Free Audiobook For January: Jesus Calling

Free audio download from www.christianaudio.com is Jesus Calling. Click on the title bar to get your free audio book for your MP3 player...

Quote of the Day: December 31st, 2009

“Our anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, but only empties today of its strength”
Charles Spurgeon

Book Review: To Save A Life

To Save A Life by Jim and Rachel Britts

This novel is based on the movie releasing January 22nd that I posted on my blog yesterday. After picking up the book today to eventually read and post a book review on this blog, the unthinkable happened.

I started reading, and reading and reading and 315 pages later all I could say was “Wow!”

Without a doubt or hesitation I rate To Save A Life 5 stars out of 5 stars. If you’re a teenager, parent (as I am), or just enjoy reading a well thought out and well paced story, I urge you to pick-up a copy of this book (you may want to pick up a few copies to share with teens or friends to avoid going back to buy more).

First let me start by saying I do not know Jim and Rachel Britts, and quite honestly before researching the novel today I had never heard from them. All I can say is I am glad they took the time to really understand teenagers to write this novel – job well done! I eagerly look forward to the movie, and if the movie is as good as the novel, I believe they will have a hit on their hands that may rival Fireproof.

I do not want to tell you about the novel in great detail to avoid ruining your experience of reading this gem. I will tell you however that you will be drawn into the characters and you will feel like you have come to truly know Jake, Amy, Chris, Doug, Roger, Jonny, Danny, Jake’s parents and all the rest of the characters. Needless to say, the experiences these characters face in this book I believe we can all relate to – either some or all.

This is a great novel for those who are looking for “the right book” to give a teen or anyone who does not know God and/or are dealing with problems in life (and we all have them!). Most books out today are either heavy on God and weak on story, or weak on God and heavy on the story. To Save A Life has the perfect blend for those who do not know God and for those who do. Want a story based on relevant things that our happening in our teenagers life every day? Want a story that touches on popularity in school? Social status? Peer pressure? This is the book for you. I believe every teenager who reads this novel will come away changed for the better and view other teenagers and life in a whole different way.

I have a high school teenage daughter who loves to read and just issued a challenge to her. If after she reads To Save A Life if she cannot say it was one of the best books she has ever read, regardless if it was a Christian book or a Secular book I will pay her $10.00 for her time of reading the book. If she decides it is one of the best books she has ever read, I will owe her nothing. Even though my daughter has probably read nearly 1,000 books, I am very confident I will not be reaching for my wallet anytime soon.

Jim and Rachel – not sure you can top To Save A Life, but I am sure I want you to keep trying…

Click on the title bar (Book Review: To Save A Life) and you will be redirected to Amazon.com or you can find this book at your favorite Christian bookstore.

Coming To Theaters Soon: To Save A Life

Synopsis:
Ever since Jake Taylor was a kid, he was the type of guy you couldn't help but like. For Jake, life is good. He has a ton of friends, a basketball scholarship, a hot girlfriend and a really bright future. Not much to get down about, right?

Enter Roger Dawson. He was Jake's childhood best friend before Jake's growing popularity pushed him out. Tired of not fitting in and having a place to belong, Roger walks onto campus and , with a gun in his pocket and pain in his heart, makes a tragic move.

Jake is devastated by what Roger has done, and something in him changes. In seeking answers in his own life, one question plagues him the most: Could I have saved him? He finds himself deeply compelled to reach out to kids on the fringe - kids who aren't viewed as cool enough. But this decision, among other things, threatens Jake's world. He may lose his friends, his scholarship and even his reputation by asking, "What do I want my life to be about?"

Quote of the Day December 30th, 2009

Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither.
C.S. Lewis

Letters Between a Catholic and an Evangelical

This book presents a unique collection of correspondence between two friends who have spent many hours discussing their faiths—one a Catholic priest, the other an evangelical minister. Their candid dialogue illustrates how we can talk about opposing beliefs without resorting to criticism that is mean–spirited, sensationalistic, or inaccurate.

Anyone looking for a good book to help explain the differences between those who are of the Catholic faith and those who are Evangelicals will benefit from this book. I am non-denominational and this book helped me understand the differences (and in my individual case strengthen my beliefs). Below is the book description from www.amazon.com

The result is a one–of–a–kind, balanced presentation of six key issues including how a person becomes saved, who the teachers and rulers of the church are, and what it takes to get to heaven.

