Andrew Smith's Blog

Book, Music, and Movie Reviews

Outrageous Obedience: Answering God’s Call to Shine in the Darkest Places by Rachelle Starr Book Review





In Outrageous Obedience, Rachelle Starr made a decision to follow God’s calling on her life. At age twenty-three, she visited a strip club called Fantasy X with her friend Sarah. But not for the reasons, you might think. She was first lured in by the posted sign outside that stated, “pretty girls, not ugly ones”. They chose to not wear makeup and they wore a turtleneck where they wouldn’t get hit on. God told her to bring hope to His people. She first explained to the female bartender that she wanted to bring them a home cooked meal. They met with the young owner of the strip club and told him how they wanted to show the love of Christ to the women working there. He allowed them to bring in home cooked meals. The first time they did it only one woman ate the food. Eventually, they were able to make a difference and connect with the women working there. She explained how there is an estimated four thousand sexually explicit businesses just in the United States. She explained how people viewed Jesus differently when he chose to associate with Matthew. The religious would judge Jesus for eating with sinners and tax collectors. He told a powerful teaching about how the sick are the ones who needs a doctor and how He came for the sinners. 



 

 

She also shared about how she had a medical condition when she was just three years old. She has a spot on her back that turned out to be scleroderma. There were only ten other cases in America. She also dealt with Raynaud’s phenomenon and had to wear hand splints. She goes into great detail with all the health challenges she had to endure and how they made her stronger. Her family supported her during this difficult time and taught her about God and His teachings. She explained how she was healed and the doctors stated that the tests were normal. 




 

 

I would recommend this awesome book on becoming the salt and light of the world and following God’s calling on your life. I loved the story of how she founded her non-profit Scarlet Hope and the meaning behind the name. I immensely loved how she revealed how she chose to reach out to women working in the adult entertainment industry and try and make a different in their lives. It was heartbreaking to see how she took one woman to church and was judged and asked not to return wearing the outfit she chose. Granted, it did contain the B word across it. I liked how she reminded us the importance of truly loving people were they are in their life. I enjoyed the discussion on active obedience and she provided seven steps to assist readers. This is an inspiration book on loving people like Jesus would. 


 

 

 

I received this book free from the publisher, Bethany House/ Chosen for my honest review.”

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Outrageous-Obedience-Answering-Darkest-Places/dp/0764240366/

Power for Your Day Devotional: 45 Days to Finding More Purpose and Peace in Your Life by Samuel Rodriguez Book Review

 



In Power for Your Day, Samuel Rodriguez has written a 45-day devotional to assist us in discovering our purpose and being deliberate about what we are focusing our attention on. He chose to emphasis mainly entirely on two key Biblical characters in this book, Elijah and Elisha. Elijah was instructed to mentor and to find God’s next prophet. He found Elisha plowing a field with a team of oxen. He took off his own mantle and placed it on the shoulder of Elisha. This is significant because this means God has now anointed Elisha to leave his plow and follow God’s new purpose for his life. He explained how important farming is and how much hard work this task is and God was preparing him for his new role in ministry. He described how this relates to us and God is also preparing us for our role in His kingdom. This makes it a little easier to endure our painful experiences and to preserve through our challenges. He revealed how critical it is to not abandon the call and to keep pushing forward and in turn will provide us with greater responsibility. He reminded readers to be extremely careful in comparing our mantle to someone else especially with the temptations of social media. In the book, Samuel will assist you in arriving at your mantle and anointing. Each day included a power point, a short message, scripture verse, and a prayer.





 

 

I would recommend this wonderful devotional to anyone who is ready to discover the power to preserve and to follow after our purpose. I immensely loved how easy to read the devotions are and it will serve as a great way to begin your day. It will put you in the right mood and help you to tap into the power and anointing and become a co-heir with Christ. I enjoyed how the book went into great detail about Elijah and Elisha connection and how we can learn a lot more from their stories and we can reignite our faith. One of my favorite things, he reminded readers about is that God doesn’t guide us in a straight line. We will experience droughts, famines, fire, rain, and feel alone. We can rest assure that God will be with us every step of the way and we can follow God’s purpose for our lives. This devotional will give you the tools and power to preserve through whatever you may face. 




 

 

"I received this book free from the publisher, Bethany House/ Chosen for my honest review.”

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Power-Your-Day-Devotional-Finding/dp/0800762746/

 

 

See the Good: Finding Grace, Gratitude, and Optimism in Everyday by Zach Windahl Book Review


 

In See the Good, Zach Windahl has written a book about helping us to change our perspective and choosing to discover the good. We can learn to see that the world is in fact becoming a better place. In the book, he opened up about almost losing his own mother to cancer. When he was just four years old, his mother was diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer. She was given a 5% chance of living. He explained how difficult it was in witnessing her become skin and bone. Everything changed when a family friend reached out to her and reminded her about Jesus. She was eventually healed physically but over the years she still battled health issues until he was about age 15. He shared how he never saw her complain to God or have a poor me mentality. He begins the book by sharing how he created a poll asking people two questions about the state of the world. What he found out was that many Christians had negative outlooks on the world. In the book, he explained the importance of changing out views and perspectives and choosing our own story. He carefully described how we can bring Heaven to earth and we are all alive at this present time to fulfill our purpose. He explored the topic of negativity bias and how we need to show more gratitude and to be thankful. Neuroscientists have discovered that we are all born with negativity bias. When we face something dangerous, it registers into our brains and it tries to protect us from future harm. 



