"the niv ragamuffin bible" with reflections by brennan manning

About the book (from the back cover): Do you believe that God not only loves you, but that he also likes you?

It's just one of the soul-searching questions posed by bestselling author Brennan Manning, who confesses he has been "John the beloved, Peter the coward, and Thomas the doubter all before the waitress brought the check."

The NIV Ragamuffin Bible offers a collection of Manning's raw, painfully honest, yet grace-filled devotions, meditations, and reflections of his journey limping back to—like the prodigal son—his overjoyed father. When you journey through this Bible, you will likewise find yourself returning to your heavenly Father, basking in the knowledge that God not only loves you, he delights in you.

Features:

• an introduction by Brennan Manning, the “original ragamuffin” 
• the complete text of the Holy Bible, New International Version 
• 104 devotions that guide the reader into a deeper connection to God and His word 
• 250 reflections that help the reader understand what it means to be a child of God 
• quotes that offer the reader thoughtful insights into God’s kingdom 

My take: Prior to getting this Bible, I'd never read anything by the late Brennan Manning. I'd heard a lot about him—some good and some bad—but all I really knew about him was that he'd profoundly influenced Rich Mullins, one of my favorite singer-songwriters in college. (Let me note that Mullins had already passed away by the time I was in college, but college is when I really connected with his music. I don't want you to think I'm older than I am!)

I opened the NIV Ragamuffin Bible not knowing what to expect. The actual text of the Bible I had full confidence in, but I wasn't sure what I'd find in Manning's reflections and devotions. What I read were deep, thought-provoking passages and engaging stories. I especially enjoyed the shorter reflections, all of which directly correspond to a passage of scripture.

The acknowledgments at the back of the Bible list the sources for each of the devotions and reflections, so if someone wants to read more on a particular topic, they can find where exactly Manning wrote about it.

I begin each year with grand plans to read through the entire Bible. Each year, I fail miserably. So I don't know if I will succeed in this, but I plan to begin my 2014 Bible read-through using this Bible.

My rating: 5 stars

Watch the book trailer.
Buy the book.
Download a sample (Psalms & Matthew).

About the author: As a writer, Brennan Manning is best known as the author of the contemporary classic, The Ragamuffin Gospel. He wrote many other influential and popular books, including Abba's Child, Ruthless Trust, The Importance of Being Foolish, Patched Together, The Furious Longing of God, The Parable of Willie Juan and his final book, All Is Grace: A Ragamuffin Memoir.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from The B&B Media Group. 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: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

"our god comes" by antioch live (cd review)

About the album: Antioch Live Worship CD “Our God Comes” Debuts at #2 on iTunes

Waco, TX- Antioch Live, the worship band for Antioch Community Church in Waco, Texas, has signed with the new record label Clear Day Worship. As the music arm of Clear Day Media Group based in Waco, Texas, Clear Day Worship and Antioch Live debuted the new album OUR GOD COMES at the World Mandate Conference September 20 and the CD hit #2 on iTunes.

“World Mandate 2013 was the perfect venue for launching this new CD. Everyday people were united by a passion for Jesus with a desire to worship God and change the world. That is what we are about,” states Clear Day Media Group president, David Seibert. “OUR GOD COMES is a passionate and thrilling worship release captured at Antioch Community Church in Waco, TX. We look forward to seeing how God uses this worship music to bless the Church.” continues Seibert.

Antioch is home to a worldwide church planting and worship movement, ministering to the needs of thousands internationally. Antioch Community Church currently has 30 church plants in the United States and another 40 in other parts of the world with more than 30,000 people involved with the movement. Antioch Live’s “Forever Sound” CD released last year was #3 on iTunes.

The worship music and lyrics on OUR GOD COMES expresses the heart cry, prayers and joy of the worship team, songwriters and musicians from Antioch, led by James Mark Gulley. From the opening strains of audience approval, joyous praise and worship floods the listeners’ ears and ageless unchanging truths find a new sound for today! The savvy musical arrangements and gifted song writing flow from “Come” to “Our God Comes”, and the glorious experience is documented from the choruses of “Wonderful Counselor”, “How Much More” and “Savior Forever”.

Clear Day Media Group creates products to help people see God clearly and impact the world through Christ-centered content.

The 72-minute, live recording was produced by James Mark Gulley and assistant Owen Wible, recorded by Randy Adams and mastered at Marcussen Mastering in Hollywood, CA by Stephen Marcussen. Featuring songwriters James Mark Gulley, Stephen Gulley, Brandon Seibert, Thomas Wilson and Johanna Six, OUR GOD COMES also features worship leaders James Mark Gulley, Stephen Gulley, Johanna Six and Clare Berlinsky.

The full track listing for OUR GOD COMES is as follows:
God And King
Wonderful Counselor
God Who Saves
How Much More
I Will Raise
…Response
Light Me Up
Awaken Us
One Hundred Three
…Return
Savior Forever
…Selah
Our God Comes

All songs are available with CCLI. More information on OUR GOD COMES can be found on iTunes and www.Cleardaymediagroup.com

My take: I love worship music, especially live worship music, so I jumped at the chance to review Our God Comes by Antioch Live. The album has a variety of songs, ranging from those that make you want to jump, clap your hands, and sing your heart out to others that lead you to close your eyes and raise your hands in worship. I love how many of the songs meld right into the next, which makes for a seamless listening experience.

