1 comments about For Such a Time as This: Maria Woodworth-Etter Her Healing and Evangelizing Ministry.

1. If you want a historical account of Woodworth-Etter's life, one that names campaign dates and locations along with positive and negative newspaper reports and personnal trials you will be satisfied. Though it was obvious that Warner did much research, the book did not read well. It lacked organization. He jumped from one event to another, then back again much too often. I never really got a sense of her heart, who she truly was. I had hoped to be inspired through this book. The only inspiration came in the endnotes; excerpts of writings from her book (Marvels and Miracles). One thing I did learn from this book is that in America, Christians are persicuted by other Christians.

4 comments about Great Swan: Meetings with Ramakrishna.

1. Ramakrishna was a heart so huge he envelops you directly off the page so beautifully conveyed by Lex Hixon. I got chills of sweetness from the passages directly quoted from this jewel of a human being....



2. In this amazing book, Lex Hixon takes on the formidable task of trying to anticipate questions, thoughts and feelings that a reader may have on Spiritual Development/God Realisation and makes it a part of the Encounters of Sri Ramakrishna. It does not matter whether one has heard or read of Sri Ramakrishna before, Lex Hixon makes us aware of his presence nad grace in every page of the book. A very rare and enlightening book. Like a blessing.



3. Lex Hixon's words float in the reader's mind like clear, sweet water. Hixon is not a philosopher or theologian. He is a lover. His words melt into the heart and rise one's level of awareness into a state of ecstatic bliss. Read this book and discover the Ramakrishna that Lex Hixon knew and loved. The Ramakrishna who believed all religions were ultimately guided by the same Godhead.

   burl2hall@yahoo.com




4. An extraordinary work which reveals the essence of the most recent Avatar in in a most inspiring way. This is the real thing. A tender and lovable and earthy man. ( one of his disciples once challenged him to a swearing contest). A man of true wisdom who ate and sang and danced and died in complete absorbtion in the Divine. His humour and directness stand in contrast both to the humourlessness and the fantasising of lesser teachers. Lex Hixon did a superb job.

5 comments about Unlikely Angel: The Untold Story of the Atlanta Hostage Hero.

1. Ashley, I loved reading your book. Your story is compelling. I appreciate your honesty in sharing with us, the readers, what was going on in your mind during such a trying time. It's great to see how your faith in God helped keep you focused, even though you admit that your daily life wasn't completely on track the way you would have preferred. The most important lesson I believe your book leaves with the reader is that it isn't where you are in life that is most important, but the direction in which you are headed.
   
   Good luck with your future, and that of your daughter.
   
   -- RuthAnn



2. I wasn't sure that when I started reading Unlikely Angel: The Untold Story of the Atlanta Hostage Hero, by Ashley Smith, that I was going to be able to stay with it. Sticking with a book for more than a page or two wasn't something I normally could do these days. But once I started reading it, looked at some of the pictures that are in the book also. I began to get close to the character, get drawn into her life. Once the situation turned bad you were going through everything with her to the very end. At one point I even went to my computer and looked up her interview on a famous news network and watched her talk about being taken hostage. There isn't anyway she could have come through it without God beside her each step of the way. It's truly an inspiring book,and teenagers,young girls going off to college especially, should have to read Ashley Smiths " Unlikely Angel". It would really make an impression on them.



3. Initially, I'd said that I'd NEVER read this story, but I was able to buy the book for a $1, so . . . IF Ashley's encounter with Brian Nichols is what it took to get her off drugs, make her a better mom to Paige, and strengthen her faith in God, then God bless her. I'm not judging, but I do have an opinion: Every story has three sides; this was Ashley's. We haven't really heard Brian's, and then . . .there's the truth. The story was probably great therapy for Ashley, but I think this is her version. I read it; it was ok, but I'm convinced that Ashley and Brian knew each other and a lot more happened in that apartment than what she wrote in the book. I wish the best for her and Paige . .. and Brian. He's guilty of killing three people, but there are probably some other folks out here who should feel some guilt for what happened. What he did was an act of a desperate man. Book - ok! Buy it somewhere for a $1.



