True North by Gary and Lisa Heim

Genre- Religion/Christian Life

True North: Choosing God in the Frustrations of Life by Gary and Lisa Heim

Published by- Kregel Publications

Copyrighted- 2011

Number of pages- 255 pages

Age Group- Adult/Older Teen

Description of book- paperback, list price $16.99, ISBN 978-0-8254-2751-0

Extras- Pertinent discussion questions to help you determine whether you are facing north for God or south for the gods of this life.

Are you struggling with daily life: bad relationships, broken cars, troubled children?  How do you respond?  True North will help you determine if you turn south to gods of this world or north to God.

In this book you will read what has happened with the authors, fitting Bible verses, plus experiences from other people.  Each chapter ends with discussion questions to help you understand more about what stage you are in life; self-centered grumbling and grasping or Christ-centered gratitude.

Here is an expert to the book!

About the authors-

Gary and Lisa Heim have been married for more than twenty-five years and live in Michigan.  They have two children, Brandon and Kailie, who are college-age.  Gary is a limited licensed psychologist and Lisa is a licensed professional counselor.  They are both adjunct professors at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary.  They enjoy spending time outside.

 

 

My thoughts-

I thought this book was good.  I thought the best part was, “Part Four: You-Turn.”  This section repeated what had been mentioned in previous chapters, but these chapters showed me how to implement what God has freely given into my daily life.

The discussion questions at the end of each chapter certainly gave me a lot to think about.  My favorite questions were in the last chapter, “Giving It Away: Mentoring Others.”  The last question asking me who I am laboring for and investing in made me realize that there are people in my life who I need to invest in, so they can be saved in God and walk with him.

One of the features of this book that I thought was interesting what how each of them worked on different chapters, but the chapters flowed seamlessly together.  I did notice that there were a lot of quotes from John Piper.  I am more interested in his work, because those quotes work well with choosing to move to a northern focus on God instead of the selfish southern focus.

I would recommend this book to everyone, because we all need to make sure we are not “grumbling” in any parts of our daily life.

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received True North by Gary and Lisa Heim for free from the Kregel Publications’ Blog Tour. 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.

Branded By Tim Sinclair

Genre- Religion/Christian Ministry/Evangelism 

Branded: Sharing Jesus with a Consumer Culture by Tim Sinclair

Published by- Kregel Publications

Copyrighted- 2011

Number of pages- 143

Age Group- Older Teen/Adult

Description of book- paperback, list price $11.99, ISBN 978-0-8254-3894-3

Extras- Pertinent discussion questions to help you think more about how you need to share Jesus.

From the back of the book:

We sport "Jesus Saves" bumper stickers on our cars and "WWJD" bracelets on our wrists.  We post Bible verses on our Facebook profiles and Tweet profound quotes from Christian thought leaders.  But when it comes to sharing our faith verbally we become tongue-tied.

What would life look like if we stopped mass-marketing Jesus and started marketing our faith by sharing relationally, from person to person?  Using examples from our consumer culture, Tim Sinclair shows Christians that sharing Jesus has nothing to do with our trinkets or out T-shirts.  It has everything to do with being personally branded by Christ.  With being forever changed by Jesus.  With being permanently marked by our Savior.

About the author-

Tim Sinclair is a marketer and a radio personality.  His marketing clients have included McDonald's, World Records and Moody Publishers.  He is also on the radio daily on the radio show, "Mornings with Tim and Pam." 

Tim Sinclair lives with his wife, Heather and children, Jeremiah and Elijah in Illinois.

 

 

My thoughts-

Wow!!  What a great book.  I couldn’t put it down!  There were so many ideas to take from this book.

There are more ideas and thoughts than I can list, so here are a few.

• We need to believe our product, Jesus, is the best to be able to make a difference.  We also need to check the timing, situation and cultural expectations.
• Non-Christians are testing us not Jesus.
• We need to change the person’s heart, not their culture.  We need to become a part of their culture.
• Don’t over promise what God can do.
• You can’t mass market Jesus, we have to share him person to person.
• Tell your true story, no matter how bad it is and keep it simple.

I totally agree with Tim Sinclair that we need to share God/Jesus individually and not mass market him.  I need to work much harder on spreading the gospel of Jesus to those I meet every day. 

I hope that all of you will read this book to get ideas on how you can spread the good news of Jesus.

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received Branded by Tim Sinclair for free from the Kregel Publications’ Blog Tour. 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.

How Huge the Night

Genre- Teen Fiction
How Huge the Night by Heather and Lydia Munn
Published by- Kregel Publications
Copyrighted- 2011
Number of pages- 304 pages
Age Group- Teen
Description of book- paperback, list price $14.99, ISBN 978-0-8254-3310-8
Extra- "Historical Note" at the end by Heather Munn.
From the back of the book:
For fifteen-year-old Julien Losier, life will never be the same.  His family has relocated to southern France to outrun Hitler’s menace.  But Julien doesn’t want to run.  He doesn’t want to huddle around the radio at night, waiting to hear news through the buzzing static.  Julien doesn’t want to wait.
Angry, frustrated, and itching to do something, Julien finds a battle everywhere he turns.
Soon after his family opens their house to a Jewish boy needing refuge, Julien meets Nina, a young Austrian who has fled her home by her dying father’s command.  Nina’s situation is grave and Julien suddenly realizes the enormity of having someone’s life or death depend on…him.
Here is an expert to the book!

About the authors- Go here for an interview with the authors

Heather Munn has grown up in France with her missionary parents and now lives with her husband in Illinois in a Christian intentional community.  She went to Wheaton College where she has earned a BA in literature.  Heather was wanted to be a writer since she was five-years-old.





Lydia Munn and her husband have two children.  Lydia has been church planting and Bible teaching in France since 1983.  She has a BA in literature from Wheaton and has always enjoy reading books.




My thoughts-

Wow!  What a powerful book.  I couldn’t put it down.  I have studied World War II from textbooks when I was in high school, but all I can remember is facts about Germany, England and the invasion at Pearl Harbor.  Heather and Lydia Munn brought Southern France and Julien’s life as well as Nina’s to me so I was able to live vicariously through them.

It must have been very difficult to live in their time, being on the edge of adulthood, but not quite being there yet.  I remember being a teen and it was hard enough without a war, so I can’t imagine what it would be like with the threat of war and everybody choosing sides.    

God plays such an important role in a young adult’s life, especially during wartime.  I was glad to see the role that Julien’s grandfather played in introducing a just and forgiving God to Julien.  A young adult needs to know that God forgive us our sins and we need to make sure we forgive others, so we can help lead them to God.    

I would recommend this book to all teens as well as adults who wish to learn more about what life was like in southern France during World War II.

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received How Huge the Night by Heather and Lydia Munn for free from the Kregel Publications’ Blog Tour. 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.