I have, without fail, enjoyed EVERY book that I have ever read from (my uncle in my head), Max Lucado. Although this is his 40th book, I have only read four so far including this one. He is my favorite inspirational author. Here are links to my reviews of the three other books Here, Here, and Here
He has such a caring, loving, gentle, uncle type sense of humor about writing. He is so gifted in the way he shares God's word. I am so glad he uses his gift of writing to be such an outpour of blessing. My spirit is always revived, refreshed, and rejuvenated every time I read his books.
This Book, Unshakable hope truly gave me the internal spiritual tune up that I really needed and reminded me about how important it is to know God's promises to his Children and more importantly the value/blessing in believing the promises.
I can attest to these truths and found myself nodding and reflecting on my life journey in agreement. God's word is TRUE and His Promises does not fail.
What exactly is the concept of hope?
How does hope work?
Is hope reliable?
Does hoping mean no more trails and hardships in life?
Can we have a better present and future without hope?
This book will answer all these questions and offer so much more! It truly watered MY soul.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The title alone is an attention grabber..... The DeafBlind woman who conquered Harvard LAW (yes, you read that correctly).
Haben's parents are from Ethiopia and Eretria, they met in California while attending college as international students. Haben grew up in America, however she recalls the cultural exposure to visiting her parents countries on summer holidays. She describes all the "sights", smells, sounds and experiences of her large family and the traditions she was introduced to whenever she visited.
This true life story was nothing short of inspirational. It also opened my understanding to the struggles people face who have disabilities especially in education. Imagine being both Deaf AND Blind!!......These limitations did not stop Haben. In school, she was determined to succeed and do whatever she needed to help herself and not just get by as an average student, but a high achiever.
She had a determination that could not be quelled. Haben even convinced her very reluctant, overprotective and adamant parents to allow her to participated in a youth program trip in High School to help build a school for children in Mali.
Even during her adult life, Haven struggles a lot with loneliness and feeling left out, because of her difficulty hearing and seeing.
Nevertheless, I admire her whit, bravery, and sense of humor as she navigated making friends and fitting in in a society that for the most part caters to seeing and hearing persons.
Now how did Haben become a Lawyer?
How did she navigate education without hearing or sight? (Is that even possible?)
What obstacles did she overcome and perhaps still overcoming?
What methods did she use to make friends?
How did she navigate un accommodating situations for people with her type of disability?
How did she get to meet President Obama in person?
Check out the book for the answers to these questions and much more!
My Lovely Wife in the Psych Ward is an eye opening, and very good read. The author's writing style captivated my attention immediately; needless to say, this book was a page turner for me.
I mentioned in my previous book review that I really enjoy reading true life stories. This memoir is a unique selection written from a husband's perspective on his married life.
The author, Mark Lukach, takes you on a deeply personal journey on discovering after several years of a 'picture perfect' relationship which eventually lead to marriage until when his wife suddenly begins displaying unstable mental health issues only after a few years of marriage.
It was a heart wrenching realization that his wife was loosing her mind and needed medical help and even more crushing reality that she had to be admitted to a psych ward.
Mark met Giulia in College and he was captivated by her beauty, personality and brilliance. Their young relationship blossomed during college and after graduation. It seemed as if due to several family and personal coincidences they were meant to be together. After graduation, Giulia worked in her dream job and industry, Mark began a teaching career. They traveled a lot, enjoyed very close family relationships and great friendships blossomed in their lives.
Giulia, excelled at work, was highly recognized and was "killing" it in her career. Their relationship and marriage was like a dream for a while, until it became a nightmare.
One thing this book showed me, was the demonstration of what commitment and love through action looks like ; especially when someone takes a marriage vow of for better or worse. Well, worse happened in this marriage. It was extremely emotionally, financially and socially challenging for Mark to face all the challenges that came with his wife's condition.
Mark struggled a lot but navigated these unchartered waters with such resilience and grace, trying to be strong for his wife until he himself became exhausted and wasn't sure if he could continue. He became tired and wanted to give up, but his love would not allow him to.
If there is anything this book revealed to me, it is what TRUE LOVE looks like.
How did Mark find out about his Wife's mental decline?
What was it like to navigate Health care?
What was it like to be the care taker of a Mentally ill spouse?
Did they have children?
