Israel: Beauty, Light, and Luxury (A Vibrant, Full-Color Coffee Table Book with 350 Photos of the Holy Land's Features, Flora, & People. Also Includes 31 Bible Devotionals) by Tara-Leigh Cobble Book Review

 

Israel is a beautiful book enclosed with high quality photography. There are tons of photos showcasing the beach, ocean, the River Jordan, the Garden Tomb, Jerusalem, Dead Sea, just to name a few. The book also showed different food served and some of it was desert. They all looked so tasty! She included a 31-day devotional throughout the book. These include a short story about Israel and historical facts and a verse. 

 

 

 

The book shared about Beit Sahour/ Bethlehem. She explained how many of the homes were built on top of caves in Biblical times and they had a cave basement. In the winter months, they would light a fire in the doorway to keep the animals warm. She revealed how Jesus was likely born in the summer months and not in December. It estimated to have occurred between June and September. It would have also allowed cave basement, Kataluma open for visitors staying over. She also explained how Jesus was born in a stone manger. Most of us picture the manger always been made of wood. 

 

 

The book also looked at the Mount of Olives and how critical it was in the reign of Jesus. It is the hill where Jesus’ rode down the fill on Palm Sunday. It contained the Garden of Gethsemane where he prayed before he was killed. Zechariah has stated that Jesus will return to that same mountain and Jesus will cause it to split in two. He will also enter the city through the Eastern Gate which is now blocked off by cement. Jews were instructed to never walk through a cemetery because it would cause them to become unclean. She clarified to readers who nothing is going to stop Christ and He will move the hill when it is time to do so. 

 

 

 

 

I would recommend this astonishing book to anyone who is curious about Israel and they are wanting to observe pictures from the Holy Land. They were all incredible and gorgeous. I loved looking at the blue and green colors of the ocean and sea. The beach ones really wanted me to leap inside the pages and enjoy the fresh air. I was shocked to see how little the sea of Galilee and how you can see the entire sea all at once. It would be eye opening to imagine and to see firsthand where the disciples lived and stayed. It was also interesting to learn about the hometown of Mary Magdalene and how they uncovered the Magdala Stone. I enjoyed reading the devotional that was spread throughout the book. I wouldn’t really consider this one just a sole devotional style book. It would make a great coffee table book or placed somewhere visitors can enjoy looking at. It would be a great gift for office places if they get lots of clients. 

 

 

 

"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/Israel-Illustrated-Devotional-Including-Features/dp/076424034X/

A God Named Josh: Uncovering the Human Life of Jesus Christ by Jared Brock Book Review

 

In A God Named Josh, Jared Brock has written a fresh perspective about the life of Jesus. He named God Josh and in it he refers to him by this name. The book begins by exploring the genealogical of Jesus and goes all the way to him dying on the cross and rising up from the grave. He enlightened on all of the twelve disciples and their backgrounds using scripture where readers can grasp who they were. He explored in great detail how Jesus related to the women he was around at the time, the Romans, Pharisees, just to name a few. He looked at the rabbi clothing and how they dressed. Jared explained how we can take lessons from Yehoshua and our appearance. First, we need to remember not to judge others on how they look on the outside. He shared how there isn’t many people who were considered attractive or well-dressed who made an impact. These included William Shakespeare, Winston Churchill, and Mother Teresa. He clarified how we shouldn’t dress in anything that could cause us to distract someone else. The book also revealed the significance of following economic principles and using wisdom in our money and spending. He broke this down into twelve principles such as, “use your money to show mercy, make a budget, or rather, count the cost, give and lend to the poor without question”. 

 

 

 

 

I would recommend this remarkable book about Jesus and his historical life story to anyone who is ready to dive into a new version about His life. I thought it was interesting to see how he compared Jesus’ murder to being committed by a mafia family. He tried to think of things people don’t typically think about in reading Jesus’ story. He even dramatic shared that Jesus burped, farted, and did other things. I will admit that this isn’t something I have really considered while reading scripture before. I liked the idea of naming God after Josh but it was honestly a little confusing as to why the author chose this name. I personally felt he could have just called God, God. I think it was more of a way where readers can understand the scriptures and the story in today times. One of my favorite chapters was the last chapter detailing Jesus’ journey to the cross and dying for sins. He violently tried to describe the scene of Jesus being tortured and abused. This was very eye opening at imagining the scene. I also liked how he looked at the explanation of the resurrection and some of the possibilities that people tend to believe and it led up to what if Jesus really did resurrect.  

