Sunday, October 22, 2017

A Small Book About A BIG Problem by Edward T. Welch



How many times today have you been irritated? Frustrated?
While you might not think about it often, if you look closely at any day most everyone can find anger in their actions and attitudes. Something spills or goes missing, we get stuck in traffic or someone cuts us off on the road, or we feel like the people we live and work with are only making our lives more difficult. And while no one wants to get angry, what happens when our irritations and frustrations rise yet again?
Anger is so common-yet it also hurts. It not only leaves a mark on us, but it also leaves a marks on others. The wounds we inflict on ourselves and others because of anger-loss of intimacy, trust, security, and enjoyment in our closest relationships-give us compelling reasons to look closely at our anger and think carefully about how to grow in peace and patience.
But if you, like many others, have just gotten irritated for the umpteenth time today, you might wonder if change is possible. Can anyone truly find peace? The answer is yes, but you will need a plan. Biblical counselor and psychologist Ed Welch invites readers to take a fifty-day journey that unpacks anger while encouraging and teaching readers to respond with patience to life's difficulties. Readers will also be introduced to Jesus, the key to any plan for change. Known as the Prince of Peace, he is the only one who can empower his people to grow in patience, peace, and wholeness.
A Small Book about a BIG Problem by Edward T. Welch is a wonderful, concise read that delves into dealing with anger and finding peace and patience. Edward Welch uses his considerable experience and knowledge about biblical counseling to create a book that his Bible centered, applicable, and easy to read. The book is a 50 day journey into what anger is, our reasons/response to both anger and to being wronged, and what the Bible has to say about these topics. I am still reading this book because I did not want to rush through the daily readings, but I have been convicted to really ponder and to think about what causes me to be angry and how I can develop more patience. In the first day, I found the statement, "But it is those wounds we inevitably inflict on other people—especially those who are most precious to us—that are reason enough to spend fifty days with anger, peace, and patience" to be extremely convicting, and it really expresses the reason to read this book. I would recommend reading just one chapter a day, take time to reflect and to respond, and then talk about it with others. I think this book would also make a great small group study! I received this book from Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for an honest review.

Read more reviews about this book here:  http://litfusegroup.com/author/EWelch 

Edward T. Welch, M.Div., Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist and faculty member at the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF). He earned a Ph.D. in counseling (neuropsychology) from the University of Utah and has a Master of Divinity degree from Biblical Theological Seminary. Ed has been counseling for over thirty years and has written extensively on the topics of depression, fear, and addictions.
Find out more about Edward at http://stores.newgrowthpress.com.

Sunday, October 8, 2017

The Pretender by Ta'mara Hanscom

 
Set in South Dakota in 1975, where eighteen-year-olds could order 3.2 beer in a bar, and loaded guns were kept under the counter.
Frankie Valli sang "My Eyes Adored You," and American soldiers returning from Vietnam struggled with their new reality.
It's within this tumultuous season of American history that Tillie Caselli meets Noah Hansen, and they are never the same again. Their lives were mysteriously intertwined-and had been for many years-yet they had no idea. 
From the moment they met, Tillie and Noah wanted to spend the rest of their lives together, but a deliberate omission will keep them apart---and that same omission will be responsible for the escape of a murderer, and a bride's deception.
The Pretender by Ta'mara Hanscom is the first novel in her new Caselli Family series. I was drawn in by the description of the book, but quickly found it hard to concentrate on the story. I am not sure if this is supposed to be a young adult novel, but I immediately felt the rebelliousness and anger of Noah from the first page. The emotions of the characters leapt out from the first page, and it was so strong I actually had trouble concentrating on the plot line. The storyline appears to be well thought out and suspenseful, but I had trouble getting past the raw, almost too exaggerated emotions of the characters and the writing style itself. I felt like I could not connect well with the story or the characters because the sentences were somewhat abrupt and simplistic in nature. I am going to continue to try to complete this story because I think the plot and the character development will be compelling in the end, but that is my initial impression of this book. I received this book from Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for an honest review. 
To read more reviews on this novel, please visit the link below:http://litfusegroup.com/author/THanscom
About the authors:


Born and raised in South Dakota, Ta`Mara loves to write about the Great Plains and the beauty and people of Italia. While her husband and children manage their two pizza ristoranti, Ta`Mara works full time on The Caselli Family Series, and ministers to women. It is Ta`Mara s prayer that as the readers explore the truths in these volumes, they will come away with a new perspective on love, forgiveness, obedience, and God's plan for marriage
Find out more about Ta'Mara at https://www.tamarahanscombooks.com.

Friday, October 6, 2017

Rule of Law by Randy Singer

 
What did the president know? And when did she know it?
For the members of SEAL Team Six, it was a rare mission ordered by the president, monitored in real time from the Situation Room. The Houthi rebels in Yemen had captured an American journalist and a member of the Saudi royal family. Their executions were scheduled for Easter Sunday. The SEAL team would break them out.
But when the mission results in spectacular failure, the finger-pointing goes all the way to the top.
Did the president play political games with the lives of U.S. service members?
Paige Chambers, a determined young lawyer, has a very personal reason for wanting to know the answer. The case she files will polarize the nation and test the resiliency of the Constitution. The stakes are huge, the alliances shaky, and she will be left to wonder if the saying on the Supreme Court building still holds true.
Equal justice under law.
It makes a nice motto. But will it work when one of the most powerful people on the planet is also a defendant?
I am a huge fan of Randy Singer's legal fiction, and I was excited to hear about Rule of Law's release and then to read it. Once I read Rule of Law, I was not disappointed in it per-se, but it was not my favorite of his novels. However, I thought the message was gripping and an accurate representation of how much power parts of the U.S. government today have and the inherent danger in that unchecked power. The plot was interesting and contained unexpected plot twists, but sometimes was a little scattered and jumped from character to character without leaving time for me to catch up. There was also less actual legal scenes in this novel compared to some of his other works, but they were still compelling scenes. The story seemed to drag a little for me at times, but when everything was finally pulled back together, it made for a powerful and convicting conclusion. I thought the themes were well written and represented in this novel, and I hope they cause people to question the power that some of our government agencies have both here and abroad. I liked Paige as a character as well, and I sympathized with her as she worked to understand her convictions, her faith, and her grief. Overall, I did enjoy this novel and I greatly appreciate its message. I received this novel from Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for an honest review.