What difference does it make to have supportive family and friends?
How important is self care as a care taker?
You will have to read to find out. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book!!
I have read a lot of interesting books over the past several months. It seems like my favorite category of books are memoirs, bios. I enjoy reading about peoples life story and experiences. This is evident in 98% of the book reviews I have shared here so far. I have read some really good ones and compelled to share.
I just got finished reading Salt in My Soul. If there is any thing this book drove home to me is to be GRATEFUL for health. I mean, I found my self pausing several times while reading to thank God for the blessing of health.
Mallory Smith had enormous health complications with a progressively debilitating disease in her lungs called Cystic Fibrosis (CF) ever since she was a young girl. She had rigorous routines to keep up with and mountains of medications and unexpected, inconvenient hospitalizations throughout her 24 years of life.
What struck me most was that despite ALL the challenges she faced daily, this girl LIVED. She played volley ball, water polo, swam, and enjoyed surfing. She went to College and found her niche although she was battling an invisible disease. It was invisible because to the average person she looked healthy and normal and in some cases very active. But far from it.
Prior to reading this book, I had no knowledge of Cystic Fibrosis. She also battled an incurable super bug bacteria that could not be cured even with robust antibiotic treatments that also made her often more sick.
I can't begin to relay all that Mallory endured and experienced, but this book was in no way a downer to read by any means, Mallory LIVED and that is the beauty in this story to me. She had many friends who loved her and a beautiful support system from her immediate family. It was beautiful to read and experience her many highs and unfortunate lows.
Also, health insurance is a big unfortunate scam most times. It is ridiculous how much a suffering person has to fight to get what they need....the lies and run around from the industry is too much.
Mallory met a charming guy even though battling for health. Did her their love survive?
Mallory eventually needed a lung transplant. Did she get one? Did she survive?
I read this book earlier in the summer this year, and since I am on a book review marathon, I thought why not capture it here too. I am Malala is a truly inspiring book that takes you on a journey, vividly describing the everyday life of a girl growing up in the Middle East County of Pakistan. Friendships, Secrets, Games, Family, Dreams, Neighborhood, Religion, Education, Aspirations, Evil, Fear, War, Injustice, Culture, Providence (and so much more) are all encompassed in such an intriguing way that makes this book a page turner. Despite the cultural customs and seemingly religious norms of her region, Malala refused to be silenced and fought for her right to an education. On Tuesday, October 9, 2012, when she was fifteen, Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head at point-blank range on her way home from school. What happens next? I won't tell you but it's very inspiring read if you are looking for a good book. Have you heard of Malala? Have you read this book?
Before I share about the the book, I wanted to ask if you have watched the movie The Good Lie. Have you? I ask because the book Running for My Life is sort of on the same premise but uniquely captures the story of one boy in particular and his individual journey. Some parts of his story is very similar to the movie.
I watched the movie The Good Lie about a year ago and cried (ugly cry) during certain parts. The movie portrays the true life story of a select few Sudanese children commonly referred to as the "Lost Boys of Sudan". Sudan was engaged in a brutal civil war Arab Muslims from the North killing Black Christians from the South resulting in many children running for days tying to escape from merciless soldiers that killed their parents/families and burned down their homes and villages.
The most emotional moments for me surprisingly were their adjustment to life in America when a few of them got the opportunity to migrate as Refugees ; there were lots of humorous moments as well.
The reason their adjustment to American life was so emotional to me was because I felt so much empathy for them not understanding the culture, nuances of the English language and mainly their innocence. To a veeeerrrry small (teeny tiny) degree, I had some level of relatability to their adjustments to life in America.
I remember when I was getting ready for going to school in America for the first time, I was 11 years old. I asked my Cousin if she had a rubber I could use. She was a teenager and asked me very puzzled, what I needed a rubber for. I looked at her equally puzzled and said for my school work. She emphatically told me not to go to school and ask anybody for a 'rubber' because it means something else and that I should ask for an 'ERASER'. I was so confused as I never heard the word eraser before but after debating the practical use of the word rubber she eventually told me that a rubber was considered a condom in America (at least at that time)
Any way, another time while at school, I asked a fried for an elastic. My friend was confused and didn't know what I was asking for.... needless to say the American term is rubber band. Ahh the nuances of language in different cultures even when English is your primary is language is tricky and difficult; Much more so when English is not your first language and your culture, scenery and way of life is VASTLY different as was the case with The Lost Boys.
