spirituality Archives - Page 2 of 3

Book Review – Searching for God Knows What

May 12, 2010 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

About the Book

New York Times best-selling author Donald Miller explores the origin and meaning of redemption in this fully revised and redesigned bestseller.

Hysterically funny, wryly provocative, and disquietingly insightful, Searching for God Knows What invites readers to examine their deep need for redemption, to feel it, know it, and live like it is true in their lives.

Miller weaves phenomenal characters and true-to-life spectacles into his acclaimed memoir style to enrich, inspire, entertain, and ultimately challenge readers to see life in a new way. He shows that one of the greatest desires of every person is the desire for redemption, to have brokenness repaired. Instead of the chaotic relationships, self-hatred, wreckless consumerism, and anxiety that overrun a life without redemption, Miller uncovers the beauty and power of the Gospel to fulfill one of our deepest needs.

My Take on The Book

I have had the chance to read a number of Don Miller’s Books lately and continue to be amazed at how well I enjoy his style of writing and his approach to talking about spirituality.

This book allows the reader to examine their own relationship with a higher power and know that there is no correct way that this must occur. Instead, Miller focuses on what the Bible says and allows the reader to examine these passages in a fresh light. What I enjoy most about the way Miller writes is how he intertwines humor and real life experience into one to make the read even more enjoyable.

Some books on spirituality tend to be in your face and preachy, but Miller never takes this tact. Instead he lets the reader come at their own pace and allows them to do what they need to do to get to know their higher power better in their own way.

If this book sounds like something you would like in your own library you can find it on Amazon!

——————————————————————————————-
New to the Divadom?
Please Subscribe to my RSS Feed! Subscribe in a reader
Questions?Drop me a line at dadofdivas@gmail.com

Book Review – Wild at Heart: Discovering the Secret to a Man’s Soul

April 20, 2010 by dadofdivas 1 Comment

About the BookGod designed men to be dangerous, says John Eldredge. Simply look at the dreams and desires written in the heart of every boy: To be a hero, to be a warrior, to live a life of adventure and risk. Sadly, most men abandon those dreams and desires—aided by a Christianity that feels like nothing more than pressure to be a “nice guy.” It is no wonder that many men avoid church, and those who go are often passive and bored to death. In this provocative book, Eldredge gives women a look inside the true heart of a man and gives men permission to be what God designed them to be—dangerous, passionate, alive, and free.

My Take on the Book
I didn’t know what to expect in reading this book. I liked what the author says at the very beginning: “Do we really need another book for men? Nope. We need something else. We need permission. Permission to be what we are – men made in God’s image.” From the very beginning of this book, as a man, you are taking on a journey into a realm of what God has in store for any man in today’s society. Thus, for me, as a man, a leader, a husband and a father this book truly engages men in some very relevant topics that touch today’s men.

While I had not read the first edition of this book, I was impressed with how frank the book was and how well it brings out the struggles and issues that men today grapple with. The book raises some great questions on how men can hold themselves accountable to why they are the way they are. The book definitely raises some questions that made me think and made me struggle a bit, but for me this is the hallmark of a great book.

I would recommend this book as a gift to any man of any background. It provides strong encouragement for men to be what God created them to be.

If this book sounds like something that you would be interested in you can find it on Amazon!

All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site’s Terms of Use for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.

——————————————————————————————-
New to the Divadom?
Please Subscribe to my RSS Feed! Subscribe in a reader
Questions?Drop me a line at dadofdivas@gmail.com

Book Review – How Should a Christian Live?

April 13, 2010 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

About the Book
Going deep into The Word of Promise Next Generation . . . the audio Bible for the “wired generation!” You’ve heard the dramatized New Testament featuring the voice talents of many of today’s top young Hollywood stars. Now dig deeper and embrace the truths and knowledge of the Bible like never before. This new devotional study guide series is available in four volumes. Each volume includes an MP3 CD, a devotional guide, and journaling section. The devotional guide is presented in 13 lessons with topical articles, exciting and fun 2-color graphic design, and creative interactive games and activities for youth to enjoy! Also included is a journaling section at the end of each lesson of the each book.

