Discouragement and Depression by Henry Cloud and John Townsend

Even though I am no longer suffering from depression, I wanted to read Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend’s What to Do When You Don’t Know What to Do: Discouragement and Depression because a great friend gave it to me for encouragement and insight.

The entire time I was reading the book, I thought back to how I felt when I was in the utter dark despair of my depression a few months ago. I tried to put myself back in that mindset as if I was reading the book for help. While I was doing this, I also tried to stay in the present and evaluate the book with a rationale, non-depressed, mind.

The book writes about eight principles to guide you out of depression, and then talks about depression and discouragement and beginning the journey to healing. I found all eight of the principles to be very valid and helpful to a person, but not particularly so if they are in the throes of horrific depression. Speaking from a standpoint of a person who has been depressed to the point of not being able to function in daily tasks, I would find doing any of these things in that kind of depression to be almost insurmountable. Looking at these guidelines from a non-depressed point of view, I do see though how they could be extremely helpful to someone who is mild to moderately depressed (and still able to function), and could certainly put a person on the path to recovery.

I did find an underlying theme of getting help for depression though, which I greatly appreciated. Cloud and Townsend understand the importance of getting help for depression, especially before it gets out of hand as well as the need for medication in a lot of circumstances.

I do absolutely agree that the healing of depression does begin with God, even if that beginning is a good friend being Jesus to you and helping with whatever you need help with.

I would recommend this book to people who are depressed and/or need encouragement. It certainly points them in the right direction and underlines the need to get professional help in a lot of situations.

Disclosure of Material Connection: The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Divine by Karen Kingsbury

Karen Kingsbury’s Divine is an incredibly moving story. Divine is supposed to be a modern-day parable of Mary Magdalene, the woman whom Jesus cast seven demons out of. Because very little is known about Mary Magdalene, Karen Kingsbury was able to take great liberties in the writing of this parable. So much so that I completely lost sight that the book was supposed to be a parable.

That aside, this powerful book speaks of one woman’s story of horrific abuses that she endured and how she was saved from those abuses, ultimately by salvation in Jesus Christ. In one way, this is a story inside a story, as the character, Mary, is telling her story to the character Emma, who is another abuse victim in the hopes that she might save her and give her hope and a future through Jesus.

What is so tragic about this story is that even though it is fiction, stories like the characters’ have actually happened, and continue to happen every day. The book brings to light the tragic cry of people every day who have similar stories and want to know how they can get healing. Are they worthy and what help is there for them? The book brings to light the greatest help and healing: the Lord Jesus Christ.  

I would recommend this book for anyone, if anything, just to open people’s eyes to the horrific abuses and crimes that happen to people every day, especially to children. I do think that this book is an especially important read for people who have been through horrific abuse situations, so that they can get a glimpse of the hope and healing that can come through Jesus Christ. That there is more out there for them that the horrors they have endured.

Disclosure of Material Connection: The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Shades of Blue by Karen Kingsbury

Reading Karen Kingsbury for the first time was really amazing. I read Shades of Blue by Kingsbury and I literally could not put the book down. Her writing is the kind of writing where one feels like they are literally devouring the book ravenously. A real “page-turner” if you will.

Shades of Blue is the story of two young people, Brad and Emma, as they grapple with a decision that they had made ten years earlier, when they were in a relationship. Life has gone on, but the pain of that decision grips them and haunts them daily, each in different ways. Now at a crossroads in his life, Brad, lead by the Lord, has searched for Emma to seek closure on the situation, make amends through apology and with the help of the Lord, try to find the strength to move on in a new chapter of his life and help Emma move on in her life.

It is a hauntingly beautiful story of forgiveness, love and peace that only the Lord can bring. The book will move you to tears or even weeping for the characters in the story and the pain that they endure, and then sing for joy as they find forgiveness and peace in the Lord, as only He can give.

I also think this story is important because even though it is fiction, I know thousands of stories just like it play out every day and this is the kind of story that needs to be heard. That there is healing for the hurting, forgiveness and peace, no matter what a person has been through or what decisions they have made. I would recommend this book for anyone, but most especially for those who suffer because of a decision they have made in the past.

Disclosure of Material Connection: The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Essence of the Reformation by Kirsten Birkett

The Reformation of the Church in the 1500’s in Europe is a very broad topic, with a great many aspects to it. I found that Kirsten Birkett’s The Essence of the Reformation to be a very insightful book regarding the events that lead to the Reformation, what happened in which countries in Europe prior to and during the Reformation and then lastly, the issues of doctrine and how the Church responded to these issues and how the issues of doctrine fueled the movement of the Reformation.