The fresh insights bring clarity and respect to both sides of the ongoing dialogue between Catholics and evangelical Christians, and readers will benefit by being able to make their own informed conclusions about the differences.

This Video Will Make Sure You Do Not Have Things Backwards

Make sure you watch the whole video (a little over 2 minutes)....

Quote of the Day

There are two kinds of people: those who say to God, "Thy will be done," and those to whom God says, "All right, then, have it your way."
C.S. Lewis

Authentic Relationships in an E-Culture

I think we all can relate to this article. Between texting, Instant Messaging, Twitter, Facebook and email I just want to scream PICKUP THE PHONE AND CALL ME or WHY DON'T YOU STOP BY!!!!

Click on the title bar above for a good article!

Moody Radio Ipod App

Visit the Itunes App Store to download the new Moody Radio Application for the Ipod Touch and Iphone!

Men's Moody National Event at Parkside Church

WALK WORTHY MBI MEN'S CONFERENCE - CHAGRIN FALLS
Location: Parkside Church
7100 Pettibone Road
Chagrin Falls, OH
If you are a man who is seeking to live a life that is pleasing to God—a life that will make a difference in this world—then the Walk Worthy Conference for Men is for you. This annual WCRF/MBI event is back! Scheduled guests include:
Dr. Paul Nyquist - MBI President
Dr. Charlie Dyer - MBI Provost and Dean of Eduction
Dr. Crawford Loritts - Senior Pastor, Fellowship Bible Church, Roswell, GA
Dr. James McDonald - Senior Pastor, Harvest Bible Chapel, Chicago area
Tim Stafford (leading worship) - Moody Memorial Church, Chicago
Christopher Yuan (testimony) - www.ChristopherYuan.com
The conference schedule is from 9:00 am - 3:30 pm. A box lunch will be provided. The cost is $50 by phone and online. Call 1-888-824-8246. You will NOT receive a ticket for this event. Please print out the e-mail confirmation you receive. The print-out of the email confirmation you receive will serve to give you entrance to the Men's Conference. Tickets are non-refundable. Doors will open at 7:30 am. Questions? Call WCRF at 440-526-1111.

Well 2010 is almost here...what are you going to try and improve in 2010?

The Book on Leadership

I am currently reading a number of books and have more to start including Truth For All Time by John Calvin, The Essential Works of Charles Spurgeon, The Definition of Christianity by David Gooding and John Lennox, Whatever Happen to Hell? by John Blanchard, and The Complete C. S. Lewis Signature Classics by C. S. Lewis. While going through the my books on the bookshelf, I came across one of my favorite books, The Book on Leadership by John MacArthur.

Below are Twenty-Six Characteristics of a True Leader:

1. A Leader is Trustworthy.
2. A Leader takes the Initiative.
3. A Leader uses Good Judgement.
4. A Leader speaks with Authority.
5. A Leader Strengthens others.
6. A Leader is Optimistic and Enthusiastic.
7. A Leader Never Compromises the Absolutes.
8. A Leader focuses on Objectives, not Obstacles.
9. A Leader Empowers by Example.
10. A Leader Cultivates Loyalty.
11. A Leader has Empathy for Others.
12. A Leader keeps a Clear Conscience.
13. A Leader is Definite and Decisive.
14. A Leader Knows when to Change His Mind.
15. A Leader Does Not Abuse His Authority.
16. A Leader Doesn't Abdicate His Role in the Face of Opposition.
17. A Leader is Sure of His Calling.
18. A Leader Knows His Own Limitations.
19. A Leader is Resilient.
20. A Leader is Passionate.
21. A Leader is Courageous.
22. A Leader is Discerning.
23. A Leader is Disciplined.
24. A Leader is Energetic.
25. A Leader Knows How To Delegate.
26. A Leader is Christlike.

A Gift For You: Christmas Music and Videos All Day Long

Watch Christmas music videos all day long on Christmas Day – everyone from Brian McKnight to Ledisi, to Chris Tomlin and Sara Groves. This ain’t your average Christmas music! We hope you and your family enjoy the wonderful sounds of Christmas Voices on GMC. Directv channel 338.

A Good Laugh From Francis Chan

This put a smile on my face...

