Reviews by heathercking
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Seven Men
On 5/13 heathercking wrote: Eric Metaxas's biographies of William Wilberforce and Dietrich Bonhoeffer were some of my favorite works in any genre. I found them inspiring, full of information while still being readable, and actually theologically educational. I learned so much about these men and their faith. Even my eight-year-old ... A Brief Intro to the Lives of Seven Extraordinary Men
Joni and Ken
On 4/22 heathercking wrote: In the introduction to Joni & Ken: An Untold Love Story, we’re reminded that not all love stories are as simple (or as impossible and solely emotional) as those in our favorite princess fairy tales. Marriages aren’t generally Disney romance stories. Even the best unions require work, commitment, ... An authentic and vulnerable love story
One Perfect Life
On 4/12 heathercking wrote: As a church girl, born and raised, I spent many a Sunday morning in front of a flannel board, which means I've heard and read some of the same Gospel accounts over and over and over again. So, I'm always on the lookout for ways to make the Gospels fresh, and John MacArthur's One Perfect Life certainly ... Composite Harmony of the Gospels
When Donkeys Talk
On 3/8 heathercking wrote: With a medieval-style beard and an imaginary donkey for transport, Tyler Blanski wanted to recapture the mystical and wondrous qualities of Christianity often missing in our modern age. He isn’t overly critical of trendy worship services, simply mentioning such things in passing. Still, his desire ... A Spiritual Quest for the Wonder of the Past
Unglued Devotional
On 2/11 heathercking wrote: The subtitle of this book says it all: Unglued Devotional: 60 Days of Imperfect Progress. Most of our progress goes that way, after all, making changes over time, making mistakes, picking ourselves up and trying again thanks to God’s amazing unglueddevotionalmercies new every morning. It’s progress, ... Unglued Devotional
Everything
On 1/21 heathercking wrote: In her book, Everything, Mary DeMuth writes about letting God transform every part of our lives—our thinking, our hearts, and our hands. We can give it all to Jesus and trust Him with the results. It is, in essence, a book about living the greatest commandment: “Love the Lord Your God with all ... Surrendering it All
Yours Is the Day, Lord, Yours Is the Night
On 12/13 heathercking wrote: I didn’t grow up in a liturgical church, so the idea of using a prayer book, such as Yours Is the Day, Lord, Yours Is the Night: A Morning and Evening Prayer Book, is new to dayandnightme. In fact, it’s really a bit revolutionary. I’ve always attended churches that emphasized personal faith, ... A Lovely Prayer Book for Personal Devotions
A Year with G. K. Chesterton
On 12/1 heathercking wrote: I’m a novice to G.K. Chesterton’s writings, but after seeing quote after quote of his recently, I decided to give the book, A Year with G. K. Chesterton, a try. I’d actually enjoy more books like this for my favorite authors—a literary book of days to organize their writings into small but enjoyable ... A Year with G.K. Chesterton
The Purpose Driven Life
On 11/23 heathercking wrote: It's been ten years since I first read The Purpose Driven Life --along with most people both in and out of the Christian community. Picking up this anniversary edition was like visiting a familiar friend and reminiscing. I was struck anew by the scope of the book. It's truly a foundational work, covering ... Ten Years of Purpose-Filled Living
Fully Alive
On 11/20 heathercking wrote: In his book, Fully Alive, Ken Davis talks about his transformation from snack-loving couch potato to someone who is adventurous, active and engaged. It's a message he delivers as a funny guy/motivational speaker and one that many of us need to hear. We've often settled for sedentary and predictable rather ... Tips for getting active and engaged in life
Tough Guys and Drama Queens
On 11/1 heathercking wrote: Even though my kids are all under eight years old, I was eager to read Mark Gregston’s book, Tough Guys and Drama Queens: How Not to Get Blindsided by Your Child’s Teen Years. I figure it’s never too early to prepare for teenagers and what I found in this parenting book did change my mind about ... Changed my perspective on parenting
Red Letter Revolution
On 10/17 heathercking wrote: liked Red Letter Revolution: What If Jesus Really Meant What He Said? and I didn’t like it. While some people might hate or love this book, I think many readers who stick with it to the end will end up somewhere in the middle. For me, the format was appealing. Written as a dialogue between Christian ... Agree to Disagree?
