Tag Archives: ESV
The 2012 Biblical Guide to Voting: Voice Your Values and Make Your Vote Count
It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old…or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!
You never know when I might play a wild card on you!
and the book:
The 2012 Biblical Guide to Voting
Frontline (August 9, 2011)
***Special thanks to Kim Jones | Publicity Coordinator, Charisma House | Charisma Media for sending me a review copy.***
What Issues Matter to You?
Who Should You Vote For?
How Can You Know You Are Choosing Well?
The 2012 election promises to be one of the most critically important of our lifetime and will be highly debated in both public and private settings, with deeply divisive opinions on all sides. Our choices today will likely influence the direction of our nation for decades to come.
Make Your Vote Count explains today’s major issues in a style that is easy to access and understand. This anthology of present-day issues will fortify you with the biblical perspective on which to base your decisions. With the Bible as the ultimate source of answers, you can be sure that your decisions will be grounded in faithful stewardship and godly obedience.
This book is not about being a Republican or Democrat; it’s not about endorsing candidates or telling you how to cast your vote. It simply provides a biblical foundation upon which to make voting decisions that will both honor God and best serve our country in 2012 and beyond.
Product Details:
List Price: $9.99
Paperback: 96 pages
Publisher: Frontline (August 9, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1616384662
ISBN-13: 978-1616384661
AND NOW…THE FIRST CHAPTER:
Where do we go from here? And how do we get there?
Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.
—Proverbs 4:7, nkjv
Never has our nation faced a time of upheaval and tension such as this. Since Election Day 2008 we have endured a near implosion of our financial foundation with widespread collateral damage in the form of a continuing recession; a subdued, chugging, and burping economic recovery; unemployment that remains painfully close to the 10 percent threshold; real estate values that have yet to find their bottom let alone begin to mount any form of substantial rebound; bailouts; layoffs; massive deficits as far as the eye can see; a lecture from the media elite that our civic discourse isn’t civil enough, conveniently after their candidate was elected to the White House—recall how dissent was the highest form of patriotism, but apparently only until January 19, 2009—and the cherry on the bad-news sundae in the form of a tin-eared administration that responds to
the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression by ramming a multi-trillion-dollar socialized medicine new
entitlement down the throats of the American people.
It is hard now to decide what the larger insult added to injury was: the repugnant charade committed by Nancy
Pelosi, Harry Reid, and the rest of the Democrat-majority Congress under the name “deem and pass,” or the blatant hypocrisy across the county from the summer of 2009 and early 2010 as the talking heads of the media slandered the Tea Party with vulgar remarks night after night on television.
In hindsight, maybe we shouldn’t be shocked by anything this administration has done since taking office. They stated with vivid clarity near the end of the campaign season their intent not to “let a serious crisis go to waste.” And indeed they wasted no time concocting their “Stimulus Bill,” a moniker so breathtakingly steeped in Orwellian double-speak you had to wonder if they themselves ever wonder, “Can we really get away with this?”
They certainly did, and it’s quite challenging to arrive at any conclusion other than the political Left of the United States viewed their stimulus plan as their chance to raid the public treasury with the same reckless abandon they utterly wrongly ascribed to their political foes on the right during the Bush years, and specifically during the War on Terror following the September 11 terror attacks. Make no mistake—the political Left in the United States shrieked for more than six years in all their Bush derangements syndrome glory against the fraud and opportunism they accused the Bush administration of in response to the 9/11 terror attacks—and then turned around and did the exact same thing in reaction to the financial crisis of late 2008 and the ensuing recession that defined the first few years of the Obama administration.
Within that time span there was also the Obama Apology Tour in which the president attempted to curry favor with every left-wing goon around the world by attempting to apologize for everything the Bush administration had done. One wonders how the free people in Iraq felt about that apology, while popular uprisings across the Middle East hear not the first whisper from Washington in support of their calls for democracy. They must all wonder how the priorities of the United States got so far out of whack so fast.
And now we look ahead at what’s before us . . .
• What sort of economic fallout will there be in the years after huge deficits resulting from the economic stimulus?
• How will the freedom movements in the Middle East shake out in the long term?
• In the near term, will the instability of the Middle East and the corresponding spiking of oil prices completely derail the global economic recovery?
• How many candidates will join the fray for the Republican nomination? Will we be choosing between Newt and Sarah? Will Jeb Bush jump in?
• What kind of all-out blitz will the country be subjected to for the reelection of Obama, considering the raid on history the Left pulled just to get Obama in office the first time?
• Will the recovery have legs and start blooming jobs by the time the summer of 2012 rolls around?
• Or will there be some kind of double-dip, the recovery dragged down by the massive deficits and municipal debt at the state level or the slow-to-recover commercial real estate market?
