A COLLECTION OF WEDNESDAYS: Creating a Whole from the Parts

A COLLECTION OF WEDNESDAYS:

Creating a Whole from the Parts

Amy Gaither Hayes
Zondervan
ISBN: 9780310318958

224 pages, Hardcover

                                                                                                                                  

Amy Gaither Hayes:

a busy wife, mother, drama teacher, performer and daughter

But in her young years she had set aside a bit of her Wednesday mornings to spend time with the Lord and write. By doing this Amy has given herself time to get in touch with God, listen to Him and to reflect on her thoughts. She has kept journals of these days and has decided to share some of her collection with us.

Amy has taken some of her collections, divided them into 14 sections with an essay of her thoughts. She concludes each section with at least one of her poems relating to the section. She has filled this little book with her thoughts of everyday life and how God’s has impacted it.

The chapter on “Mentor”, Amy shares that she got to know Madeleine L’Engle as a teen and maintained a correspondence with her until Madeleine’s death. The longest chapter, “Books” could have been a little shorter. I feel it would have been better to have included the list of books at the end of the book as a list of books recommended by her to read.

I really enjoyed the part about how a jigsaw puzzle had pulled the people together after Bible study.

The way “A Collection of Wednesdays” has been arranged makes it easy to pick up as a devotional or at the time of a “storm” in your life.

On a scale of one to five, I’d give this book a four.

Thank you Zondervan for this review copy.

Max On Life: Answers and Insights to Your Most Important Questions

Max On Life: Answers and Insights to Your Most Important Questions

Max Lucado

Hardcover: 256 pages

Publisher: Thomas Nelson (April 19, 2011)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 9780849948121

As usual, Max Lucado has written another great book. Max on Life: Answers and Insights to Your Most Important Questions is a collection of 172 questions Max has been asked in the past and his answers to them. As always his answers are backed up with Scripture.  This book is different than his others since it is to answer questions, tough question asked by his readers, every day friends and people he meets going through his daily life.

The 172 questions are broken up into seven themes: Hope; Hurt; Help; Him/Her; Home; Haves/Have-Nots; Hereafter. I enjoyed reading this book from cover to cover, but I am also going to enjoy it even more in the future. This will be a great reference book, since it includes a topical index at the end of the book.  Max on Life will also make a great daily devotional.

Some of Max’s answers may surprise you. Some are not answered as you would have though he would have. You can almost feel them being answered as Jesus would have Himself. I know I will think differently before I answer some questions and how I handle certain situations.

I would rate this book a 6 if there were a 6 on the 5-star scale. Very good book and should be read by all. A review has been posted on my blog: jagette.blogspot.com

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson 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 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Scent of Water: Grace for Every Kind of Broken

The Scent of Water: Grace for Every Kind of Broken

Naomi Zacharias

Bernice A. King (Foreword)

Hardcover: 224 pages

Publisher: Zondervan (February 22, 2011)

In The Scent of Water: Grace for Every Kind of Broken, you will join Naomi Zacharias as to talks to women and children all over the world. She meets people who have endured injustice, broken dream, endured so much just to exist. We travel with Naomi as she talks to women in brothels in Holland, survivors of the terrible Indonesian tsunami, a young girl in need of an operation to save her life, and so much more.

Naomi shares with us the pain she feels when she sees the people enduring the hardships they are going through. She also shares with us how her experiences have affected her own life and how she has grown from them. The Scent of Water helps us see the how complex some things are in our world and how the pain we so through can be seen as beauty and also found in unlikely places.

Naomi shares her hope. She knows she doesn’t have all the answers.

Zondervan provided me with this book free of charge, for the purpose of posting a review. n's Naomi Zacharias Pagend all the books, read about the author, and more.

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The Dopple Ganger Chronicles

The Dopple Ganger Chronicles: The First Escape

By G. P. Taylor

Publisher: SaltRiver—an imprint of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

Hardcover: 280 pages

The First Escape is a Pre-teen/Young Adult graphic novel, which includes comic book cartoon art, illustrations and other art work along with the usual text. This style keeps the reader not only interested in the story line but also looking forward to what is going to be on the next page.

As the first book in The Dopple Ganger Chronicles you are introduced to the main characters, Sadie and Saskia Dopple—14 year old identical twins and their friend, Erik Morrissey. Sadie and Saskia have been left at Isambard Dunstan’s School for Wayward Children and Erik is a former thief that works at the School. Sadie and Saskia wreak havoc and chaos together - until Saskia is adopted by a wealthy woman and Sadie is left at the school.  Then Sadie and Erik join forces to escape and plan to find Saskia. Will they succeed?

I like this book a lot, but there were some times though when the story line seems really dark and doesn’t seem appropriate for children. Example: the mention of séances which are fake and some violence that is meant to be funny. These could have been left out. There was some mention of some One who will never leave you alone which was a good way to mention God without making it too evident.

I gave this book a 4-star rating.

Tyndale House Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for the purpose of writing a review and posting it on my blog and some other web site.

If You Could Ask God Any Question, What Would It Be?

A Conversation with

GOD

For Women

If You Could Ask God Any Question, What Would It Be?

Author: Marcia Ford

Publisher: Thomas Nelson (March 15, 2011)

Paperback: 320 Pages

A Conversation with GOD for Women is a book that helps us answer questions we hear in our everyday life. Some of those questions are: “Why don’t you prevent disasters from happening?”, “Did you really die to save everyone?”, “What can Bible women teach us?”, “How do we know what You want?”, “Are all sins the same to You?”, “How can you expect us to forgive?”” Do you hear everybody’s prayers?”. In all Marcia answers 55 questions that are divided into 7 categories through examples from Scripture. I recommend you keep your Bible close by to look up the Scripture she refers to so you can see this book does follow Scripture. One of the disadvantages to me is the Scripture references are listed under notes in the back of the book instead of in fine print next to the point it relates too.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I felt that God and Jesus were talking straight to me. The way she also used the women of the Bible to help us understand the answers was done really well. Another thing that I like about this book is it can be used as a tool to help me when I am approached by others with these same questions. I would strongly recommend this book. It is a book that will encourage you as you walk the walk with the Lord.

I gave this book a 4-star rating.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher—Thomas Nelson 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