God Winks Christmas Stories - A Review

God Winks

Christmas Stories

by

Squire BushnellLouise Duart

A Review

Devotions based on true-life stories – it was a new concept to me, but husband and wife Bushnell and Duart carry it off well. Each entry consists of three parts:

1. A brief story (four or five pages in length)– some have been previously published, but all were new to me
2. Some brief devotional thoughts (“Reflections”) based on the story and asking the reader to reflect upon their own busy life.
3. A Scripture verse (a possible memory verse?) which again strengthens the lessons inherent in the stories.

The 30 parables serve to remind the reader that God can work in remarkable ways in a world full of broken people. Whether the brokenness is the result of loss, consequences, illness, etc., God can be ready to meet those needs in unexpected ways, if we will let Him.

The book will serve as a great gift (or stocking stuffer) for a couple, a young family, or a senior citizen. It could easily serve as an early Christmas gift for the members of a small group. Be sure to grab an extra copy for yourself as well. It would be worth 30 days of devotions.
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This review is based on a free copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review.  The opinions expressed are mine alone.

Lesson Plan for Murder - A Review

Lesson Plan for Murder

by

Lori Robbins

Marcia Deaver is dead on the floor of her classroom at Valerian Hills High School. Nobody liked her - and most of them were glad to see her go and could have committed the crime. Elizabeth Hopewell was the unlucky colleague to find her body. It was her scream that bought the rest of the faculty, staff, and police.

Liz is as concerned as clearing her name as she is in finding the culprit. At that same time she seemed intent on destroying her marriage. The spends a great deal of time following Liz as she follows clues and develops a crush on one of the detectives working the case.

The author has presented a solid mystery. It comes across as a bit darker than the normal cozy mystery - as we begin to wonder about the state of the protagonist's marriage. But all ends well, the guilty party (all of them) is found and the marriage survives.

This reader found the book just a bit boring - taking a little over a week to read.

1. Would I recommend it - “Yes, as a good fall read.” 
2. Do I want to read more from this author - “Definitely, YES!” 

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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions are mine alone.

NKJV Spirit-Filled Life Bible Third Edition Leathersoft - A Review

NKJV Spirit-Filled Life Bible

Third Edition

Leathersoft

edited by

Jack Hayford

A Review

Thomas Nelson has created one of the better Study Bibles that have crossed my path. I find little wrong with this compilation of helps.

The helps are indexed and are presented in full color. The 500+ brief word studies scattered throughout are helpful, lots of practical helps (“Truth in Action”), and an extra -long concordance (compared to most Study Bibles), all add extra value to this new edition. I was surprised that the includes two ribbon bookmarks rather than the three ribbon bookmarks found in the leather edition. Built with a nice sturdy cover, the book feels solid and well-built.

Concerns are minor and personal. Though I am not a fan of Jack Hayford’s theology, this is a book that I am still glad to have in my library – it has valued thoughts from a leader of the church. Similarly, I am concerned about the choice to put Jesus words in red. I much prefer a Bible with all text in a common black font. Finally, all of the helps add considerable weight to this Bible. I can see this book being used at my desk, rather than being carried into church on a Sunday morning.

This would not be the first Study Bible I would add to my library – but it does belong there.

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This review is based on a free copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions are mine alone.

Lethal Target - A Review

Lethal Target

by

Janice Cantore

A Review

Janice Cantore has written a powerful sequel to her earlier book, Crisis Shot. Tess O’ourke has now been the Chief of Police of Rogue’s Hollow, OR, for just about a year. The community has accepted her and she feels a part of the community she has made her home. At least until the body is literally found at the doorstep of her home. Oregon’s new legal pot trade has made itself at home in her community – but, surprisingly, there has been an uptick in the number of opioid overdoses during that same time. Suspicions run high that there is a connection between the pot farms and the increasing drug crisis – but Tess, the County Sheriff, nor the Federal DEA can find a connection between the two.

The book has enough suspense to keep this reader’s nose in the book for the four or five nights it took to read. Written by a former police officer, the book has the sound of truth from the first page to the last. Though probably classified as a romantic suspense, the romance is relatively light and does not overwhelm the plot as is sometimes happens in books of this genre. The role of faith is also present – a bit more than romance – but not overwhelmingly so. The book could easily find a home in the public library, the church library, or in the home of anybody looking for a well-written suspense novel.
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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions are mine alone.