The book was very good at laying the groundwork for the events that took place in the Church, including Church teaching, etc, leading up the Reformation and why these things that took place started to call for a change in the church. The book then wrote about the events simultaneously taking place across Europe; however these events were written about in a very organized fashion that helped one to separate what was going on and give foresight into how everything tied together. The book then concluded with the issues of doctrine, as brought up by Luther, Calvin, Cramner and others. I had never fully considered how the issues of doctrine affected the Church back then and the way people Believed, and even the impact that doctrine has now on the Church. At the end of the book are various writings by Luther, Calvin and Cranmer where the reader can read what they wrote themselves and see how it played into the picture of the Reformation and the basis for the formation of modern Protestantism.

I really liked how the book was laid out in its’ organized fashion. The book also made me think, and rethink, my views on the importance of doctrine, in the Church, and in one’s own belief system. That, in and of itself, makes this book a great book. I would recommend this book to any Christian and Catholic and any person interested in the history of the Church. I give it four out of five stars.

Disclosure of Material Connection: The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Washington: A Legacy of Leadership by Paul Vickery

Being a person with a love of history, I have found Paul Vickery’s book Washington: a Legacy of Leadership, in “The Generals” series, to be a very insightful historical read. Though I have learned of Washington and some his legacy in school, I must admit that I did not know very much about his life. Vickery’s book, a biography on the life of George Washington, starting when he was twenty-one and appointed to the military position of Major in the Southern District of Virginia militia and ending with the conclusion of his second term as President of the newly formed United States, was incredibly insightful to the life of Washington and to the events that surrounded him and drove him in his leadership role.

The book brings to light the frustration Washington endured through the Continental Congress and their slowness in providing for the army they wanted him to lead, to the agonies that Washington and his men endured during the American Revolution and the wisdom and precedence’s that Washington brought as the first President. Washington, as it turns out, learned as he went throughout his career: an ingenuity and foresight that could only shed new light on ways to set up the foundations of a country.

I liked the book for two reasons primarily. The first, Vickery writes Washington’s story like a fictional story, for the most part. He gives insight into battles and marches and into Washington’s private life and thoughts. The second reason is because of the amount of source documentation that Vickery uses to write this book. I find that quotes and excerpts from actual letters, orders and firsthand accounts are vital to understanding what goes on behind the events in history. Every chapter has this kind of source documentation, and it is all provided in a bibliography at the conclusion of the book. Vickery didn’t make up the events that happened, as hard as it is to believe that some of these events are true. He proves this history as accurate; I find this to be the mark of a true historian.

I would recommend this book for history enthusiasts and for those who want to pursue a leadership position. Washington’s leadership during this time was absolutely amazing and very inspiring. Some of the book was a bit dry, but not terribly so. I would give this book three and a half out of five stars.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Galileo by Mitch Stokes

I have always found the relationship between science (natural science specifically) and religion to be intertwined – to study natural science is to study God’s Creation and explore it in wonder. A statement like that in today’s world is shocking to most people, and this was apparently also true during European Renaissance times in the early 1600’s, as we see in Galileo, a biography of Galileo Galilei’s life. Mitch Stokes’ Galileo, from the Christian Encounters series, gives up a beautiful portrait of the life of Galileo, whom we find to be a devout Christian whose goal was never to undermine the authority of the church, but to try to determine the way the universe worked through mathematics, while refuting theories of the time of natural philosophy [science], mainly Aristotelian.

The book starts with Galileo’s early life, during which we learn that he was accomplished at many musical instruments, had a love for literature and writing and when he did go to school, to study medicine, he secretly eavesdropped on mathematical lecturers and studied math in secret. The book goes on to cover the remainder of his life, and even into the legacy he left behind in such a way that it feels as if you are reading a novel about a fictional character. Stokes, however, does not make up his information, which he validates with numerous references throughout the novel (one can immediately tell that Stokes is an academic writer who knows how to document his thorough research).

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Galileo and enjoyed Stokes’ writing style. I also loved how different philosophies, specifically Aristotelian, and mathematical theories were explained in order to understand where Galileo was coming from. The direct quotes from letters written by or about Galileo were also very intriguing – one can tell that he was either well loved or well disliked. I also found the peak into the socio-cultural and political aspects of the Renaissance and Catholic Italy extremely interesting. Finally, it is always inspiring to me to read how people know Scripture so well they can reference any particular verse or passage, and this is not strictly speaking in regards to Galileo – many of his counterparts really knew their Scriptures. Though this is only subtly mentioned on a few scattered occurrences in the novel, I found it to be motivating to try to learn the Scripture so thoroughly so as to defend or refute a theory by recalling what I have read and studied and applying that knowledge to the argument, as Galileo and so many of his counterparts did.

