5 comments about The Strength of Mercy: Making a Difference in the World One Child at a Time.

1. I enjoyed this book because it was a true story of a family who so much wanted to follow God's will and plan for their lives. I didn't want to put the book down! This book is similar to Experiencing God, a book also about knowing and doing the will of God. I highly recommend this book to everyone, but especially those considering or in the process of international adoption.



2. This was a truly amazing book that I think all Christian readers, as well as non-christians would love. I liked the honesty portrayed in Beazely's story of how their family started out with the adoption process; the difficulties and the blessings. Wonderful story!



3. As a recently adoptive parent and grandparent of two Romanian and one Bulgarian children, I have felt the anguish and despair that can overcome a person when he or she finds themselves in such an emotional battle as the one to save children from a life of pain and despair. Like the author and her family, we found hope in the Lord and in prayer, but even that at times seems not to be enough. This type of book is one that all people, believers and non-believers alike, should read again and again.



4. This book was a great story of one mom's faith in a promise from the Lord, and how He used her grown daughter and political upheavel to bring His promise to fruition. It was interesting to hear about the adoption experience of another family adopting from a different country. We have adopted two children from China.



5. if you've ever adopted a child (or tried to), this book will deeply touch you and inspire you.

5 comments about True Stories of X-Amish: Banned - Shunned - Excommunicated.

1. The practice that Ottie tells about in the book touches home with me. While I was never Amish , I once attended Jehovah's Witnesses Hall for several years, I never became a JW but now I am shunned by family and have been announced by the local elders that they are not to associate with me. Sad thats not the way Jesus means it to be.



2. This book will be an eye-opener for Americans atavistically fixated on the romantic notion that the Amish are all honest, quaint, hard-working and simple people. The picture that emerges from this book is of a closed, cult-like society, whose inhabitants are bound to it by fear of damnation and shunning; a religion where personal exploration of the bible is discouraged, and a culture where children may be severely beaten for disobedience or failure to perform daily chores.
   
   The above view may be only one side of the story, as it is told mostly in first person by former Amish who are grateful for the cultural freedom enjoyed by the "English." One wonders how common the childhood beatings are in Amish culture - most of the subjects here endured such abuse. Child abuse like this could be the natural outcome in a society made of unhappy fathers who themselves are forced to endure a way of life that suppresses their own personal striving and freedom.
   
   The other side of the story is that many of the people who leave the Amish seem hedonistically obsessed with some of the most superficial trappings of 20-21st century American culture. Many of the people who left - most of them young men, likely because women are more restricted within Amish society - just can't wait to get out and ride motorbikes, drink beers, try drugs, and go to parties. As gratifying as it is to see the characters in the book realize their human potential, it is a little dismaying that some of them are attracted by the worst aspects of our modern culture.
   
   The book suffers from redundancy of stories - too many of them are too similar without adding additional perspectives - and truly poor editing. The last chapter, written by the editors themselves, is among the worst in this respect; however, the photo section is extensive and quite good. Overall, this book has to be an invaluable companion for anyone leaving a conservative religious group - but it could be a lot better.



3. As a former Amish, I own this book, and I have to agree it was poorly edited, but it is a true-life experience book.
   
   
   
   -Joe
   
   www.examish.com
   
   www.amishconfidential.com



4. Some people may be disturbed at labeling the Amish as a cult, but the way they live, as described by the authors (and from personal observation) is indeed very cultic in the sense of their isolation from the world and control of family and community members. This book is a real eye-opener for those who think of the Amish as just a quaint Christian group. Of course, not all Amish assemblies are as described in this book, but the basic philosophy that leads to the cult behaviors are inherent in the Amish teachings. Theirs is a work-oriented-salvation belief system which is contrary to evangelical biblical teachings.



5. Learn the truth about what it's like to be Amish. How it is to be shunned and excommunicated. It is a well written book filled with the facts and knowledge that only a true Amish could tell. You'll love it!
   All books are too high priced in my opinion but I gave it five stars anyway!

4 comments about The Monks of Mount Athos: A Western Monk's Extraordinary Spiritual Journey on Eastern Holy Ground.

