"40 loaves: Breaking Bread with Our Father Each Day," by C.D. Baker

Summary
Why don’t I have more faith?

Why am I so bored with Jesus?

Why don’t I feel connected at church?

These are the types of questions the religious establishment often makes it uncomfortable, if not impossible, to ask. And by asking them, C. David Baker, author of 40 Loaves: Breaking Bread with Our Father Each Day hopes to start a conversation in people’s hearts, then with others, and ultimately with God. Many circles of Christianity have led us to believe that certainty and confidence are the proof of true spirituality; questions are discouraged.

But Jesus offered his followers an ongoing conversation—a relationship built around a free, open-ended discussion. Questions were encouraged. They were often impertinent, sometimes alarming, and the religious establishment was distinctly uncomfortable with them … just as it is today.

“40 Loaves is something of a collection of the kinds of questions I felt finally free to ask of myself and of my relationship with Christ,” says Baker. “It’s my belief that these questions are shared by many others who long for the freedom to simply ask them out loud. I hope this book becomes a platform that frees others to search their hearts more deeply and be fed with the Bread of life.”

Each “loaf” here is a big question that stimulates discussion, investigation, and contemplation; it will take hours—or days—to digest. Conversational, inviting, disarming, and real, 40 Loaves nourishes self-examination and offers validation for those who feel discouraged, guilty, or even shamed when the realities of their lives don’t match up with the ideals of the Christian establishment.

About the Author
C. David Baker founded an award-winning business before redirecting his career to write full-time from his small farm in Bucks County , Pennsylvania . He is the author of eight books, including six novels, one of which was nominated for a Christy Award. He has contributed articles to the Christian History Institute’s international publication Glimpses, and to Christian Singles magazine. Baker has a Master’s degree in theological studies from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland .

What I have to say...When I read the summary for the forty day devotional 40 loaves: Breaking Bread with Our Father Each Day, by C.D. Baker, I was skeptical. It starts, “There are many questions we’re not supposed to ask...” Oh boy, I thought, what in the world is this book about? Honestly, I don’t know of a devotional book I would more quickly recommend to every Christian, no matter how long they’ve known Christ. Each chapter starts with what could be considered an “uncomfortable” question in any Christian circle. I’m pretty sure though, that God can handle my questions. Maybe even those questions, that may make others uncomfortable, will draw not only me, but anyone that learns the answer, closer to God! This book has given me insight to things that I really never was comfortable enough to figure it out on my own. It is heavily scripture filled, very biblically based. Why should we not ask a question because “we’re not supposed to,” or because “it’s not culturally acceptable?” When questions are not asked, answers are not discovered, and things never change. Why should someone else say what I can or cannot ask God? He welcomes our question! I strongly encourage you to read this book!

*This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.*


Purchase the book here..
http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780307444905

"Treasured: Knowing God by the Things He Keeps" by Leigh McLeroy

Summary
Cigar boxes. Refrigerator doors. Scrapbooks and sock drawers and top shelves. These are the places we store our treasures–the keepsakes that tell the story of whom and what we’ve loved, how we’ve lived, and what matters most to us.
God is a collector, too, whose treasures are tucked securely into the pages of his book: a golden bell here, an olive leaf there, a scarlet thread, a blood-stained cloth, a few grains of barley. Each of these saved artifacts reveals a facet of his heart and tells the story of a Father whose most precious possession is…us.
In Treasured, Leigh McLeroy considers tangible reminders of God’s active presence and guides us in discovering evidence in our own lives of his attentive love.

About the Author
Leigh McLeroy is the author of The Beautiful Ache and The Sacred Ordinary. An avid collector and recorder of everyday moments, words, and wonders, Leigh’s keen eye for God’s presence in ordinary life infuses her writing and living with a deep, insistent joy. A frequent conference and event speaker, the author makes her home in Houston , Texas , and posts often on www.leighmcleroy.com and www.wednesdaywords.com.