I would recommend this book for those who have an interest and/or love in science, Renaissance history and/or exploration. I plan on saving this book for my children to study when they are of an appropriate age to understand the material (not recommended for toddlers).

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah

I had never read any of Kristin Hannah’s books before, and a friend gave this book to me as a going away gift when she moved. I found Winter Garden, overall, to be a very compelling story. Winter Garden is the story of three women and their relationship to each other in the modern day. Anya, the mother, made a promise to her dying husband that she would finish the fairy tale she began many years ago for her daughters. As she tells the story, her life and the lives of her daughters are changed forever. I found myself trying to hurry through the main parts of the “current day” drama of the outer story to get back to the “past” drama of the inner story, it was so enthralling and fascinating.

The first third or so of the book was a bit hard to get through; the story just didn’t hold my attention the way I like a novel to. I pressed on instead of setting aside the book and I was rewarded with a very rich middle and even richer ending indeed. I smiled, I cried, I tried to imagine myself in the characters’ place and wondering if I would have made the same decisions or done the same things if I were in that situation. I found the ending to be a bit unbelievable, but I feel that the author was striving for a happy ending to the story, which has some very tragic elements and themes.  After I finished the book, I was inspired to do my own research into the time period that the story was written in. I love books that inspire me to go beyond and learn more. If you can make it through the first third of the book, you are in for a real treat by a solid author who can really weave a story together using imagination mixed with historical facts.

I would recommend this book to anyone over the age of 15 or 16. I think some of the elements of the story might be a bit much for a younger reader, although the younger reader certainly isn’t the intended audience. The book will make you cry, so if you’re not up for a good tear-jerker, you might want to wait a bit. It is definitely a very good book. As an added bonus, the author included recipes that are included in the stories.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free.  I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html

Sabbath by Dan B. Allender

We have all read in the Bible that we are to keep the Sabbath holy. However, in today’s busy and often consumer driven world, it is hard to practice that commandment. At least for me it is. What is acceptable to do on the Sabbath (can we buy gas or eat at a restaurant?), what is not acceptable? I decided to pick up Dan B. Allender’s Sabbath in The Ancient Practices Series to learn a little bit more.

Sabbath took a very spiritually philosophic view of the practice of the Sabbath. Allender didn’t say what specifically we should or shouldn’t do, as long as we were celebrating the holiness of the day that the Lord gave us to celebrate in Him. Allender talks about the Sabbath as being a day the Lord gave us to marvel in His gift of Creation to us, to play, to glory in Him, and that it is a holy time. Allender suggested that going to church shouldn’t be our only celebration of worship on the Sabbath, but that we should use the Sabbath to fellowship, to learn, to be creative, to play with the Lord. His expansion of all of these points and more was very philosophical, although he did give practical examples: such as holding a feast or a exquisitely prepared meal that is much higher in quality (and perhaps price to the point of sacrifice) from what you might normally serve during the week.

I did enjoy the book, although I often felt as if I was reading philosophy rooted in Christian spirituality than anything else. The author did make me think about how I celebrate the Sabbath, which usually entails a lack of housework and not much else, and how I would like to celebrate the Holy Day that the Lord gave us. The idea of rest in my mind was broadened to mean more than just the literal sense of the word – that rest can be taken in doing something that we enjoy, that gives rest to our mind or soothes our soul. I would recommend this book for someone who wants to think outside the box about what the Sabbath means and how we can enjoy and celebrate the Sabbath.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

"The Complete Civil War Road Trip Guide" by Michael Weeks

I really do love history, and always have. I think that the love of history that I have was instilled in me from a young age by my Dad, who also loves history, but also by where I grew up (mostly), in Fredericksburg, Virginia. You cannot escape history in Virginia unless you are totally isolated in yourself. It's everywhere. It did help that we lived in Historic Fredericksburg, down the street from Kenmore, the mansion that George Washington's sister lived in, and across the street from Mary Washington Monument, where George Washington's mother, Mary Ball (whom our street was named after) is buried, along with other family members in a tiny cemetery at the top of a hill. It also helps that I have several famous historical figures in my family tree such as Patrick Henry (fifth great grandfather -direct descendant), Gen JEB Stuart (a x-th great uncle) and families members who fought in the Civil War - including one who is Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg and another who was captured at the Battle of Missionary Ridge, Tennessee and was taken to Rock Island Prison Camp, IL and walked home (to Virginia) after the war.

So it was not unusual for me to be perusing the history section of Borders Books one day and pick up Michael Weeks "The Complete Civil War Road Trip Guide". I was browsing through it, but then I had to leave, so I decided to buy it because I wanted to read more. It was definitely worth it, in my opinion!

