What Difference Do It Make? ~ by Ron Hall and Denver Moore

This book is the follow-up to the New York Times bestseller Same Kind of Different as Me, by Ron Hall, Denver Moore, and Lynn Vincent. I confess, I have not read the previous book, but can say without question, I liked What Difference Do It Make? very much. It appears to fill in some of what was not in the previous book, and tells some of the stories of what has happened since the first book came out. There are personal testimonies, by people who felt the impact of the message of Same Kind of Different as Me, who’ve responded and allowed it to make a difference in their lives and in the lives of others. Some of the actions taken have been ministries started, forgiveness given, families reunited, and a little girl who opens a lemonade stand to raise money for the homeless.

The unlikely friendship of the white, millionaire, fine-arts dealer Ron Hall and the black, uneducated, formerly homeless Denver Moore continues in this inspirational, true and stranger than fiction story. There are tales of hurt and forgiveness many of us can identify with. Denver Moore, though uneducated and having only recently begun to learn to read, has wisdom in abundance, and truly is the living example of 1 Cor. 1:27-28, “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are.” It is indeed a great book and I highly recommend it.

~~~

What Difference Do It Make?

Stories of Hope and Healing

By Ron Hall, Denver Moore and Lynn Vincent

New thoughts and reflections from the authors of the inspirational New York Times bestseller Same Kind of Different as Me.

The more than four hundred thousand readers stirred by the story of Ron Hall and Denver Moore will resonate with the all new, stand-alone true stories of hope and healing offered in this intimate, authentic follow-up to the New York Times bestseller Same Kind of Different as Me.

With new "Denverisms" and reflections from Denver on his personal dealings with homelessness and disrespect from others, additional insights from Ron on what we can learn from people unlike us and from those dealing with a terminal illness, and the stories of readers who have been impacted by the book's central themes, this inspirational reader will generate a host of new fans. Topics include:

* Faith and friendship
* Racial reconciliation
* Community outreach
* Compassion
* Healing

Love Has a Face ~ by Michele Perry

This is an AMAZING book! Once in a while, a book enters your life that shakes and challenges you, and will even change you if you let it. This is one of those books. One single, white, one-legged woman answers God’s call to go to Sudan and serve with love. She does so with an enormous amount of faith, carrying a message of hope and God’s love to a people who’ve known nothing but war, tragedy and pain. Many years ago, her everyday prayer became, Jesus, let me love with Your love, and see with Your eyes. And that is exactly what she does.

Her journey could not be accomplished without an exceedingly deep relationship with, intense love for, and unshakeable faith in Jesus. Like many missionaries, she has had personal experience with miracles many of us (especially in the Western world) simply never even consider. She has had numerous personal visitations from Jesus, and while it may be easy to discount the authenticity of these experiences, it is also easy to see how she could not do what she does without the authority and strength of Jesus being anointing her to do so. She has shown many that hate, evil and darkness cannot stand up against true, pure love.


Like another book I reviewed (The Hole in the Gospel), this is a life-changing, must read type of book.

~~~

Love Has a Face: Mascara, a Machete and One Woman’s Miraculous Journey with Jesus in Sudan
By Michele Perry

Unforgettable Memoir of a Woman Bringing the Love of Jesus to the Orphans of Sudan

Termites for dinner. Bombs in the backyard. A nation torn by decades of war still on the brink. Can one life really make a difference here?

Born without her left hip and leg, Michele Perry is no stranger to seeming impossibilities. So when she arrived in war-torn Southern Sudan--with little more than her faith in God's promises--she did what everyone told was crazy: she opened a home for orphaned children in the middle of guerilla warfare territory and has now become "mama" to over one hundred little lives.

With a deft pen, she recounts unforgettable stories of life in the bush, stories that capture the reader with the stark realities of living in a war zone—and the power of God's love to transform them. Her own story is just as compelling as the ministry she is living. From working in the slums of India to finding her home in war-ravaged Africa, her life has been a journey deeper into the supernatural power of God.

Captivatingly honest, readers will be swept up in one woman's poignant, spellbinding journey of love and the glimpses of God's tender grace and mercy in the midst of a broken and hurting world.


Michele has a Love Has a Face blog I would encourage you to visit from time to time.