4. This was a very inspirational book. Just goes to show that most people do deserve a second chance in life!



5. I guess I didn't know much about the whole ordeal. I mean, I remember watching the "surrender" unfold on TV and hearing about the single mom, blah, blah, blah, but I didn't know too much. I think that is what made it such a page turner for me.
   This book is really good in the aspect of thinking about what you would do in this situation. As for Ashley, it states in the beginning of the book that the conversations are just what she remembers and it's not word-for-word. In reading this statement and then her story, I have to wonder how much of it she actually "remembered" and how much she made up. It just seemed a little too good to be true. I'm not calling her a liar, I'm just saying I'm not convinced. Don't get me wrong, it is a good book and she was very brave (you would have to be to be able to make it out alive,) but I just didn't come away from it feeling "inspired."

5 comments about Under God.

1. Toby Mac and Michael Tait have compiled a superb collection of short stories featuring a wide variety of people.
   
   The people depicted vary widely in their fame and life circumstances. The unifying theme is the role that God played in their lives and in the life of our nation.
   
   An amazing story about George Washington starts off the book. Although I had read about this particular event before, it is one that is spine tingling even in a repeat reading. The role that God played in the founding events of our nation is truly inspiring.
   
   There are numerous well known Americans featured in the book including John Adams, Patrick Henry, and Harriet Beecher Stowe. Also included are several people that are not well known or even unknown to most people. Some of these include: CJ Miller, Phillis Wheatley, and John Perkins.
   
   Many of the accounts are related to slavery and the civil rights movement and the way that downtrodden people overcame their circumstances by leaning on God.
   
   Though not intended to be a scholarly review of US history, it does include numerous historical events from a spiritual perspective. It is very inspirational and well worth reading.



2. Great format and great idea, but put together and written with very little proof-reading by anyone with a college education. The vignettes remind me of high-school reports. Too bad that the civil rights theme is laid on the reader so heavily, as if to inspire us with tremendous guilt for the slavery issue. It's the same drone that the American Indians like to try to put on the American white man..."Don't you feel guilty for what your ancestors did to mine?" The answer is "No, I don't." If I did, then I'd ask the same question of them, for their ancestors' slaughter of my ancestors. Should I feel guilty for my grandfather's abandoning his family in the Tennessee wilderness and running off with another woman? Answer...NO.



3. With everything in me, I had to keep from screaming when I read this book. To be so infatuated with "Jesus Freaks" and martyrs, Toby Mac and Michael Tate have deliberately ignored the passages in Romans 13 that specifically tell Christians to not rebel against their governments. They actually suggest at one point that Jesus would have picked up a weapon and joined the fight if he had been here at the time of the revolution. This is the abomination of abominations. Jesus told his disciples to sheath their swords. He would have never condoned a revolution for any reason.....especially for some farmers and merchants who were ticked off that their taxes were too high. Why didn't the disciples declare war against the Roman government? I mean, they were being treated much worse than the American colonists. Maybe it's because they cared about following Jesus and not leading a physical rebellion against Caesar. Your taxes go to Caesar, and your life belongs to Christ. May the Church begin to ponder these issues and study the commands of their Savior because the end is near.
   Toby and Michael, I will be praying that you learn of your blasphemy and repent of the wicked false gospel that you have poured out on so many young people. What a wretched shame that you have deceived them into believing that there are times when we should ignore the commands of the Bible. Start following Jesus!
   
   "Blessed are the Peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."
   Matthew 5:9
   
   "Therefore he who resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves."
   Romans 13:2
   
   "My Kingdom is not of this world. If My Kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting that I might not be delivered up to the Jews."
   John 18:36
   
   "The one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as Jesus walked."
   I John 2:6



4. Though fragmentary and sometimes inaccurate, this book contains some wonderful stories about the U.S.'s progress and the powerful Christian faith of individuals. "American Gospel" by John Meachum does a better job overall of showing how the Christian and Deist faiths in the founding fathers shaped the nation's Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and historic events. Sadly, these particular stories in "Under God" are often more legendary than factual, especially in the cases of Franklin and Jefferson. "The Christian History Book of Days" also gives good information on faith's impact in the Revolutionary period and during the U.S. Civil War.
   