1. In the 1970s, the trappist father Basil took a long retreat at Mt. Athos. It was the 25th anniversary of his profession among the Cistercians, and he felt a need to take some time to examine his progress and whether or not there was too much activity in his life. This book chronicles the several months he stayed at
   Athos, and is also a great look at the monks, themselves, as met and observed by a western monk. Fr. Basil's humility, willingness to put himself last, gentleness in the face of a few rude anticatholic monks is quite moving. And the faith and goodness of the vast majority of monks he met was just so edifying and wonderful. I found this book to be excellent both as from a spiritual standpoint, and as a quick look at some of the differences and between the Eastern and Western church. I hadn't realized how different some of the beliefs are, or how angry some of the East is (perhaps rightly so, in some cases). So I found this book very enlightening. I recommend it to anyone with an interest in Mt. Athos, spiritual seeking, prayer.



2. Twenty-five years ago, Cistercian monk Basil Pennington, who recently died from injuries sustained in an automobile accident, spent a sabbatical on Mount Athos, the holy mountain of Eastern Orthodoxy. This was and remains an unusual feat: pilgrims are generally not allowed to spend more than a night or two at any one of the monasteries and sketes on Athos. Moreover, members of the Latin Church are generally not all that welcome on Athos anyway.
   
   But Pennington, who although a Latinist was also a member of a contemplative monastic tradition, managed to spend four months on Athos. Most of his time was spent at the monastery of Simonos Petras, but he also visited quite a few others. He was welcomed at Simonos warmly and generously. At some of the other monasteries he visited, the hospitality was decidedly more wary. Throughout the entire experience, Pennington entered as deeply as an outsider can into the Orthodox spiritual tradition, attending services (when permitted), praying the Jesus Prayer, and absorbing the holy atmosphere and history of Athos. His journey of the experience, in which he recounts both the everyday and the spiritual, was originally published in 1978. This edition is a reprint, with a new (but very brief) preface by Pennington.
   
   Although I enjoy reading Pennington (who was a prolific author), he's no Thomas Merton. Many of his books offer rather commonplace--albeit solid--spiritual advice. There's little of the wisdom or breathtaking insight one encounters in Merton. _The Monks of Mount Athos_ is no exception. Much of it is rather pedestrian description--although, since the description is about the lives of monks on Athos, it's interesting for the most part (although also repetitious in places). The book's spiritual reflections tend to focus on Pennington's quest to enter more deeply into silence--what the Eastern Orthodox tradition calls heyschia--in the conviction that mental silence creates a place for the presence of Christ to reveal itself.
   
   Pennington's memoir of his stay on Athos is worth reading, but I'm not sure it merits a close reading. It is, however, a book in which the mystery of the spiritual life, and the difficulty of attaining silence, come through clearly.



3. What do most Christians know about Mt. Athos? Ask that question at your next church coffee hour and see what sort of response and reaction you will receive.
   
   I would wager that most Orthodox Christians can provide some accurate statements about the Holy Mountain; i.e. it is the place where Orthodox monks reside, it is a monastic colony in Greece, but not much more.
   
   Western Church Christians especially those in America will most likely give you a blank look, shrug their shoulders and move the conversation along to another topic.
   
   What Abbott Basil Pennington has done in recording his 4 month pilgrimage on Mt. Athos, he has given us a window into the world of Orthodox monasticism, where men have dedicated their lives to God and to unceasing prayer.
   
   Written in a journal format this work reveals the joy of daily living of the Orthodox monks on the Holy Mountain and their commitment to maintaining this religious republic.
   
   As a convert to Orthodoxy, I found this work enjoyable and an addition to my knowledge of the faith. I can recommend this book to anyone wanting to understand monastic life in the world today.



