-1 Star: FALSE TEACHER: Man Alive by Patrick Morley

This book is terrible. Throughout this book, the author takes everything out of context in obvious and extreme ways! Morley writes that men have a raw restless energy and they long to make something of their lives. Morley had met with 1000s of men who are Christian but feel there is supposed to be more to this life. 90% of Christian men are living mediocre lives and they know it and hate it. What do men who live robust and powerful lives do differently from those who live stagnant, ignored and suffocated lives? Examples:

On page 10, Morley explains the reason most Christian men aren't fruitful with the Parable of the Sower. WRONG! This parable is about preaching and having some people who outright reject the Word, some who seem to respond lightly and fall away, some to seem to respond strongly and fall away like Judas and those who truly believe. This parable is NOT about producing fruit, it is about salvation. Even wikipedia has the correct interpretation.

On page 11, Morley tries again, applying Mt 22:29 and says: "What's keeping men's lives hard, socking and chocked with thorns? Jesus gave us an insight when He was speaking to a group of confused religious men." WRONG AGAIN! Jesus was speaking to unbelieving Sadducees about the resurrection of the dead, not about believers bearing fruit!

Morley writes that "Lukewarm men are in error because they don't know the scriptures", but Patrick Morley is one of them! It is obvious that he doesn't know his scripture but it is even more scary that perhaps he can read and does know that all these verses are completely out of context, which would make him a false teacher! Throw this book away!

My disclaimer - I received this book from the publisher but I am not required to give a positive review. I always give brutally honest reviews and attempt to critically point out parts of the book that may not appeal to others. I want you readers to be able to confidently choose a book based on the stars I give it, because I know you have limited money, time and energy to read. So let's make the most of our lives and choose the very best books.

4 From Blah to Awe by Jenna Lucado Bishop

From Blah to Awe is a book written for teenage girls from Max Lucado's daughter, Jenna. At first, this book seemed like a fluff piece that would be shallow and feel good. But as you start to read, Jenna's openness and honesty about her own lack of faith, own selfishness, own sinfulness, own bordom with God is refreshing and real. Girls can actually relate to her and her down-to-earth demeanor. There is no pretenciousness, stuffiness or "I'm better than you" attitude. How refreshing!

This book was much more thought-provoking and insightful than I could have ever guessed. I actually found I really enjoyed the book and read it slowly to absorb all the gold nuggets. I think this book would make a great gift for searching Christians (teenage or adult women or even men!) because all the same ideas of selfishness over seeking God apply to all people of all age and genders.

One of my favorite parts of the book are the questions Jenna poses that really get you thinking. "I used to read the Bible stories about Daniel and the lions’ den or God sending manna from heaven with those childlike eyes. But now I sometimes find myself reading with “flat” eyes. “We are exposed to a great danger today,” writes Malcom McLeon, “the dying out of the sense of surprise.”2 And isn’t that true? Why don’t our eyes sparkle anymore?"

My disclaimer - I received this book from the publisher but I am not required to give a positive review. I always give brutally honest reviews and attempt to critically point out parts of the book that may not appeal to others. I want you readers to be able to confidently choose a book based on the stars I give it, because I know you have limited money, time and energy to read. So let's make the most of our lives and choose the very best books.

5 Stars: When Work & Family Collide by Andy Stanley

This is a good solid book on splitting your time between work and family. It's a quick read and the author gets straight to the point. I love that he doesn't beat around the bush and didn't make the book twice as thick with filler words. I LOVE this book! It is so direct and doesn't leave a lot of wiggle room. Readers will love that Stanley isn't just jumping on the workaholic's case here. He also addresses what the stay-at-home person is doing incorrectly. He gives a very unbiased, clear understanding of family dynamics and because he addresses both perspectives, no one is left feeling attacked or like they are only at fault. It takes two.

Stanley convicts readers with statements like "You love your family in your heart, but you don't love them in your schedule. The problem is, they can't see your heart." Woah. No getting around that one. Stanley tells readers when they prioritize work schedules over family time, "it chips away at your spouse and kids' confidence that they are your highest priority." Great book! I highly recommend it.