   That being said, wow! What inspiring acts of faith the authors mentions! The stories of Ruby Dee and various civil rights leaders clearly contradict Marx's supposition that "religion is the opiate of the people." These people put their belief in Christ's truth in action in amazing ways that still impact us today. The info on the Sand Creek Massacre and on the Tejanos also give excellent background, though it shows little directly about the Christian faith. The details about lynchings sober the reader, and lead him to consider how far our country has come and how far it has to go. An especially poignant example is the story of Wilson's showing of "Birth of a Nation" in the White House. The book's strength is its documentation of the impact of faith in the civil rights struggle, and this is often overlooked by those who mention the historicity of the Christian faith in the U.S.
   
   All in all, the book is not a definitive volume of the impact of the Evangelical faith in American history; I don't think it was meant to be. However, it is an excellent supplement to some of the other books that I mentioned.



5. This is a most enlightening book. It is a series of 60 short readings which will both break your heart and lift your soul. In today's world, the Christian base of America's history has been methodically played down in the desire that the USA not be called "a Christian country". Our roots have been squashed so thoroughly until few citizens even realize the basis upon which this country was actually founded. There is so much untold history here...for instance, I never knew how George Washington was Divinely protected in order for this country to come about. There is a lot about slavery in the book, which, sadly, I admit I knew little about. America is a most wonderful land, even with all its warts and blemishes, and to read its untold history was indeed revealing and heart-warming. To think that two young Christian rock stars wrote it makes it even better! Thanks, Toby and Michael; job well done.

5 comments about God's Fool: The Life of Francis of Assisi (Perennial Library).

1. This book is sometimes a bit too reverent for its own good. Julien Green is a Catholic and his attitude is understandable, but a more impartial approach would have made God's Fool, a great book as it is, even better. In spite of that, this is a heartfelt and beautifully written accound of Francis of Assisi's life and times. The writer is clearly in awe of Francis, but his analysis of the Saint's attitudes, motivations and contradictions help you understand this fascinating figure and make him more human and accessible to the contemporary reader. Special note must be made of the beautifully poetic prose and of the way the author deals with the uglier aspects of Francis's life, which are sometimes glossed over in other biographies. Despite its flaws, this is a wonderful book on an extraordinary individual.



2. I'd like to add my five-star vote for this wonderful little work. After reading it I'm convinced St Francis had a difficult life but despite the difficulty (maybe because of it) he persevered and kept obstinately optimistic and decent. He was cheerful because he gave himself to God, not because God gave him so much to be cheerful about. I could understand why he is so beloved, even though he gave us a tough example to follow. The prose is beautiful and the optimism is encouraging.



3. I just recieved this book and have looked forward to reading it. To my dismay, the print is much smaller than usual and difficult to read without eye strain. I find I can only read a couple of pages at a time.



4. This book is full of symbolism. For example Francis's struggle with his father, his disrobing in front of the Bishop and the Bishop covering him with his own cloak indicates that Francis had a new home, he was accepted by the Church. When his biological father chained him his earthly mother Pica set him free. This leads us to the thought that Mary can set us free from the sins that are our earthly chains. This is a book that is both an easy read yet a thoughful read. I recommend it highly.



5. Green's account grows out of lifelong admiration for Francis, but for him no tribute can be better than bare truth. This life and times paints the whole social scene in which St. Francis moved. It gives Francis's quirks of personality equal treatment with his breathtaking heights of spirit. We see how the saint formed his network of supporters or patrons, and the deals he had to make along the way. When he, but not most of his followers received permission to preach, we see Francis admonishing his followers, "You don't know God's will. ... You say the bishops won't let you preach. Then convert those prelates by your obedience ... and they themselves will ask you to convert the people". (p. 197-98)
   
   In Green's account we see the choices Francis made, his estimates of what was possible or not, and his tactics which formed one of the most revealing social experiments in Christian history.
   