 

 

 

"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/God-Named-Josh-Uncovering-Christ/dp/0764239627/

Good Catastrophe: The Tide-Turning Power of Hope by Benjamin Windle Book Review

In Good Catastrophe, Benjamin Windle explored the pain to dealing with greatest struggles and challenges and how hope can arise from our pain. In the book, he went into great detail about the story of Job and pulled principles that we can use to assist us in our pain. In the book, he explained how his seven-year-old son survived a dog attack from a Rottweiler. It attacked his face and neck and left a large laceration on his neck. He begged God to let his son live and to take him instead. Luckily the attacked missed any tendons, nerves, and arteries. He clarified how as a father he was supposed to protect him. But he couldn’t when he didn’t even see what was coming. He shared how he was able to have hope even when he didn’t understand why the pain happened. 

 

 

He also shared how his brother was diagnosed with melanoma cancer and it was in stage four. He fought for his life for over five years before going home to Jesus. He was forty-one when he passed. When he was first writing the book, he was still here and he explained how he was battling the uncertainty and the unknown. He revealed two ways that readers can use to forge purpose for our pain. One of these included focusing on others and taking our eyes for our own problems. He shared how Job focused on the poor and orphans. He reached out and gave hope to others and they in turned blessed him. And as we all know his story is still blessing others. We can have ultimate hope that even if we lack the answers, we are seeking on why things happen, we can rely on the fact there will be a day when one day there will be no pain. 

 

 

I would recommend this awesome book about pain and heartache to anyone who is seeking a book that will provide you with inspiration hope. I immensely loved how he looked at the whole life of Job and how he lost everything. He was at rock bottom and he felt alone and abandoned by friends and family. He lost his kids, health, and his wealth. One of my favorites stories was about the broken piano that Keith Jarrett played and was able to make a best-selling album by working around the broken keys. I liked how he used this story to remind us to use our brokenness and to forge purpose from our pain. I loved how he wrote a book in assisting readers in weathering life’s storms and standing firm with our anchors. 

 

 

 

 

"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/Good-Catastrophe-Tide-Turning-Power-Hope/dp/0764241168

The Wisdom Answer: Equipping Teens Living in a Culture of Deception An Interaction Journal Based on Proverbs 1-9 by Lenora Trembath Book Review

In The Wisdom Answer, Lenora Trembath has released a journal style book covering Proverbs 1-9. She used the Voice Bible for her own study. Her personal choice in writing this book is to help her own sons in growing in wisdom. While writing this book she realized all teens need some guidance and they need to understand the scriptures and how they relate to them personally. She revealed how she was once a bully and how she was bullied and she faced insecurities. She explained how she realized that she needed the teaching of Proverbs and the wisdom Solomon shared to his own son. We can discover answered to questions such as, “How to pick good friends, how to avoid relationship drama, how to handle bullying, and who do we listen to for advice”. We can also teach our children the importance of marriage and the warnings of a seductive woman. She even asked readers to share personal stories that they have been faced with seduction. 

 

 

 

 

One of my favorite days was about cosigning and the wisdom we can teach our teens about not taking on others security debts. These scriptures are powerful explaining how to save yourself and run like a gazelle escaping from a hunter and a bird fleeing from a net. We need to be extremely wise in choosing who we partner with. We can avoid heartache if we don’t sign on to others debts. Even a cosigner can become liability as the primary signer. I work as a title clerk and I see this all the time issues with people being stuck in problematic situations that could have been avoided. Most of the time it’s family or people who believe they are their true friends. And they realize later on that they made a great mistake. 

 

 

 

 

I would recommend this beneficial book to every single teen and parent. It would be an awesome journey for parents to go through together or even for a small group to do together. Proverbs isn’t just for teens but this book is geared to helping teens to understand the wisdom presented in Proverbs.

