From Camera to Pen, a Review

I just finished reading Framing Faith by Matt Knisely. Matt is an award-winning photojournalist and author. Since I am a photographer too I was excited to read this book.

Matt does a good job of taking aspects of photography and using them as a starting point to get his message of needing a personal relationship with the Lord across. Each chapter deals with one aspect (such as Focus or Perspective) and he discusses all of his ideas using photographical terms. He also uses a lot of stories and images from his own personal experiences with photojournalism to get his message across.

I found the book to be interesting but not really anything new. Knisely tells us that we need to know who we are, that we live in an information loaded world and because we are so distracted we often miss God’s voice. It’s a message we’ve all heard before just reframed using his photography background.

I read a review by Jeff Goins, the author of The In-Between. He said like a good photograph, the more you look at it, the more you find. He feels this is true about Knisely’s book.  Perhaps in a second reading one might find more but I’m not motivated by this book to read it again.

(I was given this book to review by HarperCollins Christian Publishing. All opinions are my own.)

Clout by Jenni Catron review

Clout, written by Jenni Catron is a book about discovering and using your God-given influence. Ms Catron is the executive director of Cross Point Church in Nashville, Tennessee. She uses her “ Clout” to lead the staff of Cross Point. 

In her book Ms. Catron defines Clout as “the influence that God has given to you and no one else.”She says that we all have God-given influence inside of us that makes us long to make a difference. Catron writes that we are designed to impact the world like no one else can. She says that we each have Clout but may not have discovered it yet. 

The first few chapters list “The Clout Killers” that challenge us. These are fear, comparison, jealousy, scarcity, insecurity, pride and control. She explains how each one impacts our influence on others. She does this through story-telling, Bible passages and sharing moments from her own journey to leadership. At the end of each chapter are some exercises for you to complete. 

The next chapters list ”The Cloud Cultivators”. These chapters are meant to have you do some soul searching. Discovering your own identity, developing confidence, coming up with a personal mission statement and goals and figuring out where your passion is are the focus of these chapters. Catron gives examples from her own life and offers Discovery Steps to help you. 

The first few chapters didn’t seem to hit home with me. Had I read this book years earlier when I was considering a leadership role they would have been more meaningful. However, the last few chapters were filled with more down to earth, practical information that could apply to almost any life situation. I think at any point in our life it’s good to take an inventory and see if we are still on track with our life goals. 

I’d recommend this book for anyone in a leadership position or anyone involved with influencing others. Catron gives good advice along with Bible quotes that fit the topic of each chapter. It’s a good read to help keep in mind that God calls us all to shine.

(I was given this book to review by HarperCollins Christian Publishing. All opinions are my own.)

Goodnight,Angels Review

The book Goodnight, Angels by melody Carlson is a cute read.  It is a 12 page “board book” designed for little ones. There are two lines of rhyming text on every other page.  The illustrations are by Sophie Allsopp.  They are simple but yet, realistic.

In the story a young boy says goodbye to his friends at the playground and heads home with his mom and dad. He wishes the friends  a Good Night. Then he continues to wish things Good Night such as his wagon (that he took to the playground), his pets, his bedtime snack, his rubber duckie and toothbrush.

Once in bed the little boy says Good Night to his dad but asks for a bedtime story. He says Good Night to his mom and asks her to tuck him in. He says Good Night to God and finally to the angels watching over him.

It’s a pleasant enough book that would make a good bedtime read. There are a couple of changes that I think would make the book better.  Since it is a board book it will probably be read to little ones. The boy in the story looks to be older. It might have been more fun to make him younger.  Also I don’t like that the author refers to God as Father God. ( I don’t like to think of God as a gender.) The price on the back of the book is $7.99. I thought this was a little steep for a board book.  I’ve seen some good hard cover books for this price.

