Falls Like Lightning By Shawn Grady Book Review

Silas Kent is a smokejumper. Elle Westmore is a pilot who is the best in the business. Silas dated Elle for one summer then he called it off. Elle has since married and gotten divorced. She also has a daughter named Maddie now. Kent still has buried feelings for her. An enormous fire has broken out burning the forest rapidly. This fire has led them back to each other again. Broken hearts are having one more chance to mend. They will have to face the past where they can overcome the future. Silas and Elle fall into major trouble during the flight to put out the dangerous fires. They discover they are in for a rough ride. The smokejumper crew members are not at all what they seem. They are hunting for gold and they will kill in order to keep it for themselves. Will Kent and Westmore make it out alive and fall back in love? Can they stop the bad crew members in time or will the fire get them first?

I would recommend this novel to any teenager or adult who is looking for a thrilling and suspense filled novel. It will keep you reading along until you find out what has happened. This novel is filled with action and romance. Men and women will both enjoy this wonderful novel. I enjoyed reading about the smokejumpers. I never even imagined how hard of work they have to do to contain the fires. I appreciate how tough they are to keep us safe. They truly are brave! Shawn Grady does a great job at describing the scenes that I felt I was there along side with them. This was my first novel I read of Grady’s and it was worth it! If you want a great mystery novel then you should check out this one!

“I received this book free from the publisher through the Bethany House Publishers book review bloggers program.”

Read Chapter One-Five:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/55895980/Falls-Like-Lightning

If you would like to purchase a copy of Falls Like Lightning check out Amazon.com:

http://www.amazon.com/Falls-Like-Lightning-Shawn-Grady/dp/0764205978

Every Day A Friday: How To Be Happier 7 Days A Week By Joel Osteen Book Review

In Every Day A Friday, Joel Osteen has seen that most people become happy and joyful on Fridays. But throughout the week we are counting down the days to happiness on Friday. The book is based off a study that has found that happiness increased 10 percent more on Fridays. We tend to be waiting to be happy for the weekend and we are missing out on the rest of the days of the week. We are supposed to enjoy our lives every single day. A significant key we must realize is we don’t have to give away our power to the economy, rude bosses or customers, traffic, and any other circumstances that are beyond our control. We must change our perceptive and focus on the positive and not dwell on the negative. A kind encouraging word can break down the wall barriers around our heart. Osteen believes in reaching out to the hurting and loving them into they are whole again! A kind word can heal souls!

The book is divided into seven important parts:

-Don’t Give Away Your Power

-Know What to Ignore

-Live Without Crutches

-Travel Light

-Laugh Often

-Be a Dream Releaser

-Celebrate Yourself

My favorite stories that changed my life were the story about trying to drive a SUV at the Indianapolis race track. You have to run the race the way God created you to be! The second story that spoke to me was a kid named Joey that was trying to copy everyone else and all he had to be was stop and be himself. I won’t post the stories because they are so good you need to read them for yourself. They will help you realize that God loves you just the way you are. He chose you!

One of my favorite quotes is:

“Our churches should not be museums to display perfect people. They should be hospitals to help the hurting and the lonely” (186).

I would recommend this book to teenagers and adults who aren’t enjoying every day that God has blessed them with. Each day is a brand new day and has a gift just wanting to be treasured and enjoyed from our Creator. I would also recommend this book to anyone who is lacking Faith in tough times and is failing in the battlefield for their minds. Joel Osteen has shown me that I have to have Faith and speak out positive words to encourage me when no one else is around to. I must speak truth into other people’s lives in order that they will be built up. We spend way too much time tearing others down. We have the power to help others achieve their God given dreams. But we can also choose to break their dreams! It comes down to a choice and a decision. Osteen has taught me to unpack my baggage from my past and let the hurts and offenses go once and for all! It will only keep me from living my destiny and becoming everything I could be! The mind is where we must win the battle in order to succeed in our lives. I will become a positive person! I have God’s favor over my life! I can enjoy every single day! The Lord loves me! I am wonderfully made!

