Unleashed - by Erwin McManus

My Thoughts:
Unleashed was a great, real, open and honest book. I loved it! It is a short book and a quick read, unless you stop to let it really sink in. In that case this book can take a long time to read and can completely change your life and how you see things. Be prepared to be search down to the lowest lows and ascend the highest heights, and be called so far outside your comfort zones you can't even see them any more.

Book Description

Unleashed gives a call to escape a tame Christianity and become original, powerful, untamed Christians—just as Christ intended.

Author Erwin McManus wasn’t raised in a Christian home, so when he came to Christ as a college student, he didn’t know the rules of the "religious club." He didn’t do well in Shakespeare courses, so he didn’t really understand the KJV Bible he was given either. But he did understand that prayer was a conversation, and he learned to talk to God and wait for answers. Erwin’s way was passionate and rough around the edges—a sincere, barbaric journey to Christ.

Barbaric Christians see Jesus differently than civilized Christians. They see disciples differently, and they see Christ’s mission differently. Unleashed is a call to escape "civilized" Christianity and become original, powerful, untamed Christians—just as Christ intended.

UnleashedRelease the Untamed Faith Within

By Erwin McManus
Published by Thomas Nelson

Book provided for review by booksneeze.com 

The Deepest Waters -by Dan Walsh

My Thoughts:

Dan Walsh is a brilliant writer! I fall in love with his books so easily and thoroughly that it makes them hard to put down. The Deepest Waters was tragic and beautiful, gut wrenchingly sad and joyous and all-round spectacular. 
I never would have guessed that parts of this story were true and the note afterwards was so fascinating to read it made the book all the more wonderful. 
Thank you Dan for writing such a wonderful story and brining it to life for your readers to partake of.

For John and Laura Foster, what began as a fairytale honeymoon in 1857 aboard the steamship SS Vandervere soon becomes a nightmare. A terrible hurricane strikes and the grand ship is lost in the murky depths of the Atlantic. Laura finds herself rescued with the other women and children, but how can she feel anything but despondent without her groom? Suspecting her John is gone but still daring to hope for a miracle, Laura must face the possibility of life alone.

Talented author Dan Walsh skillfully tells an epic story of hope, faith, and love through an intimate lens. Inspired by real events, this emotional and honest story will capture your heart as you sail through its pages.

Endorsements

"The Deepest Waters is a story that's been waiting to be told for 150 years. What a blessing Dan Walsh is the one to tell it. It is inspirational, spiritual, and miraculous--a hopeful message when the world needs it most."--Jason F. Wright, New York Times bestselling author of The Wednesday Letters

"A delightful story that took me back to an era when men were gallant and women were virtuous. Dan Walsh fully immersed me in a fascinating world and left me longing for the movie."--James L. Rubart, bestselling author, Rooms and Book of Days

Dan Walsh is the award-winning author ofThe Unfinished Gift, The Homecoming, andThe Deepest Waters. A member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Dan served as a pastor for 25 years. He lives with his family in the Daytona Beach area, where he's busy researching and writing his next novel.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.
Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

The Invisible World - by Anthony DeStefano

My Thoughts:

This is a strangely compelling book. Growing up in the church I have always "believed" that angels and demons exists because the Bible says they do. However you never really talk about that sort of thing in polite Christian circles because... well I don't know why. This book was interesting, witty and I love that he includes the human soul  and God's grace in his line-up of topics to touch on! I look forward to recommending this book to others.

Spiritual Existence Revealed in Anthony DeStefano’s

Newest Book, The Invisible World

The mystery of a spiritual world has intrigued us for ages. Is there a reality that exists beyond the senses? And can an invisible spiritual world actually become visible? Best-selling author Anthony DeStefano answers yes with certainty. The Invisible World: Understanding Angels, Demons, and the Spiritual Realities That Surround Us explores the existence and meaning of this unseen, yet very real world.

Though the pages of The Invisible World are rich in poignant stories and tangible applications, DeStefano eschews anecdotal evidence and offers instead a depth of theological and biblical evidence as he takes readers on a journey to an unseen world inhabited by God, angels, demons, Satan, Heaven, and Hell. Bravely, DeStefano traverses into the dark night of the soul and the potentially liberating power of Grace with much honesty and candor. The author both asks and answers prickly questions like, “What are the incomprehensible qualities of God?” “Why have angels captivated our imaginations and interest?” “What is the purpose of a soul?” and “Why does it seem that, despite Grace, Satan seems to win?”

Watch the video trailer for The Invisible World.

Through all the twists and turns of this eerie yet uplifting book, the author’s mission is clear. “I want to make the invisible realities that surround us more visible,” says DeStefano. “My hope is that, by doing this, these realities won’t seem so unfamiliar in the future. And the more familiar they are, the easier it will be to understand them and to have absolute faith in their existence. Once you’re armed with that kind of certitude, three things will naturally happen:

(1) It will be easier for you to act in sync with your moral beliefs.

(2) Your life will be much fuller, richer, and more exciting than you ever imagined possible.

(3) No amount of suffering—physical, mental, or emotional—will ever be able to destroy the profound inner sense of peace that you’ll experience on a daily basis.”

Anthony DeStefano is a businessman and the best-selling author of A Travel Guide to Heaven and Ten Prayers God Always Says Yes To (Doubleday), as well as two highly acclaimed children’s books, This Little Prayer of Mine and Little Star (WaterBrook Multnomah). DeStefano has received numerous awards and honors from respected communities throughout the world. In 2002, he was given an honorary doctorate from the Joint Academic Commission of the National Clergy Council and the Methodist Episcopal Church for “the advancement of Christian beliefs in modern culture.” In 2003, he received a medal from the Jerusalem Center for Peace Studies. He lives in New York.

The Invisible World: Understanding Angels, Demons, and the Spiritual Realities That Surround Us

by Anthony DeStefano

Doubleday Religion ~ March 15, 2011

Hardcover/208 pages/ISBN 978-0-385-52223-6/$19.99

www.anthonydestefano.com

Angel Sister - by Ann H. Gabhart

My Thoughts: 
This was a fantastic book! Learning about life in Rosey Corner was a wonderful trip back in time. The life of the Merritt family was not an easy one. However, their love for each other and their dedication to following God was a great reassurance that even when we loose faith in God and sometimes turn our backs on Him, He never looses faith in us. 
I also really liked the author's end note about the origins of the story. I thought that was a really cool addition. 

It is 1936 and Kate Merritt is trying hard to keep her family together. Her father has slipped into alcoholism, her mother tries to come to grips with their dire financial situation, and her sisters seem to remain blissfully oblivious to all of it. Kate could never have imagined that a dirty, abandoned little girl named Lorena Birdsong would be just what her family needs.
In this richly textured novel, award-winning author Ann H. Gabhart reveals the power of true love, the freedom of forgiveness, and the strength to persevere through troubled times, all against the backdrop of a sultry Kentucky summer.

Endorsements

"What a jewel of a story. Reminded me of To Kill a Mockingbird. Like a Kentucky summer, Angel Sister starts slow and easy but by the end, roars along, leaving the reader breathless and wanting more."--Lauraine Snelling, author of the Red River series, Daughters of Blessing, and One Perfect Day

Living just thirty miles from a restored Shaker village in Kentucky, Ann H. Gabhart has walked the same paths that her characters might have walked in generations past. Her thorough research provides a convincing and colorful backdrop for her Shaker novels. Gabhart is the author of several bestselling novels, including The Outsider, The Believer,The Seeker, and Angel Sister.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.
Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group".