 

 

 

 

I loved how she asked critical questions to get teens to open up and think about the scriptures and what they are reading. This journal was neat because it asked a lot of discussion questions and left you room to write and brainstorm and you could explore your own story. One of my favorites tools was the memory challenge verse and having teens sign a contact type to hold them accountable. I also enjoyed the group activities ideas and I’m curious to try the spaghetti and marshmallow tower. This seems like a really fun, difficult, and creative game to play with others. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"I received this book free from the author for my honest review.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Wisdom-Answer-Equipping-Deception-Interaction-ebook/dp/B0BXBK46VV/

But Then She Remembered: How to Give God Your Full Attention in a Distracted World by Katie Westenberg Book Review

 

In But Then She Remembered, Katie Westenberg explained how we are all face with numerous distraction every day. There are countless things competing for our attention. She revealed how studies have discovered that nearly half of cell phone users are addicted to their phone. She discussed how she personally believes that being so distracted has cause us to quench the Holy Spirit and is causing us to struggle to bear fruit. She begins the book by looking at how the world has lost its memory. We are all way to stressed and struggling with forgetfulness and we have so much on our plates. She stated how, “distracted eyes are leading to distracted souls.” In 2000, the average attention span of adults was 20 seconds and now in 2013 it has dropped to 8 seconds. And I wonder what it is now. She shared how we are called to remember Christ and His ways and to love him. 

 

 

One of my favorite chapters was on identify and how the Latin meaning actual means, “sameness”. She went into detail about the different definitions and what they mean. She also explained how the Bible doesn’t directly link anything to our identity in Christ or state the word identity. But the concept is still important. We can still learn the foundation of Christ and how the fear of the Lord is the beginning of all knowledge. She helped readers to go deeper into the real root of Christ and how our sins are forgiven, how much we are loved, and our inheritance. 

 

 

 

I would recommend this awesome book about living in a distracted world and how we instead focus on what matters most. I immensely loved how she discussed topics such as memory and living with a renewed mind and how this changes you. This book is geared on assisting readers in navigating the waters of being distracted and how we can develop new habits and grow deeper in our spiritual life. I liked how she included helpful studies at the end of each chapter and there is plenty of space to answer the questions and do the fill in the blanks. 

 

 

 

"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/But-Then-She-Remembered-Distracted/dp/0764235427

 

Authentic Worship: The Path to Greater Unity with God by A.W. Tozer Compiled and Edited by James L. Snyder Book Review

 

Authentic Worship is a book that enclosed sermons that A.W. Tozer preached on about the power of worshipping God. This is the first time the book has been released. In the book, he discussed what it means to truly worship God and not follow how churches or the world tells us what is allowed. He wanted us to understand what scriptures stated about worship. He begins by exploring the difference between Cain and Abel’s style of worship. Cain worship was more for him and his people. Abel’s contained blood and God accepted this worship. He described how worship is more than just singing and praying. We are supposed to be living it and working and serving others. A major feature of the book is understanding what unity is and how essential it is. He clarified how there is divisions in the churches and how this is affecting us. There are no denominations in Heaven and we can learn to worship in unity. A lot of the problem could be the enemy in spreading division within the churches. 

 

 

 

One of my favorites examples included in this book was about the topic of unity and how the universe is one massive system that works together. I immensely loved how he compared all of this to numerous things that bring balance to the world. These included a leaf falling to the ground, a baby born, or a stone on the seashore. All of these things are interlocked and work together and they serve a purpose. I loved how he also compared it to God and Christ watching over the world sitting side by side being at the center of the world. This is a mind-blowing example that will really get the point across about unity. 

 

 

I would recommend this amazing book on the topic of authentic worship to anyone who is ready to grow deeper in their relationship with Christ. They also are wanting to have more unity in their churches. I loved how each chapter included a prayer and a poem/ teaching from a religious leader, such as: Martin Luther, Charles Wesley, just to name a few. Another eye-opening illustration was about the burning bush that Moses witnessed and how it purified and what it teaches us about sanctification. Everything burned that was on the bush and this included fungi, bugs, and worms. He used this to explain how nothing can withstand the fire and how sins can’t be too greater that God can’t forgive. This is a wonderful book about worshiping and understanding the character of God. 

