Draw the Circle by Mark Batterson

I really enjoyed this book. This is a book that will spur you on to increase the quality of your prayer life. It is very challenging yet at the same time very encouraging. There are many examples throughout the book of how God has answered prayer. Even though the answers were not always what the person was asking for you can see the hand of God at work. In this book Mr. Batterson encourages us to continue praying and not give up. That's the point of drawing the circle, it's another way of explaining the parable of the persistent woman. God wants us to be persistent in our prayer life. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to have a better prayer life. It's a wonderful devotional that will make you want to stop and get on your knees and get praying.

I received this book free from booksneeze.com in exchange for my review.

One Nation, Under Attack by Grant Jeffrey

This was an interesting read. Mr. Jeffrey is presenting a case for the collapse of the American economy. It was full of statistics and some of them were quite confusing. The national debt figure kept changing between the government reported figure, the unfunded liability figure and then the sum total of all future liabilities like social security. One quote that struck me was from Representative Darrell Issa (R-CA), "If you spent a million dollars a day going back to the birth of Christ, that wouldn't even come close to just one trillion dollars." That concept seems inconceivable. Either way you look at our debt figures, they are astronomical. Mr. Jeffrey also talks about China and their growing influence on our economy since they are our biggest creditor. He also points out that due to costs, we will not be able to be the world's police force for much longer. This leads to losing our influence in the world. The writing style is quite into the scare tactic but his facts are footnoted with resources to do your own fact checking. Which is something he really encourages you to do. He also argues that this nation was founded on Biblical principles and as we move away from the principles it is speeding up our decline. I enjoyed the quotes from past president's as they recognized the need for God. This book does make you think about the state of our country.

 

I received this book free from Waterbrook Multnomah in exchange for my review.

I Still Believe by Jeremy Camp

I am a big fan of Jeremy Camp and his memoir was one that I could not put down. I was somewhat familiar with his story but I had never heard his testimony firsthand. This was a very touching look at his life growing up and then his relationship with his wife who died from cancer 3 months after they were married. The story of "I Still Believe" is so inspiring I will now be crying every time I hear that song. The faith and trust in God that Jeremy displayed while going through an incredibly painful time in life is a wonderful testimony that God is who He says He is. I appreciate that Jeremy shares his testimony through music and is still willing to share on stage what he went through. His wife is also an inspiration in understanding what he went through as well as making their ministry about God, not getting caught up in wanting to forget the past. His songs are truly full of worship and those who listen to them are pointed straight to the glory of God. This is a must read for anyone who loves Jeremy Camp's music.

I received this book free from Tyndale House publishers in exchange for my review.