You Were Born For This ~ by Bruce Wilkinson

Bruce Wilkinson is back. The whole title to his new book is, You Were Born for This: 7 Keys to a Life of Predictable Miracles. In it, Wilkinson challenges us to expect God to work through us, and gives many examples of how He does so. Most of us have had random moments and chance meetings (divine appointments, if you will), where either we were helped or we helped another, in a way that could only be explained as by being directed by God. Yes, God works miracles in the supernatural way that only He can, but more often, He uses people who are willing to submit to his prompting to accomplish His purposes. And whether we are on the giving or receiving end of His work, we grow and become better for it. There is a whole world out there needing a touch from God; all we have to do is open our eyes, our ears and our hearts, and God will direct us toward the miracle He wants to perform in someone’s life.

~~~

You Were Born for This
By Bruce Wilkinson
And David Kopp

Anyone can do a good deed, but some good works can only happen by a direct intervention from God. Around the world these acts are called miracles—not that even religious people expect to see one any time soon. But what would happen if millions of ordinary people walked out each morning expecting God to deliver a miracle through them to a person in need? You Were Born for This starts with the dramatic premise that everyone at all times is in need of a miracle, and that God is ready to meet those needs supernaturally through ordinary people who are willing to learn how Heaven works.

In the straightforward, story-driven, highly motivating style for which he is known, Wilkinson describes how anyone can help others experience miracles in such universally significant arenas of life as finances, practical help, relationships, purpose, and spiritual growth.

You Were Born for This will change how readers see their world, and what they expect God can do through them to meet real needs. They will master seven simple tools of service, and come to say with confidence, “I want to deliver a supernatural gift from God to someone in need today—and now I know how!”

~~~

Author Bios:
One of the world’s foremost Christian teachers, Bruce Wilkinson is best known as the author of the New York Times #1 bestseller The Prayer of Jabez. He is also the author of numerous other bestsellers, including A Life God Rewards, Secrets of the Vine, and The Dream Giver. Over the past three decades, Wilkinson has founded several global initiatives, including organizations that recruited and trained thousands of Americans to address hunger, AIDS, and poverty in Africa. Bruce and his wife, Darlene, have three children and six grandchildren. They live outside Atlanta.

David Kopp has collaborated with Bruce Wilkinson on over a dozen bestselling books, including The Prayer of Jabez. He is an editor and writer living in Colorado.

To get more information about You Were Born For This, including online purchase options, simply visit http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781601421821&ref=externallink_mlt_youwerebornforthis_sec_0728_01

That Certain Spark ~ by Cathy Marie Hake

What a delightful and fun book! It’s easy to forget the struggles that women went through to enter into male-dominated careers. That Certain Spark by Cathie Marie Hake, reminds us of how difficult it was for women to fit in and be accepted as doctors. Between the tension of conflicting gender roles, the natural rhythm of sibling support and rivalry, and the surprising attraction between a progressive young woman and a traditional man, sparks are flying everywhere! This was entertaining from start to finish and I enjoyed every minute of it!

~~~

That Certain Spark
By Cathy Marie Hake

As pride meets attraction head-on, sparks begin to fly!

Gooding, Texas, is about to gain a double blessing--a veterinarian and a doctor. But when siblings Enoch and Taylor Bestman arrive, the discovery that Taylor is a lady doctor has the town up in arms. Especially Karl Van der Vort, the town blacksmith, who becomes the first patient...against his will.

Though hesitant to believe in Taylor's doctoring skills, Karl finds himself oddly protective of this surprising woman who dares to drive about town on her own, wearing the color red, for heaven's sake! Taylor, on the other hand, wants only to prove that doctoring is her life's calling, despite the town's opposition. The result? Pride meets attraction head-on, and sparks begin to fly.

Fields of Grace ~ by Kim Vogel Sawyer

This is a captivating story with heart! Fields of Grace, by Kim Vogel Sawyer captured my attention immediately and held it throughout. First, I love the title – Fields of Grace – don’t we all need that in our lives?! Sawyer takes her readers on a journey that includes tragedy, pain and heartbreak, along with faith, hope and love. And she does is with expert storytelling and the right amount of drama.

Reading of how early Mennonite families happened to immigrate to America from Russia was very interesting. The strength of character and determination to settle, and not only survive, but to actually thrive in a new country where you don’t speak the language, is clearly shown in this story. It also shows us how God’s love can take the tragedies that happen in life, and turn them into triumph instead, but only if we allow Him too.

~~~

Fields of Grace
By Kim Vogel Sawyer

Will their Mennonite faith be shaken or strengthened by the journey to a new land?

With their eldest son nearly to the age when he will be drafted into military service, Reinhardt and Lillian Vogt decide to immigrate to America, the land of liberty, with their three sons and Reinhardt's adopted brother, Eli. But when tragedy strikes during the voyage, Lillian and Eli are forced into an agreement neither desires.

Determined to fulfill his obligation to Reinhardt, Eli plans to see Lillian and her sons safely settled on their Kansas homestead--and he's equally determined that the boys will be reared in the Mennonite faith. What he doesn't expect is his growing affection for Lillian--and the deep desire to be part of a family.