   --author of "Different Visions of Love"

No comments about The Mystery, Biography, and Destiny of Mary Magdalene: Sister of Lazarus John & Spiritual Sister of Jesus.

2 comments about Confessions of a Prayer Wimp: My Fumbling, Faltering Foibles in Faith.

1. This book's 26 chapters gave me 26 mornings worth of smiling "aha's" during my prayer time. Mary Pierce first made me smile and then made me think--and pray--about how God gets my attention. An enlightening, inspiring read!



2. Mary Pierce has a way of bringing our faults and shortcomings (that I typically try to ignore in myself) out into the air in a way that is lighthearted and often humorous. So, I find myself laughing at my flaws and eager to overcome them through christ. Thank you Mary!

5 comments about Forever and Ever, Amen.

1. I have read many books about religious life (the sisterhood) over the years. I entered the convent myself in the early 70's as the mass exodus of sisters was waning. What I most appreciated about Sister Karol's book was how accurately she captured the emotions of the time. She was able to shine a gentle light on that singular experience, known perhaps only to women who have been in formation (postulancy, novitiate, juniorate) to become a sister, of joy, belonging, and awe juxtaposed with fear, sadness, and anger. Her book so precisely captured that experience that I found I could not put it down.
   
   I am grateful to her for evoking those feelings so clearly in me, and, I assume, all who will read the book and remember. Convent life is almost indescribable if you have not lived it. As Dickens wrote, it was for most of us, "the best of times and the worst of times."
   
   If you have been in the convent you will recognize yourself in Sister Karol and her classmates, I promise you. And if you have not, you will have as clear a glimpse as you can get into what life was like in the convent of the 60's.



2. I was just browsing when the subtitle caught my eye with its reference to becoming a nun in the 1960s. I was heavily involved in the political and social side of things in the '60s and I was intrigued, especially since the years covered included the emergence of "Vatican II". I am not Catholic or anything close to it, so I was also intrigued by the smiling face on the cover that seemed to differ from the stock impression I'd always had of nuns, especially those just starting out, as unflinchingly stolid and contemplative. This book lived up to the promises I inferred, on both counts.
   
   It is very easy to read. The author keeps the action moving, without getting bogged down. She also avoids the pitfall so many other authors stumble over, of going off on long tangents of philosophy and dogma; Sister Karol sticks to telling the story as promised, throwing in explanations as necessary without turning them into side trips, and I appreciated that.
   
   Another reviewer has mentioned the author's stated belief in reincarnation as a surprise. Sister Karol also uses "Blessed be" at times. It isn't an expression you (or at least I) expect to hear from a nun, but apparently this particular nun thinks outside the box, and is not only respectful and accepting of other faiths but is open to the love of God in all its forms.
   
   This book is not an expose, but a narrative story with fascinating characters (I'd love to have met Sister Concilio) and plot twists, culminating in a happy ending -- all real. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that I wish it had been a little more in-depth, a little longer. At 300 pages, it's not a skimpy book, but I would have liked to know more about some of the people and certain phases of the process as she and her sisters experienced them.



3. I liked this book, but I got tired of Sister Karol's complaining of the nun life and her love for drinking alcohol. I do, however, respect her for writing a book about being a nun and actually being one of the few who actually remained a nun.



4. Karol Jackowski's candid, very honest presentation of convent life preserves an excellent balance between showing the deficiencies and unhealthy practises common at the time, yet never descending to mockery, bitterness, or exaggeration. It is surprisingly witty and fun, yet it is a clear and realistic picture, not a 'valentine' or gloomy 'see what we suffered' tome.
   