Volume Three – the “How” focuses on the study of how Jesus’ continued presence can and should impact our lives. It is based on the books of 1-2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1-2 Thessalonians, 1-2 Timothy, Titus, and Philemon.

Features include: GET-IT (help to understand difficult concepts); GRAB-IT (how does this look in your own life); HOLD-IT (how to maintain in everyday life); GIVE-IT (how does this affect others in your life); DEFINE-IT (in-depth look at key words); and LIVE-IT (presentation of ideas, questions, challenges to support each session’s content).

My Take on the Book
This book was a great resource for young people today that are trying to figure out for themselves what the Bible means to them as well as demystifying some of the historical realities that surround the Bible and the stories within.

I liked the fact that the authors try and help the young adults understand more about Christ and why they should want to emulate him, not just follow with blind faith. The authors also do a good job at holding the hands of the reader, helping them do what they need to do to make sure that everyone understands what they are trying to say.

This book was different in the sense that it tries to utilize both reading, a workbook and an MP3 to reach out to the young people and I think it truly works and makes what they are trying to say easy to follow.

Overall, I was impressed and plan to share this with a young adult that I know will appreciate it!

If this book sounds like something you would like for your own library you can find it on Amazon or at the Thomas Nelson Publisher Site.

Book Review – The Vertical Self by Mark Sayers

April 1, 2010 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

About the Book

It’s time for a return to Radical Holiness.

Welcome to the 21st century, where you can now purchase and exchange personalities depending on mood and circumstance; where you are told that you can be anyone you want to be, and identity is no longer based in a sense of self but rather in the imagery you choose at that moment.

The Bible contains a radically different way of understanding our identity. The path that God has chosen for us to discover who we really are is the path of holiness. The most exciting thing is that this path is not for otherworldy saints; rather it is a path of earthy, gutsy holiness. It’s a path that is not about basing your life on this world or of shunning your desires. Instead, it is about bringing your hopes, your dreams, your brokenness, your desires, your humanness under the Lordship of Christ. By doing this we don’t just discover a new way of living out our faith, we discover a liberating, revolutionary, life-embracing way of being truly human.

About the Author

Mark Sayers is an author and speaker who specializes in interpreting popular culture from a Christian viewpoint.

Mark is the founder of Über a ministry that specializes in issues of youth and young adult discipleship. He is also the leader of the Red East church in Melbourne, Australia, an innovative Christian community specifically reaching the young adult demographic. He is a highly sought after speaker, trainer, consultant and thinker in the areas of popular culture and faith. Mark is the author of the Trouble with Paris: Following Jesus in a World of Plastic Promises.

Mark lives in Melbourne, Australia with his wife Trudi and daughter Grace.

My Take on the Book

In starting this book I had no idea what horizontal or vertical self even meant, so there was no way that I could answer the question of whether I was a person who cares of the horizontal self or the vertical self? In delving into this book I came to find that the author relates the horizontal self to younger adults that are stuck in the culture that is around them. Vertical self individuals are looking upwards setting aside the societal pull to focus or refocus on God.

Personally, I liked the way Mark Sayers connects everyday culture to Christianity and how we connect with God.The authors spends a lot of time looking into the history and how society has slipped into a state of ‘horizontal’ self where people’s lives are defined by society and circumstances.

This thought that the book was well written, and gave some good insights into culture today and how our view of self today has interceded into most churches. Instead of focusing on ourselves, Mr. Sayers offers practical ideas about how we can refocus back to as he calls is “a vertical posture” or rather, looking to God.

This book was thought provoking and conversation inspiring. I have had the opportunity to speak to a few friends already about the concepts brought up in the book and they too thought that the ideas brought up by the author were ones that they too felt strongly about. Mr. Sayers explains that the “horizontal world” is filled with young adults and with that in mind, I have half a mind to pass the book on to some young adults that I know around my community. Finally, I also liked the fact that the author provides the reader with a ton of practical approaches to thinking about living a more God-centered “vertical” life.

If this book sounds like one you would like as a part of your own library you can find it at Thomas Nelson Publishing or on Amazon!

