Have you ever read one of Jesus’ parables and wondered, “What did He mean to convey with this story? What was His purpose in choosing the specific time, place, and audience for that particular parable? And how does this story connect to other, similar examples?” If these thoughts have ever crossed your mind, you will be delighted to discover a new book published by Thomas Nelson and written by bestselling author and pastor John MacArthur. It is entitled Parables: The Mysteries of God’s Kingdom Revealed Through the Stories Jesus Told. Continue reading
Inspirational Non-Fiction
A Hope-Filled Treasure
Isn’t it a delightful surprise when you decide to read a book you don’t know much about, by an author you’ve never heard of – and it turns out to be one of the best non-fiction books you’ve read in a long time? Well, that is exactly what happened to me when I picked up a little paperback from BakerBooks entitled Every Little Thing written by Deidra Riggs. As she explains on the back cover, Deidra’s story “calls you to accept God’s invitation to join him in making a difference right where you are, right now. She shows you that you were created with a purpose and with the capacities to fulfill that purpose.” Written in a warm, witty voice, Deidra weaves her thoughts into beautiful word-pictures that will touch your heart… And maybe even give it hope, too. Continue reading
Generated More Questions Than Answers…
Called to Pray: Astounding Stories of Answered Prayer was written by award-winning author and popular speaker Linda Evans Shepherd, and published by Revell in the later portion of 2015. As the title suggests, this book is filled to overflowing with examples of dynamic, unexpected, and miraculous answers to prayer in the lives of ordinary people. What did all these people have in common? They simply had the faith to heed God’s call to pray, and witnessed extraordinary events in their lives as a result.
Without question, this book is an inspiration and an invitation to pray more often, for more people, and in every situation that we find ourselves. Conveniently divided into ten sections with titles such as “Called to Pray for Protection”, “Called to Pray for Needs”, “Called to Pray for Encouragement”, etc., the book holds dozens of stories that bring the power of prayer to life in vivid detail. My personal favorites were Continue reading
A Beautiful Message
Beloved singer/songwriter, worship leader, author, and speaker Darlene Zschech has written her fourth book about a topic certain to be fascinating to many readers… Worship Changes Everything: Experiencing God’s Presence in Every Moment of Life was published by Bethany House in the fall of 2015, and is also accompanied by a beautiful song album entitled “In Jesus’ Name”. Without question, the words contained within the book are an insightful portrayal of the true power and blessing of living a worship-filled life, though naturally it is not without a few negative points as well.
Three of the best facets of this book include: Continue reading
Illuminates the Wisdom of Proverbs!
We are all familiar with the wellspring of wisdom offered in the Biblical book of Proverbs. Many people, myself included, often read this book over the course of a month since it conveniently contains 31 chapters. Sometimes, however, it can be a little more difficult to actually incorporate that wisdom into our daily lives. If you seek to make the practical guidance of Proverbs a deeper part of your inner life, I am so excited to share a new, certain-to-be treasured book with you…
Proverbs Prayers: Praying the Wisdom of Proverbs for Your Life was written by minister, speaker, and best-selling author John Mason, and published by Revell in the fall of 2015. This little book contains the full text of Proverbs, divided chapter by chapter. What is the unique part, you ask? Why not just read the book in your Bible? Continue reading
A Helpful Tool for Healthy Living
“Don’t let anyone tell you your symptoms are untreatable! We defied the odds and so can you!” With this tagline and a snappy, makes-you-stop-and-think title, who could resist taking a second look at this book? It Takes Guts to Be Happy: A 21-Day Cleansing Plan to Heal Your Belly & Recharge Your Life was written by Julia Loggins, a certified therapist specializing in hydrotherapy, health education, detoxification, and facilitating the reversal of illness. Published by Vibrant Health Publishing, this 260-page book is a wealth of information, not only related to Julia’s specific cleanse but also to better health in general. Continue reading
A Unique Biography – But Definitely for Mature Readers
COME SEE THE BOY BORN DEAD. These were the words on the sign that started it all. They initiated David Ring’s career as an international speaker, simply by helping to fill a small high school auditorium with people ready to hear his story. How did David Ring, a boy who lived every day with the debilitating affects of cerebral palsy, arrive at this point? Well, you’ll need to read The Boy Born Dead, published by Baker Books and written by David Ring with John Driver and David Wideman, to find out.
Although you may not guess it from the first few pages of David Ring’s story, this book was definitely not a light and carefree read, nor an easy story to watch unfold. It was, however, powerful. Continue reading
The Carols of Christmas – A Guest Review by Hayley
Music history buffs rejoice! Andrew Gant has gifted you with a true gem when it comes to the origination of many timeless Christmas masterpieces. The Carols of Christmas, published by Thomas Nelson in 2015, is a wealth of information, right down to the very last detail, on numerous of our favourite Christmas songs.
The amount of time and meticulous research that obviously went into this book is astounding. Mr. Gant is clearly passionate about the history of music, and in this case, Christmas carols. His enthusiasm and attention to every intricate detail is admirable, impressive, and will be appreciated by those who are like-minded.
Although this book deserves praise for the much effort that was evidently put into its writing, I personally Continue reading
A Tricky Book to Review
The Chase: Trusting God with Your Happily Ever After is a unique, fun and breezy little book written by a young husband-and-wife duo, and aimed towards an audience of teenage girls and college-age young women. Friendly, Christian-based advice on relationships, romance, and living your own happily-ever-after story are the main cornerstones of purpose for this book. The two perspectives add dimension to the insights and personal stories, but the overall tone remains very light and bubbly… At times so light and bubbly that older members of the target audience may find it slightly juvenile and repetitive.
On the flipside, however, some of the content is arguably too mature for very young ladies, especially in the chapter entitled “Worth the Wait”. Many of the thoughts that Kyle and Kelsey share in this section of the book were, for me, uncomfortable to read and I was disappointed to see a specific word pop up in the sentences over and over again. Of course, I understand that in many circumstances today girls NEED to read insight like this from a Christian viewpoint. However, I have found there to be very few books about relationships available for young women who wish to avoid this topic, and focus instead on how to nurture godly relationships before marriage. I was hoping The Chase might be one of those, but I was sadly mistaken.
Apart from the issue mentioned above, this book DOES contain much in the way of good advice, encouragement, and hope. Certainly Continue reading
The Road to Becoming – A Guest Review by Hayley
“The fact that I survive, even grow and thrive in my desert season of lostness has little to do with my own ability to stay alive. It has everything to do with the fact that I am kept alive and sustained by the Giver of Life. It has everything to do with the truth that even when my life seems silent and barren, if there is a heartbeat, then the Great Comforter is present. Is a heartbeat not God’s most basic presence? How can the Giver of Life be non-present if life is present? If there is a heartbeat, there is a God. He dwells within us – who are created in His very image.”
This short excerpt is just one of many gems of wisdom you will find in Baker Publishing’s new release The Road to Becoming, by former Addison Road lead singer Jenny Simmons. Her heartfelt, whimsical writing pulls us in like a warm embrace from a long-lost friend, and she continues to hold our hand and walk with us every step of the way, gently encouraging us in our walk with the Lord, and guiding us on our own road to becoming with a depth of understanding that can only come from someone who has been there. Continue reading
Prairie Sky Book Reviews 