Undaunted {Review}

Undaunted is the story of writer Josh McDowell's life.  The beginning is about his childhood growing up on a small farm in Michigan.  It was hard to read about the horrors he lived through with an alcoholic father, sexually abusive family employee, and a very disjointed family.  Needless to say he came to the conclusion that he was the most God-forsaken person in the world at age eleven and he grew up not believing in God.  In college, he harassed a group of Christian students who challenged him to prove that the Resurrection never happened.  This led him to a summer spent in Europe searching for answers from original sources.  He ended up finding that the evidence completely supported the Bible and ended up becoming a Christian.  Although he was a new Christian, he found that he still needed to deal with some of the horrors of his past and he slowly began to forgive those who had wronged him.  In the end, his father even became a Christian because of Josh's love and forgiveness.
I thought this was a sad, amazing, and inspiring story all in one.  While it is so sad that any child would have to experience the pain that Josh did, it is amazing to know that God's love can overcome anything.  It is very inspiring to read that Josh was able to forgive those who did such cruel things and helps remind me that I can and need to forgive those in my life who harm me, no matter how small the offense.  I also love how God turned something so ugly into something beautiful when Josh's Christianity led his father to God, who in turn also led others in their town to Him.  This is a great book that I highly recommend.

I received this book for free for review from Tyndale House Publishers.

Blessings,

Be Still My Soul {Review}

I recently has the opportunity to read Be Still My Soul by Joanne Bischof.  It is a story about Lonnie and Gideon who are forced to get married after her father witnesses Gideon kiss Lonnie.  Lonnie has grown up very poor and with an abusive father and has clung to her faith all her life.  Gideon is a handsome ladies' man who is frustrated that he was forced into the marriage. Together they leave the only homes they have ever known to try and find work and a place in a distant town.  Along the way discover an elderly couple who helps them work through some of their troubles, but Gideon's past mistakes keep coming back to haunt him and it seems their hearts might never be healed.
I thought this was a really good book.  Although it seems pretty predictable, there were several twists that kept it interesting.  I enjoyed the fact that Lonnie stood strong in her faith and was an example of God's love to her new husband despite the way he treated her.  Everything was written very descriptively and I had an easy time picturing the story in my mind. Joanne Bischof did a great job writing this historical fictional and I can't wait to read more by her, especially since this was the first in the Cadence of Grace series.

I received this book for free for review from Waterbrook Multnomah.

Blessings,

The Reason {Review}

I recently had the opportunity to review William Sirls' new novel The Reason. Although it was a little slow reading and took me a while to get through it, I did end up enjoying it. It is about a town of people who are going through some very difficult circumstances including cancer, blindness, and living with regrets from the past.  When a stranger enters their lives and tells them to only believe, they each respond differently to letting go and letting God be in control of their lives.  I thought the situations the characters went through were very real and the questions they asked about God were ones that many of us have asked when going through a difficult time.  This book is a good reminder that no matter what our circumstances, we only have to believe that God is in control and the reason he does everything he does is because of his great love for us.

From the publisher:

When Facing the Impossible, Can You Only Believe?

Storm clouds gather over a small Michigan town. As thunder shakes the sky, the lights inside St. Thomas church flicker . . . and then go out.

All is black until a thick bolt of lightning slices the sky, striking the church’s large wooden cross—leaving it ablaze and splintered in two.

When the storm ends—the search for answers begins.

James Lindy, the church’s blind minister, wonders how his small congregation can repair the cross and keep their faith in the midst of adversity. And he hears the words “only believe.”

Macey Lewis, the town’s brilliant young oncologist, is drawn to Alex, a young boy who’s recently been diagnosed with an aggressive leukemia. She puts her hope in modern medicine—yet is challenged to “only believe.”

And Alex’s single mom, who has given everything she can to her boy—is pleading with God to know the reason this is happening . . . to save her son. But she only hears silence and wonders how she can possibly “only believe.”

The Reason is a milestone debut novel, opening with a blast and never letting up as it introduces us to everyday characters who are wrestling with the questions: where is God when bad things happen? And does God ignore the prayers of the faithful? The answer each character receives will astound readers while offering an unforgettable call to hope, to change, to . . . only believe.

I received this book for free for review from Booksneeze.

Blessings,