Michael Weeks wrote a road trip guide that takes you (if you so choose to travel all ten of his routes) to over 400 Civil War sites across the US. As a road trip guide, he covers different sections of the country and gives a brief overview of famous figures involved in the battle (usually generals), a brief overview of the battle itself and then he has site details about where you can visit the battlefields and other sites. He includes web address and sometimes tid-bits of information that the traveler might find helpful.

There are a few things that make this road trip guide really good. It is definitely a complete guide - he covers not only the major "Class A" battlefields, but also some of the smaller, lesser-known sites. He personally visited every site that he wrote about - and he has pictures. If you're going to visit somewhere, it helps that you're using a guide written by someone who has recently been there. And he covers the highlights of the history - just to give you an idea of what was going on. He also writes as if he is talking directly to you, which is really nice. It gives the guide a personal appeal.

That being said, I would not use this book as a "history" book - it does not cover enough information, although it does include quite a bit, to become a buff about the Civil War. The author admits to this though in the introduction, and he refers to other reading if you are interested in learning more about the Civil War in detail. I really liked that about him.The other thing I didn't particularly like was that the book doesn't cover the battles in chronological order, it jumps around quite a bit throughout the war. But again, it's not a history book, it a road trip book and battles happened at the same places sometimes numerous times during the war. So you can't have it both ways in this case. The books covers the war geographically, not chronologically, so be prepared for that if you're going to pick it up.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is interested in visiting any number of Civil War sites. It is a lengthy book, 449 pages plus indexes, but it is very easy to read and I was able to read through it very quickly. I also learned a lot about the Civil War, especially about battles that took place outside of Virginia (and there were a lot!). For example, I didn't know that there was battle at Glorietta Pass in NM that has been designated a Class A battle site! I'm definitely going to be heading up there for a visit!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

This Is Your Brain In Love by Dr. Earl Henslin

As soon as I saw the title of this book, This Is Your Brain In Love by Dr. Earl Henslin, I was intrigued. Having always been interested in psychology and matters of the brain and how the brain affects our daily lives, I couldn’t wait to dive right into this book. This Is Your Brain In Love goes into five areas of the brain that can affect our marriages, and lives, if they are not working right. Including stories from real people  (names changed of course), images of brain scans of the part of the brain in question compared with normal brain scans and antidotes to increase that part of the brains productivity, Dr Henslin brings all these pieces together to show how a problem in one part of the brain can affect the way we love and receive love. Furthermore, all of this to say that the two people in every marriage should “bring their best brain to the table” to increase the level of love in their marriage and become “master-level lovers”.

                The five areas of the brain that Dr. Henslin talks about are the Prefontal Cortex (or the Scattered Lover), the Cingulate Gyrus (the Overfocused Lover), the Deep Limbic System (the Blue Mood Lover), the Temporal Lobes (the Agitated Lover) and the Basal Ganglia (the Anxious Lover). Did you know that an injury the Temporal Lobes (such a fall on the playground as a child) can turn you into an angry, agitated person which in turn can make you an angry, agitated lover? This and so much more is covered in this book.

                I would recommend this book to any couple that is married or considering marriage. Sometimes the problems that we bring to our marriage may be caused by a chemical problem in the brain that we have no control over. Dr. Henslin’s book goes over ways to balance out that problem, and it doesn’t always have to include medication – he includes herbal supplements, brain activities and sometimes physical activities to help a person overcome a problem so that they can “bring their best brain to the table” and be the best partner for their spouse.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Voices of the Faithful with Beth Moore and others

What can I say about Voices of the Faithful with Beth Moore and others except wow! This yearly devotional was an idea that Beth Moore had after hearing so many stories from missionary friends. She, with Kim P. Davis, compiled a year’s worth of stories from the mission field around the world, along with specific prayers. The stories, or devotions, are organized by specific aspects of the Christian Life or the Lord by month. For example, April is stories relating to God’s grace, October is stories relating to Spiritual Warfare. Each story is short, just one page long, and there is one story for every day of the year.

I knew when I went to open this book to start reading that I would be blown away by what I was about to read. And I was not disappointed. Some stories made me laugh, some made me cry, some made me stop and put the book down and just ponder the awesomeness of God and His incredible faithfulness, even in the most impossible situations. Time and time again I would think about who was writing these stories (many are unnamed) and realized that they are real people, like you and me, who are just out there living their life. Except, as Beth Moore writes in her introduction, they gave everything for Christ. That alone makes this book inspiring and encouraging that if you are a believer of Christ, than you can live like that. You too can live by faith and give everything you have and everything you do for Christ.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone. I especially recommend it to those believers who might be questioning where they are at in their faith or what they are doing. It will lift your spirit and encourage you to press on in the faith.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”