"A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver." Proverbs 25:11

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

POISON: Bloodline Trilogy 2 by Jordyn Redwood




ABOUT THE BOOK

Five years ago, Keelyn Blake’s armed, mentally ill stepfather took her family hostage in their house in rural Colorado. She and her half-sister Raven made it out alive, but others did not. Authorities blamed the father’s frequent hallucinations about a being named Lucent, but in the end, even the best of the FBI’s hostage negotiators failed to overcome the man’s delusions and end the standoff peacefully.
Now, Lucent is back, and he’s no hallucination. In fact, he is a very real person with dangerous motives. He has kidnapped Raven’s daughter, and--Keelyn worries--maybe has hurt Raven as well. Though she is estranged from her sister, Keelyn feels the immediate need to find Raven and save what family she has left. But when others who were involved in that fateful day start dying, some by mysterious circumstances, Keelyn wonders if she can emerge unscathed a second time.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Jordyn Redwood has specialized in critical care and emergency nursing for nearly two decades. She is a member of both the American Association of Critical Care Nurses and the American Christian Fiction Writers association.


MY REVIEW

Since I had read Jordyn's first book of this trilogy, Proof, I had to read the second book, Poison. I was not disappointed. Scary, chilling and absolutely twisted, Poison, kept me spellbound from the first page to the last.

Jordyn's style of writing draws the reader into the story with her strong characters. Her medical knowledge comes through in a way that is easy to understand for any layperson reading her work. She doesn't use terminology without a quick definition that helps the reader to understand what is taking place.

The main characters in this second book are primarily Keelyn, Lee, Nathan and Keeyln's sister, Raven. Though each one of these people are strong, they all have secrets that can and do cause harm. Some of this harm may have a deadly effect. 

Woven throughout the storyline, Jordyn weaves a thread of hope. Keelyn, Lee and Nathan have a personal relationship with Jesus. Through the various circumstances and trials, they all find their faith tested.

This is not a stand-alone novel. I highly recommend reading Proof before delving into this spine-chilling second book. Proof lays the foundation that Jordyn uses to build on to bring us Poison.

I do highly recommend this book if you enjoy a good thriller. I don't know that they get any better than this one. I do know I am avidly awaiting for the third book of this Bloodline Trilogy.




Kregel Publications provided me with a free review copy in order to write this review. I am under no obligation to write a positive review.





Saturday, April 20, 2013

BOUND TOGETHER: How We Are Tied to Others in Good and Bad Choices By Chris Brauns






ABOUT THE BOOK

We are not just isolated individuals. Instead, our lives are woven together with others. We have solidarity with other people—the choices one person makes affects the lives of others, for good and for bad.


Because much of the pain we endure in life is in the context of relationships, this truth often strikes us as unfair. Why should a child suffer because of the choices of his parents? And on a grander scale, why do we all suffer the curse of Adam’s sin? Why should anyone be judged for someone else’s sin?
In Bound Together, Chris Brauns unpacks the truth that we are bound to one another and to the whole of creation. He calls this, “the principle of the rope.” Grasping this foundational principle sheds new light on marriage, the dynamics of family relationships, and the reason why everyone lives with the consequences of the sins that others commit. Brauns shows how the principle of the rope is both bad news and good news, revealing a depth to the message of the gospel that many of us have never seen before.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 


Chris Brauns, MDiv, DMin, is the senior pastor at the Congregational Christian Church of Stillman Valley, IL. His other books includeUnpacking Forgiveness and When the Word Leads Your Pastoral Search. Chris blogs at www.chrisbrauns.com.

MY REVIEW

When I first decided to review this book I wasn't sure what I would find in the book. Sometimes a book description can be a bit misleading and the book really isn't what you thought it would be about. This book, however, is exactly what it says it is. 

You have heard the saying, "giving someone enough rope to hang or save themselves." Pastor Brauns actually shows how the principle of the rope binds each and everyone of us together. 

This is perhaps one of the best books I have ever read explaining and showing biblically how every single person, from the time of Adam and Eve to the end of mankind on this earth is bound together because of original sin; Pastor Brauns also explains how each one of us who have submitted to the cross of Christ are bound with Christ and that tie is greater than the tie of sin and death. He gives us a very clear and deeper understanding of the gospel.

For those who feel whatever they do doesn't affect anyone else, this book will be eyeopening. For those who are alone because of various reasons, this book will show them they really aren't, especially if they are a believer. They are members of the body of Christ, bound to other members and Christ Himself.