4. I was astonished at the paucity of the author's understanding of differences between East and West so evident in this book. Indeed, that did not seem to concern Fr. Basil, but only that east join with the west in one Church. He seemed to be testing the "waters" since the recent Patriarch Athenagoras' lifting of the anathema against the papacy: we read that he was surprised that he was not welcomed by everyone. Fr. Basil acknowledges that he does not "know theology": again not surprising since the papal church is based on Augustine's Philosophy, not Scriptural theology which forms the underpinnings of the Ancient Church's Faith and prayer life. The author feels bound to say a 20-minute Mass after spending hours in services extolling the Lord Jesus Christ, and after being taught so beautifully by Archimandrite (Abbot) Aemilianos, of Simona Petra. Quotes from Fr. Aimilianos' discussion with the author truly illumine the pages. This saintly abbot's newly published work "Spiritual Instructions and Discourses" is now available from Alexander Press Montreal. The Jesus Prayer (not "centering prayer" which is a buddhist concept) is the jewel of our salvation in Christ: "O Lord Jesus Christ have mercy upon me a sinner". May the Lord bring the soul of Father Basil into His rest.

1 comments about A Monk In The Inner City: The ABCs of a Spiritual Journey.

1. An 'urban monk' offers up meditations on dying, living, and religious sense in A MONK IN THE INNER CITY: THE ABCS OF A SPIRITUAL JOURNEY. Juxtaposing spiritual insights with the input of others in society, Mary Lou Kownacki's survey is an excellent addition to any spirituality library, especially those offering meditations for change.

5 comments about In the Footsteps of Jesus.

1. It was an encouragement to me to read Bruce Marchiano's testimony about his amazing journey of following Christ and his life changing experience of portraying Jesus in the film "The Gospel according to Matthew". I enjoyed reading every page of this book because the love of Jesus flows through it.
   I recommend this book to everyone, especially those who loved Bruce Marchiano's presentation of the joyful Jesus in the film "The Gospel according to Matthew". After I read "In the Footsteps of Jesus", I had to watch the film "The Gospel according to Matthew" again and again. In my opinion, it is the best Jesus film I have ever seen! Check out the plans for Bruce's new film "The Gospel according to John".



2. I bought this book for my book club. We usually read fiction but I had read this and wanted them to read it too. They loved it. The experience the author has as he plays Jesus, along with the cast and crew in making this move Matthew is truly amazing. The way they depict Jesus in the movie this book is about, is more like I like to think of who Jesus is and what he was like while he was here on earth. Truly inspiring!



3. What a joy to read the book and be given the idea that Jesus was joyful and loving, not like other Hollywood movies where Jesus never blinks and is very pious. This Jesus character related to the people he was here to save. Loved the book and the movie-which is word for word the Gospel of Matthew.



4. This book has done more for me in learning to love Christ than any other I have ever read, with the only exception being the Bible. Bruce Marchiano does a wonderful job of making Jesus real, approachable, and, more than anything, lovable. If you have any question about God's love for you, read this one!



5. This volume has been a complete blessing to me! It found it's way to my door by Divine intervention while I was already on the road from FL to NY while my only son was a reported missing person in NY. Amazon ships sporatically and I received this the day I left, again, I was already packed, in my vehicle and on the road. I returned home and grabbed this from in front of my door, threw it into my SUV and headed back out. My son was murdered and I found out while I was still en route north. This book was a HUGE blessing during this worst of all possible tragedies.
   
   It announces a very different picture of the serene, somber Jesus we've heard about throughout our lives, a picture of love, gaiety, kindness, passion and, most of all, smiles. I read this in my weakest moments and found inspirations, blessings and, ironically, perfectly timed revelations.
   
   "In the Footsteps of Jesus" tells the story of the "Matthew" actor that played Jesus, Bruce Marchiano. It details how the author came to play the role and how playing the role changed his life through daily insights into the life, love, compassion and gentleness of Jesus as seen through the Gospel of Matthew.
   
   What an absolute goldmine the Lord sent my way during this most horrific time in my life! Without this volume, safely tucked away in the backseat of my SUV, I don't believe I would have been able to make it through this terrible time. Thank you to Bruce Marchiano and GLORY TO HIM!!!

4 comments about Yearning for the Living God: Reflections from the Life of F. Enzio Busche.

1. Besides only the holy scriptures themselves, this is the best, most inspiring book I have ever read. Full of important spiritual insights, it deserves to be read and contemplated. I have been recommending it to friends and family, and all who have read it agree with my assessment. The book's anecdotes are fascinating and stunning. You will be moved to strive for the benefits of a spiritual life.



