2016 Book List!

I know we're three months into 2017 now, but I thought posting my book list might give you all some new reading material if you're searching! Have you read any listed here?

How many books did you read this year? Any favorites?

2016 Book List

1. Grace Triumphant by Alicia A. Willis
2. Grieving: Our Path Back to Peace by James White [Kindle]
3. Kingdom’s Dawn by Chuck Black
4. Not recommended.
5. David: A Man of Passion and Destiny by Charles Swindoll
6. Soul Friends by Leslie Parrott
7. Burning Light by Rachel Starr Thomson [Kindle] (book 2/3)
8. Dorie: The Girl Nobody Loved by Doris Van Stone
9. Pendragon’s Heir by Suzannah Rowntree [Kindle]
10. Behold the Dawn by K.M. Weiland [Kindle]
11. John (St. Andrew’s Expositional Commentary) by R.C. Sproul [Kindle]
12. The Gospel of John: Believe and Live by Elmer Towns
13. Jesus is the Christ by Leon Morris
14. Dreamlander by K.M Weiland [Kindle]
15. The Methuselah Project by Rick Barry [Kindle]
16. Streams in the Desert for Graduates by L.B. Cowman
17. Grace Triumphant by Alicia A. Willis
18. Fully Alive by Larry Crabb
19. Understanding the Big Picture of the Bible by Wayne Grudem, C. John Collins, Thomas R. Schreiner
20. A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis
21. Ben Hur by Lew Wallace
22. Grasping God’s Word by J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays
23. 12 Extraordinary Women by John MacArthur
24.  A Man Called Outlaw by KM Weiland [Kindle]
25. Did I Kiss Marriage Goodbye? by Carolyn McCulley
26. Worth Living by Mary DeMuth
27. Behold, the Lamb of God by Russ Ramsey [Kindle]
28. Rescuing the Gospel by Erwin Lutzer
29. Storming by K.M. Weiland [Kindle]
30. Not recommended.
31. Girl Defined by Kristen Clark and Bethany Baird
32. Lion of Babylon by Davis Bunn (book 1/3)
33. We Two Alone by Ruth Hege
34. The South Sea Whaler by W.H.G. Kingston
35. A Path through Suffering by Elisabeth Elliot
36. Terrorism, Jihad, and the Bible by John MacArthur
37. Why Trust the Bible? By Greg Gilbert
38. Heroines of the Cross by Publishers of Christian Literature
39. Heather and Snow by George MacDonald [Kindle]
40. Aesop’s Fables translated by George Fyler Townsend [Kindle]
41. Healing Ruby by Jennifer H. Westall [Kindle] (book 1/3)
42. Exile by Rachel Starr Thomson (book 1/5)
43. Hive by Rachel Starr Thomson (book 2/5)
44. Attack by Rachel Starr Thomson (book 3/5)
45. Renegade by Rachel Starr Thomson (book 4/5)
46. Rise by Rachel Starr Thomson (book 5/5)
47. Breaking Matthew by Jennifer H. Westall [Kindle] (book 2/3)
48. The Power of Together by Jim Putnam
49. The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien
50. The Imitation of Christ by Thomas A’Kempis
51. Back to the Cross: Surprising Truths from Shanghai by Angela Oltmanns [Kindle]
52. Can I Be Sure I’m Saved? By R.C. Sproul [Kindle]
53. By Divine Right by Patrick W. Carr [Kindle]
54. Her Mother’s Secret by E.D.E.N. Southworth [Kindle] (book 1/3)
55. The Master’s Garden by Joyce A. Scott [Kindle]
56. Words that Sting by John Stang [Kindle]
57. The Temple and the Tabernacle by J. Daniel Hays
58. Hope Prevails by Dr. Michelle Bengtson
59. When God Doesn’t Make Sense by James Dobson
60. 7 Women by Eric Metaxes
61. Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus by Nabeel Quereshi
62. 20 Things We’d Tell Our Twenty-something Selves by Kelli and Peter Worrall
63. The Doctor by Ralph Connor
64. Heart to Heart by Rachel Starr Thomson
65. The Dating Manifesto by Lisa Anderson [Kindle]
66. Speaking of Homosexuality by Joe Dallas
67. Intended for Evil by Les Sillars
68. Don’t Waste Your Life by John Piper
69. When Others Shuddered by Jamie Janosz
70.  Cloak of the Light by Chuck Black

Short Stories (not novels/books)

