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Ok, gals, I must admit this book review is several weeks over due. There are two reasons: 1) In addition to reading Downpour , I also read Tim Tebow's (Christian and football player for the Denver Broncos) autobiography, Through My Eyes , last month. It was an encouraging story of a young man (who was, by the way, homeschooled) with a very detailed commentary on his college football career and 1st season with the Broncos. He caught my attention several years ago after seeing Scripture references on his eye black and seeing him and his mom in the pro-life Super Bowl commercial. Seems like a great guy. I would highly recommend this book for the men in your life, if they enjoy football. Okay, that was a freebie and this month is a two-fer (two for one)! Now... for the good stuff! 2) I started reading this month's book with someone else in mind and once I got into it realized that God intended the message for ME! Downpour-God's best w...

  I ordered the book, Sharing your faith with a Hindu by Madasamy Thirumalai from Voice of the Martyrs several years ago. But I finally decided it was time to read this book because I have had a burden to get to know our neighbors and well most of them are Indian, some are Hindu. I studied Hinduism in college, but honestly don't remember much.   First, an interesting aside about their names. The author, like my neighbors, has multiple Indian names, which I find interesting but can hardly pronounce. Since I have no idea how to spell their names, I keep a list on my fridge with the syllables/pronunciation written out. So let's start here.  The names of men is usually three-fold starting with their grandfather, their father and then their name. But most of them have adopt an english nickname like my neighbor Sindhu, who goes by Cindy. Okay, here are some similarites among Hindus. 1) Hindus are primarily from India 2) Hindus worship idols, images, pictures, re...

Here is the latest book review for May- What the Bible Says About Parenting by John MacArthur...and here is why i decided not to read and review Five Love Languages of Children: I started reading it and there was not a single reference to a Bible verse for the first 23 pages. I really enjoyed the original Five Love Languages book, but felt my time could be better spent focusing on a topic that is Biblically based. The premise for this book is to clearly present principles of biblical parenting. John MacArthur asked if we (Christian parents) are taking our parenting duties serious enough and are we providing shade/protection for our children or leaving them exposed to the "heat" of anti-Christian values in an anti-Christian world. "God has made parenting a full-time responsibility" therefore we ought to take it seriously by not allowing outside influences to shape their character or speak more loudly into their lives than us. Thus plays in the question or debate...

This is quite a lengthy review as God has used it to stir my heart, I pray that you will be encouraged by Hudson Taylor's life. Biographies/autobiographies are my favorite genre of books to read, and... I am always inspired by missionaries and Christian leaders, so I picked Husdon Taylor's Spiritual Secret by Dr and Mrs Howard Taylor for my reading last month. Hudson was born in 1832 and is perhaps best known for starting China Inland Mission, now called, Overseas Missionary Fellowship. His work began alone and in less than 50 years, there were over 750 members of the mission organization. His work was supported by Christian contemporaries, including D.L. Moody and George Mueller. Perhaps his most famous quote: "Let us see that we keep God before our eyes; that we walk in His ways and seek to please and glorify Him in everything, great and small. Depend upon it, God's work, done in God's way, will never lack God's supplies." and this more convi...

This month I chose a book from Pastor James MacDonald's reading list called On Being a Servant of God by Warren Wiersbe. He is a retired pastor (formerly Moody Church), speaker and professor. This book is specifically directed to those in Ministry with a capital 'M', but the author hopes that all in God's ministry with a small 'm' will benefit from it as well. In it he focuses on the basic principles of Christian service-those which he wishes were shared with him when he became a Christian. It is written in 30 short excerpts/chapters that build upon one another, starting with his definition of ministry: "Ministry takes place when divine resources meet human needs through loving channels to the glory of God." He encourages readers that it is only true Christian ministry that can change lives and solve problems, I would agree, but would make sure it is Biblical first and foremost. Although, several of his excerpts addressed issues that did not specifi...

For my second book, I read What is a Family by Edith Schaeffer. It was recommended by the author of A Woman after God's own heart , Elizabeth George. It was published in the 70s and as long as you can get past the outdated references, it is a great encouragement for us (as women) to invest/foster the  family atmosphere in our home. She paints a picture of a multi-generational family reunion and uses Scripture, but draws mostly from her personal experience. Here are the take-aways: The home is meant to be a safe, warm, and inviting environment. Being a wife and mother IS a career. It is "a most exciting possibility of turning the tide, of saving the species, of affecting history, of doing something that will be felt and heard in ever-widening circles." Just think both Billy Graham and Hitler were both people who changed history, we can influence the future (to a certain degree) for good or evil. Be intentional in being a family, plan reunions, attend special oc...

I chose Bringing up Girls -practical advice and encouragement for those shaping the next generation of women by Dr. James Dobson. If you have read Bringing up Boys by the same author, this one reads a bit more like a patched together commentary with each chapter almost standing alone. In it, he addresses numerous topics, ranging from teaching our daughters manners, the Disney Princess craze, Father Daughter Purity Balls, Girl Scouts of America, bullying, hormonal changes, STDs and sexual predators. Yes, he does provide some eye-opening data regarding early promiscuity and the dangers that are all around us. It is only scary if we let Satan have a foothold on our fear! Some of the things I took away from it: 1) the HUGE role of dad's in their lives-did you know researchers have identified a hormone that is emitted by the father and sensed or smelled by the daughter. This hormone is only emitted when dad is involved, not just present in her life. This hormone, called a pher...