Tag Archives: Books

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Book Review – Dragons: Legends And Lore Of Dinosaurs

Dragons: Legends And Lore Of DinosaursLegends of dragons have always fascinated me.  As a kid, I read dozens of books about dragons, some fictional, others reportedly true.  And I loved every word.

My passion for early earth history, as recorded in Genesis, has lead me to many stories and reports of man encountering these incredible creatures.  This makes sense from a young earth point of view, because God created most of the dinosaurs on Day Six, along with the rest of the land animals. Of course, aquatic dinosaurs would have been created on Day Five…

But the word “dinosaur” wasn’t coined until 1841 by Sir Richard Owen.  What were these creatures called before the word dinosaur was invented?

Dragons.

Master Books has put together an incredible summary of dragons in many different cultures around the world, called Dragons:  Legends and Lore of Dinosaurs.  Piecing together eyewitness accounts and multi-cultural stories, along with many other evidences, they’ve created an extremely interesting account.

Dragons are found in dozens of cultures around the world.  They are mentioned in many ancient texts, including more than two dozen references in the Bible alone.

Along with this evidence, there are many archaeological finds that have dragons depicted on them.

How did so many diverse societies develop such similar creatures.  Mythology isn’t enough of an answer.  There had to be something more.  That these people saw such creatures is the only possible explanation.

I’ve read much of the information and stories presented in Dragons:  Legends and Lore of Dinosaurs before.  However, there were a few places where I read something new.

Dragons:  Legends and Lore of Dinosaurs kept me fascinated the entire time I perused it.  It will make an excellent resource to keep on my shelf with the rest of my creation materials.

This book is incredibly interesting.  I suggest you read it today!

If you are interested in reading Dragons: Legends And Lore Of Dinosaurs, you can purchase it at Amazon.com.

Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received this book free from New Leaf Press/Master Books as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links”. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.“

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Book Review: The Alarmists – by Don Hoesel

The Alarmists by Don HoeselI love a good suspense novel.

The Alarmists is the newest work by author Don Hoesel.  I enjoyed it immensely!

Here’s the plot.  The world is quickly approaching a watershed moment in history.  Similar to Y2K, this moment could make or break humanity.  What moment is this?  The end of the Mayan calendar in December of 2012.

Sociologist Brent Michaels is contracted by a special unit of the military to help them examine the date of several strange occurrences around the world.  These could be coincidental, but they seem just a little too structured.  They have to be man-made.  But how?  And by whom?

That’s what Michaels has to figure out.  Is there really a plot to take advantage of a doomsday scenario for financial gain?  Just how far are these people willing to go with this?

Michaels teams up with one of the members of the elite military unit to figure this out.  While is is a committed atheist, and sees no need for faith, his team mate, who he’s increasingly attracted to, is a strong Christian.

The Alarmists is an intriguing story of suspense and fear, and humanity and faith.  I really enjoyed it.  If you like suspense fiction, then you need to pick up a copy of The Alarmists.  You’ll be glad you did!

If you are interested in reading The Alarmists, you can purchase it at Amazon.com.

Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received this book free from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links”. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.“

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Book Review: Max On Life – by Max Lucado

Max On LifeMax Lucado’s new book is different thank anything I’ve ever read by him.

Usually, Lucado’s books are developed around a central theme, and that topic is discussed throughout the book.

Not so with this one.

The concept of this Max On Life is a lot like the FAQ section for life’s manual.  Lucado takes almost 200 questions that he’s collected over the last several years of his ministry and answers each of them briefly.

Topics range from hope and grace, pain and suffering, relationships, sex and marriage, heaven and hell, money, Scripture, prayer and more.

While interesting, I really didn’t like the format.

It was too brief.

There were a lot of questions that I felt Lucado could have delved into a little deeper.  There were a few answers that I felt he was off base.  I just didn’t think this book flowed as smoothly as it could have.

Sure, there were a few nuggets here and there that were good.  But there was a lot of reading in between those.

In my opinion, if you want information on any of these individual topics, there are much better resources out there that specifically speak to that issue.  Use those resources.  Max On Life is ok, but it isn’t that great of a help.

Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze blogger review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.“

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What To Do When You Feel Like A Dummy

Sometimes I feel like I don’t know everything I should about something.

Sometimes I feel like a dummy.

Fortunately, there is something I can do about that.

WordPress All-In-One For Dummies

I’m a reader.  I learn best by reading about how to do something, and then doing it.  Once I take those two steps, I’ve pretty much got what I needed to understand.  At least, to an extent.

So now that I’m blogging more seriously, and using WordPress as my platform, I needed a resource that would help me understand what I’m doing as well as possible.

I pre-ordered WordPress All-In-One For Dummies.  I placed this order over two months ago on Amazon.com.  After the availability date was pushed back a couple of different times, and I almost forgot that it was coming, it finally arrived at my door yesterday.

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Book Review: The Final Summit by Andy Andrews

The Final SummitAndy Andrews has quickly become one of my favorite authors.

I was first introduced to his books a couple of years ago when I read The Noticer.  Another of his stories that I loved was The Heart Mender.

And I think he’s done it again.

The Final Summit is Andrews‘ newest book.  I sat down with it and read it straight through.  I didn’t stop until I was finished.  It kept my attention the entire way through.

While not as captivating as The Noticer or The Heart Mender, The Final Summit is well-written and extremely interesting.

Here’s the main idea:  David Ponder is nearing the end of his life, so he thinks.  Suddenly, he is visited by the archangel Gabriel, who has come for him. But not in the way David thinks.  Gabriel has come to escort David to a Summit, full of history’s most brilliant minds.  Their goal:  to find the solution that will save humanity from the horrific disaster looming in front of them.

David is allowed to choose only a few of the world’s best leaders and thinkers to help him discover the solution.  Can he do it in time?

I would highly encourage anyone to read The Final Summit.  Even though it’s a fictional story, it is full of incredible insight and wisdom, much like many of Andrews’ other books.  You need to read this one.  It will change the way you think about life.  It will change the way you involve yourself in the world that surrounds you.

Do something.  Read this today.

If you are interested in reading The Final Summit, you can purchase it at Amazon.com.

Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze blogger review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links”. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.“

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Book Review: Breath Of Angel by Karyn Henley

Breath Of AngelOne of my favorite genres to read when I was in high school and college was fantasy fiction.  I loved series such as The Lord of the Rings and Dragon Lance.  In fact, I still go back and read a bit  of this genre occasionally.

This week I read Karyn Henley’s book Breath Of Angel.  This is a fantasy novel with a twist:  many of the main characters are angels operating in the world of mankind.

I was intrigued from the very beginning.  The story is about a young priestess named Melaia, who loves her life serving the Most High at the temple.  But she is quickly finds herself in the middle of a battle between two immortal brothers who destroyed a stairway to Heaven, and who will destroy the rest of the world if they aren’t stopped.

As Melaia discovers the reality of angels, immortals, and other beings thought to be myth, she is thrust into the center of this struggle for dominion between the two brothers.  Caught there, she discovers things about herself that she’s never known, and things about the world that she’s never suspected.

Can she do what’s needed to help save the world?  Can she do what’s needed to save herself?

I enjoyed Breath Of Angel.  While I felt that it was written with a younger reader in mind, I still enjoyed it.  And I’m sure that my daughter would love it.

If you are interested in reading Breath Of Angel, you can purchase it at Amazon.com.

Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received this book free from Multnomah Books as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links”. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.“

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My Go To Books On Leadership

I believe that leadership skills are essential in ministry.

Books

I’ve watched too many people in ministry fail, or be less effective than they could be, because of a lack of leadership abilities.

I’ve identified the top books on my shelf in this area to share with you.  There are dozens of books that have helped me grow in my leadership abilities, way too many to list here.

Here are my top five.

The 21 Irrefutable Laws Of Leadership, by John C. Maxwell
This resource has been around for several years, and is the first book that I read that sparked my leadership interests.  In it, Maxwell identifies the top 21 qualities that are essential in a leader.  In my opinion, this is the essential book on leadership to have on your shelf.  (View The 21 Irrefutable Laws Of Leadership on Amazon.com.)