets was good. It reminds you that no matter what you try to hide it is always best to have it come into the light. Having honesty within a family is crucial for its survival. Keeping secrets will keep a family from being healthy and loving each other fully. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Christian fiction.

Check the book out at Random House.

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

Tonight I have the pleasure of promoting a book that I really want to read. This is suppose to be a review, but I seem to have been inundated with other tasks and only read three chapters of a fairly length work. The book is "If God is God" by Randy Alcorn. It looks at the age old problem of how God can be good when so many bad things happen. It considers the difficutly of where is God in the midst of pain and suffering.

To honor my agreement with the publisher, I'm putting all the information about the book here. Hopefully in a week or so I will be able to post a proper opinion about it.

Publisher's Info
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.

Alcorn offers insights from his conversations with men and women whose lives have been torn apart by suffering, and yet whose faith in God burns brighter than ever. He reveals the big picture of who God is and what God is doing in the world–now and forever. And he equips you to share your faith more clearly and genuinely in this world of pain and fear.

As he did in his best-selling book, Heaven, Randy Alcorn delves deep into a profound subject, and through compelling stories, provocative questions and answers, and keen biblical understanding, he brings assurance and hope to all.

Author Bio
Randy Alcorn is the founder and director of Eternal Perspectives Ministries and a bestselling author. His novels include Deadline, Dominion, Edge of Eternity, Lord Foulgrin’s Letters, The Ishbane Conspiracy, and the Gold Medallion winner, Safely Home. He has written eighteen nonfiction books as well, including Heaven, The Treasure Principle, The Purity Principle, and The Grace and Truth Paradox. Randy and his wife, Nanci, live in Oregon and have two married daughters and four grandsons.

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I'm currently reading the book "The Dark Foundations." It's the second part of a three part series. I guess the best way to define it would be Christian Science Fiction. It has a nice blend of both technological advancement and theological issues. Even though the author and I have differing eschatologies (he shares his opinions on his web site), there was something that he wrote for one of his characters that struck me.

"Where we are in the great timetable has no real bearing on matters of right and wrong. Every day we're given choices and every day we have to make the right decisions. If I knew the King was returning tomorrow or in ten thousand years' time, it wouldn't alter my choice...we just battle evil until the whistle blows--whenever that is."

I personally believe in a Pre-Tribulation rapture of the church. I would fall into the Christ could return at any moment crowd. Often, we do speak in terms of we should live like Christ is returning tomorrow. However, what if we knew absolutely that Christ wasn't returning for a thousands of years? Would that change how we live? Does right and wrong only exist in a timetable where Christ is coming back soon?

We have been called to live holy lives in Christ. We have been called to do what's right no matter how long Christ chooses to tarry. No matter the number of days that remain for this world, I must make decisions that reflect my Lord.

Here’s a review of the book Deadlock by Kelly.

Publisher’s Info
The Zarbo brothers are seasoned outlaws with a reputation for killing. Already wanted in two states, they set their sights on Colorado and a string of bank robberies. They don’t count on running into Chief U.S. Marshal John Brockman.

John arrests Lee Zarbo, but his brothers remain in hiding. Lee’s sentence to death by hanging incites them to desperate measures. They’ll do anything to get him out alive. Even kidnap the Chief U.S. Marshal’s daughter.

When John learns of his young daughter’s captivity and the conditions for her release, he must turn to the Lord for direction. It takes all the faith he can muster to wait for the answer. Without freeing a dangerous criminal, can John find Ginny before they kill her?

Author Bio
Al Lacy is an evangelist and author of more than one hundred historical and Western novels, including the Journeys of the Stranger, Angel of Mercy, and Mail Order Bride series, with more than three million books in print. JoAnna Lacy, Al’s wife and longtime collaborator, is a retired nurse. The Lacys have been married over forty years and live in the Colorado Rockies.

Kelly’s Review
I have read some of Al & Joanna Lacy's other books that deal with the characters that were in Deadlock. It was nice to read a sequel and find out what happened with the characters. While the story was good and it was fun to read, I don't think it is very realistic. I like reading books with a Christian theme, but I find the Lacy's books to be a bit over the top. It seemed like every second paragraph someone was getting saved or quoting scripture to someone. The dialog was, in my opinion, cheesy. Maybe it is just me but I don't think people really talk like that all the time. I enjoy reading books set in the past and that is what I enjoyed about this book.

If you want to check it out for yourself, you can find it Amazon.

Another review by Kelly.

Publisher’s Summary.
Raised in foster care and now the widowed mother of a little girl, Cara Moore struggles against poverty, fear, and a relentless stalker. When a trail of memories leads Cara and Lori out of New York City toward an Amish community, she follows every lead, eager for answers and a fresh start. She discovers that long-held secrets about her family history ripple beneath the surface of Dry Lake, Pennsylvania, and it’s no place for an outsider. But one Amish man, Ephraim Mast, dares to fulfill the command he believes that he received from God–“Be me to her”– despite how it threatens his way of life.

Completely opposite of the hard, untrusting Cara, Ephraim’s sister Deborah also finds her dreams crumbling when the man she has pledged to build a life with begins withdrawing from Deborah and his community, including his mother, Ada Stoltzfus. Can the run-down house that Ada envisions transforming unite them toward a common purpose–or push Mahlon away forever? While Ephraim is trying to do what he believes is right, will he be shunned and lose everything–including the guarded single mother who simply longs for a better life?

Author Bio
Cindy Woodsmall is the author of When the Heart Cries, When the Morning Comes, and The New York Times Best-Seller When the Soul Mends. Her ability to authentically capture the heart of her characters comes from her real-life connections with Amish Mennonite and Old Order Amish families. A mother of three sons and two daughters-in-law, Cindy lives in Georgia with her husband of thirty-one years.

Kelly’s Thoughts
This was a great book. I really enjoy reading books about the Amish. I think that the author does a great job of telling how life is with the Amish. She makes it easy to fall in love with the characters and their seemingly more simple lifestyle. I enjoyed how reading how the two cultures mixed and resolved conflict within the story. It ends with room to continue the story and I would love to see if there is a sequel someday. I felt like the characters were so real and would like to know what happens in their lives. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys this type of fiction. I know I will be watching for other books by Cindy Woodsmall in the future.

Check it out on Amazon.com.

Just going to toss out a recommendation for a book that I just finished. Just so it’s clear, this is not connected to my reviews that I do with free copies from a publisher. I actually got this book from the library. The book is “I Sold My Soul on Ebay: Viewing Faith Through an Atheist’s Eyes” by Hermant Mehta.

The premise is fascinating to me because the book winds up being the story of an atheist having to attend a variety of churches at the request of his Ebay buyer. What follows are some candid observations from an atheist as he finds both services he enjoys and others that wanted to fall asleep in. Having grown up in the church, it becomes easy to accept things because that’s just the way they are. Having a man that most would designate as an outsider to the Christian faith step into churches and offer critique sounds crazy, but it provides some interesting insights.

In fact, I found myself completely agreeing with his opinion that worship (singing) portions at some churches go on for extreme amounts of time and basically are filled with one chorus being repeated again and again and again. That’s a completely different blog post, but it was amusing to find myself on common ground with an atheist concerning a common (it seems) church practice.

Will you agree with everything he writes? Most assuredly you won’t. Will the ending disappoint you? If you want him a Christian by the end of the book you better not pick it up. Will your faith and the way we do church be challenged? Yeah, and that’s probably a good thing.