The Christmas Swap

  

Book:  The Christmas Swap

Author:  Melody Carlson

Publisher:  Revell

   163 pages, paperback

 Emma has a good job as a substitute teacher. But she does not have any family to spend Christmas with. Her parents are away, overseas, doing missionary work.  She is invited to spend the holiday with her old friend from college.  This is a wealthy family, who consider her to be a good friend and a welcome guest. Emma is from humble financial means and is a kind, peaceful, person, who is grateful for each day.

Normally, the family spend the season at their Arizona home.  This year, Mr. Landers (the father of her college friend) has organized a house swap for the holiday. They are to spend Christmas in snowy, beautiful, Colorado. Emma's description of the scenery is inspiring.

There is a sweet, wholesome romance that develops between Emma and the owner of the Colorado house. It was nice to read about their daily activities, and how some of the guests learned to ski for the first time.

This is a light, pleasant story.  I loved reading about the contrast between the two houses - the one in Arizona, and the one in Colorado.   There was also a noticeable difference between Emma and her host family.  She was helpful and a peacemaker, just what the the Landers' family needed!

Overall it was an enjoyable, Christmas story. 

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

 

Faith Over Feelings | COVID-19 Message from Dr. Charles Stanley

This is a comforting message by Dr. Charles Stanley:



"Faith over Feelings"

Your Life Matters to God

The following is an excellent sermon which was recently preached by Dr. Charles Stanley. It is encouraging and comforting.







Please note: If you are receiving this post by email, and are not able to see the video, I have included a direct link below.   Over time, I have been selecting several of his sermons (which are my favorites) and compiled them to a playlist on my Youtube channel.

Please feel welcome to click on this link to view this sermon directly: "Your Life Matters to God by Dr. Charles Stanley."

The Soul of An American President

Book:  The Soul of An American President: The Untold Story of Dwight D. Eisenhower's Faith

Authors:  Alan Sears and Craig Osten with Ryan Cole

Publisher:  Baker Books

  237  pages, paperback


This book is incredibly well-written.  We learn a great deal of fascinating history throughout the time period of the life of Dwight D. Eisenhower. We also learn about his tremendous faith in God and why he was very private about his religious life.

In the introduction, we find the purpose of this book:

"Was Dwight Eisenhower an imperfect man (like us all) of genuine faith, or was he a skilled politician who used religion, like so many others before him and since, to further his agenda and popularity?" (page 22)

The main reason this question had come up, was because of the uncommon religious affiliation of his mother.  She had converted to a new (and growing) religion while he was still a young boy.  She had very different ideas about religion than those of her son.  This made it difficult for him.

The beginning of the book shows some sweet and tender descriptions of the family's early religious life:

"David and Ida chose the name Dwight for their new boy in honor of the famous Christian evangelist of the era, Dwight L. Moody."

". . The Eisenhower home still centered around the Bible, with prayers in the morning and evening as well as throughout the day."

"Ike had read the entire Bible by the time he was twelve, and then read it again."  (page 35)

We get to read about his marriage and family life as well as the work he did in the military.
There is a beautiful prayer, written by Ike himself, on pages 97 and 98.  The prayer was requested by a major in the U.S. Army for a book of prayers he was compiling for the soldiers.

Throughout the book, the authors do an excellent job in explaining Dwight's faith. A great deal of his life story is covered, with a beautiful theme of his faith in God. It is instructive and inspiring.


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

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. *