Goodness Me!

I go on a mission trip and explore a homeschool convention and I have once again abandoned my blog!
I sincerely promise to do my ultimate best to keep up with it. It will be much easier now that I'm home again. :)
Stephanie

Radical by David Platt

Radical by David Platt
Pages: 240
Publisher: Waterbrook Multnomah
Age Group: Adult
Source: Reader's Favorite
ISBN: 9781601422217
Overall: 5 stars
Non-Fiction - Christian Living

In Radical, David Platt challenges Christians to find satisfaction and real service to God. Where do we find this satisfaction and service? Only in total abandonment to Jesus.

Product Description:

WHAT IS JESUS WORTH TO YOU?

It's easy for American Christians to forget how Jesus said his followers would actually live, what their new lifestyle would actually look like. They would, he said, leave behind security, money, convenience, even family for him. They would abandon everything for the gospel. They would take up their crosses daily...

BUT WHO DO YOU KNOW WHO LIVES LIKE THAT? DO YOU?

In Radical, David Platt challenges you to consider with an open heart how we have manipulated the gospel to fit our cultural preferences. He shows what Jesus actually said about being his disciple--then invites you to believe and obey what you have heard. And he tells the dramatic story of what is happening as a "successful" suburban church decides to get serious about the gospel according to Jesus.
Finally, he urges you to join in The Radical Experiment --a one-year journey in authentic discipleship that will transform how you live in a world that desperately needs the Good News Jesus came to bring.

My Review:

     I first heard of Radical through some of Multnomah's marketing. I read the Radical booklet and thought, "I would like to read the real book sometime." Well, I got my hands on it through Reader's Favorite, and I don't think I will ever let go of it! It was so good, I am planning on buying a copy for each of my 12 closest friends and will urge my church to study it!

     In the first chapter, David tells us what to expect in Radical: "We will together explore the biblical gospel alongside our cultural assumptions with an aim toward embracing Jesus for who he really is, not for who we have created him to be. We will look at the core truth of a God-centered gospel and see how we have manipulated it into a human-centered (and ultimately dissatisfying) message. We will see a purpose for our lives that transcends the country and culture that we live in, and we will see our desperate need for his presence to fulfill that purpose in us. We will discover that our meaning is found in community and our life is found in giving ourselves for the sake of others in the church, among the lost, and among the poor. We will evaluate where true security and safety are found in this world, and in the end we will determine not to waste our lives on anything but uncompromising, unconditional abandonment to a gracious, loving Savior who invites us to take radical risk and promises us radical reward." (Yes, that was long, but please read it!)

     David did everything he promised and more! I was challenged as a Christian so many ways! Every single thing he said was completely, 100% Biblical truth. Sometimes he would say something, well...radical, and I would think, "Hmm, I'm not sure about this," but give him  another page or two and he would address my specific concerns. I loved that he never asserted, "I know it all, so listen to me!" Instead, he said, "I don't know it all, but Jesus does. Let's see what He says."

     Some people might read the subtitle, "Taking Your Faith Back from the American Dream," and wrongly assume that Mr. Platt is unpatriotic. He isn't, not in the least. As he said on Facebook on July 4, 2010, "Let's live for the gospel to spread to all nations more than we long to be safe, secure, & satisfied in our own nation." David is reminding us that we are Christians first, then Americans.

     The last chapter is aptly named, "One Year To A Life Turned Upside Down." This chapter deals with applying the  truth communicated in the book in one year. Most books do  not show you how to apply what they taught you, so I really appreciated this.

     Today, most Christians do not live the radical lives Jesus called them to. They practice a watered-down gospel that they're comfortable with. The real Jesus will knock their socks off, and that's what you're getting in Radical. It might be painful, it might be scary. But ultimately, Jesus is a reward worth risking everything to know, experience, and enjoy. Total abandonment to Him is the only way to experience true satisfaction and to really serve God. David Platt delivers the real deal in Radical, and the real deal is much more satisfying than any filler.

  I highly, HIGHLY recommend this book! A MUST-READ for every Christian!


But don't just take my word for it! I want you to buy this book SO MUCH, I am providing you with links to Radical reviews by trusted Christian book reviewers who also gave Radical a thumbs up!

Review by Christian Book Notes

Review by Discerning Reader

Visit the Radical website!

And for those who have read it, what did you think?

Stephanie
Reviewed for ReadersFavorite.com

wild Olive

I'm not even sure how I found this place, but I did. Oh wait. It was on the hilarious Stuff Christians Like. There was a nice ad for this Christian t-shirt site and I decided to check it out. I am very glad I did! Wild Olive tees are adorable! As far as I can tell, they are for women only. I love that they are sweet and simple, not tacky like some Christian clothing can be. I mean, look at this stuff!

