Running on Empty by Sandra Balzo Book Review

AnnaLise Griggs is a journalist for a newspaper in Wisconsin. Mama, her mother’s best friend, phoned AnnaLise to tell her to come home to Sutherton, North Carolina quickly. AnnaLise’s mother, Daisy has made a terrible error and drained three pints of blood from Mrs. Bradenham. Daisy volunteers each year to assist with the town’s annual blood drive. This is the first time that Daisy has made such a huge mistake. AnnaLise rushes home to determine what is going on with her mother. AnnaLise doesn’t understand how her mother could make this appalling.....

Read the rest of my review at: http://www.rexrobotreviews.com/2011/04/running-on-empty-by-sandra-balzo-review.html



Running on Empty is available at Amazon.com for purchase:

http://www.amazon.com/Running-Empty-Main-Street-Mysteries/dp/0727869817/

Max on Life: Answers and Insights to Your Most Important Questions by Max Lucado Book Review

Max Lucado is a popular Christian writer and he currently serves at Oak Hills Church. Max Lucado has been asked a number of questions dealing with life struggles and challenges. Max has decided to share the questions and answers in his new book called Max on Life. Max has included 172 questions and answers in this book. The book contains questions and answers asked about finances, forgiveness, hope, hurt, suicide, homosexuality, relationships, heaven and hell, illness, and a whole lot more. At the end of the book, Max incorporated a special section on writing. Max on Life also has a topical and scripture index to help readers relook at a question again.

Here are some quotes from the book:

“Be careful. Don’t make a decision in a storm that you wouldn’t make in calm weather.” (187)

“Revenge is the raging fire that consumes the arsonist. Bitterness is the trap that snares the hunter.” (47)

“For in the end, all believers will tumble skyward into the embrace of heaven, where nothing bad will ever happen again.” (65)

An example of a question in the book is: “What does God think of suicide victims? What does that mean for their salvation? For our memories? For our peace of mind?” (208)

Max answered a lot of questions that some Christians would have a hard time answering. He doesn’t sugarcoat the message and what he believes. He applied scripture to each question. I enjoyed reading this book because Max answered a lot of my questions that I had. I found out how to deal with circumstances that we have to endure in this life. Max’s new book will help you look to Christ and his word on how to handle situations in your life.

I would recommend Max on Life if you have any questions about God and life in general. Max does his best to answer a range of great questions that we all have. This book does contain adult and teenager material. It is a great guide to search for answers for our many questions that we may have!  If you have been pondering something give this book a chance and it just might answer your many questions.

“I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program.”

If you would like to purchase a copy of Max on Life check out Amazon.com:

http://www.amazon.com/Max-Life-Insights-Important-Questions/dp/0849948126

Read a preview of Max on Life below:

http://thomasnelson.insidethecover.com/widget/?isbn=9780849948121

We Be Big: The Mostly True Story of How Two Kids from Calhoun County, Alabama, Became Rick and Bubba by Rick Burgess and Bill “Bubba” Bussey with Don Keith Book Review

We Be Big is a true story of Rick Burgess and Bill “Bubba” Bussey. They both grew up in Alabama.  Rick and Bubba shared how they became known as popular radio deejays. Rick and Bubba had to endure a lot of pain along the way. They had many doors shut in their faces. Rick and Bubba didn’t fit the “radio” format. They believed in being funny and they loved to talk in the early morning hours. They talked about their everyday lives, God, and politics live on the air. They didn’t like to play a lot of music during their shows. Other radio stations didn’t agree with the format of their show. Radio officials wanted them to fit the mold of other radio personalities and play listeners favorite music. But despite the criticism of radio officials, they never gave up what they believed in. Listeners went crazy and followed Rick and Bubba’s radio show. Some listeners even screamed Rick and Bubba’s name at other radio stations promotion events. The radio officials were wrong about how successful the radio show would become.

The book was interesting to read and learn about the lives of Rick and Bubba. I have never heard of them before reading this book. But I am glad I know them now! Rick and Bubba tried to break the radio mold and they eventually were successful. They never gave up trying to accomplish their dreams of being on the radio. They didn’t listen to their critics and let it bring them down. They kept getting back up no matter how many doors closed on them.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good autobiography. The road wasn’t always easy for them but they survived and are helping lead more believers to Christ. This book also has a lot of humor in it because they like to be funny guys. So if you need a good laugh or just want to learn more about Rick and Bubba then pick up a copy!

“I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program.”

If you would like to purchase a copy of We Be Big check out Amazon.com:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1401604005/ref=cm_rdp_product

If you would like to find out where you can listen to the Rick and Bubba show check out the complete listing below:

http://www.rickandbubba.com/affiliates.php

Mere Churchianity by Michael Spencer Book Review

In Mere Churchianity, Michael shared a story about a letter he received from an atheist. The atheist was a worker at Dairy Queen. She wrote to Michael, who was the youth minister, and she told him that his youth group wasn’t very nice to the workers at Dairy Queen. His youth group made a mess with a saltshaker and left it to be cleaned by someone else. She didn’t like Christians but could you blame her for the way that the “youth group” acted. The youth group had a chance to influence non-believers for the better and they failed.

Michael wrote this book for leavers of the church. He believed that most Christians who have left the church are leaving because of some of the legalism rules we have placed on the church. He doesn’t think they are leaving because they don’t believe in God. It is because they are looking for the real Jesus and some churches aren’t showing and teaching about Jesus. We are all called to be disciples of Jesus and we are supposed to help one another.

“Many leave the church because their aloneness is never recognized by others, and others in the church never realize their own sin in isolating the people in their midst. So those who don’t conform and thus fail to fit in, for whatever reason, are left alone to be alone.” (180)

My thoughts on this book are that as a church we all need to do better than we are currently doing. We shouldn’t have our youth groups or adults groups making messes for other people to clean up and insulting workers. We are called to be the church and we are called to be like Jesus. Jesus served the homeless, the out casted, and anyone who needed his help, which we all need, his help. Non-believers are watching Christians to see if we are living out what we are teaching. I understand why some people leave the church now. But we have to live out what we say we believe. I wonder how many youth groups and adults have done something similar to this story. I agree with Mere Churchianity and that we are called to be disciples of Jesus and we need to serve one another. We have to live out what we believe and mean it!

I would recommend this book to any church member and any member that has left the church. We can all grow to understand why some people leave the church. We can all also learn to reach out to church members and non-believers and show them the real Jesus! We have to always remember that actions speak louder than words! We can’t forget who Jesus is and what his word teaches us to do.

“I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review”.

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

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307459179/ref=cm_rdp_product

Check out Chapter One:

http://multnomahemails.com/wbmlt/pdf/SneakPeek_Mere%20Churchianity.pdf



If you would like to rate my review click the link below:

http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/bloggingforbooks/reviews/view/6383