• Will there finally be an energy policy grounded in innovation?
• And how much more spreading around of other people’s wealth will we have to endure before our economy gets back on a solid footing of competitiveness and growth?
As believers, we know to take our cares and concerns with thanksgiving and petition our Lord in prayer. And as
we said in the run-up to 2008, the first thing Christians must do is pray. Pray that the Lord will raise up godly
candidates whose values are based on biblical principles and who will govern in a way that is in agreementwith God’s wisdom and honors the blessings God has given. And encourage others to pray as well.
Second, stay informed of where the candidates stand on the critical issues highlighted for you in this book.
Third, get involved. Speak up in support of candidates who hold biblically based positions on key issues.
Fourth, if you aren’t registered to vote, register now, while there’s still time to vote in the important elections
this fall.
Fifth, contribute financially to the campaigns of candidates you support.
Finally, cast your vote accordingly. May the new president we elect in November of 2012 be a godly, wise
servant of this wonderful nation who will lead us into a rich, wondrous future.
This Mom’s Review:
Reading this book really made me aware of my ignorance of what’s going on around me. I always depend on my hubby to tell me anything interesting, rather than watching the news for myself. He tells me quite a bit, but I realized that I need to research, understand and have an opinion of my own on many different political topics presented in this book.
This is probably one reason why the unsaved have more of their way in our modern world – because Christians haven’t done their homework and stood of for the ways of the Lord!
The book is an easy read, but enough to get your mind moving to make positive changes.
How to Defeat Harmful Habits: Freedom from Six Addictive Behaviors (Counseling Through the Bible Series) by June Hunt
It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old…or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!
You never know when I might play a wild card on you!
and the book:
Harvest House Publishers (October 1, 2011)
***Special thanks to Karri James | Marketing Assistant, Harvest House Publishers for sending me a review copy.***
June Hunt is the founder of Hope for the Heart, a worldwide biblical counseling ministry that provides numerous resources for people seeking help. She hosts a live, two–hour call–in counseling program called Hope in the Night, and is the author of Counseling Through Your Bible Handbook and How to Handle Your Emotions.
Visit the author’s website.
Respected Christian counselor and founder of Hope for the Heart ministries June Hunt knows that countless lives are impacted and detoured by addictions. People are desperate for answers. They are hungry for hope.
In this insightful book, June provides compassionate biblical guidance to help readers recognize addictive impulses and habits, set boundaries, seek help, and trust the power of Christ and God’s Word to release them from the hold of addictions including:
overeating
alcohol and drug abuse
sexual addiction
codependency
anorexia and bulimia and more
For those struggling with addiction or watching a loved one caught in its destructive cycles, this is an encouraging resource of lasting answers and a path to healing God’s way.
Product Details:
List Price: $14.99
Paperback: 432 pages
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers (October 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0736923292
ISBN-13: 978-0736923293
AND NOW…THE FIRST CHAPTER:
World of Addictions
On the surface I realize the title above sounds somewhat absurd. Normally we welcome friends into a warm, inviting home, or to a delicious dinner, or to a positive experience. In fact, welcomes are most always positive, almost always pleasant.
Why, then, would I welcome you to the dark world of addictions, where sorrow, suffering, and shame permeate the atmosphere? Because I want you here—I need you here! I want to deepen your understanding of this debilitating world to help free you—or someone you love—from its gravitational grip.
And so I welcome you. I want you to learn about the isolated inner world of the addicted—the devastating, self-destructive struggles that characterize every day of their lives. I also welcome you to explore what has brought help to countless millions—the “crisis interventions,” the various rehabilitation programs, the Christian 12-step world of recovery, and so much more. What better way to develop a compassionate heart for strugglers?
I further welcome you to learn about the ways to connect with, pray for, and reach out to a struggler. What better way to be used by God than to help meet a struggler’s needs?
If you worked for a disaster relief organization and you were assigned to a country on the opposite side of the globe, you would surely take time to learn about its people and language, its currency and customs. You would want to educate yourself so you could be of greater help to those you are about to meet. The same is true when stepping into the world of addictions. The more you enter into an understanding of this world, the more you can help others exit this world.
I wish you had known my Uncle Billy. He was quite bright. His teachers said he was a stellar student who could make straight As without even coming to class. He had thick brown hair, deep-set dimples, and a winsome smile. Everyone wanted to be around Uncle Billy, yet he kept his distance. He seemed to keep an impenetrable wall between himself and others.
I always felt sorry for my uncle because he was somewhat the black sheep of the family. By the time I was a teenager, he had experienced many losses because of his heavy drinking. The worst, by far, was the day he discovered his business partner had run off with all of their company’s money—and with his wife.
