God Uses The Small For Great Things

What's Your Mark is a collection of snippets about real people and what they are doing to make an impact or "mark" with their lives. The title is a nice play on words, as the book also contains the book of "Mark" from the Bible throughout.
The collection contains a wide variety of people who do a wide variety of things. However, each story is marked by a decision to do something, often something seemingly small, that has become something great. God is very skilled at using the small, seemingly insignificant things and people to make great things happen.
I appreciate Jeremy Cowart for taking the time to put this together. I think it is a neat and inspiring book to have. The photos, though good, are not mind-blowing or breath-taking. The stories, while nice and inspirational, are not sensationally life-changing. This book, though, being small and even seemingly insignificant could definitely be used by God for some great things.

This book was provided free for review by BookSneeze.

A Dream So Big

It's hard to know what it's like to be a long-term overseas missionary unless you have experienced it yourself. Steve Peifer, however, offers great insight into the life of a missionary family that makes you feel like you are part of their adventure. In A Dream So Big, he takes the reader through the highs and lows of his family's journey as he recounts the events that led to leaving a comfortable, American dream life for a not so comfortable but more abundant life in Kenya. He leaves the reader encouraged with hope and challenged with fulfilling God's plan.

Having been on several short-term mission trips, I have often had a desire to go long-term. I enjoyed reading this account of the life of a missionary family and appreciate the candor and humility of the author, allowing readers into the very real and personal parts of his family's journey. 

I would suggest this book to everyone. It is not only an interesting story, but can also challenge Christians and non-Christians to evaluate their life and figure out it's true meaning.

Lemonade

You've probably heard the saying, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." In Don Jacobson's book When God Makes Lemonade he offers a collection of stories from various authors. The narratives are centered around hope. It is hope in God that allows us to live through, and even thrive in difficult circumstances, as chronicled in this book. 

The collection of stories offers a good example of people being real about the tragedies that happen in life. Although each of the stories describes a certain obstacle or tragedy, though, none is without hope. As Christians, one way we can be a light to the world is by demonstrating the hope we have in God and the peace that comes with that, especially through difficult circumstances.

I really appreciate this book as more than a good read but as a collection of examples of living a life full of the fruit of the Spirit.

Many thanks to BookSneeze for providing this book to me free for review.

Persecuted...Not What I Expected

When I requested a review copy of Persecuted: The Global Assault on Christians by Paul Marshall, Lela Gilbert, and Nina Shea, I was expecting a collection of stories of Christians being persecuted around the world. What I received was more like a textbook in a paperback disguise. In this, I was disappointed.
However, after getting past the initial blow of unmet expectation, I was anything but disappointed by the book. It gives a comprehensive view of the persecution of Christians throughout the world. It is organized and referenced well. It is written with authority and is a very educational book on an important topic.
For a text book on global persecution of Christians, this is an excellent book. It is not, however, an easy-to-read collection of stories.
Thanks, BookSneeze, for providing this book for me to review.

For What It's Worth

Devotionals only work for certain people. Some people appreciate a book that provides an idea to read and think about each day. For those who do, Live Second by Doug Bender might be a good choice. Among those people, there are sub-groups. For example, when I spend time with God, I usually tend to be a quiet place with just my Bible, my notebook, maybe a Christian book and a water bottle. I try to avoid technology. In fact, at one point in my life I decided that I would not use the computer until after I had spent time with God that day. This book, Live Second, might not be for that kind of person. Rather, it might be for the person who uses their smart phone or tablet for their Bible. The book includes several devotions that begin with a video from the I Am Second organization. Obviously, those videos aren't available to watch in the hard cover copy of the book, so you have to find them online.
That being said, I think it is a thought provoking book. I appreciate that it challenges the reader to think about how they will live each day. The questions at the end of each devotional are very repetitive, so for some that might be a con. However, I could see that being a positive point for others.
All in all, I really appreciate I Am Second and am glad to see this book available for those whose lives it could enhance. There is definitely good material in the book for those who choose to read and digest it.
Thanks, BookSneeze, for providing this book to me for review.

Best Book I've Read In A While

I recently received the book Soul's Gate by James L Rubart from BookSneeze and finished it quickly. One comment on the book suggests it for fans of Ted Dekker, but it reminded me more of a spiritual warfare book like the ones by Frank Peretti or Shaunti Feldhahn, which, by the way, are some of my favorite books.
The book is about a man who has delved deeply into the spiritual realm and tapped into the power of the Holy Spirit. He was in a sort of spiritual retirement caused by a tragic occurrence years earlier. Recently, though, he has begun to re-engage due to a prophecy being fulfilled in his life. He begins a journey with a group of others, training them in what he once practiced on a regular basis. This life-altering journey involves spiritual teleportation, encounters with demons, entering one's soul, and ultimately experiencing freedom and helping others experience it as well.
While it is a piece of fiction, it did stretch my mind to think of what the Holy Spirit can do in and through us. There is power that I often don't tap into, or at least not to a very great extent. So, to a certain extent, it is difficult to discern what is meant to be purely fictional and what is based on actual possibilities.
One comment about the author: he seems to be a nerd (not necessarily in a bad way). He makes several references to Star Wars, Star Trek, Lord of the Rings, and The Matrix. I might be a nerd, too, because I enjoy those stories.
I enjoyed this book not only because of the nerdy references and not only for the exciting story but also as a tool for spiritual growth. This book has encouraged me in my faith, and excited me to delve into the spiritual realm. I would like to discuss the ideas from this book with a small group, to extract the Biblical truth and encourage each other in the spiritual battles that we face.

The Searchers by Joseph Loconte

It took me a long time to read this book. As I was explaining to my wife, it wasn't bad enough to not finish, but it also wasn't interesting enough to keep reading. When I was reading it, I was interested but not compelled to continue reading.

This book is based on the journey of disciples and their encounter with Jesus on the road to Emmaus from Luke's gospel account. I am not really the sure of the purpose of this book. It contains many references that were interesting to me. It contains some thought-provoking ideas. Overall, however, I missed the plot. I will admit that reading it over a shorter period of time may have made it seem more purposeful.

I would not recommend this book but also wouldn't particularly recommend against it. Read it if you want, especially if you like a wide variety of historical and cultural references and information.

This book was provided for review by BookSneeze.