 


The book Goodnight, Angels by melody Carlson is a cute read. It is a 12 page “board book” designed for little ones. There are two lines of rhyming text on every other page. The illustrations are by Sophie Allsopp. They are simple but yet, realistic. 

In the story a young boy says goodbye to his friends at the playground and heads home with his mom and dad. He wishes the friends a Good Night. Then he continues to wish things Good Night such as his wagon (that he took to the playground), his pets, his bedtime snack, his rubber duckie and toothbrush. 

Once in bed the little boy says Good Night to his dad but asks for a bedtime story. He says Good Night to his mom and asks her to tuck him in. He says Good Night to God and finally to the angels watching over him.

 It’s a pleasant enough book that would make a good bedtime read. There are a couple of changes that I think would make the book better. Since it is a board book it will probably be read to little ones. The boy in the story looks to be older. It might have been more fun to make him younger. Also I don’t like that the author refers to God as Father God. ( I don’t like to think of God as a gender.) The price on the back of the book is $7.99. I thought this was a little steep for a board book. I’ve seen some good hard cover books for this price.

(I was given this book to review by HarperCollins Christian Publishing. All opinions are my own.)

Country Faith (the book)

First off, I have to say that I am not a Country Music fan. It just isn’t my favorite genre of music. That said, I still really enjoyed reading Country Faith. I didn’t recognize some of the performers in the book but that didn’t make any difference. 

This book is 56 reflections from leading Country Music Stars such as Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood, Wynonna and Brad Paisley, to name a few. Each Star was asked to give their favorite Bible verse. Then each gave a reflection of why they chose that particular verse and how it is meaningful in their lives. It was interesting because sometimes we think of Country Music as always a tune about drinking, divorce or cheating on your spouse. So it’s refreshing to hear that these performers can sing about these things but that God is number one in their lives. 

The book is really easy reading. The reflections are very short, mostly just a paragraph or two. I read the whole book in one sitting. I kind of wish I had slowed down and read one a day and then took some time to reflect on each. It was interesting to me to see which verse was picked by each performer. Many times the verse was one that I found heartfelt too.

 In the back of the book the gospel of Mark has been provided. The book says it is the shortest of the gospels so it’s a good place to start in coming up with your own favorite Bible verse. 

I would recommend this book to everyone. You don’t need to listen to Country music to appreciate the insight given by these artists. However, it is a little more fun to read because they are famous.

(I was given this book to review by HarperCollins Christian Publishing. All opinions are my own.)

Victim of Grace

I recently read the book Victim of Grace (When God’s Goodness Prevails) by Robin Jones Gunn.  In the book Robin chronicles events in her life and then relates that to a woman in the Bible. Throughout her life she has felt that she has been a “Victim of Grace” and so have these other women.

Robin is a published author of many books, including a series for young girls. She didn’t set out to be an author. When she was younger she felt her calling was to go to Africa as a missionary. However circumstances didn’t allow her to go and she came to realize that wasn’t God’s plan for her.

Her life has had many ups and downs. She has had some medical issues, career highs and lows but throughout all of it she didn’t get discouraged. She felt that God was always at work in her life. Robin was able to get more writing deals and offers to travel the world to speak at Writer’s Conferences. Eventually she would end up presenting at a Conference in Nairobi, Kenya. Her dream of going to Africa came true—just a little differently than she had expected.

It was interesting reading this book for me at this time because these days have been some trying ones! I found it refreshing to think of life’s difficulties in a different way. Instead of asking why me? I have come to realize through Robin’s writing that God is still pouring out his grace on me and my family even during the hard times. He still is accomplishing his purposes for us in the middle of this mess!

I recommend this book for anyone wanting a good example of someone being positive in the time of pain. Robin has been able to see how God has been at work in her life and gave me some insight into how to look for His work in mine.  I liked her conversational tone, it wasn’t preachy. It was good to be reminded of the Bible’s women and their times of grace.

Booksneeze has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book to review, all opinions are my own.

