Joyful Surrender by Elisabeth Elliot

Book:  Joyful Surrender - 7 Disciplines for the Believer's Life

Author:  Elisabeth Elliot

Publisher:  Revell

  157  pages, paperback


There is nothing like sitting down to quietly read one of Elisabeth Elliot's books.  Her gentle wisdom is encouraging and inspiring.   In this book she compares, at times, some modern questions of living to what is proper from an earlier generation. 

There are 14 chapters. She shares from her own life, and from those of others, to carefully explain each concept regarding disciplines in our lives.  Some of these chapters cover the subjects of mind, place, possessions, and work.

I will share a quote from the book, on page 108:

"We should be thankful.  Thanksgiving requires the recognition of the Source.  It implies contentment with what is given, not complaint about what is not given."

A negative aspect of the book, for me, is that many of the Bible quotes are from sources other than the KJV.  

However, in all of her writing, she strives to lead us to a good and close walk with the Lord. She encourages (and teaches) us to have joy and peace in God.


* Disclosure - This book was provided for review purposes. *

Catching Faith 2 - The Homecoming DVD review

Movie (DVD) - Catching Faith 2 - The Homecoming.

Running Time - Approx. 95 minutes.

This is a dove approved movie, recommended for ages 12 and up.

The Taylor family is facing a few different struggles.   Mrs. Taylor is a career - type mother who is focused on trying to do everything, including taking care of her Mother (who is suffering from Alzheimer's disease). Mr. Taylor is a kind man who is patient and is very involved in the daily home life.  Their two grown children come home with different news. The son was injured and needs a new direction in his life.  The daughter is engaged and is excited about her upcoming wedding.

 Everyone has a cell phone, and they live a very modern life. The family appears to have a great deal of money and seem to focus on themselves quite a bit.

The movie has many light moments.  They were excited about their goals and plans and seemed to enjoy what they had. There were some occasional bits of good advice coming from some of the characters.

However, I did not particularly enjoy the movie. It is not something I would watch again.  There were moments where the events seemed to be predictable. I also did not like Mrs. Taylor's Bible study group.  The girls seemed to be shallow and silly.  I thought they were disrespectful when talking about Scripture.  The group leader, however, presented herself with maturity and respect, which was good.

Special features include:  A discussion guide and an activity. 




*Disclosure - This item was provided for review purposes.*

Character Carved in Stone by Pat Williams

Book:  Character Carved in Stone

Author:  Pat Williams

Publisher:  Revell

  215 pages, paperback

This book is about "The 12 Core Virtues of West Point that Build Leaders and Produce Success."  I found the chapters to be full of history and very interesting.

The 12 virtues that are discussed each have their own chapter. They are:

1. Compassion
2. Courage
3. Dedication
4. Determination
5. Dignity
6. Discipline
7. Integrity
8. Loyalty
9. Perseverance
10. Responsibility
11. Service
12. Trust

There is an inspiriting history lesson in each chapter, which gives an example of each virtue represented.   Some of the people featured include: Ulysses S. Grant, Maggie Dixon, and Dwight D. Eisenhower.   Pat Williams does an excellent job in organizing these powerful traits and encouraging readers to understand how these 12 virtues will help them in life.  I think the type of reader who would benefit the most from this book are those who are out working for a living, and those who are aspiring to do difficult things in life and want to do them with integrity.



* Disclosure - This book was provided for review purposes. *

It is Well with My Soul - with Some History

The following is a video showing the history behind the hymn "It is Well with My Soul."  It is beautifully done and inspiring.  The video then has a choir singing the hymn.







[Note: If you are receiving this post by email and are not able to see the video, please go directly to the blog to view.]

Come Home It's Suppertime beautiful song by the Cathedrals

Come Home - It's Suppertime  by the Cathedrals

The Aging Brain- Proven steps to prevent dementia and sharpen your mind - Book Review

Book:  The Aging Brain:  Proven steps to prevent dementia and sharpen your mind

Author:  Timothy R. Jennings, MD

Publisher:  Baker Books

  282 pages, paperback


A great many of us are concerned about dementia these days.  Dr. Jennings has written a powerful book to help us not only understand more about this problem, but provides possible ways to prevent it from happening to us.

The book is separated into four sections:

1. History and Aging

2. Oxidative Stress and Aging

3. Lifestyle and Aging

4.  Pathological Aging

He goes into heavy detail in each chapter, describing how aging works, and also what we can do to prevent dementia.  It is scholarly but written in layman terms.  It is the type of book you do not just read, you actually study. There is research and studies he shares including the effect of drinking coffee.

Some of this may go over my head at times, but if I am very concerned about it, I will take the time to really study what he has written.  There were some sections I studied more than others.  Throughout our lives, we may be more concerned about some aspects of living than others that may not apply to us. For instance, I am not a smoker, so his excellent, detailed advice is not necessary for me to read. However, I may want this information to share with a friend or relative who is a smoker. In this case, the book is an excellent reference book for good health.

On page 44, the chapter is "Our Genes and Aging"  The subtitle of this is "Decay over Time."  There is a quote just under this by Thomas Jefferson in 1816, which says, "Bodily decay is gloomy in prospect , but of all human contemplation the most abhorrent is body without mind."

We need to understand that we will age.  We will decay, but that we can, through our choices in how we live, keep our minds sharp.

At the end of each chapter, there is an excellent feature for those who want to quickly glance through the main points and still obtain a great deal of education.  These are:

"Learning Points" - This quickly sums up, in a list, what the chapter contained.

"Action Plan - Things to do" - In chapter four, this list includes ideas such as "Be physically active in life: avoid a sedentary lifestyle." Sometimes we simply need a reminder to just keep busy and moving in the current culture we live in. 

You may or may not want to do everything he suggests. Some of the suggestions, like getting a certain kind of vaccine, may not align with your beliefs.  But take what will work for you and leave the rest.

There are some Bible verses in here, which is wonderful.

I did not read the entire book, I skimmed over some science studies that I did not want to read.  It is also a heavy book with much to think about.  If you simply want a quick read, consider just reading his "Learning Points" and "Action Plans" at the end of each chapter.  You can also study any section of any chapter where you want more detailed information.

Overall I think you will find some great information on how to prevent dementia. 


* Disclosure - This book was provided for review purposes. *

Crack Yourself Up Jokes for Kids - book review

 
Book:  Crack Yourself Up: Jokes for Kids

Author:  Sandy Silverthorne

Publisher:  Spire (Revell)

138 pages, paperback


It's nice to have a wholesome book to make one smile.  Sandy's book, Crack Yourself Up: Jokes for Kids, is fun, wholesome, and entertaining. 

Inside you will find adorable comic-style illustrations in black-and-white.  There are knock-knock jokes, Riddles, amusing dialog, and much more.

I have left this book on the end table in our home. Anyone can pick it up and start reading, anywhere in the book.  They might flip through some pages and then read a joke to make us all laugh or smile.  It is a great book to have on hand when you need to hear something funny.

Some of these jokes I have already heard, but they still make me smile. Most of what is in this book is new to me and I enjoyed reading it very much.


* Disclosure - This book was provided for review purposes. *