Overwhelmed by Perry Noble

It is so wonderful to find a book that addresses depression and the Christian.  It is even more impressive that this book is written by a man and a pastor, since Christians are often reluctant to admit struggles with depression. Perry Noble shares his personal stories alongside Bible examples to show that struggling doesn't make you unspiritual or unsaved--it just means you are a human who is saved but still on earth.
Overwhelmed is a good resource for struggling Christians as well as those who counsel, teach, or live with those who have experienced depression or discouragement.

Book is available April 1, 2014.  I received an electronic advance review copy from Tyndale Publishers.

Read an E-Book Week: March 2-8

Chaek out a special catalog of discounted and free e-books at Smashwords especially for RAEW!  This is a great chance to expand your mind with some nonfiction or exercise your imagination with a great novel.  Smashwords offers formats for most any e-reader: Kindle, Nook, Kobo, Sony and pdf or online web reading.

Different Paths to Faith: Which Did You Take?

Confident Faith by Mark Mittelberg is the first book I’ve read to address the fact that there are different approaches to making faith decisions.  Mark presents six different “faith paths” that people might take and gives us the pros and cons of each path.  Once we recognize the path we took, we can fill in the gaps in our faith foundation and live out a more confident faith.

It is also helpful for evangelism if we understand what path somebody else is currently on.  These paths are: Relativistic, Traditional, Authoritarian, Intuitive, Mystical, and Evidential.  Mittelberg gives true examples of people who took each path.  He also provides tools (twenty arrows of truth) to address the shortcomings of each path.  Finally, he addresses ten barriers to belief.

This is a good resource for all people who want to be more confident in living and sharing their Christian faith.

I received a free review copy of Confident Faith from Tyndale House Publishers.

Exploring Christian Theology by Nathan Holsteen and Michael Svigel is the first book of what will be a multi-volume set.  This volume has two parts: Created in Christ Jesus: Church, Churches, and the Christian Life, written by Holsteen and When He Returns: Resurrection, Judgment, and Restoration by Svigel.

As a visual learner and thinker, I appreciated the graphics and the Bible verses placed strategically throughout the narrative.  The authors teach at Dallas Theological Seminary, so they are careful to back up everything they say with Scripture and with historical writings by early church fathers as well as later theologians.  Where Christians may differ, as in their view of the sacraments or of the exact sequence of end times events, multiple viewpoints are shown along with the arguments for and against each view.

This book is accessible to the motivated layman.  There is no need for a seminary degree as the authors define terms as they come up.  This is an excellent addition to a church library or a Sunday School teachers’ resource collection.

I received a free review copy of Exploring Christian Theology from Bethany House Publishers.

Is God Ever Silent?

In Seeing the Voice of God, Laura Harris Smith makes the case from Scripture that God is never truly silent.  In particular, while we sleep, He never does.  He goes on communicating with us through our dreams. Laura describes her experiences with dreams and describes for us the various types of dreams and visions, with examples from Old and New Testaments.

This book includes great information on the importance of sleep for our bodies as well as our minds and spirits.  A doctor who specializes in sleep was interviewed regarding the stages of sleep, sleep debt, and recommendations for healthy sleep.

The book closes with advice on discerning spirits, remembering dreams, and interpreting symbolism in dreams. There is even a “dream dictionary.”

I received a free review copy of Seeing the Voice of God from Chosen Books.

The Miracle of Motivation by George Shinn

This is an updated version of Shinn's 1981 book.  This revision includes topics such as staying on track despite the distractions of e-mail and social media. It also keeps all the great advice from the original about setting goals, staying motivated,  and solving problems.

Chapter 14 on Overcoming Obstacles was especially helpful, in my opinion. Step one of the six step problem-solving procedure recommended by the author is "Don't fear the problem..." George Shinn tells the reader many things that should be obvious, but so often are not.  His advice is comprehensive and compelling and applies to business, personal life, and charitable activities.

Check out the book trailer here.  It was my pleasure to review this book after receiving a free review copy from Shinn Publishing and The A Group, Inc.

Martyr's Fire: YA Fiction from Sigmund Brouwer

Book 3 in Merlin’s Immortals continues the story of Thomas.  He has ruled Magnus for only a short time when the Priests of the Holy Grail come to town.  Their fake miracles and wonders deceive the people of Magnus and make Thomas a man on the run. For the Priests are really Druids.

Now Thomas must use what little he was taught as a child and given by his few trusted friends to seek the Secret of Magnus and defeat the Druids.  Many people will cross his path and offer him aid, but deceptions are everywhere.

This young adult novel will keep the reader on edge. Can anyone ever be sure if anyone is friend or foe, Immortal or Druid? Trusting the wrong person means torture and death--and losing Magnus forever.

I received a free review copy of this book from Waterbrook-Multnomah.