1. Coffee Cake Days by Amanda Tero  [Kindle]
2. Journey by Rachel Starr Thomson [Kindle]
3. Debt of Mercy by Amanda Tero [Kindle]
4. Of Men and Bones by Rachel Starr Thomson [Kindle]
5. Magdalene by Rachel Starr Thomson [Kindle]
6. The Fox Went Out by Schuyler McConkey [pdf]
7. The Angel Knew Papa And The Dog by Douglas Kaine McKelvey [Kindle]
8. The Dairyman’s Daughter by Legh Richmond [Kindle]
9. Cross Purposes and The Shadows by George MacDonald [Kindle]

The Real God by Chip Ingram

From Amazon
See God for Who He Is, Not What You Think He Ought To Be

Anyone who has tried to describe God to someone else, especially an unbeliever, knows that it is easy to find yourself at a loss for words. It seems that this part of our lives, which we claim is central, is often difficult to put into words. But if you know God, shouldn't you be able to describe him? What is he like? How can we put his eternal attributes into words?

Join Chip Ingram in this fascinating study of seven attributes of God: his goodness, sovereignty, holiness, wisdom, justice, love, and faithfulness. Readers will see God in a whole new light and discover that our view of God impacts every decision in our lives. It will change the way we pray, the way we live, and the way we think about the world around us.

God longs for us to know him as he really is. Get ready to meet God again for the first time.

I haven't previously read any books by Chip Ingram before, but I decided to try out this book when it came up for review. I'm glad I did. Ingram writes in a clear, personal style which I think connects well with the reader. The beginning chapter starts out with a few of the misconceptions people hold about God. Research* shows that many (if not most) people view God as they view their parents or other authority figures, and when we base our thoughts about God in this way, we end up with a distorted picture of who God really is and what He has in store for our lives. 

I love how Ingram goes through seven attributes of God and tears down the lies we automatically believe based on our circumstances and situations. Ingram's definitions and thoughts are centered around much of A.W. Tozer's teachings as well, which provides depth and insight from a great author of the past. Ingram's chapters are divided into sub-sections and further sub-sections when necessary, and I appreciated the titles and outlines of his thought process. Each chapter ends with a study guide, furthering the reader's study with questions, definitions, and verses to meditate on with the use of the BIO acronym: 1) Come BEFORE God daily, 2) Do life IN COMMUNITY weekly, and 3) ON MISSION 24/7. Chip Ingram also recounts personal experiences with the attributes of God and willingly shares his victories and failures centered on his foundation in Christ. 

I had few (if any) issues with his theology, for which I was grateful. It's refreshing to read a sound interpretation of Scripture while yet being encouraged on in the faith. Pick up a copy and you'll find conviction and encouragement about who God is and how He longs for you to see Him.

Favorite Quotes 

The Goodness of God

[God's goodness] implies a sense of delight in the one giving and the gift given. God's goodness is pleasant, desirable, fair, and generous.

You are the object of his affection, and because of his unique and divine nature, all that he expresses comes in an expansive, overwhelming, God-sized generosity toward you.

God is divinely and positively disposed toward you. He takes holy pleasure in your happieness. He is not down on you because you live in a fallen world; he is for you in the midst of it.

The Sovereignty of God

[God] is not just another "ism" out there to be considered. He is infinite and eternal, over all and worthy above all. I worship him because he is sovereign.

He will bring history to a close. Instead of being the suffering servant who died in your place on the cross, he will then be the ruling warrior on a white horse, and he will bring about justice. He wants his people living in anticipation of the day of his return.

The Holiness of God

An upward, accurate view of God, high and holy, leads to an inward, accurate view of yourself as falled short and desperately needing God's forgiveness, which in turn leads to an outward view of your life being about God's agenda instead of yours, and your life being about the needs of other people instead of you and your little world.

We learned that the highway to holiness is never traveled alone. We need each other.

The Wisdom of God

It's easier for us to define God's wisdom than to willingly live under it.

Learning to take God at his word (James 1:5) and pray specifically for wisdom in each situation was a major turning point in my life. The hard part was being willing to do whatever he said, but as I learned to trust, I gradualyl saw God make his will clearer and easier to understand than I ever imagined. 

The Justice of God

Justice is not a standard God follows; he is the standard. He is not accountable to justice because justice flows from him. It's part of who he is.

What God's justice demanded, his love provided.

Seeing God as he longs for us to see him will always involve the cross. 

When someone asks, "What's going to happen when you die?" you can answer, "I'm going to start fully enjoying the eternal life I already have!"

Trusting a just God with [vengeance] is a powerful way to worship him in a fallen world.

The Love of God

We don't provoke, trick, convince, earn, or win God's loves. He doesn't love us because of who we are but because of who he is. His nature and character compel him to express unconditional affection toward us.

