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JUNGLE WARFARE By Christopher A. Cunningham

JUNGLE WARFARE: A Basic Field Manual for Christians in Sales is a must have for any Christian who is in sales, whether it be direct or indirect. Since I am in retail sales, this is a book I have found to be helpful in my Christian walk as well as on the job. 


The book is "A 22-Day Power Packed Battle Plan" based from on the United States Basic Field Manual on Jungle Warfare dated December 15, 1941.  Mr. Cunningham received this copy after his grandfather's death in 1988. It wasn't until recently that he took a closer look at his grandfather's manual in order to reconnect with him. In doing so he also discovered an manual that would help in his own life of sales and the jungle it can be. 


Christopher lays his book out in a very simple, yet effective format. Each day I read a bible verse, review the battle plan for the day, offer a prayer, record my thoughts in the space provided in the book and write down my prayer requests. I find myself encouraged each day to face my job and the customers and even my co-workers. 


The manual is broken into two parts: Battle Plans and Jungle Warfare Field Support. I am still working my way through the Battle Plans, but I have skimmed through the Jungle Warfare Field Support for this review; and I am looking forward to that part of the book.


Though this book is geared toward the Christian in sales, I believe it is applicable for anyone in the workforce. Working outside of the home or even in the home, a Christian faces many enemies whose intentions are to derail the Christian in their walk. This basic manual will help every Christian who reads it, to focus on a daily verse, a plan of action for the day and be specific in their prayer life. 


After 22 days, though there is no guarantee, I will have hopefully developed stronger habits in memorizing verses, learning how to apply them to my life, take each plan of action and use them, be a successful Christian in sales without compromising my beliefs and walk, and most importantly have a closer walk with the Lord.


This is definitely a book I would recommend for anyone who needs more encouragement in their work-life and personal walk. 


Christopher A. Cunningham is a sales professional for one of the nation's leading medical  device companies. He has worked at the vice presidential level in sports and entertainment marketing. He is a certified lay minister and speaks to sales and marketing teams (as well as Christian groups) at meetings and retreats about "Believing Impossible Beliefs."


To contact him, he can be reached at either halomarketing.com or write him at Chris.halomarketing@gmail.com. 


I received this book from from Thomas Nelson through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I'm not required to write a positive review. I have expressed my own opinions. This is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.

LETTERS TO ETHAN By Tom McQueen

If you are looking for a book that will make you laugh, cry, sigh and more, than this is it. Letters to Ethan: A Grandfather's Legacy of Life and Love is a book that is poignant, moving and full of the love of a grandparent for a grandchild. 


As a grandparent, I found the book to be stirring, full of thoughts and wisdom that I like to share with my own grandchildren. 


In one letter he wrote, he talked about happiness and what it is or rather what it isn't. Using life examples in this short letter Mr. McQueen gives Ethan a solid foundation in the pursuit of happiness. 


Reading this book has made me decide to write a compilations of letters for my grandchildren. This is a legacy I can give them when I am no longer here. I wish I had something like that from my grandparents. 


Tom McQueen is encouraging others to share wisdom through letters on the Legacy Nation campaign website. He will use the letters in presentations across the country in 2011. The Legacy Nation website will also offer visitors enrollment in the Child Protection Technology Team, which will provide the most advanced technological resources available to reduce the incidents of child abductions and exploitation.


Tom McQueen currently lives in Palm Harbor, Fla., with his wife Dottie. When he isn't spending time with his family, McQueen serves as president of the American Family Foundation and counsels others as a personal coach. McQueen also shared his expertise in relationships consulting with Fortune 500 companies on performance, process and profit improvement. For more information about McQueen, Legacy Nation and Letters to Ethan, visit www.legacynationusa.com and www.letterstoethan.com.


This review was made possible through Tom McQueen generosity is sending me a review copy for free. I am under no obligation to provide a positive review. Everything I have stated is of my own opinion.

ON THIS DAY IN CHRISTIAN HISTORY By Robert J. Morgan

365 Amazing and Inspiring Stories About Saints, Martyrs, and Heroes fill this book.


Every day there is a short biography about someone from the history of Christianity. There is also a verse from the Bible that accompanies each story. 


Now, I happen to like history. In fact, this book contains a biography about one of my favorite theologians, Dietrich Bonhoeffer. That was yesterday's reading.


There are people in here such as, George Frideric Handel, the composer of Messiah, Susanna Wesley, the mother of John and Charles Wesley. On Feburary 23rd you will read about Polycarp, on April 18th you will meet John Foxe, who began compiling records of persecuted Christians. You will read about the life of many people, some good, some great and some that will cause you to shake your head at. You will discover just how far reaching Christianity is by reading about events in Italy, Scotland, Africa, tiny islands and more.


At the back of the book is a wonderful index of topics that would be helpful for anyone, including the preacher/teacher in your family or friends, even yourself! Want to read about marriage and romance? Look at February 10 or May 1 or one of the other dates listed. How about Hymnology..... several days cover that topic. 