Book Review & Giveaway – Between a Church and a Hard Place

March 22, 2010 by dadofdivas 9 Comments

About the Book

When his three-year-old son first said the word “God,” panic erupted over Andrew Park’s face. Teaching his children about ethics, good manners, penmanship and the perfect free throw were no problem for Park. But when his son started asking about religion, he was stumped. Raised without a religious tradition in a family where teenage rebellion meant being born again as an Evangelical Christian, Park always believed he’d be a nonbeliever. But when his children confronted him with questions, what is a father to do?

In BETWEEN A CHURCH AND A HARD PLACE: One Faith-Free Father’s Struggle to Understand What it Means to be Religious (or Not), (Avery, on sale 3/4), Park takes readers along on his tour through religion in America on his quest to find a comfortable middle ground for himself and his family. Colorful and thought-provoking, Park chronicles his explorations through the varied and often contradictory influences of religion in his life so far ? his great-grandfather’s pioneering role in the Pentecostal movement of the early 20th century, his liberal intellectual parents’ rejection of the Protestant faiths in which they were raised, his childhood in the Bible Belt, and witnessing his older brother’s rebellious immersion in a Charismatic church.

Along the way, Park grapples with the divide between our irreligious and religious societies and whether peaceful coexistence between both can ever truly be achieved. BETWEEN A CHURCH AND A HARD PLACE is a thought-provoking and illuminating journey through religion in America and is sure to spark conversation between its readers.

My Take on the Book

This book was an interesting read. It opened my eyes to how an unbelieving fathers’ eyes could be opened by his own children. I was amazed at how Park’s story was played out within this book. A father who was raised without any religious convictions and who continued this into married life was challenged in his own disbeliefs when his son began asking questions that he could not answer. As his son began asking Park had to ask himself questions about how much religion he would allow into his childrens’ lives.

The journey that this started was an interesting one as I also have been on one such as this in the past as I studied my own genealogy and the religious beginning of the family I am in. I, like Parks found that I have a history of religious individuals in my history, with my Great Great Grandfather being a minister, similar to Parks’ own great-grandfather who also was a Pentecostal preacher.

I like the fact that Parks was challenged and eventually came to believe that he (as a father) had to allow his children the opportunity to think independently. Also, I enjoy the interactions that Parks had with Christians and non-Christians alike, as his writing style portrays vivid imagery that draws the reader in and allows them to live the experience with the characters within the story.

The book is an easy and quick read, and you continue to want to read to discover what Parks will do in the end. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who has struggled with their own religious beliefs and how to portray them to your children, it will open your eyes.

If this book sounds like a book that you would like to have as a part of your own library, you can find it on Amazon!

Giveaway

How would you like to win a copy of this book for yourself? I will be giving away 2 of these books to a lucky reader! All you need to do is let me know why you would have an interest in this book to be considered. The contest will run for one week and will end on March 29, 2010.

Bonus Entries:

Blog about my Giveaway by linking back to this post (1 entries per blog post. Please leave each entry in separate comments with your URL link in order for it to count)

Grab my badge to your sidebar

Subscribe to this blog either by RSS or email for one entry (top right hand corner, if you already do leave in a separate comment)
Stumble this post. (leave username in comment per day)
Digg this post (Leave username in comment)
Follow me on Twitter (@dadofdivas) (leave username in comment)
Follow me on Google Connect
Share this giveaway on Twitter, Facebook or any forum, including the name of the prize and a link to this post. Here I’ll make it easier on you, copy and paste this:” @dadofdivas is giving away 2 copies of Between a Church and a Hard Place – http://dadofdivas.blogspot.com/” (Then leave the link to your post. One entry per place per day)
Bookmark this post in Delicious, Digg, StumbleUpon, or whatever social bookmarking site is your favorite. (Leave comment with the info. One entry per site per day)
Add me to your Technorati Favs list (one entry, leave username in comment)
Become a fan of Dad of Divas on Facebook (Leave username in comment)

Make sure you comment separately for each task after the required entry task so you will get credit for each one ~ and leave your e-mail where you can be contacted.