Atheist, Agnostic, and Non-Religious

While I Facebook I noticed an old high school friend joined the group "Atheist, Agnostic, and Non-Religious" and it got me thinking of the questions I always want to ask an Atheist again. As for the "non-religious" part, that brings up a whole sub-topic of wondering if Atheist have ever been introduce to Jesus Christ, or if they were brought up by their parents in a denomination that was more about "church" and less about "relationship". I am still amazed at the number of people I speak with who tell me they are "X" denomination because that is what thier parents brought them up as and they never explored any other denomination or a non-denomination church. More on that topic at a later date as time permits.

For the Atheist (that would be all non-believers)what are your answers to these questions:

If you believe we are all here today by chance, who made the Big Bang? For something to happen (a reaction) something had to be made (a action).

If there is no God, how do we have morals and know right from wrong?

Science today still cannot prove there is no God, but many scientists today will tell you thier research leads them to believe there is a God.

How do you explain how cells in our body can produce a human being?

If I asked you to make me a human eye could you do it?

If God did not create the universe who did?

$5.00 Off at Christianaudio.com

Save $5.00 on one download at christianaudio.com:

Use the coupon code CHRISTMAS5 during checkout for $5.00 off any single download order from now until December 26th. Choose wisely though, you can can only use the code once!

Teen Attitudes Toward Sex

If you have a teenage daughter this may be the best 5 minutes and 8 seconds you spend with her. Watch this video and then take time to discuss it:
http://www.allprodad.com/page.php?id=159

For The Man Who Hated Christmas

Checkout http://www.giving101.org/whiteenvelopeproject/originalstory
if you want to read a story of a great tradition to start.

The Story

Ever wonder how it all began? Do you have questions regarding what the Bible is all about? There is a great website you should visit www.viewthestory.com to get started on answering questions you are your friends may have.

This website provides you with an easy way to begin answering the questions you may have and is intended for those who may not be familiar with the story of creation and the birth of Jesus.

If you have questions or are a unbeliever or "luke-warm believer" take a few minutes to visit www.viewthestory.com and read through this short book. Five minutes could answer a lifetime of questions for you.

FREE Holiday Album from Itunes

Itunes has a 21 song free holiday album featuring the likes of Amy Grant, David Archuleta, Toby Keith, Rascal Flats and more. Thank you Itunes for the free music!

Stand For Christmas

Want to shop at stores that promotes Merry Christmas? Check out www.standforchristmas.com

Kids & Remembering When

Those of us with teenagers will appreciate this. I recently attended a technology conference and the point was brought up that those of us with children have children who never experienced life without a computer...they have no idea what it would be like without a world full of computers. Have you ever thought how much time we spend every single day looking at some type of screen? Each day we look at computer screens, television screens, phone screens, video game screens and more...for hours and hours...

My daughter was singing along to Jimmy Buffett and I asked her if she knew what a "pop-top" was and she said she had no clue...

Remember when we were little the best part of a gift was the box it came in and we used our imagination?

Remember when we were little we walked everywhere and a large group of kids would play outside until the streetlights came on?

Remember when we we kids and we cherished being able to play just one sport at school, but now our kids are so active with so many things we cannot keep our head on straight?

Do you remember Pong? that was the first video game that we all thought was incredible! Now there are numerous video games that you can not only play, but play with someone else in a different part of the world while you talk to them over the Internet....

I'm getting old....

The Cleveland Browns 1 & 11 YIKES

It amazes me how the Cleveland fanbase demonstrated so much loyalty to bring a team back in 1999 and how aweful the Browns have been since their return. It is pretty obvious Randy Lerner knows nothing about football and hiring a head coach (Mangini) two days after another pro football team just fired him, may not have been a great move.

So now what? One can only hope that Lerner does hire a "football guy" and let's him have full control. I do not think you have to worry about having one person having complete control - they cannot do much worst then 1-11.

Well let's all get ready for another off season of roster turn over, Free Agents (the good ones) refusing to come here, and wasting our draft picks on "can't miss" college kids we will may millions of dollars to.

I have been a diehard life long Browns fan and for the first time ever it really does not matter to me if they are playing as I have better things to do like straighten out my stereo wires, re-arrange my sock drawer or clean the gutters.

Sad part is, as bad as they are, the city of Cleveland would be in serious hurt if Lerner sells the team to someone who whould move it to LA or so other city. The revenue generated by having an NFL team could not be replaced. I sure do miss the days of Sipe, Rucker, Newsome and would even be happy with Byner fumbling our Super Bowl appearence away. What are your thoughts?