2. This is a collection of autobiographical vignettes written by F. Enzio Busche, a German-born leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS or Mormon). The vignettes are arranged in chronological order and are almost exclusively religious. They chronicle the spiritual development and conversion to the Church of Jesus Christ of the author.
   
   The story starts with his growing up in Hitler's Germany. Even as a young boy he begins to have spiritual experiences that leave him yearning for something more. The author describes well the post-war disillusionment in Germany and the counter-development of cynicism and distrust of any noble-sounding idea or endeavor after being so misled by the Nazi's. His war experiences including his being drafted at war's end at the age of 14 are poignant.
   
   Eventually he encounters Mormon missionaries and joins the Mormon church when there is little Mormon presence in Germany and little respect. His personal spiritual growth parallels the growth of the Mormon church in Germany. Then he is called as a General Authority of the church and serves in a variety of callings from Mission President to Temple President.
   
   The latter portions of the book are a collection of experiences from his later life and are not as conprehensive as the earlier parts of the book. I would have liked more of these later experiences and a more complete time-line of the authors more recent life events.
   
   Overall, the book is filled with many inspiring and informative experiences and I would recommend it highly to anyone.



3. F. Enzio Busche recounts the spiritual experiences that led him to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as well as many experiences since his conversion. His humble and powerful example truly inspires rededication to God. Elder Busche (as members of the Church in his position are called) lets his experiences speak for themselves in teaching the importance of dedicating our lives to God, serving others in charity and love. He minimizes editorializing on the stories, recognizing that they teach better than any summarized moral conclusion could.
   
   The first ten chapters of the book give the narrative of his conversion and early membership in the Church. As a young father, I found chapter nine ("Raising a Family") particularly insightful in showing how love, respect, and being prepared for inspiration can help us lead our children in good directions. Several of the later chapters are dedicated to recounting spiritual experiences that others shared with Elder Busche, and many of these reminded me that I often aim too low in my spiritual expectations. An example of this is in chapter fourteen, in which a woman visiting Salt Lake City from Eastern Europe tells Elder Busche, "Can you imagine? I have found people in Salt Lake City who have never seen an angel."
   
   Almost every chapter of this book, especially once I reached the beginning of Elder Busche's spiritual life in chapter four, left me pondering how I could reorient my life towards God and draw closer to Him.
   
   Another excellent spiritual memoir by a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is An Abundant Life: The Memoirs of Hugh B. Brown, edited by Edwin Firmage.



4. The book starts off with a wonderful insight into the German people before and after Worl War 2. Having spent time in Germany with German people, this helped me understand where they came from in current history. This is followed by stories about his conversion and finding a living God who answers prayers and is a real source of assistance to people. It appeals to the spirit rather than the intellect that is not to say the brain is left out of the book. It is difficult to put down and at the same time so engaging that you have to take a rest while reading the book. Very uplifting to me! I have suggested it to many of my friends and those who have read it have the same opinion.

2 comments about The Nine Day Queen of England: Lady Jane Grey.

1. Nine Day Queen of England is a wonderful book, convincing and truthful. Faith Cook tells the true story of Jane Grey as no other book I've read has! This book is truly amazing. I highly recommend it for anyone who is interested in Lady Jane Grey, or in English Monarchy!
   This is certainly a truthful account of one of England's most tragic and brave monarchs.



2. I love historical biographies and have read numerous, especially on the Tudor's and English royalty. My favorite author of this genre is Carolly Erickson, who always has a deep respect and appreciation for her subjects, yet will show them truthfully and unbiased. The Nine Day Queen of England, Lady Jane Grey by Faith Cook is a great read for someone of christian faith who wants to know about an innocent girl that in the face of death, held to her beliefs even when letting them go would have saved her life. Faith Cook is a strong christian and focuses on Lady Jane Grey as a christian martyr. Cook's opinions of the events of the time and of other courtisans is evident in the book and is biased by her faith. I, having no affinity towards either religion and just looking for a faithful account of a girl in a very interesting situation in an influential time in history, started to become annoyed with this bias by the end. I wish I would have noticed that this was published by the Evangelical Press before I bought it.

