A 'Colorful' Advent with Nancy Guthrie

All Is Bright, A Devotional Journey to Color Your Way to Christmas

By Nancy Gutherie

“The perfect gift for the Creatives and coloring – book lovers in your life!...”

This year Tyndale House Publishers has added a unique ‘colorful’ devotion to help all of us celebrate Advent and the Birth of Jesus. If you’re a fan of the Secret Garden and Enchanted Forest you’ll appreciate Nancy Guthrie’s beautiful designs. So grab some colored pencils and schedule time to really get into the holiday spirit. Here’s an opportunity to start a brand new family tradition!

--Patricia A. Punt

Note: Tyndale House Publishers send me a complimentary copy of this book. The words contained in this review are my own.

Finding Friendship In Today's Hectic World

Befriend

Create Belonging in an Age of Judgment, Isolation, and Fear

By Scott Sauls

“It is best to befriend those now who we hope to be his friend for all eternity,” says Ann Voskamp, who wrote the foreword to Befriend. “I don’t know if there is anyone better qualified to write this book than Scott Sauls because I don’t know a man who better incarnates the crucified Christ to everyone he meets.”  (Forward by Ann Voskamp)

Scott Sauls makes “A Case For Befriending” in the opening chapter because while real friendship can be hard to find, especially today when folks are often overworked, over-worried, and even overwhelmed, we really do need to be clear what it means to befriend.

Building real friendships – “the multilayered kind that exposes us to the grit of our own and each other’s lives; the kind that positions us to love across the lines of our differences; the kind that leads us to lay down our lives for each other’s sake” – takes time, effort and energy, love and forgiveness, knowledge and determination and maybe even a little bit of luck and a whole lot of grace.

In Summary: “Energy to serve God, and love our neighbor comes not through human effort, but by resting in the finished work of Jesus, contemplating his goodness, and receiving his grace and truth.”

Despite our best efforts some friendships will fail (we’re not talking about the online friends who can dismiss us with a quick ‘unfriend.’) Here the author reminds us that there is one intimate relationship that “believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. It never fails.”

Befriend, a collection of twenty essays based on actual relationships including the one with Jesus is the second book by Sauls, Senior Pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville, Tennessee. Pastor Sauls is husband to Patti and dad to Abby and Ellie. You can find Scott on Twitter at @scottsauls.

Note: This book would be a valuable tool to use in a Christian book discussion group. At the end of each chapter the author includes a summary, scripture references, and thoughts to be considered.

Notice: Tyndale House Publishers has provided a complimentary copy of this book. The words contained in this review are my own.

--Patricia Punt

One of the Few by Jason B. Ladd

  

U.S. Marine fighter pilot Jason Ladd shares the compelling story of his life and Christian world-view in this 2016 Indie Book Award Finalist. 

Part memoir (he is the son of a combat veteran, husband to Karry and father of five, a spiritual seeker), part action adventure story (military dependent living in the California desert, Florida, North Carolina and Japan, Navy Flight School graduate, Iraqi veteran, man on a mission), part textbook on comparing Christian traditions and beliefs, One of the Few is an highly informative and deeply thoughtful account of one man’s transformative and very personal journey.

Jason uses Dwight D. Eisenhower’s Code of Conduct for Members of the United States Armed Forces as a model for just living when faced with the enemy. The Code of Conduct he quickly reminds us is built upon principles which are contained in the Bible. (see Code of the US Fighting Force, Chapter 25 Never Surrender)

“If you allow Christ to change you from the inside out, everything becomes new. You will lead better, and you will love better – your spouse, your children, and your brothers and sister both in and out of Christ. You will not be deceived, and you will receive the power to ‘fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience.” (I Timothy 1:18-19).

“If you seek God, you will find him. If you seek truth, you will not be deceived. If you remain ready to defend your faith, you will fulfill one of God’s commandments, help Christians better understand their own faith, assist with the soul-saving work of God, (and) counter the negative image of Christianity in the media and culture….” Jason B. Ladder.

One of the Few is an amazon.com best seller and is available in Hardcover, Paperback, Kindle and Audible from amazon.com, Barnes and Noble.

FTC Full Disclosure - The author sent me a copy of this book, hoping I would review it. 

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