This is a great book for that historian in your family or even for the one who doesn't know a lot about the history of Christianity. It's a wonderful devotional as well as a stepping stone to dig further into why we believe what we believe.


The author, Robert J. Morgan, did a superb job in compiling everything. All of the verses in this book are from the CEV translation, an easy translation for any one to read. 


Robert J. Morgan is the pastor of Donelson Fellowship in Nashville, Tennessee. He is also the author of the best-selling Then Sings My Soul (volumes 1 and 2), Come Let Us Adore Him, From This Verse, Nelson's Complete Book of Stories, Illustrations, and Quotes, and The Red Sea Rules. He conducts Bible conferences, parenting and marriage retreats, and leadership seminars across the country. He can be contacted through his website www.robertjmorgan.com 


By the way, you might want to sign up for his email. I just did. It's a great site full of incredible things to help you, guide you, encourage you and give you ideas. I went into the bookstore, I already have a list going!


So, I would encourage you to add this book to either your Christmas wishlist or your list as a gift to give. It's a great book that will encourage you and give you pause to think.


This book was provided to me from BookSneeze.com a division of Thomas Nelson. I am under no obligation to provide a positive review of this book. Everything I have said is of my own opinion.

Today I really miss the good old days. Paper, mimeographs, snail mail..... Life seemed simpler looking back today. Sigh.

RECIPES FOR A BEAUTIFUL LIFE By Julie Keye and Madaline Hall

 RECIPES FOR A BEAUTIFUL LIFE by Julie Keye and Madaline Hall is the perfect book for that special lady, whether she be your mother, sister, aunt, best friend, even your co-worker.


This book is full of beautiful pictures that will make you ooohhh and ahhhhh and even chuckle and maybe sniffle a bit as they bring back memories of places you might have been or just an old memory of a child or family member.


Recipes For A Beautiful Life is another example of self-publishing. Julie and Madaline put together the book with the help of www.booksurge.com who has now merged with www.createspace.com, a subdivision of Amazon.com. (Engaging Thoughts was self-published through www.createspace.com).

Recipes For A Beautiful Life treats the reader with wonderful pictures accompanied with verses from the Bible (primarily Psalms and Proverbs). In Part 2 of the book there are home recipes for beauty treatments for that lovely lady in your life. I haven't had an opportunity to try any yet, but I intend to as soon as I get the moment!


Here is a little about the authors, Madaline Hall and Julie Keye.....


Madaline Hall was born and raised in New York City. She married and has two children. She entered the business community as an insurance broker working for a major company and was co-owner for Crafty Concepts, a craft business.


Her avocation for years has been her interest in all things literary. She currently lives on Long Island, New York and is dedicated to photography and writing inspirational works.


Julie Keye was born and grew up in New York City. She entered the film industry as an editor, working on many feature films. She married and has a daughter who served as a missionary in Japan.


In recent years, residing in California, she has written children's stories and film scripts, and most recently, collaborated with her childhood friend, Ms. Hall, on books with inspirational reach.


They met when they were eleven years of age and have been friends ever since. They feel truly blessed to enjoy a great friendship, and to have found God in their lives.


Recipes For a Beautiful Life can be purchased through Amazon.com at a reasonable price. This will make a real nice gift for Christmas or any other special occasion.


This book was graciously given to me by the authors, for review purposes. I am under no obligation to provide a positive review. But I am happy to have been able to do so. May the Lord bless Julie and Madaline for this lovely book.

MUSH By Clay Morgan Wilson IV

All right my friends, family, and anyone else who is interested.....


I have been getting books from the self-publishing writers to review. The book of poetry, Engaging Thoughts, was one of them. (And if you like poetry, you should get a copy of that one. You will enjoy it.) And there was Scars, a young adult fiction about the end times. You can read both reviews on this site. 


Now I said all of that to say this, I have just finished one of the funniest books I have read in a long time. But first I want to tell you about the author. I hope to have an interview with him as soon as my schedule gets back to something more manageable.


Clay Wilson? Who Is This Guy Anyway?


Clay Morgan Wilson IV, is a dentist, writer and photographer, but not necessarily in that order. His seventh grade English teacher told him he would someday become a successful writer. He shrugged her off. Five years later, he was the primary sports reporter for his high school newspaper, The Aegis.


Upon entering California State University, Sacramento, he initially declared journalism as his major, but switched to psychology because there was too much writing to do in journalism. Little did he know that psychology demanded even more, along with exhaustive research and precise referencing.


Most careers in psychology dictate teaching and research. The latter in particular, involves the unpleasant business of constantly begging for funds. Not having a continuously imploring nature, Clay entered the pre-dental program at Texas Southern University. Here too, was the need for extensive writing skills required for the research assignments that were due every other week. He developed a method guaranteed to have most research papers completed in less than one week, and earn an "A" grade eight times out of ten. (The Write Way to An "A".) He later applied his research methods in dental school at Howard University, graduating in 1983.