5 comments about Goodbye Is Not Forever.

1. Reading Goodbye Is Not Forever wasn't easy. As I flipped the pages one by one, tears would come down my cheeks. My husband and I were reading the book together. At times I had to let my husband continue the reading when it was still my turn to read since I couldn't anymore.

   Having grown up in a communist country myself, for the first time in my life I was reading a story I could relate to. Amy's story, as she herself says, represents the untold stories of millions of people that suffered under communism and the Nazis.

   Goodbye Is Not Forever is a book to be read by everyone because it speaks of God's unfailing love and faithfulness in the midst of suffering.




2. If you have ever doubted that miracles happen to ordinary people, read this book. The story of Amy's life is one miracle after another. The greatest miracle is the joy and peace and love that radiate from Amy George. I've met her, and I can testify that her face shines with the joy of the Lord. She is a great lady. I had no idea that her history was so tragic until I was given a copy of this book, which I couldn't put down. Amy's story prompts me to praise Jesus for His goodness and mercy. I'm thankful to Amy for sharing her story; she has blessed my life.



3. This true story of Amy George's childhood in Russia and Germany before and during World War II, is gripping! This is a book that is hard to put down once you start reading it. It is amazing to see how God had his hand on this family and worked out His plan for them.



4. In the early '90's, I listened to a Christian radio progam called People to People which was begun by Bob George as an outreach to people who were "churched," but had missed the mark that true Christianity is really about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
   
   Amy George is Bob's wife. She was born in the Ukraine. I have heard her testimony and it is touching indeed. Her gentle manner comes through in her writing and her speech and her demeanor.
   
   When Goodbye Is Not Forever was first published, I bought one and later bought multiple copies to give to friends with whom I taught school. Even now--some 12 or 13 years after it was published, I still am giving away copies to friends.
   
   The most awesome example in the whole book for me related the story of Amy's father who had survived labor camps in Siberia. They were reunited some 40 years later. I will not totally give away the results of that meeting, but I will say that I cried, and I thanked God for His faithfulness and mercy to us.
   
   I read this book several years after my husband and I lost our 12 year old son in an accident. After the period of intense grief, a sense of peace begins to take hold, and if, indeed, we are followers of Christ, we know that death is not the end. This book comforted me in ways that Amy George will never know this side of Heaven.



5. 
   The books arrived in good condition and promptly but surprised to receive three copies and charged for three copies when I only ordered one.

3 comments about Tongue of the Prophets.

1. This is the biography of a Jewish man named Eliezer Ben-Yehuda who made it his life's work to revive the Hebrew language and help return his people to their homeland of Israel. He persevered through a terminal illness, the death of his first wife and several of his children and constant financial trouble. He was misunderstood and criticized by many of his own people, yet he began a movement which brought many Jews home to Israel and helped unite them with a common language. I think one of the most amazing things about this true story is that, in reviving the Hebrew language, Eliezer actually had to create many words himself. Because the language had been "dead" for so long, there were no words for things such as airplanes, automobiles or concerts. He had to hunt through the existing language to find words that he could combine or slightly modify to make new words. He also spent weeks and months hunting through old literature to find lost Hebrew words. This is the most interesting biography I've ever read. Eliezer's passion and perseverance were inspiring.



2. For any interessted in Jewish history, or of the language of Hebrew itself. An excelent recount of the man who 're-discovered' the language of Hebrew. This book is full of adventure and real life drama. It follows all the ups and downs of his rediscovery of the Hebrew language and the fierce opposition against him. Does not read like a regular biography, very easy to read, could not put down ! I would recommend this book to anyone!



3. This book is thorough in its coverage and brings to life the amazing story of Ben-Yehuda. While reading you cannot help being in awe of his steadfast determination and prophetic vision of the future. The author of the biography is also a big fan of Ben-Yehuda. It did feel that while factually the biography was probably quite accurate, the heated debates and controversies surrounding Ben-Yehuda's life received rather one-sided coverage.

No comments about John Owen: Reformed Catholic, Renaissance Man (Great Theologians).