My disclaimer - I received this book from the publisher but I am not required to give a positive review. I always give brutally honest reviews and attempt to critically point out parts of the book that may not appeal to others. I want you readers to be able to confidently choose a book based on the stars I give it, because I know you have limited money, time and energy to read. So let's make the most of our lives and choose the very best books.

4 Stars: Then Sings My Soul, Part 3 by Robert J. Morgan

Then Sings My Soul, Part 3 by Robert J. Morgan is an appealing looking book with "shredded" page edges like one might find in a devotional. This book is about hymns, their beauty and also their history. The author split the book into 3 parts: First a history of hymns through page 54; Second 56 hymns alongside a history/description/author page; and third, 6 hymn stories from the author.

Not being familiar with hymns or what these songs sound like, my favorite part was actually Part 1 with the history of hymns throughout Christianity. Morgan's history was brief but to the point and covered many centuries. He expained how hymns came about and how they fell out of favor with the Reformation movement. Then he explained their resurgance with the Great Awakenings and then the movement away from hymns to modern songs. I really drew a greater appreciation for hymns because of this history lesson and Morgan's portrayal of hymns as forms of deep devotional worship.

Going through Part 2 with all the hymns was difficult for me because I have no background in hymns. I went on youtube to search out the songs and played versions sung by various artists. This was a new fun experience. I did find that after listening to them and reading the words along with the song, I had heard some of these hymns during Christmas time. I hope readers can find deep appreciation for these hymns by listening and singing along with them. Not being very musical, I still felt very inspired by these hymns.

My disclaimer - I received this book from the publisher but I am not required to give a positive review. I always give brutally honest reviews and attempt to critically point out parts of the book that may not appeal to others. I want you readers to be able to confidently choose a book based on the stars I give it, because I know you have limited money, time and energy to read. So let's make the most of our lives and choose the very best books.

4 Stars: The Crossing by Serita Jakes

The Crossing by Serita Jakes is a Christian fiction book about a mystery about a murder of a young school teacher. A number of high schoolers witnessed their teacher being shot and killed by a mystery gunman. Now all grown up, these high schoolers are still haunted by the tramatic experience. The story focuses mainly on the best friend of the school teacher, Claudia, and her inability to cope with the incident and her self-destruction and abandoning a perfectly wonderful loving husband. The book skips from each character's perspective but in third perso, so "Claudia did this and that" and not an "I did this and that" book.

Serita Jakes is a fantastic writer and I look forward to reading more of her books. She's mad a fan out of me. Her writing skills and her ability to draw the reader into the story is amazing. There is never one dull moment in this book. The plot grabs you from the first paragraph and moves along very quickly. I could not put the book down, it was so captivating. The author really did keep you guessing to the very end who the killer was. Fantastic suspense. I haven't read a fiction book that moves this quickly and captivating since I was a teenager. The only disappointment I had was that there was very little Christianity in the book. Only a few of the characters were Christian and even then their relationships with God were barely mentioned. So I would consider this book "barely Christian".

Since it is a Christian fiction, I should discuss some concerns that readers might have. There is no cursing in the book. The author writes "He swore" or "He cursed" only a few times, but there are no curse words in the book, unless you consider "d-a-r-n" one. Also there are no sex scenes or references to anything below the waist. There is one accusation of rape and there are a few moments of people desiring one another. There is one scene of a man attempting to convince his gilfriend to go home with him while kissing heavily and desire is described some. There is also one barely implied sex scene but no overt language at all. - the one instance a woman sleeps with her husband is barely even implied that if you didn't know what sex was, you wouldn't know it even happened. The scene mentions them in bed and then her getting dressed. So the author tastefully downplayed everything. There are two mentions of men beating their women and the description of one of the girls' face afterwards is quite graphic.

My disclaimer - I received this book from the publisher but I am not required to give a positive review. I always give brutally honest reviews and attempt to critically point out parts of the book that may not appeal to others. I want you readers to be able to confidently choose a book based on the stars I give it, because I know you have limited money, time and energy to read. So let's make the most of our lives and choose the very best books.

