My review of Green by Ted Dekker

Green by Ted Dekker


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Today I'm reviewing Green by Ted Dekker.

Green is Ted Dekker’s fourth book in the Circle Trilogy. Green is book 0 which is supposed to complete a circle creating a series where there really isn't an end or beginning. The jacket claims you can jump into the series by starting with any of the four books, but I found I was lost having not read the first three books.

Even though it took me a while to get into the book, I did enjoy Green. It was fast paced and a great story of good against evil. The characters were easy to believe in and I enjoyed following the journey they were on. I can only imagine how much better Green would have been if I had already read the first three books of the series. Green gave me glimpses of a great love story and tons of action that were in the previous books. Green made me feel feel like I walked in on the end of a party where all the great action started long before I got there and I was being told about it. That is not nearly as much fun as being there for the action.

I would recommend reading the first three books then reading Green.

I read Green as a member of the Thomas Nelson Book Review Bloggers.

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Book Review: Find Your Strongest Life by Marcus Buckingham

Find Your Strongest Life: What the Happiest and Most Successful Women Do Differently by Marcus Buckingham


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I read Find Your Strongest Life by Marcus Buckingham as a member of the Thomas Nelson Book Review Bloggers program.

This book was insightful and had many helpful suggestions on how to find my strengths and ignore my weaknesses. Mr. Buckingham has created an online test to help find your strengths and when I took it I was pleased to see how right on it was.

While I found this book helpful, it is lacking in a few important areas:
This book was an inspiration but it was not “Inspirational” or Christ focused. It mentioned God less than 5 times, and never suggested how to plug into God for that extra measure of strength. Instead it encouraged you to find the strengths inside yourself. This is not what I expected from a Christian Publisher like Thomas Nelson.

The suggestion to ignore weakness is great if that weakness is not caused by hurt or pain. Not once did Mr. Buckingham give suggestions on how to find healing in order to move on to a successful life. I associate hurt to walking around on a broken leg, if that leg isn’t healed properly you will never be able to use it to hold you up and be your strength. Hurts like legs need to heal in order to become strengths.

There are no suggestions on what to do in extreme situations. If someone is hurting you either physically, mentally, or emotionally, thinking positively about that person will rarely fix the issues.

If your life is pretty good, but you feel the need for more happiness, Find Your Strongest Life by Marcus Buckingham is perfect for you.

If you are looking for suggestions on plugging into God’s strength, or if you are hurting or being hurt and need help, Thomas Nelson has published many other books that will speak to you and help you find healing.

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Book Review of Lonestar Secrets by Colleen Coble

Lonestar Secrets by Colleen Coble


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I read Lonestar Secrets by Colleen Coble as a member of the Thomas Nelson Book Review Blogger group.
Shannon Astor returns to her childhood home where secrets long buried start coming to light. Shannon finds herself caught in the middle of these secrets which place her life in danger.

This book was great. It had suspense, intrigue, romance, and held my attention throughout. There were a few parts of the book that were a bit far fetched, but the twists and turns were entertaining. Even though it is the second book in a series, I did not feel there was something missing by not reading the first. It is a stand alone book, but I look forward to reading Lonestar Sanctuary.

Before Lonestar Secrets I had not read any of Colleen Coble’s books. I have now found a new favorite author.

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Book Review of Fearless by Max Lucado

Fearless: Imagine Your Life Without Fear by Max Lucado


My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I chose to read Fearless by Max Lucado strictly as a Thomas Nelson Blogger Book Reviewer. Little did I know it was God who had chosen this book for me.

I don’t consider myself someone who is fearful. I’m the wife of a soldier and I learned long ago where to place my fears and trust. That is until I found out my 15 yr old daughter might have a syndrome that would not allow her to have children. There is no surgery to reverse this syndrome and the operations necessary to live a normal life are beyond my imaginations. My heart sank and I instantly turned to Christ, but still the fears for her future and the unknown hit me hard.

That night I went to bed exhausted, but unable to sleep. I had to finish Fearless and get my review in by the deadline, so I picked it up hoping it would distract me and help put me to sleep. (Sorry Max!) I opened to chapter 5 and was shocked as I read the promise from Christ: Don’t be afraid. Just believe, and your daughter will be well - Luke 8:50! When I told my daughter about the promise she said, “Christ knows what I’m going through. He cares.” WOW!

Since then, we have found out she is well. I am unsure if it is a miracle or Dr.’s mistake, but I do know that God used this experience to show us He is here, He cares, and He loves us.

Needless to say, I loved this book –the whole thing; not only chapter 5. The encouragement and promise each page holds are worth much more than the price paid for this book.

I pray God will use it to show you who He is and that He will take your fear and give you His peace in every circumstance.

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Book Review: Rick and Bubba's Guide to... Marriage

Rick and Bubba's Guide to the Almost Nearly Perfect Marriage by Rick Burgess


My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Before reading this book, I had not heard of Rick and Bubba so I had no idea what to expect beyond what I read on TN info page.

The blurb I read promised, "This book will revolutionize your way of looking at married life. And it might just remind you all over again why you fell in love in the first place."

Sadly it did neither. It did make me giggle- a bit, but over all I was bored, waiting for it to get funny. -Sorry, but I must be honest.-

I don't think joking about weight and the attitudes around it are funny. I believe we must work hard to keep our bodies healthy and one of the best gifts I have given my family is my attempt to LIVE a healthy life and be a good example of that type of lifestyle so they can LIVE to see their grandchildren.

It was hard for me to get past the authors' joking and see the point.

