Don't travel abroad without reading this!

5 STARS

REVIEW: Foreign to Familiar by Sarah A. Lanier

This book is a perfect primer for anyone going on a mission trip in the near future or even just traveling abroad.

Author Sarah A. Lanier introduces and teaches readers in an easy-to-read format, the various differences in hot- and cold-climate cultures. For example, hot-climate cultures are more relationship based while cold-climate cultures are more task oriented. And hot-climate cultures are more group oriented while cold-climate cultures are more individualistic. Also, in hot-climate cultures people are more spontaneous while in cold-climate cultures people are more time oriented.

Having traveled internationally a few times recently, I have found Lanier’s insights true and helpful. She is well versed and knowledgeable in the topic as having lived and worked extensively in the US, Middle East, South America, Africa, and more.

Don't travel abroad without reading this!

Excellent resource!

5 STARS

REVIEW: The 9 Arts of Spiritual Conversations: Walking alongside People Who Believe Differently by Mary Schaller and John Crilly

To be Great Commission Christians we need to figure out how to get into the lives of unbelievers. This book can help do that.

As a pastor, I hear many Christians express fear about how hard it is to share their faith. Yet, authors Mary Schaller and John Crilly dispel that fear with this newest resource packed full (a whole 256 pages!) with 9 easy "artful" practices on how to begin spiritual conversations with others.

This is an excellent resource that I would recommend to anyone eager to share his or her Christian faith but for some reason felt he or she could not. It is also a great resource for those who want to strengthen their spiritual conversations "practices" in order to share faith in non-threatening ways.

Highly recommend!

*Tyndale House Publishers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for my unbiased review.

This book gives you “more” of what you need

4 stars

The More of Less: Finding the Life you Want Under Everything You Own by Joshua Becker

This month’s review is from my husband, who is striving to be a minimalist in a world full of stuff…

In the American culture today, stuff can dictate our lives. We feel we must work hard to keep up with others and their stuff, so we put too much value on possessions over deep relationships. But in this book, author Joshua Becker teaches how one can become a minimalist at heart and find happiness in less.

He offers practical baby steps in how to downsize, taking the fear of getting rid of everything all at once. He says 80% of what is in our house we only use 20% of the time. So why do we have all the stuff? This book helps one evaluate what they have and asks hard questions like:

• What if, instead of being embarrassed over the type of car we drive, we became embarrassed over how often we take the luxury of automobile ownership for granted?
• What if, instead of being embarrassed because our house seems too small, we became embarrassed over the amount of unused space within it?
• What if, instead of being embarrassed over the brand of our clothing, we became embarrassed over the enormity of our walk-in closet?

Overall, this book helps readers see the world of excess and reminds us as Christian how we are to live differently than the world and find happiness not in stuff, but of the things of God.

*I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this unbiased 

Entertaining, even for a non-sports fan

3 stars

This is Your Brain on Sports: The Science of Underdogs, the Value of Rivalry, and What We Can Learn from the T-shirt Cannon by L. Jon Wertheim and Sam Sommers

It is not news that our world is sports crazy and sports driven.

I admit I am not a fan of every sport. Yet, I sought to read this book in order to gain a deeper understanding of the phenomenon and power sports has over people. And this book seeks to explain that through psychological, behavioral, and neuroscience studies and experiments. I especially enjoyed the science behind the T-shirt cannon thrill, the need for rivals, and the fascination of underdogs.

Overall, this book is interesting and entertaining, even for a non-sports fan. However, I found some chapters a bit graphic and blushing.

*I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this unbiased review.

Cool new Bible project for Africa!

There’s a cool new project I recently heard about that I wanted to share with you.

It is the Africa Study Bible.

As pastor with a heart for missions and knowing context is critical, this new Bible hopes to help bridge the gap of cultural understanding and relevance of the Scripture to everyday life in Africa. Because most discipleship and biblical resources come from a Western perspective and viewpoint—a culture far removed from Africa. Africans have lacked a resource that connects with their unique experience, hindering discipleship. So the goal of this new Bible is to create a resource that will disciple and equip others to grow strong in Jesus Christ and to give insight into God’s Word from an African perspective. The Africa Study Bible will be bringing the power of Scripture to Africa in a new and culturally relevant way.

The Africa Study Bible will contain more than 2,200 features planned by Africans who teach and lead God’s people. Designed to grow the faith of African church members, teach them to evangelize their communities, and apply a biblical worldview to their society, these features will include application notes, stories and proverbs, touchpoints that link Africa and the Bible, learn notes that explain basic theology, and major theme articles that apply the Bible to key issues.

This project isn't a reality yet. But below you can check out a video about the project, read about some of its features, and even learn how you can be a partner in bringing it to reality through their Kickstarter page.

View the Kickstarter page and learn how you can help support this project - click here 

View the YouTube Video about the project - click here

View the website about the project to learn more - click here 

Perfect for journaling newbies!

4 stars

Collage this Journal by Eleanor Shakespeare

Art journaling is currently a very popular concept, but sometimes a blank notebook can be overwhelming and seem daunting in knowing where to start, especially for folks new to the concept. But this new book by Eleanor Shakespeare is set up beautifully for newbies, as well as long-term art journalers as it provides prompts on already full-colored creatively decorated backgrounds that just need personal touches with doodles, paint, markers, paper, or any other art media you wish. Some of the prompts include: “Who or what makes you laugh?,” “Collage yourself as a superhero,” and “What makes your heart sing?”

This collaging journal would make a perfect gift and creative outlet for any teen or artistic person who wants to capture things they love as well as dreams they have.

If there would be any suggestion in the future, it would be for the book be spiral or ring bound to allow for the addition of pasting items and adding art medium to the pages.

*I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this unbiased review.