Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Book Review

Through My Eyes
By Tim Tebow
with Nathan Whitaker
HarperCollins Publishers 2011

Reviewed by Diane Busch

What an inspiring story!  And it's true!  Tim Tebow is an amazing young man, who in this book tells his life story so far.  He begins with the miracle of his birth, after doctors had told his mother to have an abortion to save her life.  He is the youngest of 5 children and his parents were missionaries to the Philippines.  They moved back to Florida when Tim was three years old and his father worked as a pastor and ministry leader, while his mother home-schooled all the children.
You will be inspired by the way God worked in Tim's life to prepare him for the future.  You don't need to be a football fan to enjoy this rendering of his life journey so far: as a son, a brother, a neighbor, a friend, a football player, and a Christ-follower.


Tuesday, June 12, 2012

New Releases

Implosion
Joel Rosenberg
Tyndale, June 2012
In the midst of financial turmoil, political uncertainty, declining morality, and the constant threat of natural disasters, can history's greatest democracy stage a miraculous comeback? Through the lens of biblical prophecy, best-selling author and international political expert Rosenberg helps you understand the economic, social, and spiritual challenges facing the United States in the 21st century. 400 pages, hardcover from Tyndale.

The Gospel of Yes
Mike Glenn
WaterBrook Press, June 2012
Are you comfortable living within the confines of "no"? Do you define yourself as a Christian by what you don't do? Listen to God---who says yea, not nay! Focusing on divine affirmation, Glenn shows how God will answer prayers of the downtrodden when we say "yes" to his call to embrace identity, simplicity, authentic relationships, and more. 240 pages, softcover from Waterbrook.

Winning Balance
Shawn Johnson
Tyndale Momentum, May 2012
wenty-year-old American gymnast Shawn Johnson is a four-time Olympic gold and silver medalist; a national- and world-champion athlete. Already a popular role model to all ages, in 2009 she captured the national spotlight again when she won the widely popular Dancing with the Stars. Yet Shawn is no stranger to hard work and adversity. Her loss of the major gymnastics prize everyone expected her to win in Beijing, the all-around Olympic gold medal, was the loss of a dream she’d worked for since childhood. And later, she suffered a potentially career-ending injury in a skiing accident that forced her life to a halt and made her rethink what was really important. She wasn’t sure who she was anymore. She wasn’t sure what her goals were. And she wasn’t sure she was satisfied with where she was with her faith and God. Could she find the right kind of success in life—the kind that doesn’t involve medals or trophies, but peace, love, and lasting joy? This is the amazing true journey of how the young woman who won an Olympic gold medal on the balance beam became even more balanced.

Mortal (The Book of Mortals v. 2)
Ted Dekker
Faith Words, May 2012
Years after the apocalypse, Earth is inhabited by dead souls living in a manufactured utopia. But Rom Sebastian has gathered a secret faction of followers who have all taken the blood to become the first living beings in centuries. When the Order creates an elite army to kill them, will they survive?

Facing the Hunchback of Notre Dame (The Enchanted Attic)
L. L. Samson
Zondervan, May 2012
When Ophelia Easterday dozes off while reading her latest favorite book, she wakes to find herself Facing the Hunchback of Notre Dame! Can Ophelia, her twin brother Linus, and their friends win a race against time to get Quasimodo back home---and keep him alive in the modern world while trying? 144 pages, softcover from Zonderkidz.

Crazy Noise! CD
Hillsong Kids Jr.
Hillsong, May 2012
Your little ones can't sit still? Channel all that youthful exuberance into singing, dancing, and praising God! Sure to get your kids on their feet, this high-energy recording created just for preschoolers features "Great Day," "Let Your Light Shine," "Tiny Little Voice," "Children of the Bible," "Song of Love," "Free As a Bee," "Life with Jesus," and other joyful tunes.

Sunday, June 10, 2012

New Releases

Go and Do
Jay Milbrandt
Tyndale, April 2012
With an MBA and a law degree from Pepperdine University, Jay Milbrandt had the world at his feet. But rather than following his peers into big firms with high profile clients and even higher salaries, Jay has chosen a completely different road—a journey that has led him across large portions of the globe to “go and do likewise,” as Jesus modeled and instructed in His life on this earth. In his efforts to bring justice and healing to people all around the world, Jay’s pursuit of justice has become an adventure far greater than he could have ever dreamed or imagined. As Christians, we are called to take a step of faith for Christ, to change ourselves, and perhaps by doing that, to change those we encounter along the way. Go and Do is an invitation for all of us to join in the adventure of God’s story arc. It is an opportunity to understand why so many are finding such satisfaction and joy in reaching out to others. It is a chance to climb on board and discover exactly what role each of us can play in actively engaging this world as we, too, “go and do.”

Unstuck
Arnie Cole and Michael Ross
Bethany House Publishers, April 2012
Feel like your Christian walk isn't progressing the way it should? Drawing on extensive research concerning spiritual growth, Back to the Bible leaders Cole and Ross offer a solid plan for getting Unstuck using the power of Bible engagement. Discover a practical and proven way to encounter Scripture, connect with God, and revitalize your faith! 256 pages, softcover from Bethany.

Darkroom
Joshua Graham
Howard Publishing, April 2012
After scattering her mother's ashes in Vietnam, photojournalist Xandra Carrick moves home to New York to rebuild her life and career. When she experiences supernatural visions that reveal atrocities perpetrated by American soldiers during the Vietnam War, she finds herself entangled in a forty-year-old conspiracy that could bring the nation into political turmoil. Launching headlong into a quest to learn the truth from her father, a Pulitzer Prize winner who served as an embedded photographer during the war, Xandra confronts him about a dark secret he has kept-one that has devastated their family. Pursued across the continent, Xandra comes face-to-face with powerful forces that will stop at nothing to prevent her from revealing the truth. But not before government agencies arrest her for murder, domestic terrorism, and an assassination attempt on the newly elected president of the United States.

Murder in Miami, Cuban Trilogy #2
Noel Hynd
Zondervan, May 2012
Join U.S. Treasury agent Alexandra LaDuca as she follows the trail of a deadly global money-laundering scheme. In Murder in Miami, Alex travels to South Florida to speak to a Cuban defector---and walks into a lethal trap set by the Dosi cartel. Can she emerge from the Miami underworld with her life---and her faith---intact?

When a Child You Love is Grieving
Harold Smith
Beacon Hill Press, April 2012
Compassionate care can make a tremendous impact in a child's life; this is ever truer when the child is grieving. Distinguished grief specialist Harold Ivan Smith explains how adults can best help children who are mourning the death of a loved one. They need support and time to grieve. With an ABC-like approach, Smith offers insights and activities for the parent, teacher, or friend who wants to give their support. This new and revised edition will help you help a hurting child grieve through healthy and necessary outlets.