Also, the expression and meaning of friendship is very different. It takes immigrants in general a while to understand and realize that just because someone smiles with you and talks nicely to you does not mean they are your friend or that they are trying to be your friend or is genuinely interested in you or anything that concerns you. It's complicated.
I also remember watching a 60 Munities documentary in the early 2000s closely resembling the stories portrayed in the movie The Good Lie and this book, Running for my life. I searched YouTube and found the episode to share with you here for context:
Lost Boys Part I
Lost Boys Part II
Book Review: Running for My Life by Lopez Lomong
This book is the story of Lopez Lopepe Lomong's story. His story is similar in some respects to the lost boys but remarkably unique in other ways.
Lopez was six years old in Church on a Sunday morning with his Mother and Father when armed rebel soldiers came and forcefully took away all the boys, blind folded them and put them in an airtight truck back in the heat for a long drive where what seemd like hundreds of them were thrown in a small hut or days without food, windows for ventilation or access to nature or latrines to use the toilet. You can imagine what happened, many died in the room, it stunk and there was barely room for each boy to sleep/sit on the floor at night.
What was the rest of Lomong's story? How did he survive? How did he escape? Who helped him? Where is Kukuma Refugee Camp and How did he get there? How did he get to America? How did he adjust to American life when he first came? How did he become an Olympian representing the USA? (He carried the USA flag during the opening Ceremonies in the 2008 Olympics) Where is he now and what is he doing?
If you are interested in the answers to these questions read the book. It is a truly inspiring true to life story. I highly recommend reading.
Personal Take Aways from the Book:
Angels are real
Delay is not denial
Determination is a force that will move mountains
Dreams do become reality
There a really kind people in our world
Your success is a key to unlock doors for others
Family is what you make it
Search Words: #Africa #Sudan #Christian Persecution #Lost Boys #Adoption in Africa, #Refugee #Running for my Life #Kukuma #60minutes #Lopez Lomong #olympics
I picked up this book at the Library the same time I picked up Unstoppable by Nick Vujicic (See book Review Here).
I never heard of Tito Momen or his story before, but the subtitle caught my attention "The True Story of a Muslim who Became Christian." It appeared interesting enough, so I decided to add it to my reading collection of library books that day.
I see the reason why 'True' is added to the subtitle because certain parts had me wondering if everything written was really true. There were some parts of the story that leaves me with questions, other parts were I thought some critical info was left out or glossed over. Either way, this man's life experience is very interesting, emotional, unexpected and entertaining.
Mohamed grew up in a Orthodox Muslim village in Nigeria. As a child, his Father was grooming him to eventually become an Imam and as a result he was ordered to begin memorizing and copying word for word the Quran at age 5; However, as you can see from the subtitle, he became a Christian. Tito's Fathers dream of his favorite son becoming a prominent, respected Muslim leader was never materialized.
Tito's life experience needs to be made into a movie because it was filled with Drama, after Drama along with major unexpected twists and turns.
I will not provide any spoilers by sharing too much, but if you are interested in a real life drama story I recommend this book. It is indeed a page turner but most importantly, leaves you knowing that no matter what situation you face God will not abandon you (although you may feel abandoned at some point in time). I will share that Tito became a Mormon. While I am not a Mormon and not familiar with their beliefs, I got some insights about them from the book as well.
If you have ever read this book, I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Have you ever heard or seen Nick Vujicic? Yes I mean seen him, (hint, google). I saw Nick on television several years ago and was awestruck mostly by how eloquently, confidently, and positively reassuring his words and experiences are shared. He is a wonder, a brilliant mind and a blessing to so many.
I was looking for a casual read and came across his picture and name on a book and immediately grabbed it and knew I would enjoy reading this book.
I am half way thorough and boy is it a page turner. I wasn't even thinking about writing a review and I'm not even done reading but this is such a great, inspirational read I had to pause and share.
I'm so full and this has been such a timely read for me, I can't even tell you all but God is good and I love every experience shared. There are several encounters that Nick has shared in my read so far that has 'taken my breath away' . I won't do any spoilers but just let you know this is an incredible read that you may want to consider.