This contest will run until March 29, 2010 at approximately 11:59 pm Eastern.

Winner must be a resident of the U.S or Canada.

Winners are chosen at random, if you want all your chances counted, make sure you leave individual comments, not all of them in one!

Winner has 48 hours to contact me or another name will be chosen.

Book Review – Arthur’s Soul Adventure

March 15, 2010 by dadofdivas 1 Comment

About the Book

A dream of his late father, Arthur, as a young boy standing on the railroad tracks in the tough inner-city of Boston during the Great Depression, telling him he had something very important for him to do, inspired Brian Chambers to write Arthur’s Soul Adventure (O-Books) – a magical and uplifting story, sprinkled with humor and bittersweet episodes that will touch the inner spirit of anyone who reads it.

The main character of this captivating novel, Arthur, after suffering a severe blow to the skull that causes him to die temporarily, shares with readers the journey he takes through heaven alongside his Guardian Angel George. This compelling boy learns how powerful we really are and how we can literally overcome anything – even our deepest fears – when we accept that we have the power within us to do so. During Arthur’s journey, he develops a warm friendship with a lovely, yet reclusive, elderly woman who believes in him and is deeply changed by his message of hope. He soon learns a valuable lesson that God celebrates all the many paths we take in finding our way ‘back home,’ and not to listen to those who tell us there is only ‘one’ way there. When Arthur returns to his life on earth and shares his experience with neighborhood friends, they also begin to understand that their new sense of power comes from within themselves.

The symbolic boy in the author’s dream was his own father who mystically conveyed to him the important message young Arthur received during his fantastical journey through heaven, but he never told a single person about his experience during his actual lifetime. Arthur’s Soul Adventure tells the story for Chambers’ father and shares the message that had been entrusted to him long ago. Early readers have expressed a love for Chamber’s character, Arthur, and this book offers something for everyone to identify with in its heartfelt story.

Like young Arthur, Brian Chambers grew up in the rough and tough atmosphere of a Boston neighborhood, where he graduated South Boston High School and furthered his education on the unforgiving streets where his life sank into a hopeless exi stence. After experiencing a life-changing event while Pope John Paul II was visiting Boston, he fought his demons, got his life back together, and later was the first in his family to graduate from college and graduate school. Haunted by the dream about his late father asking him to tell his story, Chambers tossed and turned for sleepless nights knowing he had not written a creative word in his life. Reluctantly, he finally began writing; a year later Arthur’s Soul Adventure was born.

About the AuthorBrian Chambers was born in South Boston and raised in the Savin Hill area of Dorchester. He has lived and worked in Boston for his entire life. His editor, Suzanne moved to Boston a decade ago to work for a publisher. To their mutual amusement, it was later discovered that her earliest ancestors in America had landed in Savin Hill in 1630. Brian’s maternal grandfather was a Native American from Canada, and as Arthur’s Soul Adventure describes, Savin Hill was a special place of worship for the Native Americans in the region. Brian and Suzanne were married in May of 2007 and live in West Roxbury, Massachusetts, with her son, Dennis.

My Take on the Book
This book was one that I could not put down. The story line draws you in and makes you want more and more. The author takes the reader on a journey of discovery and in the end, the reader is eventually brought to a place where they know that they can be at peace and that there is nothing to worry about.

I have to say that I enjoyed the storyline of the book and could relate to the characters. Overall the book itself was one that I would recommend to anyone that was looking for a uplifting experience and story.

If this book sounds like one that you would like in your own library, you can find it on Amazon!

Book Review & Giveaway – A Field Guide to God

March 13, 2010 by dadofdivas 13 Comments

We can’t see, hear, smell or touch God. We can’t hug God, hold hands with God, or give God a piggyback ride around the yard. We can’t carry actual pictures of God in our wallets. So how do we have a relationship with someone who is not physically here with us?

