BELIEVE!

In Believe For It, a book with the same title as her recent album and hit song, CeCe Winans focuses on passing the faith among generations. It is a very personal book about how she and her husband Alvin passed along the leadership mantle of the church they started in Nashville, to their son. CeCe also draws on other personal stories, including the death of her brother - but how when he nearly died the first time, God used that incident to change some lives and bring others to Him including his doctor. Each chapter ends with some thought-provoker questions for application. It is clear that CeCe has a loving family who instilled great truths in her and now she wants to make sure to instill them into others as a legacy across the generations. An advance copy was made available to me for review without comittment from the publisher and Netgalley.

And the World Was FOREVER Changed

Tracy Daub writes about the Christmas Story, Advent, as found in the Gospel of Mark. Ironically, Mark never wrote about the birth of Jesus Christ but starts his Gospel with His baptism. Therein, is the twist. In Holy Disruption, the author addresses key themes found in Mark and how Jesus interacted with the people. This IS Advent, because by definition it is the anticipation and waiting for the coming of the Lord. And He came to serve. A great quote from the work is "Welcoming the way of Christ means turning our lives, hearts, and priorities into a kind of counter-procession against the "empires" of our day. Consider the empire of consumerism and its vice-like hold on most of our lives. Christ's way of peace and justice stands in direct opposition to the dominant beliefs that one's worth and happiness and peace of mind are found through the acquisition of material goods and wealth." This book is a good reminder for the season of Christmas but also for anytime of the year. An advance copy was made available to me for review without commitment from the publisher and Netgalley.

Everything you wanted to know about Jesus...

Jesus the Jew, Jesus the story teller, Jesus as the One who suffered for us... it is all part of what you encounter here when you are Confronting Jesus. The impact of this book differs no doubt depending on whether you are already a Jesus follower, how long you have been, and how well you know His words in red and what is written about Him. There are pop culture references - even about the television series about The Good Place - which at first seemed creative, but they were a bit over-done by the end of the book. Still, maybe they keep the interest of the reader-audience the book was intended for. Certainly anytime we can learn more about Jesus, is recommended and this book does a good job of weaving together the various themes contextually. This book was advanced to me from NetGalley and the publisher without any commitment for positive feedback.

Give God time - He is there in your Trouble

Steven Scott takes the very familiar story of Joseph and gleans a dozen life applications, principles for us today. There is a great chapter on grief - because like it or not we will all experience it and already have. The chapter on vision mapping is both challenging and encouraging - especially if, like most today, we haven't thought lately about what our vision is. Remember, as a take away, no matter what you are going through, just like Joseph, God has a master plan, something much bigger than you know and a plan that may take a while for you to see. This book was advanced to me through NetGalley and the publisher without any commitment for positive feedback.

Your Survival Guide for Your Heat and Soul

John Eldredge has always been one of my favorite writers once I was fortunate enough to have discovered him. He writes to my soul, straight to my heart. This is because he gets it. He gets the struggle of being in this world. He understands too the victory that Jesus has already won - and the tension between those two realities. Reading this book will help you slow down, take a deep breath, and focus on the God who can help you with the pace of life and the challenges of the day. I love how he starts each chapter with a real-life situation or story that we can relate to and allows him to expound on his points, and then ends with a vulnerable, heart-felt open prayer to bring application to our spirit. The theme running through his works is that God is after our heart, but so is our enemy. All of life is related to that struggle, that battle. The timing of the book is too, because just Eldridge, we have all gone through more than we know these past couple years and lost some things along the way during the pandemic. If we are not aware and careful - it impacts our heart and the way we see life, which he so eloquently discusses. He calls the book "a survival guide" with "tools for strengthening heart and soul". That alone should be the reason you too want to read this one. I was advanced a copy through NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review without commitment to recommend the book, though it was so good I did buy a copy for myself.

More Than Soundbites

I'm a newshound, have been accused of being an ambulance chaser and spent several years in broadcast journalism. For these reasons, Jen Maxfield's book "More After the Break" greatly intrigued me. Very well written and goes beyond the sound bites. Maxfield's book completes the stories. She writes about the conversations that took place with family and victims years after the first breaking news - with great variety of accidents, terrorist attack, sickness, etc. Maxfield's work puts flesh on the bones and shows how life not only happens to us, but continues on afterward. This book will help make you feel better about the world because even with the bad stories - good can happen later out of them. I was advanced a copy through NetGalley without any obligation for a positive review.

It's about Hope!