 

 

 

He also opened up about his personal struggle with anxiety. In school, he battled a constant struggle with throwing up. If he was around certain smells or environments this would bring it on. The majority of it was caused by great stress and he found out some of his family members also experiences simpler issues with anxiety. He was forced to eat in the classroom everyday instead of the cafeteria. His teachers would have to try and find volunteers to eat lunch with him. He shared a list of things people fear. He also shared how he was officially diagnosed with anxiety in 2014 after getting sick at work and having anxiety attacks. It was later discovered that it was humidity and he had to take nose spray medication to relieve the symptoms. He used this story to describe how we need to be extremely careful in believing what others have declared over our lives. 


 

 

 

I would recommend this life changing book to anyone who is ready to see the good in life and they are sick and tired of living negativity and feeling down. I really enjoyed the discussion on becoming more optimism and not living like the world is ending and getting worst. There is power in this book and changing our thoughts and focusing on the good in life. One of my favorite stories he shared was Moses and how Israel found their identity as being as children of God. They no longer were seen as just workers building bricks for Pharaoh. He used this story to remind us how critical it is to renew our minds daily and how challenging it is to do so. I really connected with him when he shared his childhood experiences with stress and how he was able to move forward. I also liked the style of the book and how spaced out all the sentences were and I think it made it more appealing to the young readers. 

 

 

 

 

"I received this book free from the publisher, Bethany House/ Chosen for my honest review.”

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/See-Good-Finding-Gratitude-Optimism/dp/0764241001





5000 Blankets in Theaters December 12 and 13


 Short Synopsis: 

 


Inspired by a remarkable true story, 5000 BLANKETS is filled with hope and highlights the power of family and faith. When her husband has a mental breakdown and goes missing, a woman and her young son set out to find him on the streets, sparking a movement of compassion towards those in need and inspiring a city.

 

It releases in theaters on December 12th & 13th only!




My Thoughts:

 

 

I was blown away and touched by the message and how impactful this film will be. This movie is one that will tear on your heartstrings. It was difficult to watch her husband in losing himself and running away after battling mental illness. They in turn decide to give away blankets to the homeless community and they find a purpose in their pain. It was great in seeing that they scored actress, Anna Camp as the lead role for this film. She has starred in The Help, Jerry and Marge Go Large, all three films of Pitch Perfect. I'm really excited to watch this brand new film!



Trailer:





 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Nd42fLZpG0

The Abide Bible (NET) Book Review and Giveaway


Check out The Abide Experience: 21 Days in John, a FREE  

Video Devotion featuring Dr. Phil Collins, general editor of the Abide Bible, a Bible designed around five methods of Scripture Engagement that will change the way you read Scripture. The 21 Days in John FREE Video Devotion also provides a free download of the book of John from the Abide Bible.  

• The Abide Experience is FREE and includes 21 Video devotions delivered by email and a full download of the book of John from The Abide Bible!  

• Transform your personal Bible devotions into intimate, ongoing conversations with God with various Scripture engagement approaches that keep Bible reading fresh and new. “Abide in Me.” John 15:4  

Do you yearn for life-giving, intimate communion with God? The Abide Bible is designed to help you experience the peace, hope, and growth that comes from encountering the voice and presence of God in Scripture. Every feature in Abide is designed to teach and develop Scripture-engagement habits that help you know the power and spiritual nourishment of abiding in Christ.  

• Created in partnership with Bible Gateway and the Taylor University Center for Scripture Engagement, The Abide Bible’s features include articles, book introductions, and practical Scripture engagement prompts based on five ways of engaging deeply with the Bible: 

• Praying Scripture: Pattern your prayers after biblical texts, personalizing the prayer and gaining language for the thoughts and emotions you want to express.  

• Picture It: Place yourself in a biblical narrative as a bystander or participant in important events.  

 

• Journaling: Focus and reflect on Scripture and its meaning for your life, opening yourself to God’s voice as you ponder.  

• Engage Through Art: Consider a classic piece of art—photograph, sculpture, painting—and let it deepen your meditations on scriptural truths.  

• Contemplate: Follow the church’s longstanding practice of reading, meditating on, praying, and contemplating a passage of Scripture in order to experience God’s presence through the words of the Bible. 

• Features include:  

• Bible book introductions provide a concise overview of the background and historical context of the book about to be read  

• 365 Day Bible Reading Plan guiding you through the entire Bible in a year  

• Line-matched, single-column Scripture text for improved readability  

• Smyth-sewn binding lays flat in your hand or on your desk  

• Two satin ribbon markers allows you to easily navigate and keep track of where you were reading  

• Easy-to-read 9-point NET Comfort Print  

 

• Check out The Abide Experience: 21 Days in John, a FREE Video Devotion featuring Dr. Phil Collins, general editor of the Abide Bible, a Bible designed around five methods of Scripture Engagement that will change the way you read Scripture. 