Patty Kirk learned the hard way that in order to encounter God, you have to pay attention to the sign’s of God’s presence. A Field Guide to God: A Seeker’s Manual (February 15, 2010) is Patty Kirk’s story of her doubt, loss of faith and re-encounter with God. Candid in expressing her struggles, Kirk maps the mysterious, extraordinary, but well-trodded path into and out of awareness of God. She offers readers incontrovertible evidence of God’s ongoing presence, both in her life and theirs. An associate professor of English at John Brown University and experienced God-seeker, she’s the perfect companion for the journey as she offers practical and applicable ideas for how you might encounter God, and grow closer in this relationship.

In A Field Guide to God, you’ll discover:

Her loss of faith for over a decade – the things she has learned during this experience, and how she has since renewed her relationship with God.

A fresh approach to reading the Bible for evidence of God’s presence.
New ideas for fully experiencing prayer.
Thoughts on remaining open and attentive to God’s presence.
How to “expect the unexpected.”
What advice she would give to anyone that is struggling as a believer.
As a professor at a major Christian University, how does she use what she has learned about faith to challenge her students or even her teenage daughters?

About the Author:

Raised in California and Connecticut, Patty Kirk progressively fled home to New Orleans, Boston, Berlin, Beijing, and Hong Kong, studying German and Mandarin Chinese, teaching English, working in restaurants, and writing. She returned to the United States to pursue an M.F.A. in Creative Writing at the University of Arkansas. Kirk and her family live on a farm in Oklahoma.

Currently Kirk teaches writing at John Brown University in Siloam Springs, Arkansas, where she is Writer in Residence and Associate Professor of English. In addition to teaching, she writes, cooks, gardens, and continues to write. Her honest and challenging personal essays address such diverse topics as Christian living and spiritual development, food, cattle, literature, biblical exegesis and translation, and teaching.

My Take on the Book

Since college I can say that I have been on a person journey to find God’s work around me. I am religious but not overly so, but in saying this, I do have to say that the journey has had its ups and downs.

This book allows you to take a journey toward finding your own path in being able to see God’s daily works. The author does a good job at helping you traverse the murky waters that can be a search for God and gives you some familiar territory to watch for along the way as well as tips on how to know when you may have encountered God without knowing it.

I found it interesting to read that as youngsters we tend to pay more attention to the miracles that are around us, while as we age we miss these things. Thus, Kirk encourages all of us to take off the blinders and see everything around us and the miracles that may lie right in front of us.

If this book sounds like one you would like in your own collection, you can find it on Amazon!

Giveaway

How would you like to win a copy of this book for yourself? I will be giving away 3 of these books to a lucky reader! All you need to do is let me know why you would have an interest in this game to be considered. The contest will run for one week and will end on March 20, 2010.

Bonus Entries:

Blog about my Giveaway by linking back to this post (1 entries per blog post. Please leave each entry in separate comments with your URL link in order for it to count)

Grab my badge to your sidebar

Subscribe to this blog either by RSS or email for one entry (top right hand corner, if you already do leave in a separate comment)
Stumble this post. (leave username in comment per day)
Digg this post (Leave username in comment)
Follow me on Twitter (@dadofdivas) (leave username in comment)
Follow me on Google Connect
Share this giveaway on Twitter, Facebook or any forum, including the name of the prize and a link to this post. Here I’ll make it easier on you, copy and paste this:” @dadofdivas is giving away 3 copies of A Field Guide to God – http://dadofdivas.blogspot.com/” (Then leave the link to your post. One entry per place per day)
Bookmark this post in Delicious, Digg, StumbleUpon, or whatever social bookmarking site is your favorite. (Leave comment with the info. One entry per site per day)
Add me to your Technorati Favs list (one entry, leave username in comment)
Become a fan of Dad of Divas on Facebook (Leave username in comment)

Make sure you comment separately for each task after the required entry task so you will get credit for each one ~ and leave your e-mail where you can be contacted.

This contest will run until March 20, 2010 at approximately 11:59 pm Eastern.

Winner must be a resident of the U.S or Canada.

Winners are chosen at random, if you want all your chances counted, make sure you leave individual comments, not all of them in one!

Winner has 48 hours to contact me or another name will be chosen.

