Plan B

By: Pete Wilson

We’ve all been there. The moment in life when it hits you that life isn’t easy, or life hasn’t gone your way. Maybe it was when you lost your job or when your girlfriend broke up with you. No matter what it was at some point you’ve had the sinking feeling that you were wrong and things just don’t seem right. In the book Plan B, Pete Wilson walks you through how to accept these moments and move on with Plan B. This book is a fun, quick, and emotional read forcing you to take a deeper look into yourself and God. By sharing the Plan B moments Pete has experienced through out his own life and the lives of others he has known while being a pastor, you’re coached with how to handle these moments and surrender to God. Pete also uses scripture to show you how God works through these Plan B moments in your life.

“The greatest of all illusion is the illusion of control.” (pg 31) This quote is probably one of the most memorable lines for me out of the four plus pages of notes I took while reading this book. Pete does a wonderful job helping you to realize that sometimes our Plan A is just that, “OUR” Plan A and that we have this illusion that we have control over everything. We control how others feel about us, how the weather is going to be, or how are day is going to go. Plan B starts when it hits us that we don’t have control and that we never had control. Reading this book helped me to realize that I need to quit fighting for control and allow God to direct me through the hard times in life. Sometimes Plan B can be better than Plan A ever could have been.

Pick up your copy of Plan B today.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their 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.”

Put Your Dream To The Test
By: John C. Maxwell

When I saw this book come out I was excited instantly. First I was excited because it was a new book by John C. Maxwell, and second because this book was about making your dreams come to reality. One thing that I have always been is a dreamer. In the book Put Your Dream to the Test, John C. Maxwell guides you through ten thought provoking questions that will help you take your dream to another level.

Each question made me sit back and take a deeper and harder look at what my dream really was. I studied entrepreneurship throughout college and I wish I had been asked these questions when I put together my capstone business plan. I believe I would have had a much clearer plan to present. One question after another inspired me more and more to go out and pursue my dream. I found myself becoming more and more motivated to set out and accomplish my wildest dreams.

If you’re a dreamer who thinks that it’s only a dream and it will never actually happen, I recommend you get yourself a copy of Put Your Dream to the Test by John C. Maxwell. You never know, your dream could become your reality.

Jesus Loves You

By: Craig Gross & Jason Harper

Craig Gross and Jason Harper aren’t your typical ministry leaders. They have dived into a world that would scare most Christians, the world of pornography. Craig is the founder of XXX Church a ministry that reaches the people who live and work in the porn industry. I’m sure your thinking that is just crazy and probably a waste of time but somebody has got to do it. Craig and Jason’s mission is simple to show people that Jesus loves you.

That is the motivation behind their new book Jesus Loves You This I Know.  Don’t let this simple, almost childish title fool you, this book takes you deep into the idea of just how much Jesus loves you. Throughout the book you are taken through the lives of different people that most would say, Jesus doesn’t love them, but he does. We meet the bitter and betrayed, the disconnected, the broken, the forgotten, the skeptic, the glutton, the crook, the outcast, the porn star, and the religious. I’m sure you can find yourself relating to one of those groups, I know I did.

If you have ever wondered if Jesus loves or why would Jesus spend time loving someone, a screw up, like me. You have to take time to read through the innovative book with an old and simple message, Jesus Loves You. Your life could be very different if you only live life knowing Jesus Loves you. Go pick up a copy today.

For more info about the pick visit: http://www.jesuslovesyou.net/

The Noticer
By: Andy Andrews

I saw the description for this book and decided to give it a go. I have never read anything by Andy Andrews before and I have never heard him speak before. I knew nothing about his writing, his life, or why this book was getting so much hype. So I sat down at work and began to read this book. (I was allowed to read all I wanted at work since I was a night auditor at a hotel.) Before I knew it I was completely wrapped up in this wonderful story.

Every page turned added new insight to my life and kept me wanting to know more about the way one man could make such a big difference just by paying attention to those around him. The Noticer takes you through lives of people touched and changed in the most radical, yet simple, way I have ever heard of. An old man giving new perspective an advice by simply breaking people’s lives down to the basics. He takes out the complicated mess and provides a birds eye view.

This book, The Noticer, by Andy Andrews will entertain you and keep you wanting more. Then it will make you sit back and take a new perspective on your life all by looking at it in a simple way. It’s a short and fast read that will not leave you disappointed.

Andy Andrews has also launched a project based off this new book, The Noticer Project. This project encourages you to reach out to the 5 most influential people in your life. It’s not asking you to present a grand gesture to these people but in some way thank them for how they have influenced you. You can find more about the project here http://www.thenoticerproject.com/.

You can buy The Noticer by: Andy Andrews here.

On Twitter follow @AndyAndrews, @NoticerProject, and @Clyderandall

Coffeehouse Theology: Reflecting on God in Everyday Life
by: Ed Cyzewski

I have been trying to challenge the way I process my thoughts about my faith. Not necessarily challenge my faith but just how I view the scripture and how I see God in my life.  Coffeehouse Theology by Ed Cyzewski has been a great read for me to learn new ways to challenge how I think. In this book Ed addresses how we can and sometimes need to view scripture and God with in the context of our lives today. He eloquently describes how that can change the way we interpret God through our everyday lives.

Don’t be scared by the fact this is a book on Theology. Ed puts everything in terms for anyone to understand. He uses great examples from life that you can follow along with easily. I was scared that this would be a postmodern rant about the church but it embraces thoughts from everyone and just challenges you to see things in a different light.  I found it to be a refreshing look at the way God is apart of our lives and in everything that we do.  It also makes a good argument why theology is not a negative part of our faiths and isn’t just for scholars. Theology can be for everyone. Start you study in theology with Coffeehouse Theology by Ed Cyzewski.