 

 Website: https://www.thomasnelsonbibles.com/abide-bible/experience/ 

My Review:

I would recommend this awesome Bible to anyone who is seeking a new Bible or they want to gift one for Christmas or a birthday. I loved the brown color of the new Abide Bible and how it contained colorful art pieces and maps to help readers to dig deeper into the locations that scriptures occurred. The art presented throughout the pages of this Bible are breathtaking. One of my favorites is of the sculpture of David designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini and how this makes the story of David slinging a stone at the giant, Goliath come even more to life. It features it the two ribbon bookmarkers in the Bible. I immensely thought this was a neat idea that you typically don’t see if a book or Bible. I really believed this made saving spots and easier to navigate and flip back and forth. I liked how he included an introduction to each chapter of the Bible. He explained the historical and literary context I loved how they enclosed five key features to assist readers into understanding more of the Bible. Every page rotated between: contemplate, journal, picture it, praying scripture, and engage through art. My favorite was the journaling session and the questions provided. He suggested also for readers to write down verses that stand out to us. I also liked how he reminded readers to look for common themes, pictures, dialogue, and words that are repetitive to gain a better understanding of what God is trying to teach us. Another favorite feature was the one on contemplating and resting in God’s presence. I really enjoyed how the author included a free download of 21 days on the book of John and it’s all in video format that would be a wonderful study you could listen to as a daily devotional. I really did enjoy listening to Phil Collins and he has an engaging voice to keep your attention.

Disclosure:  

Many thanks to Thomas Nelson Bibles for providing a sample of the product for this review. Opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.  



 Website: https://www.thomasnelsonbibles.com/abide-bible/experience/ 





Giveaway: 1 copy of the Abide Bible (NET) 

Note: This is limited to US winners only. 


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It's Christmas Again Movie Review and Giveaway

 Go see IT’S CHRISTMAS AGAIN, in theaters for one day only on November 29th!  

• Moms, do you want to focus on Jesus this Christmas? Take your family to see IT’S CHRISTMAS AGAIN on November 29th!  

• IT’S CHRISTMAS AGAIN is a modern-day musical the whole family will love!  

• One teenager’s journey to discover the true meaning of Christmas  

• A film with a beautiful reminder that Jesus is the reason for the season  

• A Magical Musical Adventure Through Time coming to theaters November 29 FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY!  






• Synopsis: Jake Young (Lawson Touliatos) wants nothing more than to spend his Christmas vacation with his girlfriend, Abbey Walker (Leela Owen). So when Abbey volunteers for her church’s Christmas play, Jake is ready to skip Christmas this year until an unexpected turn of events lands him in a field outside Bethlehem on the night Jesus was born. While on his journey with the shepherds to find the promised Messiah, Jake discovers the true meaning of Christmas. Coming this Christmas season, IT’S CHRISTMAS AGAIN is a modern-day musical the whole family will love!  


 

 

My Review:

 

It’s Christmas Again was a very family friendly movie that contained wonderful musical pieces in it. The songs were all Christian based and it even had some fast rap part in some of the songs. One of my favorite songs in the film was called, “Hey Christmas”. I felt Lawson Touliatos voice in this song reminded me so much of Michael W. Smith mixed with Matthew West. This song had a dynamic entrance in the movie and this was his first real wakeup call about Christmas. I also enjoyed the theme song of the whole movie and how it discussed the true meaning of Christmas and how they made the dance appealing to young watchers. I loved the dancing and how it had the High School Musical vibe and Glee feeling to it. I liked the message of the film and the concept of Jake dreaming and going back to the Biblical days to learn more about Jesus being born in a manager. I liked how it mixed modern elements to make it more related to teenagers of today. I loved the acting in the movie and a lot of them this is their first time staring in a movie and they picked the right actors/actress for the roles. The biggest actress fans might recognize is Leela Owen who starred in Doom Patrol and Just Beyond. I also liked the nice surprise in the film and it featured Christian recording artist, Point of Grace’s Leigh Cappillino daughter, Darby Cappillino. I didn’t realize that she was in the movie and she even sung and she has a powerful voice like her mother does. 

 




 

• Buy your tickets TODAY to see IT’S CHRISTMAS AGAIN in theaters only on 11/29! 

Buy Links:

 Website: https://itschristmasagainmovie.com/  

Video for Moms: https://youtu.be/eBrvq3hhRjw 

 

The Heart of “It’s Christmas Again”: 

 

https://youtu.be/lXEhtSzEKJ8 

 

A Message from Leigh Cappillino from Point of Grace: 

 

https://youtu.be/GRZytip8tCE 



 

Leigh and Darby Cappillino Sing a Christmas Song:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSLnTTDYLD4





Trailer: https://youtu.be/lyeCHYiExtg 



Giveaway: One $10 Amazon gift card 

(Note: Giveaway is limited to U.S. winners only)



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure:  

Many thanks to Mapelle Films for providing a sample of the product for this review. Opinions are 100% my own.