Friday, August 31, 2012

Bobby Richardson ~ World Series MVP

World Series MVP for the New York Yankee's "Bobbie Richardson" was not just an outstanding baseball player.  In his book "Impact Player Leaving a Lasting Legacy on & off the Field" the reader will discover what his first priority was in life.  Mr. Richardson remained a humble individual while playing baseball but his first love was his faith in God.  He was a man devoted to much prayer and demonstrating Christian qualities.  He was never embarrassed to talk about the goodness of God.  Though he was fortunate enough to play along with Yogi Berra; Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris these things never swayed him from his life long purpose.  Even when starting his relationship with his wife, he had these important words inscribed in stone, '"Only one life, it will soon be past.  Only a life for Christ will last."'  This autobiography which was supplied to me by the Tyndale Network in exchange for my honest review has proven to be such a blessing.  It would make a great gift for husband, sons and grandsons  so keep in mind with the Holidays coming up around the corner.  Bobbie Richardson's history raises warm feelings within me.  When I was growing up, many a sports team player could be looked upon as a role model and Author Richardson can be revered in the same way.  He is a true mentor who encourages the readers to be grateful in everything.and to stay focused on your goals.  '"Bobby Richardson Impact Player A Memoir-Leaving a Lasting Legacy On & Off The Field"' is a work of excellence worth reading!
 

Thursday, August 30, 2012

The Miracle in a Young Mans Heart

    Redemption is Bryan Clay's testimony of  how God changed his  life and guided him into winning   the 2008 Olympic gold medal as well as the 2004 Olympic silver medal in the decathlon.  As a young adult, the author was full of anger and pain enough to set him on the road to self-destruction.  Not unlike a lot of young men of today, he dabbled in drugs and found himself in a lot of fist fighting matches.  For this reason, his story can and will reach the hearts of  young people.  Everyone knows that they tend to listen to someone who understands where they are at and why they feel the way that they do.  This book is also very inspiring for parents as it explains in depth, the unwaivering faith of his mother and how she never ceased in praying for her son. She never gave up, this being a firm reminder for other parents to pray continously for your children.  For all readers, this fact based book is a Hope that God can acheive the impossible.  When the Lord touches this young man's heart it is a joy to hear of his further transformation.  Once suicidal, Bryan Clay finds real purpose and meaning in his life.  I am honored to have previewed his book for BookSneeze on line in exchange for my opinion.  I foresee his story blessing many others in the future and applaud him for having the courage to share the aspects of  his young years.

Forbidden Romance

Cindy Woodsmall fostered my affection of Amish Romances, I have read all of her books.  Cherry Blossom is one of my favorites as I could relate to Annie 's struggle between the young man she falls in love with and the way she was raised as an Old Order Mennonite.  Until this point in her life, Annie was content and at peace with this lifestyle.  Annie is smitten with Aden who is Old Order Amish.  Both of their religions forbid them from dating outside of their own Faith.  It is an exciting novel as the reader presses on to find out whether love or personal belief win over.  Will they give into temptation?  Will they risk losing the respect of their families?  Aden is also facing another burden, his brother is paraplegic and his responsibility is to care for him since the horrible farming accident.  Annie has had a difficult past also as her parents are divorced.  She still has a deep fondness for her father.  This book carries the same passion that Romeo and Juliet had.  When love runs so deep and yet is forbidden, how will the characters resolve this very real situation,  It was my joy to review this book for Waterbrookmultnomah in exchange for my honest opinion.  This is a book that you will not want to put down and you will stay up all night long just to find out what will occur next.  It will keep you on the edge of your seat and it will teach you that love is not always simple and that each individual must make decisions of what they feel is good for their life.  Yes, I highly recommend~
 

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

John Hagee's "The Power of Prophetic Blessing"


John Hagee, New York Best-Selling Author, encourages readers to refer to the Scriptures and research God's promises of Blessings and Prosperity to his people from the beginning of time.  Mr. Hagee takes the Bible literally, exactly how I was raised in my home church.  In fact, you will hear me often say that I was born spiritually rich however there are some discrepancies in how I define blessings and John Hagee's view of  this wording.  Author Hagee's emphasis leans more towards materialistic belongings whereas I was taught to  believe '"But Lay Up Treasures for Yourself in Heaven where neither moth nor rust corrupt and where thieves do not break through nor steal"' {Matthew 6:20}.  I firmly feel that our goal should be for spiritual gifts and treasures, that is not to say that God will not also bless us with what we need in this life, it's just a matter of priorities.
See Matthew 6:21 '"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also"'.In the forward of his book, John Hagee states '"Humans have forever been searching for a guarantee of the good life--"' and his goal is to relate to readers how supernatural blessing when spoken by spiritual authority can help you experience spiritual, physical, emotional and relational prosperity.  This book is divided into three sections as follows:  Defining the Prophetic and Priestly Blessings; The Prophetic Blessings and Releasing and receiving the Blessing.  This book reminds me of a recent conversation that my spouse and I had.  I was telling him that if he prayed about a certain matter that the Lord would bless him.  My husband was quite upset and quickly explained that the reason he was praying was because He loved the Lord, not because he expected anything in return.  My concern is that it seems as if the writer is selling God to the people so that they will serve him for what they can get not out of the pureness of love in their hearts.  Let me explain here, if we serve the Lord he does bless his people but that does not mean that they will walk through life without trials and tribulations '"it rains on the good and the bad"'.  When loss or illness comes, it does not mean that God loves his children any less.  Look at Job who the Lord allowed to be tested to prove his faithfulness.  Despite our personal differences and interpretations of God's word, I am glad that I had the priviledge to review this book and learn of  other believer's teachings.  Very easy to understand and gain insight.  I recommend to those who may be studying the differences in religions or denominations.

Monday, August 27, 2012

Quick & Easy Fix to Feel Rejuvenized~5 Hour Energy

My spouse works thirteen hour days at his place of employment and he has had an overload of extra responsibilities this summer which includes driving down to a lawyer who is one hour away from us, often after work. As a member of smiley360 online, I was given a couple bottles of 5 hour energy drink for free in exchange for my honest review. My husband was elated to be the guinea pig for this experiment as he is the one who is constantly on the go. He drank the bottle after a full days of work so that he had enough energy to stay awake and watch the baseball game. He was able to stay up an extra two hours and we attributed this to the fact that he had already worked all day long. So although he did not stay up the full five extra hours, he was pleased with the results. There is NO SUGAR in 5 hour energy, it consists of a blend of B-vitamins and nutrients with as much caffeine as one cup of coffee. For those mindful of calories...there is 4 calories per bottle. Please note: if you have medical concerns such as high blood pressure or diabetes and/or are taking medication it is wise to check with your physician before using this drink. I give the product a B.