The Word of Promise: The Gift of Psalms

About a year or two ago I was excited to learn about the production of The Word of Promise. It was to be the most thought out and produced audio reading of the bible ever. They got many great actors such as Richard Dreyfuss, Sean Astin, Jason Alexander, and Gary Sinise to be readers for the audio set. The Gift of Psalms is from that same collection. It is a devotional of what is said to be the fifty most inspirational Psalms. Just like The Word of Promise they spared no expense on this devotional.

Lets first take notice of how neatly this book comes packaged. It has a nice hard bound cover that seems to be coushined and super glossy pages with different script syle fonts. Its really designed to be that devotional you leave on the coffee table so it looks nice but you never actually read. Once you start reading it, you want to just leave it on the coffee table because its not that inspirational.

The devotionals seem to distract you from the heart of the Psalms. They try to relate and make you look deeper into the Psalms, but in doing so they miss the mark on the meanings of Psalms. Each devotional ends with a short prayer. I found the prayers to be great ways to end each devotional. Sometimes its hard to know how to pray over what I read and these helped me with that.

The book comes with three audio cds that are readings of the Psalms. The readings weren’t great but they were not bad. I feel they were over produced. To much trying to set the mood or to be mystical. Sometimes I just want a nice voice reading to me, something natural. The scripture used is all from the King James Version of the bible. I really don’t like this version because I find it hard to relate too, but I decided to give it a try. After going through this book I still don’t like the King James Version.

Overall I would say don’t run out to buy this book right away unless your really wanting some kind of devotional to get you through the Psalms. If you can find it on sale go ahead and pick up a copy. Like the title says The Gift of Psalms, this book would be really nice for a gift for someone.

The Pursuit of God
By: A. W. Tozer

I received this book as a gift for graduating from college last year. When I got it I will admit that no excitement crossed my face. It has been on my bookshelf since then and almost daily it would catch my eye. So I decided to give it a try.

The pace was a change for me because many of the last few books I have read have been by modern day pastors and theologians. Once I slowed down and started to take it seriously I began to connect with Tozer’s thoughts and passion right away. I did not want to put it down.

In The Pursuit of God, Tozer address’ the never ending cycle of men searching for God. He describes our search as a type of bankruptcy or void that we so long to fill. He goes on in an eloquent manner through scripture describing how our search does not have to be so hard if we realized that God is here.

“The Universal Presence is a fact. God is here. The whole universe is alive with His life. And he is no strange or foreign God, but the familiar Father of our Lord Jesus Christ whose love has for these thousands of years enfolded the sinful race of men. And always He is trying to get our attention, to reveal Himself to us, to communicate with us. We have within us the ability to know Him if we will but respond to His overtures. (And this we call pursuing God!) We will know Him in increasing degree as our receptivity becomes more perfect by faith and love and practice.”  Tozer, The Pursuit of God, pg 67

I love this! It was so refreshing to hear. God is pursuing us! He is calling to us more than we have ever called to him. If only we could take the time from the stress and speed of our lives that we whine about so much every day our search could be over. Why, because we will not have to search anywhere but right here and God will find us. Oh! How simple this seems yet I can’t even imagine how I will do this. I’ve heard it said so many times that God is near and that He calls to us, but never as Tozer puts it.

I highly reccomend this book. It may have an older tone to it, but the passion and ideas of it are so true for the world we live in.
Here is one last quote;

“God Wants the whole person and He will not rest till He gets us in entirety. No part of the man will do.” Tozer, The Pursuit of God, pg 101

 Go and search for God by letting Him find you!

 
I Am Not, but I Know I Am: Welcome to the Story of God
By: Louie Giglio


Louie Giglio is the guy who helped bring me my most favorite band ever, David Crowder Band, and many other great artist like Chris Tomlin. He has spent a lot of time investing in young adults in the world of college. I have heard that Louie is a great speaker and usually has some interesting things to say. This book, I Am Not, but I Know I Am: Welcome to the Story of God, I found to be very disapointing. 


Lets start with the fact that it was just boring. Nothing really grabbed my attention or seemed profound to me. Maybe it was his delivery but it just didn’t keep my attention very well. The premis of the book is to help you realize your place with God and that God is the Great I Am, everything is him and he is everything. I was amazed that he could draw this topic out for so long. 


The book never really picked up and seemed disorganized. I found it hard to keep relating his thoughts to what his point was. His examples and illustrations were lacking. Now don’t let this stop you from reading the book I could be very wrong and this is all a personal opinion. 


There were some good things in the book. It does a great job addressing how God is the Great I Am. Beyond that it doesn’t say much else. 


So give this book a read and let me know what you think. Am I wrong? Should I read it again? 

Back to the Basics of Young Life
By: John Miller

The ministry of Young Life has been effectively reaching teenagers for Christ for many decades now. John Miller was there almost right from the begining of Young Life’s journey into figuring out just how to become so entrenched among the lives of so many teenagers. Back to the Basics is John’s account of this faith testing start and how the minsitry shaped his family and so many others.

John recalls his first interactions with Jim Rayburn the founder of Young Life and how he heard his call into the uncharted waters of the Young Life ministry. He explains the sacrafice and faith that went into following the call of God into this new profession. Along the way John discusses the underlying theology and ideaology of why Young Life is the way it is.

If you are in Young Life now you need to read this book. It will give a glimpse of the big picture that you are apart of and just how important your role is to the ministry. For those of you who have never done anything with Young Life, I highly suggest giving this book a read over. I believe once you are done with it there will be no way you won’t want to get involved with Young Life and it’s simply radical ideaology for reaching youth for Christ.