Book Review & Giveaway – Ascension

February 20, 2010 by dadofdivas 10 Comments

About The Book

Ascension: Connecting With the Immortal Masters and Beings of Light teaches readers how to dive deep within and recover what might be called the higher self, guardian angel, inner guru, spiritual guide, master-teacher, or God within.

Ascension is easy to understand, logical, and practical, with simple-to-learn methods requiring no previous experience, background, training, or knowledge. The book is filled with stories about visitations from divine beings; methods for meeting ascended masters and angels of light; and inspiring messages from the immortal masters and deities. Ascension also contains stories, beautiful paintings, and drawings of these immortal beings.

Ascension will teach readers:

Who the ascended masters and divine beings are, and how to meet them.
What it means to experience ascension and walk beyond death.
How to begin their own ascension process.
How to meet their own inner divine teachers and discover their names.
How to hear, see, feel, and get “signals” from inner teachers.

“Ascension takes off in a vast new direction. I really believe your insights into yourself and the world in which you live will be altered forever by reading this book.”

-James Van Praagh, spiritual medium, author of Unfinished Business.

Ascension: Connecting with the Immortal Masters and Beings of Light (EAN 978-1-60163-092-6, pages: 256, price: $15.99) was published by New Page Books. The book is available at Barnes & Noble, Borders, Amazon.com, and many other booksellers.

For more information about Ascension and other new releases, visit the Website of the publisher, New Page Books, at www.NewPageBooks.com.

About the Author

Susan Shumsky, DD, is the author of Exploring Auras, How to Hear the Voice of God, Exploring Chakras, and other well-known titles. She appears regularly in the media and has been featured in Woman’s World, Cosmopolitan, and GQ. Dr. Shumsky has practiced self-development disciplines for more than 40 years. For 22 years she was the student and personal assistant to the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, founder of Transcendental Meditation and guru of the Beatles. She then studied New Thought and metaphysics for another 20 years. Dr. Shumsky has taught thousands worldwide to meditate, develop their intuition, and attain selfealization and enlightenment.

My Take On The Book
Dr. Shumsky does a wonderful job at providing the reader with a guide to become “an explorer of eternity.” She writes as if having a dialog with the reader, helping us understand the intricacies of numerous ascended masters. She uses stories that are both humorous and inspiring. She introduces us to mythical beings, saints, the Buddhas, as well as everyday people that have stories that open the doors in our minds to ascension.

Dr. Shumsky keeps her investigation succinct, and it becomes quite clear that this book could be much longer than it truly is. The book is very practical and easy to read and is written for the person who does not know much about ascension or the masters who came before. She makes this topic (one that I did not have any previous knowledge of) easy to understand. It became clear to me that Dr. Shumsky was telling her readers that anyone can be connected to God, and that the process was not as difficult as some think it should be.

The book does a great job at introducing the readers to the immortal beings within varying cultures. I enjoyed learning about these beings and their stories. As mentioned, I was not aware of the stories of thes beings prior to reading this and I truly found myself enlightened after reading about these beings and wanting to share my knowledge (and the book with others).

If this books sounds like one that you would like to add to your own collection, you can find it over at Amazon!

Giveaway

How would you like to win a copy of this book? I will be giving away 1 copy to a lucky reader! All you need to do is let me know why you would have an interest in this book to be considered. The contest will run for one week and will end on February 27, 2010.

Bonus Entries:

Blog about my Giveaway by linking back to this post (1 entries per blog post. Please leave each entry in separate comments with your URL link in order for it to count)

Grab my badge to your sidebar

Subscribe to this blog either by RSS or email for one entry (top right hand corner, if you already do leave in a separate comment)
Stumble this post. (leave username in comment per day)
Digg this post (Leave username in comment)
Follow me on Twitter (@dadofdivas) (leave username in comment)
Follow me on Google Connect
Share this giveaway on Twitter, Facebook or any forum, including the name of the prize and a link to this post. Here I’ll make it easier on you, copy and paste this:” @dadofdivas is giving away a copy of Ascension bySusan Shumsky – http://dadofdivas.blogspot.com/” (Then leave the link to your post. One entry per place per day)
Bookmark this post in Delicious, Digg, StumbleUpon, or whatever social bookmarking site is your favorite. (Leave comment with the info. One entry per site per day)
Add me to your Technorati Favs list (one entry, leave username in comment)
Become a fan of Dad of Divas on Facebook (Leave username in comment)

Make sure you comment separately for each task after the required entry task so you will get credit for each one ~ and leave your e-mail where you can be contacted.