Surfing for God
On 9/29 heathercking wrote: An addiction to pornography isn’t about sex. That’s the message Michael Cusick shares in his book: Surfing for God: Discovering the Divine Desire Beneath Sexual Struggle. Instead, like any addiction and like any struggle with habitual, enslaving sin, it’s about believing God’s best isn’t ... Surfing for God
Grace
On 9/15 heathercking wrote: Each of our testimonies is unique and our God-story always carries that personal touch. We all can share with others the story of what God did for ME. But at the core, no matter what God has done, no matter where He found you or where He’s taken you, your story is about grace. It’s true for all ... Inspirational Thoughts on Grace
Twelve Unlikely Heroes
On 8/30 heathercking wrote: God does have a way of raising up and using the unlikeliest of “heroes.” We see it in Scripture consistently, when he chooses younger sons over the ones with birthrights, a teenage shepherd over his stronger older brothers, fishermen instead of religious leaders, and a church persecutor known for ... Basic Bible Stories Retold
Grieving God's Way
On 8/13 heathercking wrote: Margaret Brownley's son died after a prolonged illness. After three years of not writing a word, she wrote this lovely book, a 90-day devotional to help others facing grief and loss. It's been seven years since my dad died and I haven't experienced intense mourning since then. And yet, this book ministered ... A Beautiful Book for Understanding Loss
Call of A Coward
On 7/30 heathercking wrote: Years ago, I was meeting with a young woman weekly to talk about spiritual things. There was one thing holding her back from becoming a Christian. What if God asked her to be a missionary to Africa? That would just be too much! Finally, she made the decision despite her fears and accepted Jesus as ... Following God's Lead
The Searchers
On 7/20 heathercking wrote: Picking up this book is a little like starting a new journey and not knowing where you are going or what to expect along the way. I really couldn’t tell at first what was in store for me. Was this a faith memoir? Was it a fictional account of the two men who encountered the risen Messiah on their ... Walking and Talking About Faith and Hope
Constantly Craving
On 7/9 heathercking wrote: Marilyn Meberg has a background as an English teacher and as a counselor. It shows. This book reads like a psychology/literature class about why we want more out of life. She hosts the discussion like a fun and quirky, but nevertheless scholarly, professor. It's not really a Biblical study on the issue ... Craving More Out of Life
God Loves Broken People
On 7/4 heathercking wrote: I was a teenager when my mom came home after attending her first Women of Faith conference in Washington, DC. She was alive again---really alive. I remember her talking about this amazing speaker named Sheila Walsh who had the guts to stand on an arena stage and tell more than ten thousand women what ... Encouragement for the Broken
Empty Promises
On 6/16 heathercking wrote: A preacher who tells the congregation that an idol is anything more important to us than God probably wouldn't shock (or enlighten) anyone. Most of us have heard this before . . . countless times . . . in many different ways . . . in Sunday morning sermons, small group lessons, radio preacher segments, ... The Emptyness of Idolatry
The Truth About Forgiveness
On 5/31 heathercking wrote: By the time I had both a four-year-old and a three-year-old daughter at the same time, I lived in a world of questions. “Mommy, why?” and “Mommy, what about . . . ” made up the bulk of my everyday conversation. When you read a book like MacArthur’s The Truth About Forgiveness, you would expect ... Raises More Questions than It Answers
The Truth About the Lordship of Christ
On 5/14 heathercking wrote: An older man in my church told me how revivals used to work there when he was a boy. Once you were about six or seven years old, the adults decided it was high time you were “saved.” If you hadn’t gone to the front yet and asked to be baptized, they would stand at the end of your row during the ... Foundational Work on Salvation
The Truth About Grace
On 4/23 heathercking wrote: It’s a quirky misfortune when it comes to basic concepts of our faith like grace, forgiveness, and salvation. We kind of know what they are, but we stumble all over ourselves at times in an effort to define them. Or, we sadly mis-define them, twisting and deforming “grace” until it suits our own ... The Truth, The Hard Truth, Nothing But the Truth
The Jesus We Missed
On 3/22 heathercking wrote: This book can transform the way you read the Gospels. That’s what it did for me. I have to be honest, though, when I read the first paragraph, with all of its academic tone and scholarly style, I sarcastically thought, “Well, this’ll be a real page turner.” And it was! Even though I’m not ... The Jesus We Missed, Book Review
Then Sings My Soul Book 3
On 1/24 heathercking wrote: I didn’t plan on liking this book. I’m a music minister in a church battered by worship wars over the years. I’ve heard all of the complaints about contemporary praise and worship and been told countless times why the “Great Hymns of the Faith” are so superior to any worship my generation ... Then Sings My Soul, Book 3
Nearing Home
On 1/4 heathercking wrote: As a girl, I remember the day my mom and I sat across from my great-grandmother and "interviewed" her. It was more intense than a normal visit, although we visited often and walked in her gardens or explored her home. My mom said we needed to hear her story before she wasn't there to tell it any more. ... Valuable wisdom and insight from a trusted source
A Year with Jesus
On 12/7 heathercking wrote: I’m a church girl. I toddled into church services and colored with crayons during sermons as a tiny tot. I watched the Top 40 Bible stories play themselves out on felt boards as a child and was fired up at youth conferences by radical, on-fire speakers. Now, I tote my own daughters to church every ... Decent Devotional, But Not Extraordinary
The Love & Respect Experience
On 10/17 heathercking wrote: I’ve heard it before. Wives telling me that they “accidentally” left a book on marriage where their husband would see it, hopefully read it, and miraculously make all the changes the book prescribes. What I’ve never heard is a single time that actually worked. So, I’m not certain that the claim ... A Marriage Principle That Works
Your 100 Day Prayer
On 9/17 heathercking wrote: Waiting on God and being persistent in prayer—not the two easiest disciplines of the Christian walk. But, John I. Snyder addresses both in his book: Your 100 Day Prayer: The Transforming Power of Actively Waiting on God. Each day’s entry begins with a verse and thoughtful devotional and concludes ... A Tool For Powerful and Persistent Praye
Stained Glass Hearts
On 8/20 heathercking wrote: If you’ve seen Patsy on stage at a Women of Faith conference, you couldn’t forget her. She’s a bouncy spitfire who is essentially joy in human form. And yet, she’s traveled a difficult personal journey, including years trapped in her home as an agoraphobic who was addicted to nicotine and sedatives. ... Encouraging, but not Life-Changing
Stumbling Into Grace
On 8/8 heathercking wrote: This past week, I picked up Lisa Harper’s book, Stumbling Into Grace, with no idea what to expect. She’s one of the new speakers to the Women of Faith team and in just a few weeks, I’ll get to hear her speak. After reading this book, I’m even more excited about that opportunity. First off, ... Stumbling Into Grace