The Prodigal by Brennan Manning and Greg Garrett

The Prodigal, by Brennan Manning and Greg Garrett is a story about a mega-church pastor who is caught in an affair with his personal assistant.  It is about the fall from his high position and the journey he goes on when he finds himself back in the small town he was born and raised in.  He has a lot of questions to answer and relationships to restore, and this story uncovers many of the different dynamics and complications from the choices he has made in the past.  It is a story of redemption, consequences and plenty of grace.

The Prodigal is a fun, quick read that still carries some great spiritual significance.  It took me a while to get past the overtly stereotypical characters at the start, but once I got deeper into the story, it was really quite easy to get wrapped up in the book.  The book has a certain amount of predictability in it as it follows the framework of the parable of the prodigal son in the Gospels, but my favorite part of the story was seeing the unconditional love of the Father towards his son.  I always enjoy books that take Biblical truths and present them in a different format to give fresh perspective on a familiar story.

I am a member of booksneeze.com by Thomas Nelson Publishers. In exchange for writing a review, I received this book for free.

Peace on Earth: A Christmas Collection by Mary Engelbreit

Peace on Earth: A Christmas Collection by Mary Engelbreit is a beautifully illustrated picture book that includes a variety of poems, readings and Christmas songs.  There are current and contemporary writings included, as well as older poems and songs that capture the true meaning of Christmas.  It contains a nice mix of well known and maybe not so familiar songs and writings about Christmas.

The illustrations are really something special, and my children love to snuggle up on the couch with this book after supper together and read through it and sing the songs together.  It helps to have a book like this to re-focus on the importance of Christ as the centre of Christmas.  Even though it is a children's book, I think it has an appeal that would stretch far beyond childhood.  I can see how this would be a book that would actually appeal very much to those blessed with long life as it could bring back some great memories of Christmas' gone by.

I am a member of booksneeze.com by Thomas Nelson Publishers. In exchange for writing a review, I received this book for free.

Unglued by Lysa TerKeurst

Unglued by Lysa TerKeurst is a refreshingly honest read about the world of raw emotions.  She describes 4 different reactions that women can have when we experience a flood of emotions that have the potential to rob us of the joyful life that God intends for us (two different kinds of exploders and two different kinds of stuffers).  Her vulnerability and openness about the struggles and progress in her own life is an encouragement to women everywhere who want to change but don't know how.  She continues to cover a variety of other related topics to raw emotions such as managing jealousy and negative inside chatter.

Lysa provides hope and encouragement and realistic steps towards forward progress throughout the book.  The thing I appreciated the most about this book was the understanding that perfection isn't the goal, but progress in the right direction is.  Her real life stories are incredibly relatable and make women feel like they are not alone in the struggle to control their emotions, and she brings this often hidden topic into the open and makes it something easy to talk about.  A great book with lots of real life application.

I am a member of booksneeze.com by Thomas Nelson Publishers. In exchange for writing a review, I received this book for free.

Boundaries for Leaders by Dr. Henry Cloud

Boundaries for Leaders by Dr. Henry Cloud is an excellent book with a very apt title.  Dr. Cloud explores the challenge of why some people get results and others don't.  He spends the first part of the book exploring the brain science behind success and then explains a program to help steer companies in the right direction of developing a culture that is conducive to growth and productivity.  It is a very well laid out book with a lot of very practical explanations to help leaders in a variety of situations to get the most out of themselves, out of their employees and all the other individuals they work with.

I can see how this book would be incredibly helpful for someone in the corporate world or as a leader in a church environment.  As a stay at home mom with an interest in leadership development, at times it felt quite over my head, but I did enjoy the read and found many relevant tidbits of information that could be applied to the different situations and interactions I find myself having with others.

I am a member of booksneeze.com by Thomas Nelson Publishers. In exchange for writing a review, I received this book for free.

Prayer Warrior Mom by Marla Alupoaicei

Prayer Warrior Mom by Marla Alupoaicei is an amazing book that encourages mothers to understand and develop their abilities to pray for their children in powerful ways.  She includes 15 short chapters, each containing a different principle of prayer that can significantly improve how we can pray for our kids.  She also includes a sample prayer, relevant scriptures for each principle, as well as discussion questions to be used in a small group or accountability partner environment.  The read is very simple, very compelling and very applicable.

From the first page, the author had my attention and was able to accurately discern my challenges and obstacles in regards to praying for my children.  The following chapters were so applicable, and doable.  I felt so encouraged from what she wrote.  This book was a great encouragement because it helped me to realize how easily I can improve how I pray for my children and the eternal value behind doing this job well.

I am a member of booksneeze.com by Thomas Nelson Publishers. In exchange for writing a review, I received this book for free.

The Great House of God by Max Lucado

The Great House of God by Max Lucado is a book that uses the metaphor of a house to walk through the Lord's prayer line by line.  The breaking down of such a familiar passage of scripture is a great way to catch the details that are often missed due to our frequent reading and speaking of the passage.  Max uses his comfortable and familiar style to guide his readers room by room through the details and promises that are contained within this powerful prayer.

I really enjoy the writings of Max Lucado, but with this book, I wish he would have gone into some more depth on the different sections of the prayer.  It often felt like he was just skimming the top of what he could be talking about.  What he had to say was very good, but I was left hoping for more.  A nice bonus with this book is the study guide at the back of the book that would make this very helpful for a small group or book study that would easily facilitate a deeper study of the materials. 

I am a member of booksneeze.com by Thomas Nelson Publishers. In exchange for writing a review, I received this book for free.

Redemption: A Rebellious Spirit, a Praying Mother, and the Unlikely Path to Olympic Gold

"Redemption" by Olympic decathlete Bryan Clay is a story about his life and upbringing and the path that he took in order to reach the pinnacle of sport - the Olympic games.  He chronicles his journey from a poor and challenging upbringing in Hawaii through the struggles he went through with school, his faith and his sport - considered one of the most difficult athletic achievements in the world.  Bryan finds ways to share his heart through these struggles and shows how there is always the opportunity to overcome, no matter what the circumstances.

I found the book to be a quick and easy read.  The writing was ok, but the message of hope and, fittingly, redemption, as the book is titled was very inspiring.  As a former athlete, I found I was able to relate to some of his challenges and successes and learned a lot from his journey.  This book  could be a great encouragement to young adults who are struggling with their transitions who have an athletic background or interest in sport. 

I am a member of booksneeze.com by Thomas Nelson Publishers. In exchange for writing a review, I received this book for free.