This contest will run until February 27, 2010 at approximately 11:59 pm Eastern.

Winner must be a resident of the U.S or Canada.

Winners are chosen at random, if you want all your chances counted, make sure you leave individual comments, not all of them in one!

Winner has 48 hours to contact me or another name will be chosen.

Book Review & Giveaway – Crave: Wanting So Much More of God

February 5, 2010 by dadofdivas 20 Comments

About The Book

The heart of Crave is that our longings for love, acceptance, and purpose are deep and real things we all deal with throughout our lives. And we seek to satisfy these longings with something—like money, or sex, or relationships, or work—or even career, ministry, or validation. But there’s only One who can satisfy these cravings, and He’s the one who made them in the first place. In fact, He made them so we’d seek Him out as the Great Satisfier, so that we would spend our lives making much of Him rather than focusing on ourselves.

So you can see how this is a message that needs to take root again in my own heart and mind. Jan 1, 2010 has come and gone, and my life isn’t all that different. Even if my career does change because of this new journey into writing, I will still search in vain for satisfaction so long as I look to anything other than Jesus.

One of the fun things about writing a book is that you get to dedicate it to someone. I decided to dedicate this first book to Jesus, not because He needs to read what I’ve written, but because I have written it so He might be treasured more and more by anyone who reads it. That’s my hope for you as well—that you would find Him to be the greatest satisfaction to your soul’s deepest cravings.

An Interview With The Author

If you want to learn more about the book and the author, check out the following links:

Website – http://cravesomethingmore.org/

Twitter – (http://twitter.com/christomlinson_)

Facebook Fan Page (http://facebook.com/tomlinsoncr)

Preview of the first three chapters of the book via Scribd

Crave: Wanting So Much More of God (First 3 Chapters)

My Take On The Book
This book was great to read as the author wrote directly to the readers as a conversation. This conversation made me want to read even more and even ask him questions about his own journey as I was reading the book itself.

The author uses his own journey toward finding God to help his readers as well. I liked the idea that finding God for him (and for his belief for others) was a journey. I know that I, along with others have been on a similar journey. For some this journey seems short, but for most, it is a lifelong process that takes much time and effort.

The book asks some hard questions such as: What is prayer? What stands in my way from having a meaningful relationship with God? How can I live a more spiritual life?

Though the author asks hard question, overall he is asking each and everyone of his readers to work hard and move toward giving their full heart toward God so that their cravings are completely satisfied.

The author packed a lot of experience into the book. Also, he challenges all of his readers to do in their own spiritual lives what he has been able to do in his own life. He also provides readers with resources and guidance to allow them to start or continue their own journeys.

The author has a plan and the book is definitely one to read if you are on or are looking to start a journey toward a closer relationship with God.

Does this sounds like a book that you would be interested in? If so check out the book on Amazon!

Giveaway

How would you like to win an autographed copy of this book? I will be giving away 1 autographed copy to a lucky reader! All you need to do is let me know why you would have an interest in this book to be considered. The contest will run for one week and will end on February 12, 2010.

Bonus Entries:

Blog about my Giveaway by linking back to this post (1 entries per blog post. Please leave each entry in separate comments with your URL link in order for it to count)