   There are areas in which Karol and I would be miles apart - for example, I'm not fond of her constant Wiccan 'blessed be,' and would consider liturgies which featured "Blowing in the Wind" (a marvellous song for the CD player, but not for worship...) as a penance fit for Charles Manson rather than edifying. (Yes, I do remember such liturgies - I must remember she was only 22, and it all seemed relevant and progressive then.) I have not found other books which she authored to be of note. This one was a pleasant surprise. There are excellent insights about prayer, and about Karol's own spiritual formation which endures, within the total picture. She does not skimp on details of the outdated, often unhealthy practises of the day (though I would prefer her group to my own - hers were fun and in solidarity, where mine were so afraid of 'setting a bad example' for one another that they wouldn't have eaten a spare apple lest they be deficient in holy poverty), but presents the memories with warmth, understanding, and compassion.
   
   Many parts of the text range from witty to hilarious - a rare treat in books on this topic. I felt nostalgia, reading of the party aspects and chats in the graveyard, remembering a time when people still had fun and relaxation - though I'll caution the current conservative crop that the references I enjoyed, to sharing a gin and a smoke, that these girls were Catholic, not Puritan.
   
   With its combination of insight and entertainment, I highly recommend this book as a pleasant, nostalgic look at the past - with insights on prayer and contemplation that one can find all the more enriching in maturity.



5. Keep in mind this "sister" is now a part of a commuity not set up with the approval of the Catholic Church. The community is a group of feminists that are self governing. While I enjoyed parts of this book, her humor and her caring for the individual I cant help but also feel disapointed that she would leave a community that has helped so many for centuries through education and building schools and hospitals to be part of a community that lives in apartments drinking margaritas and writing books about spells.

3 comments about The Face Before I Was Born: A Spiritual Autobiography.

1. Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee's autobiography is to me one of the most remarkable spiritual documents. Often spiritual masters do not talk about their experiences in public, and in the very way this book has been written, one feels almost as if the author would talk solely to each single one reader personally. So he can keep the intimacy of spiritual teaching. The author shows by his own example how life can lead to a surprising, profound and often shaking journey to one's own heart, to the depths and abyss of soul, mind, psyche. The author reveals with openess courage, honesty, humor and fearlessness gradually his own process to the reader in a subtle and impressive way. In this way reading this book itself might provide a deep spiritual and human experience. To me reading this book was thrilling and heart-touching, it has impressed me deeply and has given me inspiration and encouragment for my own life. I highly recommend this book to all spiritual seekers.



2. I found that the author did not describe his interactions with other very interesting persons. I would like to have known more about people who helped him on his path.



3. This autobiography, however well-meaning, is a vanity press publication by a young man who is intent on establishing his credability as a potential guru or Sufi master. The entire book is written from this perspective, and all the author's relaying of his spiritual experiences are honed to this end. To the uninitiated spiritual seeker, the book is very convincing and touching, if at times the author appears to be somewhat naive. It does seem that Vaughan Lee needs the reader to be convinced that he personally has an "inner cell-phone" line to a superior being, which makes him more 'special' than us lesser mortals. Again and again, by his own pen, he subtly seeks to make his story match some kind of blueprint of a trainee Sufi Master. There is no doubt that he is convinced by his own rhetoric, although to the discerning reader it would appear that he is treading on uncertain ground.

   I found his personal conviction in his own 'specialness', and his obsession with 'suffering' as THE direct path to God psychologically unhealthy, personally revealing and, from a spiritual point of view, more than a little outdated in its patriarchial overtones and heirarchical approach. The sanctification of 'struggle' balanced by the occasional bout of 'bliss' until the 'lover' becomes exhausted and supposedly 'egoless' is very attractive and beguiling, but belies the truth that a realized sense of 'Oneness' with the 'Beloved' IS readily and effortlessly available to every human. Those who have comprehended and embraced this universal and ever-present state are generally people who have no need to justify themselves; to set up non-profits to fund themselves; nor to found their very own vanity publishing companies. In my experience they generally have little interest in collecting followers or becoming teachers, they live quietly and openly in the world, mostly unheeded, and are recognizeable by the very personal friendships they share with those they meet in life, by their simplicity and by the way they shine.