Joel Osteen has written the most life changing book that everyone needs to get and read again and again. I want to get the words of truth into my mind where they will come out my mouth. The principles he is teaching readers in this book will assist you into becoming everything God has created you to be. I feel much happier after reading this book. I am even starting to speak about God’s favor more boldly and openly. God can help me accomplish every dream that is in my heart and he will receive the glory. I am making a decision to not give away my power to my problems God is way bigger than them! Joel Osteen has spoken the words of encouragement that I needed to hear to keep believing and to keep the Faith! My mind might be the toxic battlefield but God has the solution to help me to think more positively. If you need encouragement and need help to become happier you need to immensely read this book. But make sure you take the words inside your heart and take action to speaking God’s truth.

I will treasure each day from now on and enjoy the gift I have been given. Every day is meant to be celebrated like its Friday! It is so imperative that we live each day trying to be a blessing to someone else. We have the influence with God’s help to touch someone else and speak the words of truth into them.

“I received this book free from Hachette Book Group/Faith Works.”

Want to buy a copy of Every Day A Friday check the link below:

http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/books_9780892969913_WhereToBuy.htm

Read an Excerpt:

http://software.newsstand.com/bookrdr/hbg-live/BookBrowse.html?a=N%2BN%2FFVMCT17vLsLMDnSps56DuXs1B%2B5h2jPF4hgTV%2BcF8xpaAv5mUk8%2B312ubQhTWfzn8G8W6wdSVPUefqOK487wwOe4LsmB2asdMzJtAYs7TVOtxvsdUMQX0YrFB0VZ&z=hbg

Listen to an Excerpt:

http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/_swf/hbg_audioplayer.swf?mediaPath=/_swf/audio/adults/EveryDayAFriday_Webclip.mp3&imgPath=&titleVar=Listento an Excerpt&

Every Day A Friday Book Trailer:  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiZBFj0AdrE

Courageous By Randy Alcorn Book Review

Screenplay By Alex Kendrick and Stephen Kendrick

Adam Mitchell, Nathan Hayes, Shane Fuller, David Thomson are deputies in Albany, Georgia. They are committed to fighting crime and protecting their citizens. But all of the men are struggling to become the fathers they are called by God to be. Adam has a hard time connecting with his son, Dylan. He finds it much easier to bond with his daughter, Emily. All of the men have to come to face with the reality that they aren’t being the best fathers that they can be. A sudden tragedy awakened their hearts causing them to step up their game and change their ways before it is too late. They decide that they must take a declaration to God and their families to change their ways. Will they be able to success? Can they save their families and become closer together during a tragedy?

A quote that jumped out at me was:

“Some in prison were free in their hearts while many outside were slaves to their appetites” (321).

I have to say that I enjoyed reading this book immensely. My father and mother have always been there for me. But there are so many children who are fatherless and never knew their Earthly father. I never completely realized how blessed I was that my parents have stayed together and have been here for me to lead me to become more like Christ. I really felt the pain of Dylan and Adam’s relationship. They hardly spend time together and they had to work on it. It encouraged me to respect my father and communicate with him more fully. Even if you have different interests you have to bend and try to enjoy what they like to do. I truly believe this book will help me to grow into a father one day.

I would recommend this book to teenagers and adults. If you don’t know your father this book will help you to see it differently. You have a father in Heaven who loves you very much! It will help fathers to see who God has made them to be and it isn’t too late to change. If you haven’t been a great father then read this book and you will see you’re not alone! But with God’s help you can become a better father! This book isn’t only for father’s women will enjoy this story as well.

Tyndale House Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book.

If you would like to purchase a copy of Courageous then check it out on Amazon.com:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1414358466

Read Chapter 1:

http://files.tyndale.com/thpdata/FirstChapters/978-1-4143-5846-8.pdf

Questions and Answers with Randy Alcorn:

http://mediacenter.tyndale.com/downloads/press_kits/CourageousQ&A.pdf

This book is also a movie that will be released in Theaters on September 30.

Check out Courageous Trailer:

http://www.tyndale.com/x_products/videos.php?flv=courageous_trailer-tyndale.flv

Follow Randy Alcorn on Twitter:

http://www.twitter.com/randyalcorn

Follow Randy Alcorn on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/randyalcorn

Playing Hurt: A Guy’s Strategy for a Winning Marriage By Brian Goins Book Tour

About Playing Hurt:

A marriage book that husbands will actually want to read!

Everyone admires people who play hurt, from the superstar athlete to the journeyman player who finishes the game even when hurt, sick, or falling apart. Everyone looks up to these athletes and wants to mimic their “never give up” attitude. Except when it comes to marriage. Most husbands are willing to take a bullet for their wives in a life-and-death situation; but when his bride fires the bullet--hurls an insult, disrespects him in public, ignores his foreplay in private--he’d rather throw in the towel than play through the pain.