What I have to say...
Treasured: Knowing God by the Things He Keeps, by Leigh McLeroy is one of those books you will want to read over again and again. Keepsakes do tell our story, so God must have them too. Each chapter goes over a keepsake of God’s you can find in the Bible that tells not only His story but some of yours. This book gave me Biblical insight that I may not have has with out it. McLeroy tells of each keepsake in not only a Biblical sense, but in such a wonderfully modern voice that you will not set down this book wishing that she had delved deeper. At the end of the book there is a little bonus, if you had not already related to each of God’s treasures, here’s a chance for you to grow a little more. See there is a theme to each keepsake, and McLeroy asks questions that will help you explore each of those pieces of your life story and create your own little treasure chest of your walk with God. She lives by example, telling you of her own treasures. The next time you tell someone about your relationship with God, you will find yourself thinking in terms of those moments you treasure.

*This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.*

To purchase this book go to:
http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?isbn=9781400074815

"God Gave Us Christmas" by Lisa Tawn Bergren

Summary
As Little Cub and her family prepare to celebrate the most special day of the year, the curious young polar bear begins to wonder… “Who invented Christmas?” Mama’s answer only leads to more questions like “Is God more important than Santa?” So she and Little Cub head off on a polar expedition to find God and to see how he gave them Christmas. Along the way, they find signs that God is at work all around them. Through Mama’s gentle guidance, Little Cub learns about the very first Christmas and discovers that… Jesus is the best present of all.
This enchanting tale provides the perfect opportunity to help young children celebrate the true meaning of Christmas and to discover how very much God loves them.

About the Author
Lisa Tawn Bergren is the award-winning author of nearly thirty titles, totaling more than 1.5 million books in print. She writes in a broad range of genres, from adult fiction to devotional. God Gave Us Love follows in Lisa’s classic tradition of the best-selling God Gave Us You. She lives in Colorado , with her husband, Tim, and their children, Olivia, Emma, and Jack.

What I have to say...
The children’s book God Gave Us Christmas, written by Lisa Tawn Bergen with art by David Hohn, is a great installment in the “God Gave Us” series. In this book Mama takes her Little Cub and yours on a journey to find God. When Little Cub asks Mama if they can go find Santa she quickly shifts the Christmas focus to whom it belongs, God. She teaches Little Cub that Santa reminds us of many good things but come Christmas it is Jesus that we celebrate. You will learn from Mama that Jesus would have come if only for you, even it was for only someone you find very mean and do not like much at all.

Bergen answers hard questions in such an easy way; you will wonder why you didn’t think of answering in such a way. You will find her book a sure blessing the moment your little one asks you the same questions that Little Cub asks, when all you have to do is sit down and spend time reading a book together! The illustrations beautifully enhance the story. I highly recommend this book for you to share with the little one in your life.

*This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.*

To purchase this book go to:
http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?isbn=9781400071753

God Gave Us Love by Lisa Tawn Bergren, illustrated by Laura J. Bryant

Summary

As Little Cub and Grampa Bear’s fishing adventure is interrupted by mischievous otters, the young polar bear begins to question why we must love others… even the seemingly unlovable.

In answering her questions, Grampa Bear gives tender explanations that teach Little Cub about the different kinds of love that is shared between families, friends, and mamas and papas. Grampa explains that all these kinds of love come from God and that it is important to love others because…

“Any time we show love, Little Cub, we’re sharing a bit of his love.”

This sweet tale will warm the hearts of young children as they learn about all the different sorts of love, while the gentle explanations of each provide a valuable opportunity to encourage children to share with others a “God-sized love.”

About the Author

Lisa Tawn Bergren is the award-winning author of nearly thirty titles, totaling more than 1.5 million books in print. She writes in a broad range of genres, from adult fiction to devotional. God Gave Us Love follows in Lisa’s classic tradition of the best-selling God Gave Us You. She lives in Colorado , with her husband, Tim, and their children, Olivia, Emma, and Jack.

What I have to say...

The children’s book God Gave Us Love, by Lisa Tawn Bergren and illustrated by Laura J. Bryant, follows Little Cub on his discovery on what “Love” means. Fishing with his Grampa, Little Cub gets becomes frustrated by some noisy otters. Grampa takes the opportunity to teach Little Cub a little lesson about sharing and a big one about love. Grampa will teach both Little Cub and your child how God created us to love. The reader will also learn how there are different kinds of love, and how always loving isn’t the same as always liking. The reader will learn how God will always love us, and will relate how we know God loves us. This book is great for any young child that is good with paper books. It is clear and relates love in a way that will speak to a child’s understanding. It is a great read for any parent that wants a unique way to teach the concept of biblical love to their children. The illustrations are complete, colorful, and fun and take the child on journey with Little Cub. I definitely recommend this book; in fact I am going to share it with my four-year-old cousin.