(I was given this book to review by HarperCollins Christian Publishing. All opinions are my own.)

What On Earth Am I Here For Book Review

I have just finished reading Rick Warren’s What On Earth Am I Here For? I have not read his other book The Purpose Driven Life but I had heard good things about it. That is what inspired me to read this one.

I was a little disappointed in the book. I wasn’t expecting to have to read about 400 pages to get the answer and that was probably very naïve. Rick also suggests spreading your reading out over 40 days (biblical references to why 40 are in the book and also a contract you can sign). So this took me a lot longer to finish then I am used to.

The first 14 days were easy to read and digest. His ideas here made sense and I could relate them to my own life. After that, the days’ readings started to sound very “preachy” to me, almost like a daily lecture. He tells us that we have an assignment and that we need to accept that assignment from God. I agree with this but I don’t feel that for all of us that assignment means going out and giving testimony to others.

He also is very big on having a small group that you share your mission with and also doing a lot of journaling. He suggests writing down a “Life Purpose Statement” to help point you in the direction of your life. This idea I liked and could easily do with the help he gives in the book.

He has also added in some technology. At the end of every day’s reading there is also a link to a video message from Rick that goes along with the day’s theme.

If you want some very serious and heavy ideas for understanding your life’s purpose this book is for you. Personally, I would rather have had a little shorter guide with some humor and lightness.

(I was given this book to review by HarperCollins Christian Publishing. All opinions are my own.)

Stained Glass Hearts by Patsy Clairmont is a quick read. I could have finished it in one sitting but it’s one of those books that you need to read in small doses so you can reflect on her writing. Clairmont’s chapters are stories of her life. The end of the chapter gives you some art examples and often a prayer, poem or music that she feels goes along with the theme of that particular chapter.

            Starting out I was mildly amused by her life stories. She’s had some difficulties to overcome and she writes well of these. After awhile I wasn’t so interested in these stories anymore because this isn’t an autobiography but supposedly a book on how God helps mend struggling hearts. I got very distracted by her chapter on Poetry. It seemed out of place among the chapters of her life stories.

            I realize that Clairmont tries to use music, poetry, prayer, books,art and puzzles to carry the theme of “hearts” throughout her book. While I enjoyed many of the prayers she listed, I didn’t find the others very meaningful. I kept wishing she would have had some practical advice  or revelations to share with us about “how to see our lives in a new light” as her book jacket tease suggests.

            I would recommend this book if you just want to read some entertaining stories of the author’s life. If however, you are looking for more of a self-help book or book with some answers, I’d say pass.

Booksneeze has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book to review, all opinions are my own.

Latest Book Review

Save Your Marriage in Five Minutes a Day by Bonnie Jacobson and Alexia Paul is a book about strategies to improve your marriage.  The authors say that “a happy marriage is closer than you think!”Throughout the book the authors remind us that we cannot depend on others for our happiness.  

The book feels like it was written to help anyone struggling with their marriage. While the ideas in the book would certainly help a marriage in trouble, they are also pertinent for a healthy marriage. Dr. Bonnie Jacobson does say in her introduction that these strategies will help a marriage that is floundering or flourishing.

The chapters are short and to the point. You can easily read a chapter, put the book down and reflect on that particular strategy.  Then pick up the book  at a later time and read another chapter. A lot of the strategies are just using common sense but I feel it’s good to be reminded of that.

The content of the chapters is generally inspiring. However, the accompanying stories about (true?) couples I found to be rather corny. I think the strategies would seem more creditable without the stories. I also feel that if you are paying attention as you are reading the chapter, the summary is not necessary. At the end of each chapter is a list of the Five Minute Strategies to try out. Most of them would be easy for the person reading the book to follow. Some would require your partner to read and participate.

                I would recommend this book for anyone wanting ideas to strengthen a marriage. I’m not sure how helpful this book would be for someone in a struggling relationship .