Stray Affections ~ by Charlene Baumbich

I found Stray Affections by Charlene Ann Baumbich to be captivating, magical, tender and even healing. This is a story of love and loss, struggle and triumph, and releasing the old and embracing the new. The characters are memorable, the story is gripping, the pace is quick and the ending is very satisfying. The power of love and forgiveness are a threaded throughout, while hope and the excitement of new beginnings come together neatly in the end, like a lovely bow encircling a beautiful package. On a personal note, this story hit on all of my sore spots – rough childhood, estrangement from mother, no father, love of animals and infertility, but it was more like balm to a wound than salt, and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

~~~

Stray Affections
By Charlene Ann Baumbich

In Stray Affections, the last thing that Cassandra expects out of her Sunday is to be mesmerized at a collectors’ convention by a snowglobe. She’s enjoying some shopping time, with husband Ken at home tending their brood of four young boys, when she’s utterly charmed by the one-of-a kind globe containing figures of three dogs and a little girl with hair the color of her own. She can’t resist taking the unique globe home—even if means wrestling another shopper for it!

The beautiful snowglobe sparks long-dormant memories for Cassie, of her beloved Grandpa Wonky, the stray she rescued as a child and the painful roots of her combative relationship with her mother, “Bad Betty” Kamrowski. Life in Wanonishaw, Minnesota is never dull, though, and Cassie keeps the recollections at bay, busy balancing her boys, her home daycare operation, and being a good friend to best pal Margret. But after a strange—flurrious, as Cassie deems it—moment happens with the remarkable snowglobe, Cassie and the people she loves are swirled into a tumultuous, yet grace-filled, and life-changing journey.

~~~

Author Bio:
Charlene Ann Baumbich is a popular author and speaker and an award-winning journalist. In addition to her Dearest Dorothy series of novels, she has written seven nonfiction books of humor and inspiration. A bungee-jumping, once motorcycle-owning grandma and unabashed dog lover, Charlene lives with her husband and rescued dog Kornflake in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. She loves telling stories, laughing whenever possible, and considers herself a Wild Child of God.

To get more information about Stray Affections, including online purchase options, simply visit https://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780307444714 or to view the video of Charlene introducing the book to readers, please visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWwya52SkjU

Fearless ~ by Max Lucado

Like life, fear happens. In his latest book, Fearless, Max Lucado, shows us that we all have fears. Some of our fears may be reasonable and some may not be, some may be healthy and some may be completely ridiculous, but regardless, they’re real. There is much in the world today to be fearful, nervous, or concerned about – war, the economy, terrorism, losing jobs, keeping homes, swine-flu, the swine-flu vaccine . . . and there is no question that fear can be crippling. But as Max points out, it doesn’t have to be.

When we choose to walk in faith and trust God, we can move beyond fear. When we trust in God, we gain strength, experience hope, and find freedom. That doesn’t mean we won’t have moments of fear, or that bad things won’t happen to us or those we love, but we know that’s not the end of the story and we know we don’t have to go through them alone.

Max Lucado is one of the great Christian writers of our times. He is a gifted wordsmith and offers encouragement, wit, wisdom and truths that are deep and profound in a way that is simple and pure. In Fearless, he does it again.

~~~

Fearless
By Max Lucado

Each sunrise seems to bring fresh reasons for fear.

They're talking layoffs at work, slowdowns in the economy, flare-ups in the Middle East, turnovers at headquarters, downturns in the housing market, upswings in global warming. The plague of our day, terrorism, begins with the word terror. Fear, it seems, has taken up a hundred-year lease on the building next door and set up shop. Oversized and rude, fear herds us into a prison of unlocked doors. Wouldn't it be great to walk out?

Imagine your life, wholly untouched by angst. What if faith, not fear, was your default reaction to threats? If you could hover a fear magnet over your heart and extract every last shaving of dread, insecurity, or doubt, what would remain? Envision a day, just one day, where you could trust more and fear less.

Can you imagine your life without fear?

The Carousel Painter ~ by Judith Miller

This was a fascinating story and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it! The Carousel Painter by Judith Miller is a delightful, historical romance, filled with beauty and grace. I was easily drawn in by the characters, and really felt myself pulling for the protagonist, Carrie, who went into no-woman’s-land to support herself, in a carousel factory where women did not work.

There were plenty of spiritual lessons and Scripture, but it was never preachy. It moved along at a nice pace and was difficult to put down. I really enjoyed the glimpse into the art of carousel making – especially for that era. The Carousel Painter is fun, mysterious and romantic, but it is also deep and heartfelt. I give it a high recommendation!