Even if you had never done anything since you were born, God would take pleasure in you simply because of who you are...That's how God feels about you. He feels that way when you're obedience, godly, disciplined, and righteous, and he feels that way about you when you're irritable, sarcastic, selfish, and evil.

It's time to stop coming up with ways to deserve his love and learn to respond to the love he has already clearly shown us.

The Faithfulness of God

His faithfulness is clearly seen in Israel, and it carries seamlessly over into the church.

When God's Word makes an impact on our lives, we become part of the demonstration of his faithfulness.

We don't need to forgive ourselves. We need to trust what has already happened. 

*God Attachment by Dr. Tim Clinton and Dr. Joshua Straub



**I received this book free from the publishers. The opinions expressed are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.

When Others Shuddered by Jamie Janosz

Back Cover

Travel back in time to turn-of-the-century America. Skirts trailed the floor, hats were a must, and corsets were commonplace. People traveled by horse and carriage, locomotive, or ship. The first skyscrapers were built. The World's Fair arrived in Chicago.

Life was swiftly changing in the United States, but for most, it was also difficult. Men and women flooded the cities in a desperate search for work. Former slaves fled north seeking freedom and education. Crime began to rise as brothels and saloons became commonplace in American cities.

It was in this world that Fanny Crosby, Mary McLeod Bethune, Nettie McCormick, Sarah Dunn Clarke, Emma Dryer, Virginia Asher, Evangeline Booth, and Amanda Berry Smith lived and worked and served. They were ordinary women called to serve God. They followed His leading, risking their own safety and reputation. In doing so, they changed the world forever.

The stories of these eight historic, faithful women will change your life as well as you see what God can do through the willing hearts of ordinary women.


This book was an encouraging read. Though I read it on and off through a busy work season, it was refreshing to come back to stories of some of the women of history who stood fast "when others shuddered". I had never heard about Jamie Janosz but I was entrigued by the life overviews of women who lived during an ever-changing society.

Stories such as Fanny Crosby's and Emma Dryer's demonstrated the unwavering faith in God despite personal loss. Sarah Clarke and Evangeline Booth showed their unfailing trust in their Savior as He provided for their financial needs. And I loved learned about the lives of Amanda Smith and Virginia Asher--names not commonly heard throughout history. Janosz also includes short chapters about education, missions, and politics as they affected and related to women in these challenging times.

Unlike others around them, despite personal, financial, material, or relational loss, these women refused to give up. While each women has only three chapters written about her, I appreciate how Janosz focuses on personal and spiritual growth in each of their lives. You don't get all the tiny details of the womens' lives, but you see enough to understand how women of different social, spiritual, and financial backgrounds can all relate and build faith in the same God. These women played important parts in history, and many of them were the encouragers of the evangelists and future "great men" of church history. They weren't faultless, and in some cases I would disagree with their choices of lifestyles, but they did have a Savior in common and they followed His leading no matter what those around them said. They were willing to give up personal comfort for the sake of winning others to Jesus. Very glad I requested this book. :)




*I received this book free from the publishers. The opinions expressed are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.

Intended for Evil by Les Sillars

Back Cover:

How do you survive when everything you hold dear has been ripped away?
This is the question Radha Manickam asks himself during the three years and nine months he spends under the merciless rule of the Khmer Rouge. When Khmer Rouge forces take the city of Phnom Penh in 1975, Radha is a new Christian, passionate about living out his faith. Over the next years of his life, 1.7 million of his fellow Cambodians--including most of his own family--will perish due to starvation, disease, and unthinkable violence.
As he strives to hold tight to his faith, he finds that in the midst of hell on earth God has not forgotten him. Forced by the communist regime to marry a woman he doesn't know, Radha discovers that God has a plan for his life that he never would have imagined.
This compelling true story of survival against incredible odds shows that out of war, fear, despair, and betrayal, God can bring hope, faith, courage, and restoration.

The Khmer Rouge, a Communist revolution, was an event in history that I had never heard of. Until this book. I cannot attest to the historical accuracy or interpretation, as I have not studied it out, but I loved learning about the history through Radha Manickam's story. I can definitely see why this story was published.

The eldest of seven children, Radha grew up in a normal, moderately wealthy Cambodian home. The Khmer ethnic group populated most of Cambodia, and the rest were typically Chinese or Vietnamese. Civil war broke out in 1970 and devasted the nations and large cities, along with sometimes conflicting and tense relations with the American forces. Following this war scene and throughout the following years, we live Radha's life with him as he becomes a new Christian and survives the bloody revolution.