(I was given this book to review by HarperCollins Christian Publishing. All opinions are my own.)

Book Review:  The Power Based Life

"Do you know what you were born for?" This is the question that Mike Flynt says we need to answer in order to discover who God created us to be and then to discover the work we were meant to do.

While I think this is a good question for anyone to try to figure out, I don’t think Flynt’s book will be very instrumental in helping to do that. He starts out by telling his own life story. He was a tightly-wound young man ready to fist fight anyone and everyone. Consequently, he lost his college scholarship and wasn’t able to play football his senior year. He went on to hold various jobs until he was lucky enough to make a connection that got him his “dream job” of being an athletic trainer.

The story of his fighting days is told over and over in the book. It was interesting the first time he told it but did little to keep me interested in subsequent chapters. Along the way Flynt also throws in a few references to biblical stories and passages. They don't always seem to connect with the particular strategy he was discussing.

The book just did not hold my attention. I felt that it didn’t tell me anything I didn’t already know. I feel there are much better books by other authors that will get you more inspired to make life changes.

Please note that Thomas Nelson Publishing has provided me a complimentary copy of this book for my review; however, the opinions are my own. I have not been required to publish a positive review.

(I was given this book to review by HarperCollins Christian Publishing. All opinions are my own.)

One Hand, Two Hands

In his classic style, Lucado gives us another treasure. This time he has written a book for children. Just like his other books, this one has a message about how to serve others.

One Hand, Two Hands is filled with catchy, rhyming phrases. The print is large and colorful. My five year-old granddaughter and 3 year-old grandson enjoyed listening to the story. They also enjoyed reading along and picking out the rhymes. The story is just the right length for little children.
T
he book’s illustrations are delightful and colorful. They show a little girl and her animal friends in every day situations using their hands. My grandchildren could relate to those. The illustrations add to the upbeat flavor of the book.

As a parent and grandparent, I am very pleased with Lucado’s work for little ones. It is fun to read and can spark a discussion on how we can each use our hands for service, both young and old. At the end of the book Lucado lists simple way hands can be used to help others. As a teacher of Sunday School for young children I can see where I could use this book to reinforce the message of service for others too.

I recommend this book for preschool-kindergarten age children.

Please note that Thomas Nelson Publishing has provided me a complimentary copy of this book for my review; however, the opinions are my own. I have not been required to publish a positive review.

A Way to Rediscover the Bible


I set out looking for a bible that would be easier to read and understand than my New American Bible. I found it in The Voice (New Testament). This version kept the perspective and unique qualities of the original gospel writers but used a style that was easy to follow.
The layout of this Bible is the same as others. It starts with the Gospel of Matthew and continues on with Mark, Luke and John, Acts and the Letters. What is different about this Bible is the format. While it retains the Bible narratives I am used to, it retells them in the language of modern times.
Each chapter and verse is written for ease in reading and understanding. Using modern day language helps to simplify the meaning. There are often inserted explanations of passages which I found to be very helpful. Sometimes passages were written in a “script” style, almost as if reading a play. This made for very interesting reading. I can see where this could be used in Bible studies, with children and teens and other times when you want to make the Bible stories come alive.
The Voice was written by a team of writers consisting of pastors, writers, poets, and other artists. This gives a balance to the interpretation and style of the passages. I found that it helped me to become excited about reading the Bible again. I would recommend this Bible to anyone who would like their Bible passages readable, enjoyable and understandable. I can't wait for their Old Testament version!

Wordless Wednesday


Moon over our backyard.

Wordless Wednesday




A heap of fun!

Thoughts for Tuesday

I saw this quote and wanted to share it with you.