5 comments about Watchman Nee: Man of Suffering (Heroes of the Faith).

1. The folks I've noticed who command respect across the board are the ones who have a humility beyond what is natural. Mother Teresa, for example, was respected by the good, the bad, and the ugly. (I'm not sure which category I fall into.) Those who know of Watchman Nee, from a fistful of multi-hued denominations, have a deep respect for him as well. He was a man who lived and died for Jesus in China. Nothing fancy, he didn't even like to put a name on his church. He simply loved God and he loved people and they stuck him in a cell for it. This book is in a series of biographies of leaders in the Christian faith, and I was particularly delighted in how well the book was written; I am sometimes suspicious of what appear to be cranked-out, serial books. No fear on this one, the writing was so good I forgot about it and enjoyed the story. I remember one line quoted from a Chinese proverb, which seems to typify the life of Watchman Nee: He who puts his head above the crowd is in danger of decapitation. Watchman Nee was plain bread, the salt of the earth, the genuine article.



2. I originally read this book because I didn't know much about Watchman Nee and only knew that he wrote a lot of hymns. However, when I started reading about his life, my respect and awe of him grew so much. His lifestyle is so real and so encouraging. This book was an easy read and I read it in one sitting because it is impossible to put down. While I read this book, I was reminded of Hebrews 12:1, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." By reading about Watchman Nee, I was blessed by the radical lifestyle he lived. He ran the race and persevered in even the most difficult of times and now he is cheering us on in our race to the end! Go and get this book and be inspired and blessed!!



3. Watchman Nee was a man of conviction that kept his focus on Christ above all things. He faithfully discharged his callings as an apostle, evangelist, and teacher while often being betrayed, reviled, and under threat from communist China. One can be moved greatly by reading this book.

   I started reading this book while I was in the process doing a research paper for school. Being familiar with some of Nee's writings, and being curious about his life in general, I put my research paper on hold in order to read this book. My paper might not end up being as good, but that's ok :)




4. I must admit when I ordered this book it was for a friend. I received it and just thought I would glance through it to see what was there. I got so involved, so quickly, that I read it from cover to cover with great interest.

   Watchman Nee was a true man of God. He held onto his conviction and his faith through the very worst of circumstances. He was strong in his faith and God kept him strong and he did not faulter.

   This book is for ANYONE that wants to learn about true LOVE FOR GOD. Watchman like so many others was a martyr for his faith. He is one of few who have lived a life of faith and died for their devotion. Although he is considered now a man of history, there are people who suffer through this same fate and faith today for their love of God. **See Jesus Freaks Vol. 1 & 2 or Extreme Devotion**




5. Ever since I read this book, I cannot forget the way Mr. Nee denied himself to the very end, refusing to defend himself in court or at all. Out of all the books in the "Heroes of the Faith" series, this one probably remains my favorite.
   
   At the time that I read this book, I knew nothing about Watchan Nee, I had seen his books around my friends house, but thought of them as just another book on the list of endless spiritual books; that is, until I read this book. When Mr. Nee dedicated his life to Christ, he really dedicated it. He did not back down in the face of any sort of persecution, he would not even defend himself saying that "If Christ did not defend himself, then neither will I." Even as he wasted away in a prison cell, he remained faithful.
   
   This book was a reminder to me that I waste words and think more highly of myself than I should. A truly humble person does not need to defend himself because he knows that he is right with God, and that is why Jesus did not defend himself. Contunually, I have asked myself "Did Watchman Nee take it too far? Should have have defended himself?" I think not. Had he, he would probably still have died, but not such a death that glorified God and brought others into his glory.
   
   This book is a good intro into who Watchman Nee was, and what he stood for. It will bring tears to your eyes and inspire you to a deeper walk with Christ, or maybe inspire you to take that first step. If you were called to die for Christ, would you defend yourself to save your own flesh?
   
   God Bless & *enjoy* ~Amy