Grab my badge to your sidebar

Subscribe to this blog either by RSS or email for one entry (top right hand corner, if you already do leave in a separate comment)
Stumble this post. (leave username in comment per day)
Digg this post (Leave username in comment)
Follow me on Twitter (@dadofdivas) (leave username in comment)
Follow me on Google Connect
Share this giveaway on Twitter, Facebook or any forum, including the name of the prize and a link to this post. Here I’ll make it easier on you, copy and paste this:” @dadofdivas is giving away 1 autographed copy of Crave! – http://dadofdivas.blogspot.com/” (Then leave the link to your post. One entry per place per day)
Bookmark this post in Delicious, Digg, StumbleUpon, or whatever social bookmarking site is your favorite. (Leave comment with the info. One entry per site per day)
Add me to your Technorati Favs list (one entry, leave username in comment)
Become a fan of Dad of Divas on Facebook (Leave username in comment)
Follow Chris Tomlinson on Twitter – (http://twitter.com/christomlinson_)
Become a fan of Chris Tomlinson on Facebook(http://facebook.com/tomlinsoncr )

Make sure you comment separately for each task after the required entry task so you will get credit for each one ~ and leave your e-mail where you can be contacted.

This contest will run until February 12, 2010 at approximately 11:59 pm Eastern.

Winner must be a resident of the U.S or Canada.

Winners are chosen at random, if you want all your chances counted, make sure you leave individual comments, not all of them in one!

Winner has 48 hours to contact me or another name will be chosen.

Book Review – The Money God

February 4, 2010 by dadofdivas 1 Comment

About The Book

“Money was a driving force in Celia’s life.With it she had everything, without it she was vulnerable and alone.”

From the rural Catskill Mountains to the busy streets of New York City, THE MONEY GOD by Zena Livingston takes us on one family’s journey through three decades. We watch Celia, her mother Sophie, and her two daughters, Estelle and Ann get caught up in a whirlpool of love, loss and greed. The constant desire for wealth drives these women apart as they simultaneously deal with their own financial struggles, family rifts and the immediate consequences of global conflicts.

Living under Sophie’s roof, and thus under her overbearing control, Celia (or Cel)is given a chance at the good life when she marries her soul mate, Henry. After only a short time together, Henry passes away and leaves Cel with a young daughter and littlemoney. As a single parent during the Great Depression, Cel is under a tremendous amount of pressure by Sophie to quickly move on and marry another young man named Morris, who will be able to support Cel and her daughter. Though her heart is still shattered, Cel’s second marriage sparks a new driving force in her life: the pursuit of money. It is at this point that Cel decides wealth is above all else. She puts on a happy face and goes through her daily motions as she sacrifices her family, her honesty and her own personal health to get what she wants.

Yet, Cel strongly resents her second marriage. Although she is provided with a fine lifestyle, she is vengeful to those around her, believing that she has given up her freedom. She must care for three children: her own daughter Estelle, and Morris’ two sons, one of whom is developmentally delayed. After Cel becomes involved in a tryst with a friend’s husband, hides money from her family, has a secret abortion, and shows obvious favoritism toward her own child, she experiences a terrifying event within the family that snaps her back to reality. This devastating event ignites Cel’s maternal instincts as she seems to realize that she has always been centered on her family’s well-being.

This burst of love, however, is no match for Cel’s quest for wealth. The times begin to change, as America transitions out of the Great Depression and into World War II, but Cel remains the same – greedy, cold and selfish. While the children grow up and start families of their own, Cel gets a big surprise when she finds out that she, after being told she would never conceive again, is pregnant!

Although Cel never wanted any more children, she gives birth to Ann, who, throughout her childhood, is shunned and beaten both physically and emotionally. Yet, Ann grows up with a refreshing perspective on life and finds that she is not destined to follow in Cel’s footsteps. Ann begins a teaching career in an underprivileged area, where she is dedicated to giving these children a chance to succeed. Ann vows never to turn into her mother, or to ever let money be her God.

My Take On The Book
While I am a man, I can see the challenges between the mother and daughter within this novel that makes the storyline as strong as it is as I have seen other mothers and daughters struggle with similar issues.

I found it interesting to see the guilt that one mother can place on her own daughter and how this guilt and fear on the daughters part encouraged her into action.

The book was easy to read and kept my attention. As I read a lot of books in many different genres, I did find that this book was one that I would keep and that I believe others would enjoy reading as well.

Overall this book was one that I would definitely recommend to all my reader who have daughters or who are connected to others with daughters!

If this books sounds like something that you would be interested in, you can purchase it at Amazon.com

« Previous Page