Then Sings My Soul by Robert J. Morgan

This book contains the story of the writing of 150 songs and hymns, including ones for Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving. On the left page is the song, including the music, and on the right is a one-page narration about the hymnwriter.

This was an interesting book, reminding me of the long line of believers who encouraged generations with their words and music and impressing with the fact that many of those who wrote words and music sacrificed significantly to pursue their talent. A surprising number of these hymnwriters lived and died under tragic circumstances.

For the most part, the book was well written. The author carefully matched verses to hymns and so incorporated biblical truth. I would recommend this book to others.
It’s my perception that the average Christian has little to no interest in hymns. I hope this great heritage of hymns and spiritual songs will not be lost, but if the past few decades are any indication, there will be little call for books such as Morgan’s in the decades to come, a great pity and a huge loss to the church.

I received this book for free in exchange for my unbiased review through the Thomas Nelson BookSneeze Program.

Your Money God’s Way: Overcoming the Seven Money Myths That Keep Christians Broke by Amie Streater

This is a basic book about handling your finances in a godly way. The author learned to walk the walk after financial disasters of her own, applying scriptural principles of stewardship to common spiritual conditions which hinder Christians in their financial lives.

This book is long on principle and short on practice; there are other books and resources that are more practical and step by step than this book. This book would do well for a person who needs a drastic change of direction and wants to know why change is imperative.

This book was challenging. It is hard hitting and would be just right for some. It is interesting reading and held my attention.

The Boy Who Changed the World by Andy Andrews

The message of this book is that “every little thing YOU do matters”, that “God made your life so important that every move you make, every action you take
matters. . . . Everything you do matters for everyone and for all time!” This book tells the story of Norman Borlaug, who “developed . . . special seeds that grew into super plants,” having been given that opportunity by Henry Wallace, who had been taught by George Washington Carver, who was adopted by Moses and Susan Carver. The book tells the story of how one life was affected by another in a chain of events resulting in Borlaug’s discoveries.

This book did a good job of narrating the impact of one life upon another. It made a very good point, until the last page, where hyperbole is used to say every single thing we do matters, which is not true. Not even every single thing in George Washington Carver’s life mattered. Some things did, certainly. It grossly exaggerates man’s importance to say every single thing we do matters.

I do not believe this book’s premise that “God made your life so important that every move you make . . . matters . . . to the people around you . . . for everyone and for all time” is biblical. I am hard pressed to think of a passage that supports this belief. Everything about us is important to God because we are precious to Him, but that does not translate into our importance to others.

The danger of this book is that it encourages one to be self-focused and self-centered, believing in one’s importance in an overblown way. It says nothing about needing God, relying on His power, or our responsibility to obey Him. I would not recommend this book.

The Butterfly Effect by Andy Andrews

The message of this book is that “every single thing you do matters”, built on the premise that when a butterfly flaps its wings, it moves air, which moves more air, which moves more air and can eventually start a hurricane. Examples of the effects of one man’s actions include a Union commander’s victory at Gettysburg that turned the tide of the Civil War and a man who developed hardy corn and wheat. The author states, “Everything you do matters. Every move you make, every action you
take . . . matters. Not just to you of your family, or your business, or hometown. Everything you do matters to all of us forever.”

This book is meant to be challenging and inspiring. I found it overblown and hyperbolic. Not every single thing people do matters, any more than every flap of every butterfly’s wings results in a hurricane. Some things people do matter greatly, but many things matter not at all, especially to others. It grossly exaggerates man’s importance to say every single thing we do matters; it would be realistic to say some things we do can matter. It would be accurate to say that, as far as we can tell, everything God does matters, but we are not God.

If you’re looking for biblical truth, turn from this book. It makes no mention of God, His will or His ways. I would not recommend it to anyone.

The Heavens Proclaim His Glory by Lisa Stilwell

This book combines photos from the Hubble telescope with Scripture and inspiring quotations, with a goal of focusing you on “worshiping the God who created it all”. This book meets its goal. The photographs are incredible; you just wish you could see them in 3-D. The Scripture passages and quotations are very reflective and thought provoking, a perfect commentary on the breathtaking photos at the turn of every page.

This was a very interesting book, an exploration of an area of creation heretofore unseen by man. How privileged we are to live in a time when our eyes can show us the wonder and creativity of God’s handiwork. It has only been about 150 years that photographs have been available to the masses, and in that time the earth and the sea have been unveiled to us.

For those who are old enough to remember the awe inspired by the first published pictures of infants in the womb, this book will be experienced on that scale.
I would recommend this book to anyone. It will strengthen your faith in the God who has all power.

The Jesus You Can’t Ignore by John MacArthur

This book refutes the notion that Jesus was meek and mild in the sense that He tolerated everyone and castigated no one. It carefully builds the case that Jesus was not always nice, demonstrated particularly in His dealings with the religious leaders of His day, whom He decried in the strongest terms. While Jesus was never pugnacious, neither was He tame.

This book was enlightening to me only in the sense that, while I knew that the general culture values “tolerance” and “diversity”, I was not aware there exists a great deal of pressure in evangelical circles to be accepting of all religious persuasions. I do not move in such circles nor have I read about such pressure, so this was news to me.

MacArthur’s most recent work would be persuasive to someone who believed Jesus would not disagree with, much less dishonor, anyone who opposed Him. If that is a belief you hold, then this book is for you. If you do not have such a question, MacArthur’s book is hardly interesting, as it speaks convincingly about something you already believe.

I found the book repetitive, with the result it was longer and less effective than it could have been. While it presents biblical truth accurately, I did not find it appealing.