*This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.*

purchase this book here:
http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?isbn=9781400074471

"Limelight" by Melody Carlson

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http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?isbn=9781400070824

Book Summary
Claudette Fioré used to turn heads and break hearts. She relished the glamorous Hollywood lifestyle because she had what it takes: money, youth, fame, and above all, beauty. But age has withered that beauty, and a crooked accountant has taken her wealth, leaving the proud widow penniless and alone.

Armed with stubbornness and sarcasm, Claudette returns to her shabby little hometown and her estranged sister. Slowly, she makes friends. She begins to see her old life in a new light. For the first time, Claudette Fioré questions her own values and finds herself wondering if it’s too late to change.

What I have to say..

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

"Extraordinary" by John Bevere

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http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?isbn=9780307457721

*This book was provided for review by WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group*

Summary
Isn’t it true that we long to see the extraordinary, experience the extraordinary, do the extraordinary? Yet, so often we settle for mediocrity when greatness is within our grasp.

Why are we drawn to stories of heroic triumph over seemingly impossible circumstances? In our fascination with adventure movies, superheroes, and tales of incredible human feats, do we reveal an inherent desire for something larger and greater in life? Maybe what we think is a need to escape or be entertained is actually a God inspired longing…for the extraordinary.

Best-selling author John Bevere reveals how all of us were “meant for more,” extraordinarily created and intended for a life that is anything but ordinary. Here is the roadmap for your journey of transformation. You are marked for a life that far surpasses the usual definitions of success or fulfillment.

Isn’t it time to pursue your extraordinary life?

About the Author:
Marked by boldness and passion, John Bevere delivers uncompromising truth through his award-winning curriculums and best-selling books, now in more than 60 languages, including Extraordinary, The Bait of Satan, Drawing Near and Driven by Eternity. He is an international speaker and co-host of The Messenger TV program broadcast worldwide.

John enjoys living in Colorado Springs with his wife, Lisa, also a best-selling author and speaker, and their four sons.

What I Have to Say...
I’ve gone through bible studies using John Bevere books before, so I was really excited when his newest, Extraordinary: The Life You’re Meant to Live, came in the mail. We all look up to someone, and whoever that someone is to us they are great because of something they have done, because of who we are. There is an inner longing in us to be extraordinary too, to be someone that others look to for inspiration. This book is about that need God has placed in our hearts to be extraordinary. Bevere biblically points out that God not only put that there but he made us to be extraordinary! He doesn’t put a desire in us without giving us the capabilities to be it.
I don’t know of anyone who does not need to read this book. It will definitely change your life for the better, I know it has mine. How much more joy will you have when you live the life God gave you to live? We miss those teachings of HOW, we learn what God gives us but not how to use us. With biblical examples Bevere shows us the how. So now go out and be Extraordinary.

Kabul 24 by Ben Pearson and Henry Arnold

What I have to Say...
Kabul 24, by Ben Pearson and Henry Arnold, is about a group known as the “SNI Eight.” The SNI Eight are a group of westerners who work with Shelter Now International. These eight worked in a place called Kabul, located in the Middle East. However, the story is not just about them, it is about their families and the locals that they provided employment for. They are arrested and unjustly punished for only helping a people that desperately needed helping. Their story starts as they are arrested back in the year 2001.
On September 11 of that year America was attacked by terrorists. This happened shortly after the SNI eight were “arrested.” Their prisoners soon become more of abductors, attempting to use the eight as a personal shield from U.S. retaliation as well as for ransom. While this book is an account of their experience, it flows in story-like form. I could not put this book down. I have family that lives in Romania as missionaries, so this book definitely touched a place in my heart. We need to endlessly lift one another up in prayer. A book is good when you can’t stop thinking about it even after you’ve finished. I can’t stop thinking about it.

Purchase the book here..
http://www.thomasnelson.com/consumer/product_detail.asp?sku=1595550224&title=Kabul-24&authors=Ben-Pearson-and-Henry-O.-Arnold


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http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=kabul+24&x=0&y=0

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This book was provided for review by Thomas Nelson Publishing