A Review of "I Lift Up My Soul" by Charles Stanley

This is a devotional geared to lifting one's spirit through a closer connection with God. Stanley's I Lift Up My Soul: Devotions to Start Your Day With God is a simply formatted, traditional, hard-covered devotional.While the book itself is well made, sturdy, and has great cover art, I don't feel especially closer to God after reading the material.

The tone of the book is based in a strongly Christian foundation for the readings and prayers, but could fulfill many denominations. I have read and used many devotionals over the years. I have favorites and not-so-favorites. I found this devotional to be very average. It has the usual format that consists of scripture, explanation of story, and a prayer to end with.

I know that for myself I need to feel a connection with the theme of the book. I flock toward words of gratitude and grace, and complimenting exercises. I truly enjoy being challenged as I make my thoughts and deeds more God-like along my journey. I also prefer books that don't guide the reader quite so much and allow for a more organic flow of understanding.
Please note that the publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book or advanced reading copy through Booksneeze.

Book Review for Grace of God by Andy Stanley

Stanley writes about the various usage of the topic of grace as depicted by different stories from the Bible. He tells of the varying meanings of grace, the part it played in changing history, the idea of the outcome of grace in specific situations, and how grace is connected to faith & love. By juxtaposing the stories of the Bible with more personal "real-life" scenarios from Andy Stanley, the message is reiterated for better comprehension.

I found this book to be similar to a term paper that studies many different accounts of ways that God's grace affected his people. At first I was certain this was a boring book that wasn't relevant to my life. But after getting into it a bit more, I found myself comparing my circumstances to those of the biblical characters, which led me to rethink my position on areas of my life. It is a book that challenges the reader to give true thought to the tool of grace in one's own stories. I think to get the best experience out of Grace of God you should be prepared and open to the levels of grace and your own history. Overall, the author did a good job of making something that I enjoyed reading. As for the messages, I contemplated on them in my own life after reading the book.

Booksneeze has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book or advanced reading copy.

A Review of The Falling Away by T.L. Hines

This book tells the story of a man, Dylan Runs Ahead, as he struggles to find peace in his life and in his faith. He doesn't realize that this is a calling to his faith and his personal spiritual relationship, but he finds himself in the middle of a meltdown. He talks to his memories and turns his back on his dreams. He is filled up with shame and guilt and a sense of disappointment in everything around him, including himself. He does find growth along spiritual paths that give him the strength to carry on as a broken man.

Reading this novel was encouraging in a real-world way. Real people aren't always God like. Real people face actions that may not be moral and make decisions that aren't always for the greater good. Many times our ego and selfishness strike us down because we have allowed them to. I found this book entertaining with a different perspective on religious attitudes. I would recommend this book to anyone who may be afflicted with spiritual sickness.


To comply with new regulations introduced by the Federal Trade Commission, Booksneeze has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book.

Book Review for Angel Song by Walsh &Cushman

Angel Song is describes a woman's journey to find out her truths about herself and the world around her. Most of all, her world evokes emotion from their readers. With a lot of love and both faith and uncertainty, she finds herself exactly where God wanted her to be. The characters of the book bring to mind people in my own life that parallel the authors' story.

This book gave me a rebirth of compassion for others, my faithfulness and gratitude to my God, I felt moves to do good deeds and be of service to others. It only reaffirmed my faith and made it stronger. And the story was not difficult to follow for the most part. A partial reference to the a Bible story might lead one to review it from the source, but overall it was well written and a strong novel of spiritual survival. I did find the book hard to put down, because it grabbed all of my emotions in the first few chapters.
I would most definitely recommend this book to others just because it deals with real life on a spiritual plane. It is amazing what memories or feelings that the writing brought up in my own heart. This is a must-read.

Thomas Nelson has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book.

Mary Elizabeth Turner- in our memories forever!

Glenn's granddaughter, Mary Elizabeth Turner of Christiansburg, VA, passed away last week. Our prayers are with all her family, but especially, her mom, Angie, stepfather, Ralph, and her two brothers. Please say a prayer for this young life that ended too early.