1 Star: Daily Gifts of Grace: Devotions for Each Day of Your Year by Women of Faith

Daily Gifts of Grace: Devotions for Each Day of Your Year by Women of Faith and compiled by Sue Ann Jones is your typical pretty devotional. Pretty cover, artwork, design and 365 short daily devotionals by a group of women known as the "Women of Faith". And just like many devotionals, this book is void of any brain cells and all full of fluff. It is a complete waste of time - a pretty looking, fluff piece with some nice words but not a brain cell behind those words. The devotional words by the women are empty, don't flow well and half the time make no sense. Just try summing one up after you read it. Nearly impossible because the paragraphs don't flow well or stay on the same topic! Normally, writing should have a start and finish to the story - not so here. It's just random thoughts.

"Women of Faith" is a group of female authors -  Sheila Walsh, Patsy Clairmont, Marilyn Meberg, Lisa Harper, Lana Bateman, Lisa Whelschel, Natalie Grant, Sandi Patty, Donna VanLiere, Luci Swindoll, Joni Eareckson Tada, Kim Cash Tate, Mary Graham, Carol Kent, Jenna Lucado, Barbara Johnson, Lori Robertson, and Donna VanLiere - put together by controversial author Stephen Arterburn. If you don't already know some of these names, these are not your safe and conservative Christian authors. These people fly under the "non-denominational" title but some of them are supportive of/preaching the "propserity gospel" which is the primary teaching of the "Word of Faith" cult and are raking in the millions in a FOR-PROFIT organization called "Women of Faith" that belongs to publisher Thomas Nelson. Arterburn has some far out teachings and is an adulterer, self-professed murderer (aborted a child), divorced and re-married author/speaker who is more concerned about his career and money than family (per his own re-released book "Healing is a Choice"). Sheila Walsh is formerly of the cultic Word of Faith preacher Pat Robertson's tv show The 700 Club. Based on the authors and organization (the female version of Promise Keepers) alone, I would never recommend this book.

Sheila Walsh's prosperity gospel teachings come through in her writings in this devotional: "I felt very hopeless. I heard God speak four words to me: I will deliver you! Receive his promise. Grace and peace are our birthright as his children." Recognize how "entitled" she is - "grace and peace are her birthright". She is claiming God owes her peace in life. So how does she deal with trials?

My disclaimer - I received this book from the publisher but I am not required to give a positive review. I always give brutally honest reviews and attempt to critically point out parts of the book that may not appeal to others. I want you readers to be able to confidently choose a book based on the stars I give it, because I know you have limited money, time and energy to read. So let's make the most of our lives and choose the very best books!

5 Stars: Proverbs Reconstructed by Gus Dallas

In Proverbs Reconstructed, Gus Dallas has rearranged Proverbs into about 380 different topics. He writes "Proverbs is re-arranged and developed in a manner for extracting the much-needed wisdom on an as-needed basis" "Many have been instructed to "read one Proverb a day." But that does not work. Since we absorb information in a filing system sort of way, not too many people can retain the eclectic information given in each proverb. The format is such that a person cannot learn very easily because the author deviates from topic to topic with no given direction on how to navigate through the pages. Nearly every chapter and verse is grouped with many different subjects and situations, making it very difficult to comprehend." "So, now you can absorb the information because it has been broken down into subjects and is further separated into good verses opposed to bad verses. The value for each verse is that we can learn from the verses which edify us and verses which admonish us." "Pastors are encouraged to use the information as a reference tool help to prepare sermons, counseling sessions, marital ceremonies, and public forums. Parents are encouraged to use the information for themselves as well as to tutor their children as they encounter challenges and/or celebrations of life, from bullying to friendships, educational struggles to learning successes, and many other emotional encounters, all of which aid spiritual growth."

The author declares "Reconstructed is ultimately the best way to access the scriptural gifts from our heavenly Father offered in Proverbs in order to improve our lives." Although some may automatically scream "How can Gus Dallas believe his version of Proverbs is better than King Solomons?" However, if we are really REALLY honest with ourselves, for most of daily life, Proverbs Reconstructed into 380+ topics is MUCH more useful than random topics here and there. Now, we might find some of Dallas' topics weird or unusual or unhelpful and wish the categories were a bit more useful, but still, categories are better than randomness! Try finding "anger" verses in the Book of Proverbs! How many are there? It would be nearly impossible! So I believe, even though it may have some shortcomings and there is room for improvement, Dallas' book is a HUGE SUCCESS!!!