NKJV Spirit-Filled Life Bible Third Edition Hardcover - A Review

NKJV Spirit-Filled Life Bible

Third Edition

Hardcover

edited by

Jack Hayford

A Review

Thomas Nelson has created one of the better Study Bibles that have crossed my path. I find little wrong with this compilation of helps.

The helps are indexed and are presented in full color. The 500+ brief word studies scattered throughout are helpful, lots of practical helps (“Truth in Action”), and an extra -long concordance (compared to most Study Bibles), all add extra value to this new edition. I was surprised that the hardcopy version did not include the three ribbon bookmarks found in other editions Built with a nice sturdy cover, the book feels solid and well-built.

Concerns are minor and personal. Though I am not a fan of Jack Hayford’s theology, this is a book that I am still glad to have in my library – it has valued thoughts from a leader of the church. Similarly, I am concerned about the choice to put Jesus words in red. I much prefer a Bible with all text in a common black font. Finally, all of the helps add considerable weight to this Bible. I can see this book being used at my desk, rather than being carried into church on a Sunday morning.

This would not be the first Study Bible I would add to my library – but it does belong there.

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This review is based on a free copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions are mine alone.

The Portable Seminary (2nd Edition) - A Review

The Portable Seminary

2^nd Edition

by

David Horton

A Review

Full of useful information – this book is not a portable seminary. No reader should take it off the shelf and expect to cover the topics to the depth that a typical seminary education would provide.

Having said that some topics are covered in further depth than others. A good overview of theology is provided – this is most of the first third of the book, though the author does sneak chapters on “Biblical Languages” and “Interpreting Scripture: Hermeneutics & Exegesis” into the middle of the theological chapters (immediately following a chapter on the “Doctrine of Scripture” and prior to “The Doctrine of God the Father”}. The author is strongly supportive of inerrancy; but, he clearly states, this doctrine must not be used to distinguish between authentic Christians and apostasy. Definitions are given for many of the most important terms, but few examples are given. For example, a clear distinction is made between exegesis and eisegesis – but no examples are given of either. In fact, no single example (from beginning to end) of exegesis is given. Similarly, no complete example of writing a sermon (from idea to finished sermon outline or text) is given.

Other topics covered include:

1. Five chapters introducing the Old Testament and New Testament 
2. Three chapters on evangelism: Apologetics, World Religions, and Missiology 
3. Five chapters on church history 
4. Four chapters on practical theology: Homiletics, Leadership, Ethics, and Christian Education 

It is not clear who has officially contributed to each chapter, versus allowing the quoted material to be included. Several pages of “Contributors” are included, but it is not clear who contributed what to the final volume. The ARC I was provided did set aside “1 page” for “Acknowledgments”, but it was blank and it is not clear what role these “acknowledgments” played in the development of the book.

To summarize, the book has lots of information, but the depth and helpfulness of that material will vary depending on the chapter and area of study. USE WITH CAUTION.
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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are mine alone.

The Cost of Betrayal - A Review

The Cost of Betrayal

by

Dee Henderson

Dani Pettrey

Lynette Eason

A Review

The publisher has brought together three accomplished writers to create a set of three romantic suspense filled novellas. Each story stands alone – there is no connection between them.

Dee Henderson’s story, “Betrayed”, shares the work of the Falcons – Ann, a retired FBI agent, and her husband, Paul. They have discovered a small box of leftover beauty products which also contains a knife, a murder weapon. The problem is that Janelle Roberts was convicted of the murder six years ago, but she probably is not the perpetrator. The Falcons need to find a way to get Janelle out of prison and discover the actual murderer.

Dani Pettrey’s story, “Deadly Isle”, has a young woman, whose engagement had recently been broken, finding that her cousin has been murdered and her own life is threatened. Finding the guilty party would mean risking her life yet again.

Lynette Eason presents a story, “Code of Ethics”, full of medical and police officers – who may or may not be able to be trusted.

Each could serve as a prequel for a series – though there is no indication that will be the case. I have previously read books by Dee Henderson and Dani Pettrey, their stories were suspenseful as those found in their books. Though I have never read a title by Lynette Eason, I expect the same is true for her books. These stories will make a good read during the cool Fall evenings facing readers over the next few months.
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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are mine alone.