Bound Together

Chris Braun's book, "Bound Together" is written about the impact that one person's actions can have on many other people. Chris Braun has developed this image of a rope that binds us all together, in an attempt to illustrate how as humans we are all connected to each other. The premise sounds simple, especially when we consider the impact that we have on those who are closest to us, but what Brauns really does is show how we can impact those outside of our small social circle, and how the impact of our actions can even be felt by future generations.

I thought that this book was pretty interesting, though at times I felt like Brauns was over explaining some things that were more common sense. However, the subject was really intriguing, and I thought that the imagery of the rope that binds us together really helped explain this principle well. I think that this book makes me a little bit more mindful of how my actions could affect others, as well as more thoughtful about my own relationship with Christ.

I would recommend this book to anyone. I think it's a great read, and can really help improve a lot of interpersonal relationships with the knowledge and understanding presented in it.

FTC DISCLOSURE: I received this book for free from BookSneeze.com in exchange for an honest review. I was not obligated to write a positive review.

Second Chances

Max Lucado's book, "Second Chances" is a book that focuses on the necessity of God's grace and forgiveness. I love Max Lucado's writings, and this one does offer up some reminders of how much we need God's grace in our lives. We will never be "good" enough on our own - it is only through the unending, powerful grace of God that we are able to have a relationship with God. This is an important thing to remember, and I found that Lucado does a good job of putting this frame of mind into words. 

What I liked about this book was that the chapters are relatively short, which makes it easy to pick up whenever you have time in the day, and read one chapter, almost like a devotional. Lucado hits some great points, as always, and his writing style is easy to read, and he uses Biblical references as well as personal stories and events to illustrate his point. 

Overall I would give this book a 4/5 - well written, to the point, and a great reminder of God's grace in our lives. I would recommend this book for anyone - would be great for high schoolers, college students, or adults.

FTC DISCLOSURE: I received this book for free from Thomas Nelson Publishers in exchange for an honest review. I was not obligated to write a positive review. 

The Gospel of Yes

"The Gospel of Yes" by Mike Glenn is a book the explores what happens when we stop thinking of God as someone who limits what we can do. The basic premise for this book is rather than seeing God as a God that sets limits and corrects you, we can view Him as someone who can liberate and connect with us. 

Mike Glenn explores all of the ways that God tells us "yes" in his book, with each chapter based on one of the many examples of how God says "yes" to us. Glenn explains the "yes" of creation, "yes" of the cross, "yes" of the resurrection, and the "yes" of forgiving others. Through creating a solid understanding of God's desire to say "yes" to us, we can form a more personal relationship with God.

I think that this book is well-written, and puts forth a very simplistic, yet very important aspect of having a relationship with God, and understanding his desire for those who choose to walk with him. I think that this book offers an alternative view of God, rather than seeing God as someone who is always telling us that we can't do something, to see him as a God who wants to give us opportunity. 

I would give this book a 4.5/5, and would highly recommend it to anyone who desires a more genuine relationship with God, or those who feel like following God is a laundry list of things you can't do, rather than an open invitation to the things that you can do.

FTC DISCLOSURE: I received this book for free from BloggingforBooks.org in exchange for an honest review. I was not obligated to write a positive review.

The Woman's Study Bible (NIV)

"The Woman's Study Bible" published by Thomas Nelson is an awesome study resource designed for women. This Bible features articles, short footnotes, and messages that speak to the specific needs of a woman's soul. What I love about this Bible is the awesome footnotes, which truly help you understand the full meaning of what is written on the pages. Another feature that I like is the introduction page that preceeds each chapter - this introduction gives information about the author, date, and background of that particular chapter, as well as the themes found in the chapter and an outline. 

This Bible is full of wonderful quotes, short stories and articles relating to women, and I think this makes it a wonderful resource for the Christian woman. I think that sometimes it is easy to feel like the Bible is all about the great men of Biblical times, and it's refreshing and motivational to have small reminders that being a woman of God is a special thing, too. 

This Bible features an extensive index for finding nearly anything you could need within the pages of this Bible. It also features a NIV Concordance as well as color maps of Biblical times. I would highly recommend this Bible to any woman looking to get a little bit more out of their Bible study time - I think this Bible is the perfect tool for really digging deep into the Bible and getting more out of it than ever before. 

FTC DISLCOSURE: I received this book for free from BookSneeze.com's blogger program in exchange for an honest review. I was not obligated to write a positive review.