More FREE Stuff

christianaudio.com: Free Audio Bookof the Month – “The Brothers Karamazov”
Sign on to christianaudio.com and download a free audio book to play on you MP3 player or computer. Each month they provide one audio book for free. In December you can download "The Brothers Karmamazov" for free.

Savings: 25% Off Your Entire Purchase Including Sale Items

For the month of December, if you are shopping at the Family Christian Store you can sign up for their free members club and you will be emailed a 25% off your entire purchase including sales items coupon. This is a great coupon on top of the tremendous sales they run.

Music: Free Gift From Mercyme

You can log onto http://www.mercyme.org/ and download the album "10 Live" for free!

Tiger Woods

If everything we have heard in the news recently about Tiger Woods is true, this is just another example of "The Best of Men, are Men at Best."

Movie Review: The Perfect Stranger and Another Perfect Stranger

The Perfect Stranger - based on the bestselling novel The Dinner With A Perfect Stranger and the sequel Another Perfect Stranger makes many people wonder about the movies when reading the cover on what they are about - but the bestselling novels were produced into two very good movies and I can tell you based on the many, many copies I seen sold the day I picked up these movies, many people feel the same way. If you are looking for a good, clean movie to enjoy I recommend either of these movies.

The Perfect Stranger

"The man told the lawyer he was Jesus Christ...the lawyer decided to call his bluff."
Nikki Cominski is a successful attorney - troubled by the fact that her life isn't perfect. One day, a mysterious invitation shows up on her desk that reads, "You have been invited to dinner with Jesus Christ." Thinking it is a prank, she shows up...only to find herself in the middle of a whirlwind evening of debate and revelation with the most unforgettable man she would ever meet.

This movie - set in today's time is time well spent.

Another Perfect Stranger

The sequel to The Perfect Stranger takes up the story of the Cominsky family ten years later, Nikki's daughter Sarah, now 19 and heading West for college, is at her own spiritual crossroads. To further complicate matters, her mother has recently revealed that, nearly a decade ago, she was the dinner guest of the Almighty Himself. Thinking her mom has gone off the deep end, Sarah strikes up an unlikely friendship with a travel companion who shares her disdain for religion.

This is a great movie for anyone, but especially people with teens.

These movies are on sales as "door busters" at the Family Christan Store for $7.49 or can be purchased from Amazon.

Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays?

This question (Do you prefer saying Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays?) has really been on my mind this year. Non-Christians prefer Happy Holidays and some of those in the business world feel it is more politically correct to use Happy Holidays to make sure they do not offend anyone. In all honesty, I used to fall into the second group a few years ago.



What Are We Celebrating?



My current thoughts however raises a different question I must ask: If you are a non-Christian and do not believe in the birth of man's Savior, Jesus Christ (or believe in a faith that does not believe in the birth of Jesus Christ) what are you celebrating every December 25th?



What Is The Christmas Season Really About?



I am sure there is a large group of "lukewarm" believers who may state that "yes there could be a God" but they do not have a true relationship with God and they really do not see any problem saying Happy Holidays. While I understand everyone comes to true faith at different times, is it not time to think about what Christmas really means?



The Christmas season is about the birth of Jesus Christ, God's only Son who He sent to die on the cross so our sins could be forgiven. Jesus was born of Mary and Joseph, and Jesus did die and He did rise again - for us.



If you do not believe the last paragraph, why do so many people still celebrate Christmas? Why are they rushing out to buy presents? Decorating trees? Why do they tell their children that Santa Claus is real but never introduce them to Jesus Christ? I understand this opens up to a much larger topic that would contain "religion versus relationship" or "all religions are the same - I tried that once it was not for me" (all religions are not the same and for the point of record I am a member of a non-denominational church and believe God wants a relationship with you and not religion, but I am sure that last statement will provide enough material for a seperate blog).



Conculsion



I urge you to not only say Merry Christmas this year - no matter who you are saying it to, but please take time to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas. If you are a non-believer or a "lukewarm" Christian, maybe this is the year you will learn the true meaning of Christmas and be touched by the Holy Spirit. God wants a relationship with you - when he knocks will you let Him in? As for me, Merry Christmas to all - please join me in celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ!