review: Good Morning Lord by Sheila Walsh

So, a long time ago I received another book to review from booksneeze.



Unfortunately, life happened (in the form of getting engaged, switching jobs, moving...again, etc) and I kind of forgot to post the review.

So, here's the really, really late version!

Let me just start off by saying...

Devotional books?  Not (normally) my thing.  Normally I find them a bit trite and simplistic. But when I saw this one was written by Sheila Walsh I decided to take a chance.  And I'm glad I did!  I knew from the subtitle that I was going to at least mildly enjoy this one ;-)

Sheila has such a refreshing voice, such a way of capturing insights.  And at the same time, you can imagine yourself having a conversation with her over a strong cup of coffee.  Nothing in this book is "out of reach", but it is theologically sound and Spirit-breathed. 

There are the expected short (2-3 paragraph) excerpts and questions for each day...but somehow this one doesn't feel trite or too simple.  It is focused and clear, and often spoke to just where I was.

I found myself reading pretty much the entire book in one sitting (perhaps THIS is why devotionals aren't my thing) but I've now tucked it in my laptop bag so that I can take it to work each day and read it as intended.

Thanks (once again) to booksneeze for giving me the chance to read another new favorite :-)

*disclaimer: I received this book free to review.  All opinions expressed in this post are my own.  I was not required to give a positive review.  The gushing is all mine.  ;-)

Outlive Your Life: a review

You know, sometimes you feel like someone has been eavesdropping on your conversations. Reading your journals.
Knowing your inner-most thoughts.

After reading only the first few sentences of his new book Outlive Your Life, I am fully convinced that Max Lucado has been spying on me.

In his latest book, he outlines the practical and Biblically sound answer to the question so many of us are asking: "how can I possibly make a difference?"

Honestly, this is a hard book to put down. I'm a fast reader anyway, but the first time I picked it up I read 5 chapters without even noticing. I devoured every word and scrambled to the next page because Max has hit on one of my most primal cries -- how can I live a God-honoring life that truly matters?

Besides hitting every point solidly and without any hesitation, Lucado continues to write in a voice that is conversational. You can imagine sharing these words over coffee, after a football game, or driving down the road. His gift is his ability to reach people where they are and help us all to understand the simple truths he writes about. Plainly put...I "get it" when Max Lucado writes it. Sometimes it's a new and radical idea...other times, like this one, it's something I've had in my heart for sometime that resonated with every word I read.

I loved that the Scriptural basis for all of this was Acts. In drawing parallels between the disciples and ourselves (because we are to be disciples too!), Lucado brings it home.

I have enjoyed every Max Lucado book I've ever read, and without hesitation I can say that this one is by far my favorite. He's hit a home run with this one, and I think it should be on the required reading for everyone who claims the name of Christ!

now for the disclaimer bit:



I received a complimentary copy of this book for the purpose of review from Thomas Nelson publishers and their blogger resource Booksneeze. I was required to write an honest review, and was not required to be positive. The gushing was all.me. :) I was required to give a disclaimer by some sort of law which I would copy and paste into my blog at this point, but I can't find it and I'm sure you get the idea anyway. :)

book review: the voice of psalms

The Voice of Psalms is a daily reading Bible written in literary style. In essence, I saw it as a paraphrase with a bit more attention to staying true to Biblical text. It took me several months after receiving the book to put up this review -- on one hand because of circumstances going on in my life, and on the other so that I could give the Voice of Psalms several reads in order to be a bit more objective and give it an accurate review.

The Voice translation was a bit distracting for me, honestly. In order to stay true to the original (an effort that I applaud and appreciate), the words they have added to enrich the literary and poetic aspects of the Psalms are italicized. It took me several chapters to get used to that, and while I understand the reason for italicizing I can't say I especially enjoyed it. I'm guessing since this is the book of Psalms, it probably isn't so heavily italicized in other books.

There are also devotionals and commentaries every couple of pages. They are great tools, although aesthetically I normally prefer to have devos at the beginning or end of the book -- I don't mind flipping pages if my text isn't interrupted!

As far as other qualities of the Bible, this particular edition is a paperback, so it was easy to toss in a bag when I flew to Delaware and equally easy to cart to babysitting jobs. The print is friendly, fresh and crisp, and I did enjoy the overall styling of the book.