Playing Hurt is a biblical playbook for marriage that speaks in the language most men understand—the language of sports. Using a sports analogy to explain the motivation, means, and methods of playing hurt, author Brian Goins shows men how to overcome the temptation to stay on the bench. Playing Hurt is more about inspiration than instruction. It’s about finding the motivation to stay in the game, despite the pain. It’s about becoming like the One who knew more about nails and thorns than any superstar athlete. Using Ephesians 5 as a biblical basis, this book will call husbands to be the heroes they long to be--men who play hurt in order to win at marriage.

 

My Review:

In Playing Hurt, Brian Goins teaches husbands about how men are suppose to handle their marriage. Men can play hurt in sports and still have the determination to get back up and get back in the game. But in marriage, Goins has seen men walk away and give up on being there for their wives. When men are hurt we incline to have our way. We want our wives to change but we often don’t get to root of who we can actually change. Sometimes men tend to shrink back and play hurt when we get offended. It is imperative that men grow up and overcome their boyish ways. We don’t always have to win the fights and we don’t have to withdrawn from our wife when we become angry. Goins had a great point about remembering who our real enemy is. It isn’t our wives but it is the king of lies, Satan. We are called to love our wife like Christ loved the church. One day we will have to hand our wife back to Jesus.

Goins has many role models in his life that he is encouraged by and challenged to become like. He isn’t looking up to celebrities’ marriage but everyday men who love their wife like Christ does. Goins shared Greg‘s story that really jumped out at me. Greg takes care of his wife who is in a wheelchair. He loved her enough to help her in health and sickness. That is my definition of what marriage is suppose to be like. We can’t give up and say it is too hard. Most of us choose to get married.

This is what we are called to do in marriage and in our lives:

“Jesus is a perfect God loving imperfect people unconditionally for a lifetime. The only thing greater than that would be if God’s imperfect people loved other imperfect people unconditionally for a lifetime” (Page 137).

I would recommend this book to any husband and single men. If you are single don’t wait until you’re married to read this book you can start reading it now. Women can also read this book to help understand the inside life of a man and what we go through. I am currently single and not married yet. This book has helped me to prepare for my future wife. I must always remember that we are different. I have to express my love for my wife by telling her how beautiful she is every single day. Women need men to open their mouths and encourage them. It isn’t always about providing and moving the grass. We have to verbally and listen to our wives. The key is communication and caring. God can help anybody to grow into the person he created them to be. If you are struggling in your marriage or just want to know how to love your wife better, I encourage you to read this book. Any marriage can be improved with God’s intervention and his help! It is not too late!

“I received this book for free from Litfuse Publicity Group for this review”.

Link to buy the book: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0825426731/

Video Trailer:

http://youtu.be/HWX8WFkSR1c

Kregel Publications is sponsoring a $50 Amazon.com giveaway open to both you and your blog readers.

About the Giveaway!

To enter all you have to do is send a tweet (using @litfuse) about Playing Hurt or share about it on Facebook!

If you tweet we'll capture your entry when you use @litfuse. If you share it on Facebook or your blog, just email us and let us know (info@litfusegroup.com). 

Not sure what to tweet/post? Here's an idea. 

TWEET THIS:  Playing Hurt by Brian Goins-coaches men to win the 1 game that truly matters–marriage! http://ow.ly/6arVa RT 4 a chance at $50! @litfuse 

FACEBOOK THIS: Everyone admires people who play hurt, from the superstar athlete to the journeyman player who finishes the game even when hurt, sick, or falling apart. Everyone looks up to these athletes and wants to mimic their "never give up" attitude. Except when it comes to marriage. Learn more: Playing Hurt by Brian Goins http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/text/13375058           

About the Brian Goins:

Brian Goins is the author or editor of numerous study guides, workbooks, and Bible studies that he has developed for Insight for Living (Chuck Swindoll) and Walk Through the Bible. When he’s not traveling across the country as a Family Life Weekend to Remember speaker, he and his family reside in North Carolina.

To learn more about Playing Hurt scan the QR code using your iphone/smartphone:

Check out the Blog Tour Schedule: http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/text/13375058