This book will change how you view your relationships with family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, even with Christ. Written in a conversational style, Pastor Brauns gives us the bad news and the good news about being bound together, the bad news - original sin, the good news - the cross of Christ.

I would recommend this book to everyone who wants to have a better understanding of how original sin, mankind and the cross of Christ bind us together. 

Cross Focused Reviews and Zondervan made this review possible by providing me with a free review copy of this book. I am under no obligation to write a positive review.


 
 
 


Friday, April 5, 2013

Ephesians Online Bible Study! Launch party 4/11 – RSVP today

Ephesians: Discovering Your Identity and Purpose for Christ.
Join the online Bible study (4/15 - 6/17) with Sue Edwards! And invite your friends to join you.



EphesiansBibleStudybutton Sue will be posting weekly on the Year of Discovery Facebook Page and interacting with groups and individuals around the country going through the study at the same time. Women will be able to discuss the study with each other and ask questions via Facebook. Edwards will launching the Ephesians study with an April 11 Facebook launch partyThe online study will begin the following week.  (April 15 – June 17)


Completing each lesson requires about one-and-a-half hours. Readers still receive in-depth Bible study but with a minimum time commitment. For those who desire a more thorough study, including an opportunity to learn more about the history, culture and geography related to the Bible, Edwards has provided “Digging Deeper” questions. Answering these questions may require outside resources such as an atlas, Bible dictionary or concordance and challenge readers to examine complex theological issues and differing views more closely.



More about the Ephesians study: This insightful Bible study uses the example of Paul’s church in Ephesus to show readers how they can be victorious Christians, living in God’s Word, and free from sin. Part of the discovery series, the Ephesians edition includes tips for either individual or group use, inspirational sidebars and short, 3-5 minute teaching videos.




Purchase a copy of Ephesians and join the on-line Bible study today.



If you join the Ephesians Bible Study - add this button to your blog: (just copy the code and paste it into a blog post or your blog sidebar)

“Ephesians” Online Bible Study – JOIN ME!


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Wednesday, April 3, 2013

THE GOSPEL CENTERED WOMAN By Wendy Alsup




ABOUT THE BOOK


Understanding Biblical Womanhood through the Lens of the Gospel
Many Christian books written to women claim to present God's good instructions for their lives. Some expound on the value of marriage and children. Many extol the virtues of the Proverbs 31 wife. A good number teach the value of love, submission, and respect in Christian marriages. Though this book deals with these topics, The Gospel-Centered Woman addresses women from an entirely different perspective. The most important part of the Bible's instructions to women center around the gospel. Jesus' life, death, and resurrection brought about a seismic shift in our understanding of Scripture. After His resurrection, His disciples understood words written thousands of years before with a clarity they never had previously. The good news of Christ illuminates all other Scripture, including instructions to women.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR


Wendy Alsup is a wife, mom, and math teacher. She is the author of "Practical Theology for Women: How Knowing God Makes a Difference in Our Daily Lives" and "By His Wounds You are Healed: How the Message of Ephesians Transforms a Woman's Identity". 
 
Find out more about Wendy at www.theologyforwomen.org.
 

MY REVIEW

I am always looking for a good bible study and one in particular that speaks to me, as a woman. So when I had the opportunity to review this particular study, I think I was the first one to say, "Sign me up!"

Wendy Alsup has a wonderful way of writing that doesn't just get her point across but, speaks to the heart of her audience, women. She obviously has a love for her Savior and His Word, because it comes through from page one to the last.

I appreciate her ability to apply tough theological questions that women have wrestled with throughout the ages, to the light of the gospel. Or perhaps I should say, her ability to shine the light of the gospel to those tough theological questions opens up many locked doors that women have been shut behind.

This study was not just refreshing but one that brought about a change in myself in how I view my own position in the kingdom of God, as His daughter and bride. Life is messy and trials and heartbreaks do occur; and maybe I may not be the Proverbs wife as I was first taught so many years ago in church. However, after going through this study I discovered is not what I do or don't do, or how much I struggle to be the "perfect woman," resting in my Savior and His grace, which covers all, I am centered in Him.

This is a study I would recommend for any woman, or man in that matter, who desires to gain a better understanding of what it means to be gospel-centered. 

Litfuse Publicity Group provided me with a free copy of this book in order to write this review.