I will be referring back to this book again and again and will probably rarely if ever refer back to the Bible's version of Proverbs again. You can disagree with me, but your reason for disagreeing is probably not so much based on usefulness but on holding the Bible as "the Word of God" and in high esteem. Many like to think that God wrote and arranged the Bible and that His order must be the best. But perhaps Proverbs was just a gathering of Solomon's intelligent sayings that some humans put together in no particular order or in a poem-like order and the goal was not to dissect the topics like we do today.

Here is a list of Dallas' topics: (Notice some topics are duplicated in the Kindle ebook version? That is because the first topic "Answer" is for "good" answers, while the second "Answer" are for "bad" answer verses. Remember, "good" and "bad" refers to "the verses which edify us and verses which admonish us")

Abomination Adultery Adversity Advocate Anger Answer Answer Anxiety Age Animal Ant Apple Argue Associations Associations Atonement Authority Bear Behavior Blameless Blameless Blessed Blessed Boasting Borrower Bread Bribes Brother Burden Chastening Contempt Christian Christian Commands Commands Commandments Commitment Confidence Confidence Confusion Contend Contention/Argue Contentions Correction Correction Corrupt Counselors Counsel Countenance Countenance Court Covet Covet Creation Crown Curse Death Death Deceit Deeds Deer Delight Delight Deliverance Disciple Desire Desire Devise Evil Devise Devotion Diligent Discernment Discernment Discipline Discretion Discretion Dishonor Dog Ear Employment Enemy Enemy Envy Eternal Life Evil Evil Exalted Eyes Eyes Faithful Faithful Faithless Father Father Favor-High Esteem Fear Fear Of The Lord Fear Of The Lord Feet Feet Fight Followers Followers Folly Folly Fool Fool Friend Friendship Gain (By Greed) Gamble Generation Generosity Gift Give Giving Glory Glory Gluttony God Gold Gossip Gossip Grace Greed Guilty Hands Hands Happy Harlot Hastens Hates Hatred Hear Hear Heart Heart Heed Hell Help Honor Honor Hope Hope Horse Horse Humble Hunger Hypocrite Iniquity Iniquity Instruction Instruction Integrity Iron Isolates Jealousy Jesus Joking Joy Joking Judges Judgment Judgment Just Justice Justice Just Man Kindness King Knowledge Knowledge Lazy Labor Labor Law Law Lazy Learning Lender Lender Lies Life Life Light Light Lion Lips Lips Listen Listen Lord Lord Love Love Lust Lying Man Man Meddles Medicine Memory Mercy Mouth Mouth Mother Mother Murder Name Name Neighbor Neighbor News Obey Offended Partiality Partiality Patience Patience Peace Peace Perceptive Perish Perverse Plans Plans Pleasure Poor Poor Poverty Praise Prayer Prayer Pride Pride Profit Prophecy Prudence Punishment Pure Rages Reap Rebellion Rebuke Rebuke Refuge Rejection Rejoice Rejoice Repentance Repentance Reproach Reproach Revenge Reward Reward Riches Riches Righteous Righteous Rod Rod Ruler Ruler Sacrifice Sacrifice Satisfied Satisfied Salvation Salvation Saved Scoffer Scoffer Scorners Secret Seek Servant Servant Shame Shame Shepard Sickness Silver Simple Sin Sin Sinner Sleep Sleep Snare Son Son Sorrow Soul Soul Sow Sow Spirit Spirit Strength Strength Strife Strife Sun Suffer Teach Tent Test Thief Thoughts Thoughts Thorns Tongue Tongue Tradition Transgressions Transgression Treasure Treasure Trials And Tribulations Trials And Tribulations Trouble Trouble Trust Trust Truth Understanding Understanding Unfaithful Unjust Upright Upright Valued Vengeance Vents Violence Vow Walk Walk Water Ways (Goodness-Paths) Ways (Darkness-Paths) Wealth Wealth Whisperer Wicked Wicked Widow Wife Wife Wine Wink Wisdom Wisdom Wise Wise Witness Witness Woman Woman Words Words Work Work Worry Worship Wrath Wrath Zealous

My disclaimer - I received this book from the publisher but I always give brutally honest reviews. I want you to be able to choose the best book based on stars because I know you have limited time and energy to read.