My favorites are "I Will Raise," "...Response," and "Our God Comes" (the latter reminds me a bit of Kristian Stanfill's "Always"). I did have a little difficulty understanding the lyrics of a few of the songs, so I was glad that the liner notes included lyrics!

Our God Comes is a great album that points the listener to Christ. It would make a great addition to anyone's collection.

My rating: 4 stars

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from The B&B Media Group. 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: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

"not in the heart" by chris fabry

About the book (from the publisher): Truman Wiley used to report news stories from around the world, but now the most troubling headlines are his own. He's out of work, out of touch with his family, out of his home. But nothing dogs him more than his son's failing heart.

With mounting hospital bills and Truman's penchant for gambling his savings, the situation seems hopeless ... until his estranged wife throws him a lifeline—the chance to write the story of a death row inmate, a man convicted of murder who wants to donate his heart to Truman's son.

As the execution clock ticks down, Truman uncovers disturbing evidence that points to a different killer. For his son to live, must an innocent man die? Truman's investigation draws him down a path that will change his life, his family, and the destinies of two men forever.

My take: Every so often, a book comes along that grabs you and won't let go. Not in the Heart is one such book. I read it quickly, and when I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about it. From the beginning, I assumed Terrelle (the death row inmate) was innocent, and as Truman came closer to the truth, I felt like I was searching for clues right along with him. And once I reached the epilogue, I read the sad-but-satisfying conclusion with tears running down my cheeks.

Truman Wiley is not your classic protagonist. An unemployed gambling addict who abandoned his family, he is certainly no hero—and he does things throughout the book that made me want to shake some sense into him. However, I found myself pulling for him, not in a "boy, he sure needs Jesus to fix his life" way but in an "I care about him so much that I wish he could see how much God loves him and get his life back together" way.

As I read the book, I thought a lot about Truman. We all know someone like him—someone whose addictions and fears control his or her life; someone we would desperately love to see trust in Christ. While no one close to me is a Truman, I do have friends and family members who have spent hours on their knees praying for their own Trumans. Reading this book reminded me again of the importance of prayer—praying for the Trumans who seem unreachable ... because no one is unreachable to God!

Rarely have I been so emotionally invested in a book that it brings me to tears. Not in the Heart is a fantastic book that I highly recommend with 5 out of 5 stars!

About the author: Chris Fabry is an award-winning author and radio personality who hosts the daily program Chris Fabry Live! on Moody Radio. He is also heard on Love Worth Finding, Building Relationships with Dr. Gary Chapman, and other radio programs. A 1982 graduate of the W. Page Pitt School of Journalism at Marshall University and a native of West Virginia, Chris and his wife, Andrea, now live in Arizona and are the parents of nine children.

Chris' novels, which include Dogwood, June Bug, Almost Heaven, and Not in the Heart, have won two Christy Awards and an ECPA Christian Book Award, but it's his lyrical prose and tales of redemption that keep readers returning for more.

He has also published more than 65 other books, including nonfiction and novels for children and young adults. He coauthored the Left Behind: The Kids series with Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye, as well as the Red Rock Mysteries and The Wormling series with Jerry B. Jenkins. RPM is his latest series for kids and explores the exciting world of NASCAR. Visit his website at www.chrisfabry.com.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free for review from The B&B Media Group. 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: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

"the accidental bride" by denise hunter

When Shay Brandenberger agreed to portray the bride in Moose Creek, Montana's annual Founders Day wedding reenactment, she never dreamed that the reenactment would lead to a real marriage—or that the groom would be Travis McCoy, the man who broke her heart when he left her to chase his rodeo dreams.

Shay can't wait to escape their sham of a marriage—but Travis offers an enticing proposal: remain married for five months, and he will do whatever he can to save her failing ranch.

As Shay spends time with Travis, she sees that he is no longer the man he once was. But can she really trust him, or will he abandon her once again?

My take: While I enjoyed The Accidental Bride, it wasn't one of those oh-my-goodness-this-is-so-good-I-can't-put-it-down books that I've come to expect from Hunter. (I'll acknowledge that I had insanely high expectations going in as 1. I've never met a Hunter book I didn't like, and 2. The "marriage of convenience" trope is my favorite of all romantic plot devices.) I found myself annoyed with Shay as the story progressed—not because she was reluctant to trust Travis (that was completely understandable given their history) but because she never confronted him when she found "proof" of his betrayal. Of course, because this was a Hunter book, their chemistry was undeniable, which helped me forget about my annoyance pretty quickly!

Is The Accidental Bride one of the greatest books I've ever read? No. But it's still pretty enjoyable! I give it 3-1/2 out of 5 stars and recommend it to fans of romantic fiction.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free for review from The B&B Media Group. 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: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."