Clay, now Dr. Wilson, did not write again for nearly three years when he became a member of Calvary Christian Center in Sacramento. Giving God the credit for the inspiration, he wrote, directed, and performed in the one act play, A Little Understanding, for the Singles Ministry, of which he was vice president.


As a Church Counselor and Master Teacher in Sunday School, he was again inspired to write. Jesus Christ Must Die, is a fictional short story of a two unlikely individuals of opposing values, conspiring to have Jesus arrested. The twist is that the "bad guy" wants Jesus to live. The hero wants Him dead. Clay finished the story in seven days, in between drilling, filling and billing patients.


In 1988 Clay married Linda White. The couple have been blessed with three wonderful sons, Clay V, Jonathan, and Sean, which he chose as the names for three of the principle characters in his first novel, Mush. Also written between patients, it took nearly four years to complete, including edits and revisions. At the time of this writing, Clay has recently finished Mush II, taking a mere six months this time, again between giving injections, extracting teeth (dentists never pull, yank, or snatch) and fitting crowns and bridges. Mush III is also shaping nicely.


Sandwiched between the first two novels, Clay found time to write, edit, photograph and publish the Membership Directory of the Sacramento Chapter of the National Dental Association. Between Mush II and Mush III, he put together a membership directory for the Gold Country PT Cruisers. Most recently he is readying a proposal of a similar book for Joslin's Martial Arts that will celebrate the many outstanding black belts the school has produced. Clay himself has recently earned a black belt. He has also completed several photographic assignments for the Sacramento Observer newspaper, and is currently developing a sci-fi romance. a dental thriller, a series of children's stories based on Jack and the Beanstalk.


Now about the book itself....


MUSH is a book about a father (Clay IV) who is getting on in years and is not allowed to fly. He and two of his sons (Jonathan and Clay V) take a cross-country drive to the third son's wedding (Sean) in a motor-home. During this cross-country journey, which detours along Route 66, Clay IV tells stories to pass the time, as long as his sons humor him with a specific treat that they have to find.


This book is brimming with humor, laughter, fun, and always lessons to be learned and applied within each story Clay IV tells his sons. I had the hardest time reading it in the break room at work and not fall off of my chair laughing. MUSH is the perfect title for a book that is filled with the love of a father for his sons, the love of a father for his daughter, and the love of the Father for His children. 


This isn't a "mushy" book, but it is a tender look that is rarely seen between a man and his sons. It's also a tender look at how a man perceives the love his heavenly Father has for him. 


Beautifully written, MUSH is a book for all ages to read. The stories within the story itself are truly great stories and you will find yourself turning the next page just to find out what else happens in the town of Opportunity, not to mention what's going to happen next with Clay IV and his sons.


I am looking forward to reading MUSH II when it's available. And once you have read MUSH, you will be too. 


MUSH can be purchased through Xulon Press Bookstore. Just click on the link provided. 

OUT LIVE YOUR LIFE By Max Lucado

OUT LIVE YOUR LIFE: You were made to make a difference By Max Lucado....

In thinking about this book and review, I pondered on where to begin. Most people anywhere and everywhere know or have heard about Max Lucado. He is the New York Times Best-Selling Author. You can check out his website MaxLucado.com and follow him on Twitter at Twitter.com/MaxLucado; I do, he is one of my favorite authors.

One of the things I really enjoyed about Out Live Your Life is at the beginning of every chapter Mr. Lucado has a prayer that is pertinent to that chapter. I found praying each prayer prepared me for what was going to be read.

Another aspect about the book I enjoyed is at the back of the book is a Discussion and Action Guide prepared by David Drury. There are some real good plans of actions for groups and individuals to put to use. I like not only hearing or reading about something that gets me fired up but I appreciate practical application as well, and the Action Guide gives that.

There was something about the book that I had a difficult time with and it's something that I have noticed in Mr. Lucado's recent books; the usage of various Bible translations or paraphrases. I find, at least for me, if the author uses one or two different translations I can read the material and not stumble over the verses; especially if they are translations I am familiar with. But when an author uses many translations and paraphrases in one book, one chapter or even on a single page at a time, it can really throw off the momentum and ease of reading. If he would stick with one translation for his text and then just use another one to for comparison study, that might make the book better. I find it disconcerting to read a page and not realize I was reading Bible verses because the translation/paraphrase was so loose. 

Other than that though, the book on a whole is a real good book that encouraged me to reach out to others and step out of my comfort zone. Max Lucado has done it again in encouraging others to do more and be more than a mere Christian.

This book was provided to me by BookSneeze.com (Thomas Nelson Publishers) free of charge. I am under no obligation to provide a positive review for this book. Everything I have said is of my own opinion.