Reading, Writing & Pondering

In the past few years, several people I know, including myself, have been beginning the year with a 21-day Daniel Fast. The fast is based on Daniel's fasts that were recorded in Daniel 1 and 10 from the Old Testament. Susan Gregory authored the bestselling Daniel fast book and has now written the The Daniel Cure with Richard J. Bloomer, PhD. The Daniel Cure is a comprehensive book for those interested in moving into more healthful eating and making lifestyle changes. I would say this book covers just about any topic you could think of related to eating healthfully--what foods are healthy, portion control, cardiovascular disease and diabetes control, and many other nutritional topics. In addition, though, this book encourages readers to look to God as part of their health plan and to begin with a Daniel Fast. Then progress, still looking to God, into a more healthful eating plan that is right for the reader and that the reader can stick to. One of the things I like best about ...

 If you are looking to be a volunteer, or even just a random do-gooder, this book is a manual of sorts to help guide you as you look at options of where to give your time, talents, and gifts. Pam Erickson's enthusiasm for helping others is easy to catch if you take time to read this book. Who is Pam Erickson you ask? She is vice president of procurement and corporate relations for Operation Blessing International. . .someone who is a proven leader in helping to meet the needs of others. Erickson writes a book that is enjoyable, as well as easy to read and apply, as you consider what you can do to give back to your community. Each chapter offers a how-to guide, along with real life examples of both everyday people and famous people, to give you a plan to get involved in volunteering or giving to others in some way. . .whether you want to set up your own food distribution center or you want to spend an evening a week reading to a nursing home resident. As you consider where y...

I was thrilled to win a copy of The Prayer Box by Lisa Wingate a couple of weeks ago. I started reading right away and just savored time with this book daily. I truly believe God knew I needed the hope offered in this book and, if you haven't read it, you do too. Iola Anne Poole dies on Hatteras Island in a large old Victorian house at the age of ninety-one. Probably not very noteworthy in itself, but there is a bit of a mystery surrounding this elderly women. Tandi Jo Reese, a young mother of two, staying in one of the rental houses near the mansion and soon finds herself with a job to clean out the house. Tandi is hiding on the island from her past, which may even come back to haunt her, which is her constant fear.Yet, through this job Tandi finds herself learning about how to move from the past and be able to live in the present with her head held high. . .through Iola's history written in her 81 prayer boxes filled with letters to God. One of my favorite quotes f...

As fast as I could turn the pages, I was reading Let Hope In by Pete Wilson. . .Pete offers advice in such conversational form that you feel as though you are sitting down and having a cup of coffee with this guy. Right now I am in need of Hope and I think many around me are in need of Hope. Let Hope In by Pete Wilson offers stories from the Bible as well as real-life stories from other people sharing how we can overcome pain and shame in our past and learn to look to the future with God, who is a God of Hope. We can learn to trust God instead of looking to just please God. We can learn to give thanks in the midst of difficult circumstances knowing that God will use them for our God in the end. We can also learn to encourage others. Pretty much every person you meet has been hurt at some time in their life. "Hurt people hurt people but free people have the power to free people," according to Pete Wilson. That was one of my favorite quotes in the book. I did find a lot...

  In the same way that a python snake can squeeze the life out of its prey, the python spirit (Satan) can squeeze the life out of a believer. I found this analogy to be such a powerful image for me to visualize. The information in this book by Jentezen Franklin was so helpful in understanding spiritual warfare. With that image of the snake in my mind, I feel like I can better see and pray through the spiritual warfare in my life. The Spirit of Python is divided into three parts. In part one, you learn to understand how Satan and demons work and whether you might be under attack. In part 2, Jentezen Franklin shares various ways the evil spirits can work to destroy parts of your life. In the third part, the reader learns how to use prayer, Scripture, faith, praise and the armor of God to stand up against the enemy. For me, the three parts were clearly presented and easy for me to understand. I appreciated how these areas were clearly defined, with Scripture back up, in such a way...

Are you going through a difficult time of some sort? Or do you know someone else who is? Max Lucado's new book, You'll Get Through This, is full of hope and encouragement for someone who is walking through  challenges. You'll Get Through This brings the story of Joseph from the Bible alive though Max Lucado's way with words. Joseph's story is brought to life from the time he was that pain-in-the neck little brother until God ultimately puts him in charge during famine. A lot of ground and a lot of time goes by. Times where it was hard to see that God was working on Joseph's behalf. Still Joseph holds fast to his belief in God. In the end God does make good from the evil intended for Joseph in this life and rewards his faith. Max Lucado says that God can do in your life and my life what he did in Joseph's life when Joseph felt forgotten by God in the waiting. But in the meantime we have to "not be foolish or naive and we must not despair". . ...

The Secrets of Dynamic Communication from Ken Davis offers a wealth of advice on how to give a speech. This book offers advice from the planning through the presentation. I am a beginner at public speaking (save that one semester of high school speech years ago)so I appreciate how thorough this book is. Ken Davis initially helps the reader find the focus of their speech. He uses a  process called SCORRE to help develop the content of any talk. SCORRE is an acronym that Davis uses to help the reader go through a process to present any kind of speech from the preparation to the presentation. In fact, he encourages the reader to work along with the book to develop a speech as they read. Throughout the book, he gives examples of times he succeeded and times he failed in various aspects of speech-making. I appreciate how teachable he is and it helped me feel like I could be teachable through this book too. With over 40 years of experience in public speaking, he doesn't leave any ...