KJV - Compact Thinline Bible

This little Bible is about 5” x 7”, so it is very packable. You might think the type would be minuscule, but it is not bad at all. Passages even have headings, such as “Jesus’ Prayer in Gethsemane,” “Jesus’ Betrayal and Arrest,” and “Jesus before Caiaphas” in Matthew 26, and Jesus’ words are in red. While there is no concordance, there is a one-year reading plan and “30 Days with Jesus”, listing one long gospel passage (mostly from Luke) for each of 30 days. There are seven maps, including World of the Patriarchs, Exodus and Conquest of Canaan, Land of the Twelve Tribes, Kingdom of David and Solomon, Jesus’ Ministry, Paul’s Missionary Journeys, and Jerusalem at the Time of Jesus. The cover is two tones of Leathersoft, which apparently is a kind of bonded leather. It certainly feels like leather and has beautiful stitching where the two tones come together and around the outside border. I have not had a new KJV in many years and wanted one to take on travels, so this one is perfect. I received this book for free in exchange for my unbiased review through the Thomas Nelson BookSneeze Program.

Quiet Time for Your Soul - Sheila Walsh

This exceptional little devotional is composed of vignettes accompanied by five pertinent Scripture passages. The passages are spot on and are aimed at comforting and encouraging the reader, with themes such as gratitude, humility, the encouragement of God’s Word, and Jesus’ love. I have not seen many devotional books structured in this way and was impressed with the thoughtfulness demonstrated in the choices of verses, as each set of five worked well together to emphasize the theme. The two things I wished for were a table of contents and an attached ribbon bookmark. I received this book for free in exchange for my unbiased review through the Thomas Nelson BookSneeze Program.

My Life to Live by Agnes Nixon

Completed just a couple of days before she died in September 2016 at age 93, Agnes Nixon’s autobiography is a fascinating narrative about her relationships and her work. It is, of course, well written, as she was a master storyteller. Famous for being the creator and head writer of soap operas that aired for more than 40 years, the author herself has an intriguing life history. Her autobiography encapsulates a couple of eras that have now come to an end, including a childhood in post-Depression America, and young adulthood during World War II, and an adulthood that spanned the second half of the 20th century. Her parents had a great influence on her, both for good and for ill, shaping her aspirations. She was burdened with the feeling of having to prove herself long after that should have been a non-issue. Agnes Nixon used her unique platform to tell stories that demonstrate how much people influence and are influenced by those closest to them. If you are curious about serial storytelling from the time of 1940s radio through the television soap-opera era, or about how a person’s background might lead them into such a field, you will enjoy this book. It is highly readable and engaging, and you will come away with an admiration for a determined yet gracious woman who made her way through a family and in a world which were not particularly welcoming but which both came to value her for who she was and what she offered, on her terms. I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About God (But Were Afraid to Ask) - Eric Metaxas

Addressing some of the most common questions and concerns about God, His existence, Jesus, the Bible, creation, supernatural beings, hell, heaven and prayer, the author does a masterful job of giving logical, easily understood answers, using a question-and-answer format. Metaxas’ sometimes takes a light tone, which helps the book’s readability. He also has a brilliant way of using analogies. My favorite was in answer to the question about whether people are not inherently good: ”. . .it’s as if we’re cut flowers. Wemight look great, but we are dying. We’ve been cut off from the Source. . . . Without God, we have no life, no goodness that lasts. We were meant to live forever, but until God reattaches us to him--until we choose to allow him to do that--we have no eternal life.” Each chapter starts with a pertinent story or poem and ends with a paragraph or so emphasizing the importance of the chapter’s topic. This book takes a fresh, engaging look at some old questions. You will not be sorry you read it. I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

Finding God’s Blessings in Brokenness - Charles F. Stanley

Although small and short, this book delves deeply into the topic of brokenness--its purposes, the process, and the promise in it. The book is about 150 pages, and a good fraction of those are photos of nature scenes (which I frankly found distracting at times). The purpose of brokenness is said to be so that God can bring forth something new in us. Our resistance to it stems from our self-sufficiency, abilities, and trust in our self and resources. Spiritual maturity is God’s ultimate goal for us. Of particular benefit were the sections on the areas in our character God targets: strengths and weaknesses; attitudes, habits, and relationships; and desires; and God’s tools: our enemies, family, and circumstances, in order to call us to salvation, sanctification and service, and form in the Christian the character of Christ, as described in Gal. 5:22,23 as the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The author lists the “five great blessings from brokenness”: the blessing of understanding God better, understanding ourselves better, increased compassion for others, greater zest for life, and an increased awareness of God’s presence. This book was almost exclusively an excellent objective, third-person examination of the biblical subject; only once did I read a subjective, first-person paragraph by the author. That could be good or bad, depending on what the reader wants. I received this book for free in exchange for my unbiased review through the Thomas Nelson BookSneeze Program.

Visioneering by Andy Stanley

In the interest of full disclosure, I will say at the start that I do not practice setting goals or “maintaining personal vision,” as Andy Stanley would describe it. Reading Stanley’s book did not persuade me to start. With that being said, if setting goals and having vision are important to you, this book will help solidify your practice. The author systematically states his case for “visioneering”, describing it as "a clear mental picture of what could be, fueled by the conviction that it should be.” Stanley gives examples as small as sharing the gospel with someone to starting a corporation. Nehemiah is used as the prime example of someone with a vision, which started as a concern, led to prayers, and continued with planning, communication, cultivation of unity, single-mindedness, and constant attention. This is as fine a book as I have read about goal setting and having vision, as Andy Stanley writes thoroughly and passionately about his belief. I happen to not agree with him that vision is for everyone; some of us make very good followers after we agree to help with someone else’s vision. I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

A Spectacle of Glory by Joni Eareckson Tada

This daily devotional is thoughtfully and well written, reflecting the depth of reflection given to each topic by its author, who has been a quadriplegic for almost 50 years. When you are aware of her suffering, it brings added meaning to her words. For example, once she described her chemotherapy for breast cancer to her husband as a “splash-over from hell”, and they wondered what “splash-overs from heaven” might be--“easy, bright times” maybe?” “Ken looked at me and with wet eyes whispered, ‘No, Joni. It’s when we see Jesus in our splash-over of hell.” It is this kind of rubber-meets-the-road life experience that gives Joni’s wise, encouraging words such power. There is a devotional for every day of the year, beginning with a reference to a Bible passage, including a couple of paragraphs of Joni’s thoughts, with a brief prayer at the end. The devotionals are meant to encourage and sometimes exhort, not necessarily teach. I found a great deal of comfort in this little book and plan to use it regularly. I received this book for free in exchange for my unbiased review through the Thomas Nelson BookSneeze Program.