 

 

 

 

"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/Authentic-Worship-Path-Greater-Unity/dp/0764240285/

Body of Proof: The 7 Best Reasons to Believe in the Resurrection of Jesus--and Why It Matters Today by Jeremiah J. Johnston, PhD Book Review

In Body of Proof, Jeremiah J. Johnston explored seven key reasons that will lead us to believe that Jesus died for our sins and did in fact rise from the grave. He explained how Jesus is the only historical event that enclosed evidence that Jesus died by a Roman crucifixion.  The book also explored the misconception theories and how they are flawed and untrue. Two of these included the swoon and wrong tomb theory. He expelled how they are both wrong and provided reasons on why we can choose not to fall for their lies. The book explored seven reasons to believe: society is transformed everywhere Christianity is introduced, Jesus called it, Jesus demonstrated resurrection power, just to name a few. Throughout the book, readers will get to witness key evidence that Jesus did die for our sins and was resurrected. 

 

 

 

 

One of these reasons comprised of how the written and archaeological sources support the Gospel and the resurrection narrative. He explained how in Jewish law Jesus’ death wouldn’t have been an honorable death. He was executed like he was a criminal. He looked at the tombs and stones they used back then. They used square or rectangular stones to seal the entrance of the tomb. Only wealthy families would be able to afford to have round stones. He shared how a body would have to be carried through horizontally. He went into detail about the established facts and how Jesus appeared to numerous people and he had a whole list at the end of the chapter and where they appeared in scripture. He also explored how Jesus was raised up and how Jesus wasn’t a ghost and they actually could touch him. 

 

 

 

I would recommend this awesome piece on historical evidence to anyone who is doubting that Jesus existed and that the tomb was empty. I immensely loved how he went into detail about the sevens reasons we can believe. He did an excellent job in looking at the history and the background and what we can learn from it. I also liked how he covered a whole chapter on how the disciples couldn’t have made up the resurrection and if they did, they did a terrible job. This book is an eye opener in the regards to our faith in Christianity. 

 

 

 

 

 

"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/Body-Proof-Reasons-Resurrection-Jesus/dp/0764230832

Trust: Knowing When to Give It, When to Withhold It, How to Earn It, and How to Fix It When It Gets Broken by Dr. Henry Cloud Book Review

In Trust, Dr. Henry Cloud has written a brand-new guidebook to assist readers in the topic of trusting others. He explained how to identity and determine who is trustworthy and who isn’t. He explored how to run a business that is filled with trust principles. It will also help readers to rebuilt their trust that has been broken. In the book, he revealed how he has coached different people in numerous settings on how to rebuilt trust and grow a stronger business or personal life. One of the stories he shared was how he assisted a business with a disconnect between two higher ups and how if they failed to fix the issue it would negatively impact thousands of lives. He explained what trust was and how at the core we all want something that is safe and will not cause us harm. The book looked at the five essentials of trust: understanding, motive, ability, and much more. He broke down the model for repairing trust into seven steps. 

 

 

 

 

One of my favorite chapters discussed how to move forward and the power of forgiven. He explained how to get free from the betrayal and to stop the growth of a cancer like sickness inside you. He included a whole list of the health benefits we will receive if we choose to forgive. Some of these included, improved mental health, lowers depression, lowers cholesterol, increase immune system, reduces stress, just to touch on a few. He shared how if we don’t forgive then we can’t repair trust effectively and trust will remain broken. He walked readers through on how to handle and manage their angry. He also explored how forgiveness is free but trust isn’t and it must be first be deserved and earned. 

 

 

 

 

I would recommend this life changing book on trust to readers on rebuilding trust after someone has failed you, how to assess if trustworthiness is an option, and when we must withhold trust. I thought he did an excellent job in going into extreme detail about trust and covering all the different aspects of trust. I liked how he explored personal and business exampled where all readers could relate to the message in different areas of their lives. I immensely loved how he went into detail about Drew and Bella and their rebuilding their marriage after an affair. I believe this was very beneficial to readers on seeing how the models and the steps all worked together. It provided a massive scope on trusting others. 

 

 

 

"I received this book free from the publisher, Hachette Book Group/Faithwords for my honest review.”

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Trust-Knowing-When-Withhold-Broken/dp/1546003371/