Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall & Denver Moore

I read this book, cover-to-cover, in less then a day. I was drawn to read it at first by the cover art (which seems rather shallow, but it was captivating). The book is the story of two men who come from vastly different worlds to join together in a true friendship.

The point of view changes from author to author in each chapter - which took me a few chapters to get use to, but I quickly realized how it gave a unique voice to this book. In the end, though, it was my point of view that was changed. I challenge anyone to read this book and not look at homelessness in a new light.

Was this book perfect in it's Theology? Not necessarily - but, it was perfect in it's ability to focus my mind in different ways to see what was right in front of me. I live in Atlanta - and area of the country where it's very common to drive home and see the poor and homeless out my car window, but this book made me feel shame (in that I hadn't really SEEN them) and also gave me hope for change within myself.

I highly recommend this book to everyone. I have already passed my copy on to a friend at the theatre and had another friend download it on his Kindle.  It's one of the few books, that I know as soon as I receive it back - it'll be headed out the door to another person.

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

~Lone Butterfly  )i(

Dad's Bible: The Father's Plan

I chose to review the Dad's Bible: The Father's Plan, because Hubby has wanted a new bible, and this one looked like it would meet all his requirements.  It is New Century Version (NCV) and has two main areas of special content: Walking in Authority and Insights.

Insights takes specific verses and breaks them down as to how they relate to fathers and men in general.  Walking in Authority is more topical, but still relates to fathers and how God expects them to raise children.  The extra content extends to Godly Characteristics that God desires from fathers and an excellent section in the back of the Bible called "Questions and Answers".

The "Questions and Answers" takes questions that are common from children and gives fathers a handy place to get those answers.  (Example questions: "What is an 'Idol'?" and "Is it wrong to be rich?")

I found the Bible easy to use, durable with it's hardback cover - though I would have preferred a soft leather cover for looks (my Husband won't care one way or the other)!  My only disappointment was that there is very little room to make your own notes in the margins of the Bible.  I would recommended it as a gift, but a father who likes to write in his Bible, might not enjoy this one.

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

~Lone Butterfly  )i(

Jane Austen (Christian Encounters Series)

I was so pleased to find this book about Jane Austen, especially since I am currently in the middle of directing Pride & Prejudice at our local community theatre. It is a look into the life of Jane (“Jenny”) Austen, who wrote her three most popular works before she turned twenty-four, and died at the early age of forty-one. It is a quick read, at only 153 pages, and I would recommend it as easy for anyone over the age of twelve. Jane's Christianity is looked at along with all the other factors in her life, such as her family and her social standing in society, giving a balanced picture of the influences to her works.

My favorite parts of the book were when the author used humor to shed light on Jane's life. He also used many of Jane's own words to show who she was. I carried this book in my purse for a week, it's the perfect size, and read it during my brief free moments. I absolutely fell in love with Jane Austen while reading this book and I have a line of friends waiting to get their hands on it. Many books come into my house and then slide out again after we are finished with them, but this one I plan on keeping on my bookshelf!

Other books in the series cover famous Christians such as Isaac Newton, J.R.R. Tolkien and Winston Churchill.

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Chronological Guide to the Bible

Chronological Guide to the Bible is one of those titles that speaks for itself!  The guide walks the reader through the 9 Epochs of History, placing the Scriptures in chronological order, rather than canonical.  It contains an easy-to-follow checklist from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21, so the reader can walk through the Bible at their own pace.

As a former Seminary Student, I have a plethora of study Bibles, all shapes and sizes, and the thing I like most about this is that it works with any translation.  My best Study Bibles have most of the same content, however, I would love to use this book as part of a Bible Study, where everyone could use the same book, regardless of their personal translation preference.  I also liked that the Contributors include a variety of denominations.

I loved the timelines and maps found in the various sections.  It's a very visually-appealing book, B10 (the 10 year old son) wanted to thumb through it and read it.  He's asked if we can use the book as part of his homeschooling curriculum.  I'm always excited when my kids want to read more!

Overall, I would say that if you have an excellent Study Bible, you could likely print out a "chronological Scripture list" and skip this.  But, if you are working with a group, or want a Bible Study material, this is a good book to keep everyone on the same page.

~Lone Butterfly  )i(


I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Eragon and Eldest

So, part of me feels like if I'm going to make an effort to read books this year, then I should be writing some sort of book report afterwards. Like back in school where you would answer questions (or perhaps I should find my extra shoeboxes and make a diorama).

The two books I just finished reading are Eragon and Eldest, the first two books in the Inheritance Trilogy by Christopher Paolini. The story of the author is almost as fascinating as the books. He was a homeschooled kid who graduated from High School at 15 and began writing. He's currently only 23 years old, and finishing up the final book in the trilogy. (We also share the same birthday - WOOHOO for November babies!)

I enjoyed Eragon and Eldest because they embraced the fantasy world I enjoy, especially dragons. I found it interesting on another level, because you can almost see the religious issues that Christopher is dealing with in real life shown in the religious issues that Eragon (and the dwarves and the elves) deal with.

On a scale of one to ten, I give these two books an eight - and I would feel comfortable reading them aloud to B10. It has no "bad" language, very little "sex" (it's mostly immature feelings of love and how they are communicated between the characters), but does involve much death. This doesn't bother me, as the death and bloodshed are not graphic, and the characters deal with it (usually painfully). It's not glossed over. I can appreciate the author asking the reader to deal with the emotional turmoil along with Eragon and his cousin. Overall a great read.

Links to the official websites of the books: Eragon and Eldest