Thursday, March 29, 2012

Wild Goose Chase by Mark Batterson

        It should be the desire of every Christian to have a deeper walk with God.  A life  of adventure is what is offered to those who do. It seems that most of  us have no idea where we are going most of the time nor how we can add more adventure to our walk.
            It was the Celtic Christians who have named the Holy Spirit the Wild Goose They called Him this because you can’t tame or control the direction of a wild goose. So it seems to be when you follow God.
            Batterson  uses  people from the  Bible to illustrate cages we place around us that keep us from pursuing God. They were open to God to break away from their cages which limited them.
 The six cages he mentions are cages of Responsibility, Routine,  Assumptions, Guilt, Failure and Fear,.  Each Bible character moved as the Holy Spirit directed them and overcame the cage. I am sure we can too.
            We need more books like this one to help us realize what we can be doing with our lives. This book interested me and caused me to reconsider my cages. Batterson held my attention in his eight chapters. I felt he convey sound Biblical truth.
            This book is recommended for those who need a call to action.
            I received this book for free from Waterbrook Multnomah for this review. Opinions expressed are mine and not those of the publisher.

Friday, March 16, 2012

Constantly Craving by Marilyn Meberg

Constantly Craving           Everyone of us craves for something more. There is just an inborn  desire in all of us that wishes things were different. It seems to be something that is in our DNA, Meberg concludes. Since she is a  counselor and has two masters degrees she has a background to pull from when she writes this book. To sum up she is saying we all long for connection with some one or something. We need to know we belong..
            The supreme connection is with God. Connection, she points out, brings about contentment.
            The book is written in an easy conversation manner. It reaffirmed in me that my connection with God and others is important. Also I am made for a purpose. To illustrate that we all have purpose she tells the story of the ladybugs and the aphids. The ladybug is made for the purpose of eating aphids. She tells of the time she had some ladybugs who got loose from a bag and wondered aimlessly around her bathroom until released outside in the flower garden. Their purpose was not to wander the bathroom but to eat the aphids on the flowers. So we have a purpose also. We seek that purpose, she seems to be saying.
            I would recommend this book for  all who need a reminder that we have purpose and that purpose is to be found in God.
            I received this book free from Booksneeze to be reviewed as part of their program. I was not obligated to give a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own .

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Called To Controversy by Ruth Rosen

Called to Controversy   God has the habit of using ordinary people sold out to Him.God just uses people sold out to him. Such was a man known as Moishe Rosen who God used to turn Jewish Evangelism on its' heels. It wasn't his dream to start a new movement. I am sure he would have been content staying with the American Board Of Missions To The Jews, but his ideas pushed him out of the nest, so to speak.
      I found this biography by Ruth Rosen, one of the daughters of Moishe, to be an exciting and informative book. There just aren't enough books of ordinary people who let God use them in extraordinary ways. I am happy that Thomas Nelson decided to publish this book.
     Rosen has a pace of writing that moves you along. She uses the techniques of foreshadowing and  humor in the telling of the life of her father She doesn't gloss over Moise's weaknesses. After all, she lived with him and saw him with his warts.There are lots of memories of people who worked with him and were mentored by him weaved into the story. Rosen makes use of direct quotes and first hand intertviews gathered in her research.
      I recommend this book. Even those who think they know him will be pleasantly drawn along with the story.
    I am a book reviewer for Booksneeze who provided this book to be reviewed. I was not required to give a positive review All viewpoints are mine and don't necessarily represent the views of the publisher or Booksneeze.