Ascent From Darkness by Michael Leehan

Ascent from Darkness is a gripping, intense true-story book about a man who was a satanist and then finally yielded to God and became a Christian. Michael Leehan candidly tells his story beginning from young adulthood and the events that took place in his life to propel him to the dark side and ultimaltely make the worst mistake of his life: to pledge allegiance to Satan and to follow demonic influences and everything that comes with it. The author gives an account of his life and all of the landmark decisions and happenings that defined his miserable and tormented existence. He details his interactions with demons, and how he was used powerfully to entice Christians to walk away from their faith. I absolutely could not put this book down because it was so riveting to read! It was amazing to hear his stories and almost unimaginable to think that the things he described and lived actually happened. It is amazing to me that this man by the grace of God is still alive today, and especially amazing that God loved him so much (even though he was a warrior against God for Satan) that He opened his eyes and softened his heart to receive Him. This book is a good read, but as a warning it is a little scary and will make you realize (if you didn't already) that we live in a spiritual realm that we cannot see. But, God is on the throne and his will will be done, as you will see in this book!
I received this book from the publisher. 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."

One Call Away by Brenda Warner

One call away: answering life's challenges with unshakable faith by Brenda Warner was an amazingly riveting read! Warner is the wife of ex-NFL superstar Kurt Warner, and her life story is truly remarkable! She is very candid in her personal story, and the reader is sucked in immediately with the first chapter detailing a horrific indcident that happened to her first born son (with an ex-husband). Incident after incident continues to reign down on this woman's life, but yet she persists and has a strong resolve to survive. Her life was extremely difficult before meeting and marrying Kurt Warner, and continued to be somewhat difficult, even though he was making millions of dollars and experiencing fame and the "good life". Although the author really didn't seem to have a rock solid perception of the Bible and scripture was not really intertwined within the book, I think that this book has a great message of hope and survival and redemption. I literally could not put this book down because I could not believe everything that Brenda had to go through! This book brings reality to the perception that celebrities have (and have had) it easy and shows that life is not perfect for anyone.
I received this book from the publisher. 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."

Grace for the good girl: Letting go of the try hard life

Grace for the good girl, written by Emily Freeman, is a book for Christian women who feel like they have to have it together..all of the time. This book is for those who hide behind a mask of diligence in service, in accomplishments, in how others perceive you, and those who find satisfaction in pefection (instead of being realistic and relying on God's grace). The author candidly speaks about her personal walk through the facade of "perfection", and how that played out in her life. She spends a lot of time lamenting her lack of having an amazing testimony due to the fact that she was not the "bad girl" who came back from a life of wild sin to redemption, and that her story seemed boring to her. She parallels the story of the prodigal son to the character of the good brother and how she could relate to the good brother being upset that the prodigal was rewarded for returning from a rampage of bad behavior. Ultimately though, Emily brings the reader to the understanding of God's grace in our lives, the reality that living under an expectation of personal perfection is sin (and impossible to achieve anyway) and that it is better to be real, sometimes fail, and rely on God instead of self. There is also a study guide in the back of the book which would be great for personal or group discussions. I liked this book, although is was personally a little hard to relate to her anguish because I was not the pefect teenageer or young adult and by no means have ever strived for perfection!
I received this book from the publisher. 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."

Lioness Arising: Wake up and change your world by Lisa Bevere

I was so excited to review this book because I heard Lisa speak at a conference on this very topic a few months back. This book is based on the premise that women in the church now are "asleep" so to speak - not fully awake in our capabilities, powers to influence the world and make a true difference, and in many other areas. She jokes that we are all just waiting for the rapture to happen and aren't pursuing causes or endeavors that will truly make a difference, but just quietly going about our day to day making no impact (besides those immediately around us). She uses her life story as an introvert stay at home mom who was afraid to talk to anyone. She then describes a vision that God gave her to "wake her up", which in turn caused her to grow and become on fire for fighting for the rights of women and the oppressed. She uses the lioness as her main focus and the tendencies of the pride they belong to and parallels it to the way God can use women on this earth. Lisa interweaves scripture throughout her book and inspires the reader to make a positive change now! She is easily relatable and rouses the reader to action with her God-inspired words. I loved this book and honestly every women should read it, unless you are too scared it will make you want to change! (Because it will)!
I received this book from the publisher. 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."

Don't check your brains at the door by by Josh McDowell and Bob Hostetler

This is a great book geared more for the teen audience that gives answers to questions that teens may have and provides solid information on the "whys" of the beliefs of Christianity in an easy to understand format. The chapters grouped in sections such as, "Myths about God", "Myths about Jesus", "Myths about the Bible", and "Myths about Life and Happiness". Each mini-topic is only two to three pages long, and ends with a list of "Brain Food" for the reader to digest which includes scripture references and questions to tie in the topic addressed. I thought that the authors did a great job of including most of the topics that young adults and teenagers may have questions about regarding their faith, and each topic was presented in a interesting and fun to read format. I especially appreciated that they put scripture references at the end of each passage to confirm in the reader that they are indeed basing the information off of scripture. I would recommend this book to any parent of an 11-18 year old to read together or separate as a tool to strenghthen a child's beliefs and faith. It would also be a great book for a group bible study!
I received this book from the publisher. 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."