How much more I can express what a gifted author Max Lucado is?! I have read several of his books and written reviews Here and Here. I have adopted the author as an Uncle in my head. He makes you feel so comfortable and at ease. His writing style and way with words leaves you so blessed and reassured. Uncle Max is anointed to be an inspirational author.
When I discovered he had released a new book Anxious for Nothing I knew I had to read it. I mentally made note. Just recently I had an urge to read a good inspirational book and decided to check my local library and yup!! they had it.
The foundation of this book is based on Philippians 4:6-8
Do not be anxious about anything,
but in every situation,
by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
present your requests to God.
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy
—think about such things.
Once again there was brilliant use of concepts, examples and explanations that leaves you smiling and comfortable knowing that whatever you are facing that may cause us to become anxious, how to overcome with biblical application. The author uses personal examples of his life and examples from the lives of those he knows to concrete his scripture.
Do you find yourself overwhelmed with anxiety, worry, fret, fear about a situation or circumstance outside of your control? I recommend reading this book!!
In my last post I shared about the amazing time I had while visiting my sister in Canada. While preparing the trip, my Sister asked me to see if I could find this book for her, Remember the Roses by Lynette Lewis. I told her I would try but made no promises because it was a short window. I was able to order the book through Barnes and Nobles for it to be delivered just in time before I left.
I surprised my Sister after settling in as she didn't know that I actually got the book for her. My Sister read the book in a few short days and I got to read it right after her in just 2 hours (IT was a page turner for me/very encouraging).
Remember the Roses is such an encouraging and inspiring read for matured singles hoping for marriage. Lynette takes us on her own personal journey of waiting for marriage while experiencing all her close friends and acquaintances getting married all around her. She had the dream, like most women, of getting married by age 25 but there were many disappointments and setbacks for her along the way, but she did eventually get married to the Man of her dreams while pursuing her purpose albeit at the age of 42.
Her story is so relatable on so many levels and definitely gives one hope to keep dreaming, living, and hoping for the actualization of ones desires.
We met 1x1 and talked for hours on so many different topics while getting to know each others thoughts and ideas and background to see if perhaps we are compatible for marriage, I guess?! Oh, and he requested that we prayed at the end of our meeting/chat......My heart was saying YES, Lord this is IT!!
This whole time I am confident he is the answer to my prayers and my 'checklist' for what I desire and plus, this Book I just read!
He made sure to get my number and kept in touch consistently for the first few weeks after I returned home via Whats App video calls.
Can I tell you how in my head, Author Max Lucado is my favorite Uncle? This man is gifted, talented and anointed to write.
In my last book review I mentioned that I don't buy books, I normally get my books from the library. I am seriously considering buying this book and I wouldn't mind reading it again.
The book Glory Days is such an inspiration; Uncle Max uses such ease, humor, reassurances, and faith provoking illustrations to bring to life Joshua's story, as he lead the children of Israel into Canaan\The promised Land. The book is arranged into manageable thought provoking chapters. I could not read more than one chapter at a time because I was so blessed by each lesson that I had to stop and absorb, pray at times, and praise God at other times.
My courage, faith and confidence has been blessed by reading this book. There is no question Glory Days is a highly recommended read.
I was interested in reading this book to to hear all about the Author's experience converting from Islam to Christianity.
As usual, I checked my local Library and they had a copy...Win for me since I'm not a book buyer.
In this book, the Author, Nabeel Qureshi, takes you on a journey into his immediate family's everyday life as a child growing up and gives a glimpse of his culture, upbringing and religious indoctrination.
It was while in College outside of the direct influence of his family that he was exposed to the doctrines of Christianity. He shares his battle to accept the truths of Islam and a greater battle to accept the truths of Christianity.
The book is broken into several mini chapters that gives broad snippets into Nabeel's life experiences. If you enjoy philosophy of theories and reasoning's and all things Philosophy related you will enjoy his story on how he dissected and came to accept the truths of Christianity. I had to skip a couple chapters since the "philosophysations" were a bit much for me.
This book is an enlightening read if you would like to be taken on a personal journey of one who grew up in a "orthodox" Muslim home who found and accepted Christianity and the consequences and grace that followed.
I'm excited to share this book review with you, because the subject is something that I wanted to understand for a while now.