~~~

The Carousel Painter
By Judith Miller

Carrie loves painting the beautiful carousel horses...but can she stand strong against the many who don't want her to keep the job?

When Carrington Brouwer receives the enviable job of painting carousel horses for a factory in Ohio, she believes her future is secure. But after an expensive necklace disappears from the home where she's been staying, she's caught up in a search for the truth that puts her entire livelihood - and her developing relationship with the factory manager - at risk. Can she lead police to the real culprit before she loses everything?

Beautiful Mess: The Story of Diamond Rio ~ by Diamond Rio

I have long been a fan of country music group Diamond Rio and jumped on the chance to read and review their new book. Beautiful Mess: The Story of Diamond Rio, by Diamond Rio with Tom Roland is the story of the band together from their early and humble beginning, to success and superstardom, to what was nearly the demise of the band. It is unique in that it is told collaboratively with individual accounts from all the band members.

It begins with the beautiful mess they found themselves in during a 4th of July celebration in Nashville in 2005. Lead singer Marty Roe had been losing his voice and diminishing the credibility of the group for some time, and it became very obvious during that one show. This superstar group has had its share of struggles and ups and downs, both in their personal and professional lives. And it seems that they have truly learned that that which doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, and that when we face trials and adversities in life, the really can be view as a beautiful mess. Through this journey they’ve learned to better cling to and lean on God to get them through and turn things around.

For any Diamond Rio fans out there, this is a great book. And it’s pretty great book for anyone who’s faced adversity too! This is a Thomas Nelson, NELSONfree book, which means that if you purchase the book, you may freely receive the book in both audio and ebook format as well.

~~~

Beautiful Mess: The Story of Diamond Rio
By Diamond Rio
With Tom Roland

Can a band comprised of six very talented but very different musicians make a difference with their music?

What made it possible for Diamond Rio to weather the storms inherent in the fickle world of fame and fortune and go more than two decades without a single lineup change? Any reader in search of transparency and a behind-the-scenes look into the life of the band as a unit as well as the individual lives of the players and singers will be well satisfied. Can true loyalty exist within the competitive, seemingly unforgiving music industry? In A Beautiful Mess, Marty Roe, Dan Truman, Jimmy Olander, Brian Prout, Gene Johnson, and Dana Williams each has an entire chapter devoted to his personal and professional life. A Beautiful Mess is a wild ride from the edge of disaster and a little-known secret to an ongoing heart-warming revival.

To The Rescue ~ by Elise Lufkin

I love the idea of this book! As an animal lover, I’ve had my own fair share of rescue animals. And they are awesome! So is this book. To the Rescue, Found Dogs with a Mission, is written by Elise Lufkin with photographs by Diana Walker. It tells the stories of amazing dogs (and one cat) who’ve been rescued from shelters everywhere, and who’ve become working, therapy, and assistive animals. Many of them have had great adversity of their own to overcome, suffering from abuse, accidents, neglect, etc.

This would be a wonderful book for anyone who loves animals! For anyone who believes in second chances. For anyone who has ever had a furry companion. Speaking from personal experience, I had the privilege of receiving a visit from a therapy dog when I was in the hospital for my last miscarriage. I cannot begin to describe how wonderful and comforting that was for me. This books is full of stories that represent what that was to me.

On a side note, but very important… Elise Lufkin donates all profits from her books to shelters and other animal-related organizations. She believes that her books can make a difference to at least some of the millions of animals otherwise destroyed each year in shelters and animal control facilities, as well as to the many strays that never even reach shelters, living out their lives on the streets, suffering from hunger, abuse and early death. She started a humane education program in the local school system, and initiated a project socializing shelter dogs in order to make them more adoptable.

~~~

To the Rescue
By Elise Lufkin
Photos By Diana Walker

Lufkin and Diana Walker once again present a moving collection of profiles, in beautiful, duotone photographs and moving text, of dogs that have found new lives after being “throw away” dogs. Each dog (and one cat) profiled has had a rough past, suffering abuse or extreme neglect at the hands of humans. Each has been rescued, some literally from death row, by someone who recognized something special in him or her.

The animals featured here have not only thrived in their new home. They have gone on to become therapy dogs for hospitals and nursing homes; reading partners for children; friends to at-risk teens and injured veterans; service dogs for the deaf, blind, or disabled; arson dogs; and even search-and-rescue dogs.

Some of these special dogs are disabled, blind, deaf, missing limbs, but they don’t seem to know it. These spunky, happy animals have repaid the kindness of their rescuers in spades, bringing the therapy of love, acceptance, hope and solace to people in need. And always these dogs inspire their already generous owners as well as everyone they come in contact with as they cheerfully spread their good will and joyful spirits.