Review of Nearing Home

I just finished reading Billy Graham’s “Nearing Home,” which I received from booksneeze.com. This is the first time I’ve read something by Billy Graham, and I have to admit it was amazing. He is a great writer, even at 92. It is amazing how easily his faith bleeds through the pages and he can’t help, but add the gospel into this book on aging well. He used several good stories to show what to do and not to do. All subjects in the book Graham has experienced, and he writes as an authority on the subject. I don’t think you could be too young to read this book, despite its topic. We are all going to get old one day and Graham shows how to do it for the glory of God. He covers topics such as aging, handling grief, comforting others and, of course, the gospel. It didn’t take me long to read this book of 180 pages. All it took was one good rainy afternoon and I zoomed through it. It was hard to put down. I’m eager to pass this book on to my grandmother, although I think she may know a whole lot on this subject. I’m hoping I’ll be able to find more books by Billy Graham because he is such a good writer. I encourage this book for everyone, no matter the age. At some point, everything in this book will be encountered by every individual. Unfortunately, we aren’t getting any younger so we might as well do it for the glory of God.

Review of The Sacred Meal

Well first off, I lost this book for months and finally found it stashed away while moving. My favorite part of this book is its cover, which makes it look really nice sitting on the back of my toilet or on my coffee table. I guess that sounds bad for the book, but it’s really pretty. OK, the book I’m talking about is “The Sacred Meal” by Nora Gallagher, a commentary on communion. Booksneeze.com sent this book to me by request. It was a good read despite losing the book for so long. The author describes her experiences with communion and how it relates to Christianity and the world. I disagreed with her on several things and a couple of comments made were wrong. I actually was talking to a friend after reading this, and she laughed at me as I explained it. I did like the way the author wrote and how she described her experiences with communion. The best way I could described it is poetic and mystical. Afterward I was ready to go talk to my pastor about taking communion more in our church. I think one of the things I was expecting was more of a history and a way of communion. It’s more of a “these are my experiences” and a relation to Christianity book. Overall, I did enjoy. And the cover is pretty.

Review of The Butterfly Effect

The Butterfly Effect by Andy Andrews is a small book that blew me away completely. I was expecting a cute story about how what you do affects the world with a sweet moral ending. What I ended up reading was a powerful historical story of how someone actually impacted the world. The first story was one I’d never heard and one that overwhelmed me in its significance. The other story and the events leading to changing the world made me think more of how each action on my part can have a huge significance in the scheme of things. I had heard the story of George Washington Carver before, but this put it in a whole new perspective. I let a friend read it and she also enjoyed the book. She said she read through it twice. Before I began reading it, I planned on passing it on as a gift to someone who likes butterflies. It was difficult to pass it on after reading it though. I highly recommend this book to anyone. It’s a small book, but will have a huge impact on your thoughts. I received the book from booksneeze.com. Everyone should read it as soon as possible.

Everyone Communicates, Few Connect by John C. Maxwell Review

This morning, after a quick breakfast and a stroll with the Chihuahua, I finished the last chapter of Everyone Communicates, Few Connect by John C. Maxwell. I have to admit, it is my favorite book I have reviewed for booksneeze.com. I picked it out based on the cover and because I had heard good things about Maxwell. At the same time, I have always been cautious when it comes to motivation books concerning leadership. There is no way a person can pick up a 400-page book and become a leader. Maxwell's book surprised me and I found great respect for him. He didn't make out like its an instantaneous experience becoming a leader or to even communicate with other people. He used many quotes, lots of ideas and a few good jokes to make his point. Through the whole book, he was very open about both his strengths in weaknesses and used his own experiences to help you relate. At first, I felt this was a little arrogant. When I realized he was using it to help the reader, I appreciated his personal experiences. This book can help a person, not only with large audiences or in corporations, but also as a spouse, parent or friend. There are several skills in the book that, although can't be applied instaneously, will help in the long run.

The Vertical Self by Mark Sayer

The Vertical Self takes a good look at the identity of people today, Chrisitian and nonChristian alike. At first I had problems getting into the book and some of the early examples seemed too simple and made up. As I got into it, though, I found insight on the identity, or lack of, our culture seems to be facing. For the most part, I liked the book. The author is very insightful into the culture and observant of the many people he passes on the street. His observance of the people, knowledge of their behaviors and responses to their actions give him the credibility to write such a novel. Some of the examples he uses, such "Jim is yada yada yada" I am unsure whether I like them or not. Although they do provide excellent insight and connection to readers, I could have enjoyed a simple explanation instead. His use of popular images as examples of today's culture and identity add depth to the novel. The difference between vertical and horizontal is laid out in plain sight in this book, and does provide a good history of cultural self and relations to identity. I enjoyed the book and am glad I received it from booksneeze.com and would recommend it to any reader interested in learning more about the identity of today's people.

The Hole In Our Gospel review

"The Hole in Our Gospel" by Richard Stearns, World Vision's president, calls us as Christians to a higher standard in our walk with God. Using his own story weaved with the call in the Bible to help the poor, Stearns points out how one should do as God has called them to do. The book is well written and transitions well from Stearns's life story into Biblical and other references. Stearns's own story sets up a visual for the other sections of the book. This is more than a motivation, self-help book for the Christian walk, but a book which shows the journey involves more than what one wants. Stearns's use of his own life story shows that every person is human and it can appeal to anyone, regardless of one's beliefs. Its focus is on Christians who are comfortable with their padded pews and calls them to rise. Several examples of how Jesus asks for Christians to help the poor, because by helping even the least we are helping Him. Jesus had a great love for the poor and Christians should share this love. I recommended this book if you are ready for the next step in your walk.