This book, Jesus Jihad and Peace was definitely a page turner for me. It drew me in by explaining the Islam/Muslim religion and the various sects and what they believe and why. It also drew parallels to Christianity and allowed the reader to understand the root nature of what is taking place in our World today. I was not surprised by the differences, but just in awe of the fundamental beliefs, motivations, and objectives of this Group.
The Books author, Michael Youssef, was born in Egypt, and spent the first 19 years of his life in the Middle East. Dr. Youssef is a Christian Pastor and this background gives tremendous credibility to facts he shares.
I was touched by the last Chapter on Peace. I will not give too much away in case you are interested in reading the book, however, we are presented with three types/perspectives of Peace : Deceptive Peace, Dark Peace, Divine Peace. It's not hard to figure out what Divine Peace is all about if you are a believer in Jesus Christ.
Christian believers, following Christ or calling ourselves Christians is not a cute play. Should you be accosted and forced to denounce Christ or face death, will you buckle? or, will you remain steadfast in your faith? Let us examine ourselves and declare by Faith, for God/Jesus I live and for God/Jesus I die, blessed be the Name of My Lord.
Ladies and Gentlemen this book is HIGHLY Recommended, a must read for all believers!
It took me a long time to complete reading this book. The distractions I experienced while trying to complete the book were something else but I realized that there was a "fight" going on in the spiritual realms for my attention and I decided to buckle down and complete the book. Nonetheless, it was an highly inspiring read.
Honestly, at first I was a little distracted by the opening premise about a Jewish legend named Honi. I was thrown off because I never heard of this account before and was a little skeptical. So I did a little online research about Honi the legend and discovered that his story/account is recorded in Jewish manuscripts. After that, I was more at ease and decided to delve in with confidence knowing that this was a true account.
My goodness, I don't know if I have the words to fully describe the depth of wisdom that this book offers. I don't know that I can adequately download here, but I can tell you that I have been blessed; I can tell you that my prayer life will never be the same; I can tell you that Great things are going to happen in my life and I will be testifying about them as a result of reading this powerful manuscript.
My brothers and Sisters if you can get a copy of The Circle Maker (click on link for more info) by Mark Batterson please do yourself a favor and read this book.
When I returned the first book I reviewed, I picked up two other books. Of the two, I read the titled book first.
This was a very pleasant, fulfilling, reassuring, inspiring read. I must tell you that Max Lucado is a BRILLIANT Author. Reading his words is like listening to a favorite uncle who is relaxed, has a tempered sense of humor and makes you feel at ease/comfortable in his presence. This man is gifted for writing and I thank God for his ministry.
The book is essentially about prayer and I just loved how the author brought home the points by using practical testimonies on prayers and relatable examples on how simple prayers can be while not diminishing it's power. The confirmations and convictions were so on point. There were some points made that left me full and I couldn't read any more for a couple days, I just had to digest these truths and it was a pleasure. I encourage you to read this book and be blessed.
It's been quite a while since you've read written words from me. I've been in a zone and only felt like posting/playing spiritually uplifting, motivating and encouraging music. Hope you have been enjoying/listening. I have!
I was watching a religious program on TV a couple weeks ago and was introduced to the titled book. The info shared was interesting and captivated my attention, so I decided to see if my local library had a copy and they did!
BOOK REVIEW:
The book ties scientific research on the physiology of the Brain, DNA and molecular structures back to scripture and how our thinking, and outlook on life and life experiences actually changes our DNA. The concept is called Epigenetics (look it up). Very interesting stuff!
The book is filled with a lot of scientific research, and scientific explanations of the brain. The Christian Author, Dr. Caroline Leaf also used various scripture texts to support scientific findings on how our thinking and expectations affect our physical being/structure on a molecular, DNA level.
After about the first two chapters I found a lot of the scientific stuff a bit repetitive and since I am not a science buff, a little boring for me. I got the point after a while and wanted to get to the 21 keys to changing our thinking. So I skipped to scan through the practical application steps and realized I was already implementing these principles in my life and I thank God for that.
The reason I'm sharing this book with you is because the facts shared are very interesting and someone may be looking for an answer or solutions on how to change their negative thinking, habits and perspectives to live a more fulfilling, bright and invigorated life.