"I’ve learned that happiness comes in different forms. It can be found in the blackest thunderclouds or when the earth is withering from heat. It is also in the warm rays of the sun in the midst of pouring rain. It is in the first green leaf of spring peeping out of the cracked bud of a poplar tree. It is in the little white petal working itself out on a branch of an apple tree. It is in the darkness of the night sky with thousands of twinkling stars. It is in the tender look of a loved one. It looks out through shining eyes in family photographs."

it is everywhere
find happiness right where you stand

Lidia Evgenevna Shmakova

Thoughts for the New Year


I like this poem by Lillian Gray:

Thoughts for the New Year

Let us walk softly, friend;
For strange paths lie before us all untrod:
For New Year, spotless from the hand of God,
Is thine and mine, O friend.

Let us walk straightly, friend;
Forget the crooked paths behind us now.
Press on with steadier purpose on our brow,
To better deeds, O friend.

Let us walk gladly, friend;
Perchance some greater good than we have known
Is waiting for us, or some fair hope flown,
Shall yet return, O friend.

Let us walk humbly, friend;
Slight not the heart's-ease blooming round our feat:
The laurel blossoms are not half so sweet
Or lightly, gathered, friend.

Let us walk kindly, friend;
We cannot tell how long this life shall last,
How soon these precious years, be overpast:
Let Love walk with us, friend.

Let us walk quickly, friend;
Work our mite while lasts our little stay,
And help some halting comrade along the way:
And may God guide us, friend!

Hope your 2010 is filled with family, friends and fun!

Merry Christmas!
I cherish all my Blog Fans and are sending thoughts of gratitude and good cheer to you all. May your holiday be full of love and peace!

Wordless Wednesday


This view on my way to work. Usually it's totally dark on my commute during the winter months. Can you make out the barn and silo?

What Do You Remember?

The following quizzes, and the subsequent paragraph, are attributed to the late Charles Schulz, creator of the comic strip, Peanuts. I'm passing along his thoughts because I think it's important that we realize what is really important in life.


Quiz 1
1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.


2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.


3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America contest.


4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.


5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.


6. Name the last decade's World Series winners.


Quiz 2
1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.


2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.


3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.


4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.


5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.


6. Name half a dozen heroes whose stories have inspired you.


"The applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners. The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones who cared."

- Charles Schulz

Who will remember you? What will they remember you for?

A List of Things to Be Thankful For

Some have attributed this to Mother (Saint) Theresa, which suits me just fine. I'm thankful I found it and have the ability to pass it along.

Be thankful for the clothes that fit a little too snug, because it means you have enough to eat.

Be thankful for the mess you clean up after a party, because it means you have been surrounded by friends.

Be thankful for the taxes you pay, because it means you're employed.

Be thankful that your lawn needs mowing and your windows need fixing, because it means you have a home.

Be thankful for your heating bill, because it means you are warm.

Be thankful for the laundry, because it means you have clothes to wear.

Be thankful for the space you find at the far end of the parking lot, because it means you can walk.

Be thankful for the lady who sings off key behind you in church, because it means you can hear.

Be thankful for the alarm that goes off in the early morning, because it means you are alive.

And finally, here is mine: I'm thankful I am able to post this to my blog. I'm also thankful for all of you who read and respond.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I recently joined the Bloggers Unite group. They ask bloggers to pick something to blog about, only for one day and this is what I have chosen. The Brown Bag Project takes place on November 21, 2009.

This year on 11/21/09, BlogCatalog.com and HalfHourMeals.com are helping fight hunger. They are asking bloggers from around the world to join in. You can use your blog to promote this and to help make people aware of the hunger that is happening right before us. If you don't have a blog you can still help.

Here are a few ways that the Bloggers Unite suggested how we can help out.

1) Donate food or money to a local food bank.

2) Sponsor a food drive.

3) Volunteer at a local food bank or kitchen that helps to feed the hungry.

4) Deliver a meal to a hungry family.

5) Donate to a charity that fights to end hunger.


I'm telling you this early so that you will have time to plan. It could be as easy as donating to your church or asking your local school principal if they know a family who could use a little extra help this year. Thanks for reading! Enjoy your day~