I guess I should have realized that size is part of the joking this book surrounds, and I'm not the right person to read this book and get anything out of it.


Rick and Bubba's Guide to the Almost Nearly Perfect Marriage

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New Update on my Aunt Becki:

I have just been sent a new update on my Aunt Becki who is in the middle of Chemo for lung and kidney cancer.
Please keep her in your prayers.


Buffalo You-Tube Links: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rS7misT3Mag&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LU8DDYz68kM

Dear Buffaloes,

I write you this prayer update with great praise on my lips and in my heart for what God is doing in this process. I see Becki almost daily and it is evident she is gaining strength. We also praise God that the often-devastating side effects of treatment have been minimal.

Melinda Scott has organized this weekend as a “Global Weekend of Prayer for Becki!” The insights that are already pouring forth from this are amazing. Our sincere thanks to all of you involved in these three days of prayer and fasting.

Becki and I have a mutual friend, which many of you who receive this may also know. Maggie and Rich Taylor currently serve as senior pastors in Flagstaff, AZ and have served our Foursquare family as missionaries. John and Becki Rusk were senior pastors of this Flagstaff church just prior to Maggie and Rich Taylor. This week Maggie underwent a double mastectomy and many of us who have prayed for Becki have now joined ranks in praying for Maggie.

Only this morning I received a message from Maggie’s daughter with this quote from Maggie, “This is what it feels like to be lowered down on the mat through the roof tiles to Jesus by your friends.” What an amazing example in the Word. These words brought tears to my eyes as I could just see the picture in my mind and heart. I love that God asks us to carry each other. For both Maggie and Becki, many people are committed to pray and “carry a rope to help them through the roof to Jesus!”

I want to take a moment and thank each of you for your prayer support. John and Becki truly appreciate you.

There is an importance of our continued and steadfast commitment in this matter. I ask you at this hour to remain like a soldier who stands watch in the night. The “Word” we hide in our hearts regarding Becki is total and complete healing. Yet, we know in Mark 4 that the enemy comes “immediately” (vs. 15) to steal that Word. If that does not work, then we see he comes “afterward” (vs. 17) to cause us to stumble in the Word, and if these tactics do not work, he attempts to “choke” (vs. 19) the Word out of us. Knowing that the enemy wants to steal the Word from us we must remain strong in our faith.

Our position of faith is seen in the story of the four friends when the Word indicates (Mark 2) that “Jesus saw their (friends) faith” and this is when the miraculous was released! As I conclude the remarks for this communication I am struck by the last words of the text surrounding the story of the four friends, “…all were amazed and glorified God, saying, We never saw anything like this!”

Partnering Together in the Miraculous,

MEDICAL REPORT UPDATE FOR BECKI RUSK

• TREATMENTS: Becki has concluded three chemo treatments and is doing well with the process.
• DR. COMP: Becki will see Dr. Comp, the pulmonary specialist, on Monday, August 17. This doctor is a wonderful Christian man whom we know personally and we are all looking forward to his involvement in the case. We continue to thank God for the amazing medical team that has come together for Becki.
• REPORTS: It will be another 5-7 weeks before additional scans are taken. Therefore, we will not have medical reports showing shrinkage and/or removal of the spots from her lungs until that time. We always have the “report of the Lord!”

SPECIFIC PRAYER REQUESTS

• MAGGIE TAYLOR: Becki asks that you pray for her friend and co-laborer in ministry, Maggie Taylor, as she recovers from the double mastectomy.
• CANCER FREE: These are the days that we “hold our ground” that Becki’s body be completely cancer free.
• SIDE EFFECTS: The drugs that the doctors are using in Becki’s body can cause side effects that could damage other organs in her body. Please pray that her other vital organs remain healthy.
• MINISTRY: John will return to Africa on Wednesday for a short ministry trip (8/19-9/3). He will travel with Rev. Richard Casteel. Pray for both of them as they minister with local leaders in churches and at the Namibian national conference. Becki is asking God how best to utilize the time she has at home to be most effective in the furtherance of the gospel. Pray for both of them as they make ministry adjustments in this season. The enemy wants this couple down but we stand with them in the Spirit to release even greater measures of ministry in this hour.
• SOUTH AFRICA: The national leader of the Foursquare work in South Africa, Pastor Xavier Andriansse and his wife Heather, will travel in the fall to the US. During their stay with us we will discuss the specifics of how to pray for the extended work in South Africa and Southern Africa in general. Please pray for Pastor Xavier as he seeks God. We are asking God to download spiritual strategies to reach farther than ever before with the work of the ministry. There is currently a strong focus on the 2010 Soccer World Cup Outreach. Please pray on these matters and also for the many teams from Foursquare churches all over the world that will travel to South Africa for this opportunity of extended ministry.

Marion

Connections...

I have learned a HUGE lesson over the past few months.

Getting published has allot to do with who you know.

I know a TON of wonderful people, but none that are editors, agents or have those connections. -Or so I thought!

One of my girlfriends brought her kids for a visit this weekend and much to my surprise she is good friends with the CEO of a very large Christian publishing company! AND better yet, she asked me for my manuscript so she can pass it on to him! GULP! YEAH!

I am excited by the possibilities, but at the same time realize that if this is not the path for my manuscript -or me- God will intercede.

I have a full week planned. I must write a 750 word story based on the prompt "Mystery by the Sea" for the local SINC meeting next Monday, send out the queries that I didn't send last week, and prepare for a trek to NY for good friends wedding.

I have posted a few of my thoughts on my family blog here. Come on over and share your thoughts.

I hope you have a wonderful week.