This should be required reading for all men. It is probably the most helpful book I've read on the topic and will be vital in dealing with this problem for those who struggle with it or know someone who does. The book takes an approach that is fresh. We find that out in the introduction by Pastor Thabiti Anyabwile who says "Defeating the porn monster will not come by white-knuckle, jaw-clenched grit individually willing its way to victory when all other soldiers have fallen" but "victory can be had, but only in the loving community of the local church with saints covenanted together to stand An advance copy was made available to me from the publisher and NetGalley for a review without any commitment for positive feedback.

against the wiles of the enemy in the truth of Jesus's gospel and the power of the Holy Spirit." This book is indeed for anyone discouraged, anyone who thinks that it is not possible to walk in purity in this area. The author, Ray Ortlund hopes the book "messes with" the reader - just as it "messed" with him. Ortlund contends that any battle with porn isn't really a battle with porn, or even willpower, but a battle about hope. He believes the fight is won "by believing that God's love ... is too great to be limited to what" we deserve. He likens victory to walking in nobility and every time a temptation is slayed like a dragon, porn becomes a little more dead in this world. We should work towards this end to bring honor to each and every woman who has been created in God's image and no longer allow ourselves or someone close to us to treat them otherwise and with disrespect. An advance copy was made available to me from the publisher and NetGalley for a review without any commitment for positive feedback.

Sex and the City - NOT that one

S__ and the City of God (since I was blocked from posting the actual word) is not really about the subject of the tv show. But that word is part of the story - but the main part of the story is God. The author, Carolyn Weber, writes a vulnerably open recounting of her growing up and her relationships with a few men. She is honest with her thoughts, desires, and yet her ability to keep the standard of God's best for her in her thoughts as these men came and went in her life, and how she ultimately found the one she would say "yes, I do" to. Not to be left out is the poignant story of her father lying in a hospital bed to open and close her memoir. Delightfully written with lessons to learn from lessons she learned along the way. This book was advanced to me from the publisher through NetGalley with no commit

ment for any positive commentary. I recommend it to you. Almost forgot to mention that I love how nearly every chapter opens with a quote from Augustine - and there-by makes the creativity in the title perfectly appropriate.

God flies?

Dutch Catholic Priest, Spiritual thinker and author Henri Nouwen left us in 1996. Now more than 25 years since his death, comes this new book which was crafted from previously unpublished writings. This is a great read, whether one is familiar with Nouwen's other writings or not. It begins with his true story rescue through a hotel window after Nouwen suffered a heart attack. It parallels that story along with his intimate following of the Flying Trapeze Rodleighs whom became his dear friends. Nouwen even travelled with them over the years and developed a deep relationship which often teaches him more about the God he served, shared and loved. He drew parallels from the friendship and shared his faith with them through how he lived his life as their true friend and part of their community. The work is captivating in both the lessons learned about the hardwork of the circus acrobats as well as the spiritual conclusions. Please do yourself a favor and read it. An advance copy was made available to me from NetGally and the publisher with no committment of positive commentary. I also purchased my own copy because this one is a keeper.

Powerful and Portable

This book is a gem - if you are looking for something powerfully potent but portable and short. Each of the 90 day's devotionals are a very quick read but relevant and impactful - drawing on examples from sports to Dr. Seuss to Bob Dylan, including a scripture reference and suggested reading for the day. Would recommend this for yourself or as a gift to a special man in your life whose faith you want to see grow. An advance copy was provided to me from the publisher through NetGalley without any commitment of a favorable review.

With friends like these... yeah, friend, right!

This case - and this boook - is a gift for true crime afficiandos. As much as I am one, somehow I missed this case when it happened. Maybe that was good though because reading this book made it as much a page turner as a great mystery by any favorite writer. It kept me engaged and feeling as sorry for the the husband charged as stunned as how the true perpetrator, the "friend" could be ultimately seen as responsible - and then equally angered by how the prosecutor and judge handled the case with inadmissability of crucial evidence. Even if you know this case - and by now most reading this will because of the current mini-series "The Thing About Pam" - you will be drawn in to the details in the book and the recounting of the story. Your heart will break even more for the family that lost their wife and mother and the totally innocent victim years later who had nothing to do with any part of the original crime. An advance copy of Bone Deep was made possible through NetGalley without any obligation or comittment for a supportive or positive review.

So many models...

This book came highly touted and is chocked full of specific topics so I was very excited about reading it as a supervisor in coaching my team. It was written in such a textbook fashion that, at least for me, made it less accessible. My favorite part was actually the analysis of the NFL's Aaron Rogers' career. I will say that it is full of specific detailed examples and explores 14 unique management models. If you are looking for a work that dives so deep into such models, then this book is perfect. It is well written and displays extensive experience in command of the management models. I was provided an advance copy through NetGalley without any obligation of positive review comments.

We ARE Good Enough (to be who God made us)

For anyone who has read Kate Bowler's previous works, they'll already know to expect an honest, vulnerable approach in her writing. In this 40(ish) day devotional Kate pairs with Jessica Richie which at times makes it like listening to two friends chat about the important things of life, and the rest of the time it feels like you are able to sit down at the table with them as friends and join in the conversation. Either way, we all come away better - better for the honesty, better for the insight shared from their life experiences growing up and facing terminal illness, and better just for the time spent pondering life and what matters. Unique to this book is the blessing prayed over the reader after each day's entry, and then the practical activity provided that by doing, will help us all understand we are truly good enough in who we are, just as God created us. We don't need to perform or try be perfect for God (and hopefully others) to accept us. The authors encourage us toward believing that we are good enough when we realize that He makes up the difference in His deep sacrificial love poured out for us on the cross to bring resurrection and eternal life.