This book contains much history, both politically and geographically, and sometimes I found it hard to follow if I read too quickly, but nonetheless it was very interesting. Because of the nature of this revolution, there are specific details given which would lead to a more mature audience. While I don't advocate or enjoy violence, I do think we do well to understand what has taken place in the past. Though Radha's salvation is detailed and frequent episodes regarding his faith and struggles are written, I would have liked to hear more of Radha's faith throughout the story, and how it molded him into the person he became.

Radha loses most of his family to starvation or the violence of the Khmer Rouge, and he's forced to make life-changing decisions as a young man. Terror and death were common elements of the revolution, and the tyrannical dictatorship soon enslaved families and forced them to work in the rice fields. Radha's faith was tested many times. The Khmer Rouge determined everything about people's lives--work, family, marriage--and we also hear of Radha's marriage, a difficult union at first because no one trusted anyone.

Later on in the US, Radha and Samen (his wife) struggle knowing that their nation is still suffering under the effects of the revolution. Radha later returns to Cambodia and sees the devastation of his homeland and works through the horrifying memories. This book isn't a light one at all, but it tells the story of one (among many) man who suffered through the "killing fields of Cambodia" and lived to tell about it. It's a story worth reading, not only for the history, but also to remember our fellow believers who suffered and found grace even in their unspeakable pain.




*I received this book free from the publishers. The opinions expressed are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.

Speaking of Homosexuality by Joe Dallas

From Amazon:
Homosexuality and gay marriage stand among perhaps the greatest defining cultural battles of our age. There's no escaping the inevitable conversations--so how does a Christian respond with love and biblical truth without adding fuel to the fire?

Drawing on nearly thirty years of counseling people struggling with homosexuality, former gay activist Joe Dallas takes readers through virtually every argument they are likely to hear in favor of normalizing homosexuality. He helps readers understand the views of LGBT people they may know and respond with clarity, confidence, and compassion. He shows the most effective ways to engage the subject on social media and in everyday encounters with guidelines for talking points, dialogue, approach, and tone, and even provides sample dialogue.

Anyone who has been searching for ways to have productive, loving conversations surrounding this critical topic will find this incredible resource a must-have.

Currently, there are no reviews of this book on Amazon, so I'm guessing that not many people chose it for their monthly review book. However, when I saw it released, I picked it up because the topic of homosexuality and Christianity is a vital and current topic. Many Christians struggle to answer their own or others questions regarding the topic. We don't want to be seen as "homophobic", but nor do we want to compromised our standards, or maybe we just don't understand why there is such a big fuss. After all, it doesn't seem to be a "salvation" issue that we need to divide over.

Joe Dallas begins his book by explaining the context of the culture we live in along with its presumptions. Because we assume things about homosexuals or the homosexual lifestye that aren't always true. And they assume things about those who don't agree with them as well. He then defines some terms which I found extremely helpful because I hadn't heard of them before. Basically he describes how each generation has thought about homosexuality. The Militants are convinced that homosexuality is normal and that those who disagree need to be silenced, while most people would fall under the description of Mainstream: the average person with whom we have more in common than we realize. Millenials are different in that they are the first generation to be mostly prohomosexual. And to describe things further, there is the Traditionalist and Revisionist point of view for Christians. Traditionalists tend to view Scripture as saying that homosexuality is a sin, while Revisionists tend to hold to the position that Scripture has been misunderstood on this matter and cultural reformation is needed.

Dallas then goes on to give several important reminders on how we're to engage conversation and participate in discussions. I love how each chapter ends with 10 talking points from that chapter. These provide a short outline of the chapter content and provide quick points to remember when discussion homosexual issues with others. Chapters 4-13 are the chapters which take arguments and provide answers for them from Scripture. I appreciated Dallas' concise way of answering arguments and giving specific passages, along with common logic to draw readers to the conclusion. He deals with topics such as being "born gay", same-sex marriage, homophobia, hypocrisy, and harm, gay Christians, Levitical passages and the "gay Christian", and homosexuality in the New Testament. Dallas covers all the basis.

Reading this book provided much thought, as I saw how many assumptions the average person has about homosexuality, along with some that I myself also had. I bracketed many paragraphs which highlight truths of Scripture in a practical way, and I appreciated Dallas' boldness. While he is honest, he's kind and forgiving in his writing, and I think many people could read this book even though they might disagree. Dallas' is specifically debating the Revisionist point of view in his arguments, and I think he does well in his layout of the book. For each argument he presents 3-4 responses and details his answers.