Uncle Billy was devastated. He not only lost his work and his wife, but he also lost control of his life—something else had control of him. He was an alcoholic, and he literally lost his life—he died as a result of suicide. We all loved Uncle Billy, but in the end, we lost him.
I’ve often wondered, What might have helped my Uncle Billy? What would have delivered him from his addiction? What would have saved him from his own self-destruction? Like my uncle, countless others have been destroyed by debilitating addictions, leaving family and friends grappling with the haunting “if onlys”: If only I’d grasped the gravity…if only I’d learned…If only I’d understood…
With addictive habits affecting so many millions who continually relapse, some wonder, Can those who struggle with addictions be set free—permanently? The answer is yes! There is genuine hope—guaranteed hope—rooted in the promises of God. He can give the supernatural help so desperately needed—not only to be set free, but also to stay free. It all beg
ins with the admission that there is a problem. Then there must be a willingness to face the problem so healing can begin.
And for every struggler who is reading this: Remember, you are not alone. God is ready to provide all the strength, power, and discipline you need. According to the prophet Isaiah, He is reaching out to you, saying, “I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, do not fear; I will help you” (Isaiah 41:13).
Do you need His help? Do you need His strong hand to get you on the road to recovery? If so, grab hold…start now. Keep in mind that every journey begins with a single step. So start walking. And if you stumble, that’s okay. Don’t give up! Get back up and keep going.
You can leave the world of addictions—you can live in the world of freedom. It’s not impossible! The Bible gives you this absolute assurance: “Nothing is impossible with God” (Luke 1:37).
This Mom’s Review:
This is definitely a book that the addicted and the addicted’s loved ones need to have on their bookshelf. It’s over 400 pages of life-saving information. As I read it, I thought about my eating habits and my overindulgence of drinking pop. I also thought about my brother’s drug habit. I thought about how both of us have overcome our habits, only to go right back to it after several months of ‘beating it’.
Comparing my addiction to soda pop to my brothers’ addiction to drugs seems kind of silly, but there’s a correlation between the two. The author provides background information to help the addicted and their loved ones understand why anyone can be pulled into addictions of different kinds.
Also included are steps for overcoming harmful habits and addictions, as well as thorough details about each kind of addictive behavior presented in this book: alcohol and drug abuse, anorexia, bulimia, gambling, overeating and sexual addiction. For example, you’ll learn about different drugs, their danger and what to look for in someone who may be abusing them.
How do we know these steps will work? The book is loaded with Scripture supporting the content written. Also, included are real life examples — some you may even recognize — of lives almost overtaken by addictions. The key ingredient is one you may be surprised by. However, Scripture and the real life examples are proof of the solution.
The Sweetest Thing by Elizabeth Musser
Book Summary
Anne “Perri” Singleton’s world is defined by the security of family, the camaraderie of friends at an exclusive Atlanta girls’ school, and an enviable social life. She isn’t looking for new friends when Mary Dobbs Dillard arrives from Chicago. Besides, “Dobbs,” the passionate and fiercely individualistic daughter of an itinerant minister, is her opposite in every way.
But just as the Great Depression collides disastrously with Perri’s well-ordered life, friendship blossoms–a friendship that will be tested by jealousy, betrayal, and family secrets…
With her endearing characters and poignant storytelling, Atlanta native Elizabeth Musser vividly re-creates the charm of her beloved city amid the poverty and plenty that shaped the 1930s.
About the Author
Elizabeth Musser, an Atlanta native, lives in southern France with her husband and their two sons. Her acclaimed novel, The Swan House, was a Book Sense bestseller list in the Southeast and was selected as one of the top Christian books for 2001 by Amazon’s editors. Searching for Eternity is her sixth novel. Visit Elizabeth’s Web site at www.elizabethmusser.com
This Mom’s Review
True friendship is a rarity in this world and must be valued when found. This story is about just that. Two teenage girls, who are as opposite as can be, find themselves newly placed in the other’s life. In contrast, you find God showing himself to a rich girl who’s just now seeing loss in her life, while reminding the poor girl who’s been given the opportunity of a paid education of His Greatness. I found refreshment in the faith discovered and held on to by the characters. I found familiarity in the flaws of some of the characters, especially the father who holds on to the pain and guilt of his past. This is a book that I found myself laughing and crying within the pages. Although it is just a story, it had great influence on my own spiritual state and has given me a boost in getting back to my desire for God’s Word and all it holds. ’m holding onto this one for my daughter.
The book contains scripture from the King James Version, as well as the English Standard Version.
Thanks to Bethany House for the sending me the copy in exchange for my honest review. You can grab a copy from Amazon, Christianbook.com, BarnesandNoble.com and your local bookstore.