My recommendation is to check this edition out. In no way would I use it to replace my regular edition of the Bible, but it does make a nice addition to the collection--pull it out when you just need a beautiful read. :)

Disclosure of Material Connection:

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com (click the button above) book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Review: The Search for God and Guinness

As soon as this book popped up for review on Thomas Nelson's blogger book review site (now booksneeze.com), I knew I had to read it.

A book about alcohol (even beer) and spirituality was too intriguing to pass up.

I have long known that my views on alcohol consumption differ from most of those of my Protestant friends. Perhaps that's why I'm so drawn to the Catholic church (among other reasons!)...they have no issue with drinking in moderation!

Plus, because of my ancestry I'm interested in all things Irish.

So I ordered this book and it did not disappoint.

The Search for God and Guinness begins with the history of beer and weaves in the story of the Guinness brand in particular with the amazing members of the family who created it. From the very first Guinness, the family has been involved in spiritual formation, unification of Catholic and Protestants in Ireland of all places, and humanitarian efforts. Members of the family that were not involved in the company have been clergymen, members of government, and highly respected members of society. However, the book mainly focused on the family members who became the acting head of the Guinness brand and how their spiritual journey corresponded with their passion for their life's work.

I was especially intrigued by the story of one of the descendants who upon receiving his wedding gift of 5 million pounds, took his new bride and went to live in the slums in order to best serve the people there. Amazing.

Guinness is one of the more recognizable brands around the world, and there is a reason for that. I'm not going to share much more of the story, because I truly feel it's a read that will be more fascinating if you discover the little treasures for yourself.

The book stressed that for those members of the family who took on the company, beer making was their passion. And that's something we can all learn from. In the eyes of this particular reader, though the point was never stressed in the book, I truly think that the author was trying to convey that there really IS no separation between the sacred and the secular. So many of us try to create a chasm between the two...but it is God who gives us our passions, talents and gifts, and I think He blesses us when we choose to live out those passions.

To give a fair and honest review, although I was fascinated by this book, I couldn't read it in one sitting. The names, dates, and details sort of swirl around in my mind so that I would have to take a bit of a break (of a few days normally) between stretches of reading. However, it is a wonderful read and I highly, highly recommend it.



Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com http://BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review: Beautiful Mess

When I signed up to review books at Thomas Nelson, I had a few ideas in mind of what I would like to review. Honestly a book about business, even the music business, did not appeal.

However, when I saw that Beautiful Mess: The Story of Diamond Rio was up for review, I jumped at it. You see, I live in Nashville. I happen to go to church with the lead singer of the band and his amazing family. I babysat his children before his oldest daughter could drive (actually, my first introduction to him was when he and his wife, who I knew fairly well, walked into their house from an awards show and I stuck out my hand and said "I'm Lora. I've been watching your kids for the last few hours." :-)

So with that personal history, and knowing that the band had some rocky times right about the time I was getting to know them...I decided to pick this as my first review.

A Beautiful Mess is written in an engaging and story-like narrative. From the first word I was drawn into the story of Diamond Rio--a story I thought I knew quite a bit of. In the first few chapters we are introduced to the band from the beginning of their story. Time is also taken out for biographical chapters of each of the band members. I honestly found that part to be a little tedious, and perhaps not placed well in the flow of the book, but each of the band member's story is important to the story as a whole. All in all, I would have kept the biographical information in the book.

Some of the other statistics in the book that dealt with the band and their career were a little too much for me personally, but I can understand and appreciate that true fans of the band would want all of that information and the extra insight it provides.

Overall, the book kept my attention and was well-written. I would recommend it first for true-blue fans of Diamond Rio, as it is centered on the band. However, it's also a wonderful story of how God can work in the messes we make out of our lives--and how He is working through every situation, threading each piece carefully into the next. And because of that, I would recommend it to anyone who wishes to read about how God can work in ordinary lives and make them extraordinary.

Happy Reading!

Free Books!

I can't believe I've never noticed this before...but I hadn't!

I read 3 great reviews: here, here and here
And I thought
"I want to review a Max Lucado book TOO!"

So, I clicked on a button just like this one:


and waited patiently to hear whether I had been accepted to review for Thomas Nelson Publishers.
(they are, after all, less than a mile from my house. Support the locals and all)

I didn't have to be TOO patient, for just a few minutes later I got an email stating that I had been accepted.

I should receive my first book soon...
But before that, I'll be reading Max Lucado's book as a PDF format. Stay tuned for the review!