They have great messages without plastering the shirt with unnecessary pictures or words. They are perfect!

Wild Olive shirts also come in fitted or classic fit. :)

Now you might be wondering why I am posting on my mostly-book blog about t-shirts. (Hey I have warned you in the past that I would throw something random out every once in awhile!) What's in it for me?

Wild Olive is giving away $75 worth of merchandise to one lucky winner on July 25th, and you get more entries if you post about it. So, I am posting partly for my own benefit. But it's also to your benefit, because now you can rush over there and enter in this giveaway yourself!

Check it out!

Stephanie

Changes

As I'm sure you noticed, I have updated the blog with a new look. How do you like it?
Stephanie

Missing Mabel by Nancy Mehl

Missing Mabel by Nancy Mehl

Pages: 256

Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc.

Age Group: Adult

Overall: 3 1/2 stars

Source: NetGalley

ISBN-10: 9781602603981

Hilde Higgins, a hairdresser working for funeral homes, is assigned to a new client, Mabel Winnemaker. When Hilde realizes from a photograph that the body on the gurney doesn't belong to Mabel, she reports her findings to the owner of the funeral home and is promptly accused of stealing a diamond ring from her deceased customer. Now her reputation and career are on the line, and the only way to salvage her future is to find the missing Mabel. Can an old boyfriend be of help, or will he just add to the complications in her tangled life?

Letter Perfect by Cathy Marie Hake

Letter Perfect by Cathy Marie Hake

Pages: 384

Publisher: Bethany House

Age Group: Young Adult/Adult (13+)

Overall: 5 stars

Source: Library

ISBN-10: 0764201654

Ruth Caldwell has always tried to live up to her mother's expectations of what a lady should be…often with less than impressive results. But when she's forced to journey west to meet the father she's never seen, Ruth hopes that this might be the place she'll finally fit in. But her arrival brings about more mayhem than even Ruth is used to. She soon meets Josh McCain, the son of her father's business partner, but discovers some startling news: Her father passed away years ago. And though Josh urges Ruth to claim her inheritance, he grows suspicious of something more sinister at hand when her "accidents" seem to go beyond Ruth's normal bumbling ways and leave her very life in danger. If her own two feet don't end up tripping her, Ruth Caldwell's mouth is likely to get her into equal trouble. But Ruth has the best of intentions. Truly. It's just that her attempts to live up to her mother's expectations of how a lady should act have often yielded…well, less than impressive results.

Josh McCain is speechless when he sees Ruth step off the stage in Folsom, California. Sure, it looks like she's been sleeping in her gown for the past week, but with a crown of riotous curls and those deep green eyes, she's certainly the most beautiful woman he’s ever met.

But Josh soon finds the sparks that fly upon Ruth's arrival aren't the romantic type. With her legitimate claims to an inheritance, the Broken P Ranch's future is suddenly precarious. And when Ruth's "accidents"-going beyond even her normal bumbling ways—seem to take a sinister turn, Josh must decide where his loyalties lie.




My Review:


My experience with Cathy Marie Hake has been good so far, so when I happened upon this book glaring down at me from the library shelves, I immediately borrowed it. Let me tell you, I enjoyed this book so much!!! Ruth was such a bucket of laughs! She was a very real character that I wish I could meet, with strong moral character. Josh was very amazing, as well. I loved that each of them had a strong faith and shared it with each other. When they found out someone close to them was doing something illegal, they went to God about it, first. I seriously will not give this book a "what I didn't like" area because I honestly cannot think of anything I did not positively love in this book. Suspense helped the story a lot, but wasn't over the top. Romance is totally within boundaries - maybe a kiss or two, but that's IT. (Which I loved. Some of these Christian romance novels get too carried away.) It's the beginning of a series, too! This book made me actually laugh out loud while reading, which is rare! Ruth was just such a lovable character, compassionate and carefree, pretty much everything I wish to be. Others have not given this book such a rave review, but this is what I got out of it. I am seriously considering buying it because I know I would enjoy reading it many more times. Letter Perfect is a totally awesome, sweet, fun, western chick-flick sort of book! Highly Recommended for ladies ages 13+!


*I'm having issues with my Amazon Associates bar, and Amazon isn't cooperating with this book. Sorry! You can find it almost anywhere on the web, though. :)


Stephanie

Apology :/

I am so thankful for my followers, but I seriously abandoned you for the past, like...month. Once school got out, I have been overwhelmed with a busy busy schedule. However, I am back and plan to stay. :)
I've been participating in my library's reading program for teens, so I have a LOT of reviews to add!
Thank you for your patience as I grow blog-wise. :)
Stephanie