Book Review

Managing Money God's Way: A 31-Day Devotional by Bob Lotich

The purpose of this book is to provide a 31 day reading and thinking pattern about money and what God says about it.

I got this as a free e-book so I wasn't sure what to expect. I was hoping for practical implementation of God's Word. However, this book seemed to be more about the author's thoughts about what God says about money.

Overall, I didn't get much out of it.

Book Review

Glenn Beck's Common Sense

This is Glann Beck's modern day version of Thomas Paine's 1776 publication of Common Sense. Beck looks at six major themes in this book:

• Reshaping & Redefining of America
• Money
• Taxes
• Political Class
• Progressivism
• America Today

The point of the book is to open the eyes of Americans and to see what the government is doing. Evaluate what the politicians are saying and doing and use common sense. If it doesn't seem right then it probably isn't.

The last half of the book is a reprint of Thomas Paine's Common Sense from 1776.

While I understand the purpose of this book, I didn't find anything in it that was new to me.

We do need to return to our roots and take back our government. The family is the backbone of America. We cannot let government destroy it. We need to remember the government works for us; we don't work for it!

After reading Thomas Paine's Common Sense from 1776, I wonder if some of these old American writers could read and understand our language and writings of today.

Overall, unless you are a big Glenn Beck fan (and if you are then you have probably heard him talk about everything in this book already) you can safely skip this back.

Book Review

On Which Side of the Road Do the Flowers Grow? By Wendell E. Mattey

This is a collection of stories about people in the author's life who have taught him many lessons about God's work in this world today. These people have helped him grow in his relationship with God.

The book is a very quick read and some of the stories are interesting, but most of them were not very useful for me.

The ultimate conclusion of the book is that God is in control and the people and situations He places in your life are there for a reason.

If you are looking for some quick stories about God using people, then go ahead and read this book. Otherwise, move on to something else.

Book Review

What God Desires
Matthew 25: Ministries
The Story of the Center for Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief
by Wendell E. Mattey

This is the continuing story of how Matthew 25: Ministries developed into the Center for Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief.

Like the first book, this is an inspiring story of how God works through His people, providing for them what they need and when they need it.

I encourage anyone who has doubts about God's truth and His faithfulness to His people to read this book and simply trust God. When you are doing what God desires you will not fail!

Book Review

Are Not My People Worthy
by Wendell E. Mettey

This is the story about the growth of Matthew 25 Ministries, an organization which in in ministry to the poor.

I found this story very interesting and inspiring. From starting as one man's will to help the poor in Nicaragua to continuous growth and ability to help more and more people.

This is a quick read, but worth it if you are looking to lift your spirits and inspire you on your own journey.

Dollar Shave Club

Last month I received a free month of the Dollar Shave Club. So I decided to try out "The Executive". This is their top of the line 6 blade razor with a trimmer edge. I received the handle and 4 cartridges. The directions say to use one cartridge a week. Like my other tests, I decided to use one cartridge for the month.

I could tell right after the first shave that this was not the razor for me. The head was too big for my face and didn't shave close in several areas. After a month the razor was still sharp enough to cut, but it just didn't work for me, especially for the price of $2.25 a piece.

Dollar Shave Club also offers "The 4X" which is a four blade razor for $6 a month or $1.50 per cartridge and "The Humble Twin" which is a two blade razor for $1 a month plus $2 shipping or $0.60 a cartridge.

I'll stick with my Gillette Sensor 3 on sale with a coupon for about $0.50 a piece. I haven't found anything to beat them for the price.

Still shaving here in Doe Valley.

Book Review

Thoughts for Men on the Move by Warren W. Wiersbe

This book contains over 140 pages of daily readings/meditations on select portions of Scripture. Each reading starts with a Scripture verse or verses for you to lookup and read. Then there is a heading for the topic of the day. Finally, there is the author's thoughts about the topic of the day.

This is a good daily devotional book and the author has many fine comments on various topics, however, the book is not what I expecting. The title made me believe this book would be geared toward the active working man. Upon reading the book I found very few that were specifically geared toward men, let alone a busy husband, father, son, and employee.

Certainly, the devotions are good and I recommend this book, however, if you are looking for a devotional book to help a busy man, then this is probably not the book for you.

Book Review

Through The Bible Through The Year by John Stott

This is a daily (52 week) reflection on the bible from Genesis to Revelation. There are three parts to the book, each dealing with a particular theme during the Christian year. The first part of the book is from Creation to Christ which covers the months of September through December. The second part of the book is from Christmas to Pentecost which covers the months of January to April. Finally, there is Pentecost to the Parousia which covers the months of May to August.

The daily devotions were not the best. They were either too opinionated, too much non-biblical references, or simply no detailed enough to explain the passage of Scripture. I also did not agree with all of the authors theology, especially with his writings about the book of Revelation. The author seems to have a more symbolic view of Scripture rather than a literal view for many passages.

Therefore, I do not recommend this book. There are other daily devotionals that will get your through the bible in a year.

Book Review

Being a Dad Who Leads by John MacArthur

The purpose of this book is to use Scripture to describe the role of a father in the family setting. As usual MacArthur does an excellent job. There are 6 chapters that fill this 143 page book. MacArthur provides the right balance of Scripture and explanation.

I think the final paragraph on page 140 sums up the book nicely:

"As a father, then, you are called to be strong and courageous. You are urged to live with conviction and not waver when opposition comes your way. You are to summon your courage from the assurance of God's presence, from knowing you are pursing a just cause, and from the promise of God's sovereign power over all things. And you are to pass on your strength and courage by exhorting your children, encouraging them, and imploring them. As you do so, you will fulfill your obligation to ensure they walk upon and stay upon the path God has called them to."

This is a great book to give someone as a gift.

Book Review

John MacArthur's Bible Study Series
The Fulfilled Family

This book is part of an older bible study series based on John MacArthur's teacher and preaching.

This study examines the Godly family as described in Ephesians 5:21 - 6:4. There are 8 chapters dealing with:

• Marriage
• Wives
• Husbands
• Family
• Children
• Parents

Each chapter is presented in outline form as MacArthur preached it. The audio is also available for download from Grace to You. There are sidebars with additional insight scattered through the book. This information was not part of the original message delivered by MacArthur.

Finally, at the end of each chapter are some questions that are simply facts from the chapter. There are also a few questions that enable the reader to think more deeply and apply the biblical material to their life.

While this is an older book, first published in 1981 and is probably no longer in print, the material and study still applies today. If you come across a copy, it certainly is worth a read.