So glad I picked up this book. While I still have the last two chapters to finish off, I'm glad I picked up this copy. A much needed reminder of truth in the midst of a changing culture. Dallas balances the line between shunning those who practice the homosexual lifestyle (or merely support it), but yet not condoning behavior that is specifically expressed as sin in Scripture. It's a tough place to be today. But let's remember that they who identify as part of the LGBT lifestyle need to be treated with Love, Grace, and Biblical Truth (my new acronym ;). To converse and disciple people with same-sex attraction or even with those actively practicing that lifestyle, it will be a hard ride, but by God's grace it will be a life worth knowing if we are pointing them to Jesus by our love for them.

Favorite Quotes

The righteness or wrongness of a thing is not determined by its changeableness. Some tendancies may never change, or may never change completely. That doesn't justify giving in to them. And if therapy cannot erase them, that doesn't discredit therapy.

---

Everyone has, at some time, been firmly convinced of something only to later find they had it all wrong.

---

...what we're facing in today's church is not unique. Christ's body has always included people who repented of homosexual behavior and faithfully stwarded their bodies to the end. But it has no doubt also included those who decided to indulge what they initially resisted.

---

...stories...remind us that such strugglers [Gay Christians] often endure the slings and arrows of fellow believers who make crass jokes about homosexuals without realizing whom they may be wounding. And they remind us of the profound grief in facing the possibility of life without sexual fulfillment if what would fulfill you most is forbidden and difficult even to discuss.

---

Truth would be a lot easier, after all, if it wasn't accompanied by love. But it is, binding our hearts hostage to another person's experience...All because we're bonded in love to those who may or may not join us in eternity...to those who choose intimate obedience or continue to rebel. Our hearts ride with them as they analyze, wrestle, rationalize, and hopefully, sooner or later say yes to God. But we also risk accompanying them emotionally into the grief of no.

*I received this book free from the publishers. The opinions expressed are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.

Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus by Nabeel Qureshi

From Amazon:

Providing an intimate window into a loving Muslim home, Qureshi shares how he developed a passion for Islam before discovering, almost against his will, evidence that Jesus rose from the dead and claimed to be God. Unable to deny the arguments but not wanting to deny his family, Qureshi struggled with an inner turmoil that will challenge Christians, Muslims, and all those who are interested in the world’s greatest religions.

Engaging and thought-provoking, Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus tells a powerful story of the clash between Islam and Christianity in one man’s heart and of the peace he eventually found in Jesus.

I heard about this book from social media and friends for a long time until a special friend gave it to me for my birthday. Before I read it, however, I was saddened to hear through social media that Mr. Qureshi had contracted cancer and was now going through treatment. Because of his story and his faith, I believe there are many, many believers praying for his recovery and strength through this process. 

This book tells the story of Nabeel Qureshi and his journey towards saving faith in Christ Jesus. Growing up in a devout Muslim home, his desire for spiritual knowledge enabled him to learn how to defend the Muslim faith quickly. His parents were faithful Muslim's as well, and Qureshi takes the time to give us exact convsersations from his family life. I love how he describes relationships and background history, as I think many today have one view of Muslims--that of terrorism and violence. However, not all Muslim families are like that. Throughout the book Qureshi offers definitions of common Muslim practices and describes in detail some of the rituals involved in that religion. This leads for a clearer picture of everyday Muslim life and it draws the reader closer to the Qureshi family. 

Qureshi's questions about his faith soon lead him on a search that would likely end in a different way than he first expected. I appreciated how he describes the differences between Muslim faith and Christianity, as well as the struggles he had in relating to the postmodernism of today's age. The terrorist attack on 9/11 also brought increased risk for a Muslim family living in the Western world. However, at school Nabeel's friendship with David Wood will lead to an intense searching of his faith and that of the Christian believers. I love how this friendship is portrayed and how it plays out in the book. David was a faithful Christian, and yet he took much of his life at school and devoted it to Nabeel in order to defend Christianity and give Qureshi a reason to question his own faith. Though they were two men from differing backgrounds and faiths, they were like brothers to one another and their friendship withstood the test of time. David and Nabeel's friendship is my favorite part of this story. They learned to respect one another (and tease one another) and demonstrate wisdom in interacting with each other about their own religions, and David waited patiently to see Qureshi surrender to Christ. [Later on the duo find out about a mutual friendship they had...with a Buddhist, and this makes for even more interesting conversation. :)]

I empathized with Qureshi as he began to search out his own faith and see the horror of Muhammad's life and the gaps missing in his faith, but ultimately this led him to a turning point in his life. He studied the Bible as he learned the Koran, and when one studies the Bible with a willing, open heart, amazing things can happen. This is a book I highly recommend. And I think Mr. Qureshi just released a new book entitled No God But One: Allah or Jesus, which I'm keeping my eye on as well.