A Good Gift Book

"Life Promises for Success" is a collection of one page motivational stories, quotes and applications that will inspire you. The book is divided in to three main categories - "The Essence of Success", "The Elements of Success" and "The Epitome of Success". Under each category are short stories and scriptures which look deeper into each topic. There also are many quotes interspersed throughout this book which again will serve to inspire and motivate you.
This book is like many other motivational books – if you read it, you will gather inspiration for the day. Life Promises for Success has 203 pages which cover 35 daily devotional readings, including scripture verses. An easy read, encouraging us to be better at everything we do.
This small, daily devotional would make the perfect Father's Day gift for the dad or husband that enjoys football or sports in general and wants a better understanding on the meaning of "success" in the life of a believer. It would be just as appealing to the sports minded mom or any person that is trying to discover where "success" fits into his or her life - interested in sports or not.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through their book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

You Can't Change Your Past

Reggie: You Can't Change Your Past, but You Can Change Your Future, an autobiography by Reggie Dabbs is a good read. Reggie started life with the deck stacked against him – he was born because his Mom needed money to feed her two kids and had sex. Reggie was conceived for $20. Then, Reggie's Mom asked Reggie's adopted parents to take care of him. A professor in college asked Reggie to accompany him to a conference and tell them his story. Reggie's voice and scars became the motivation for him to help children, even adults, know that someone loves them.
Reggie has a unique story of feeling alone and unwanted. Recounted through systematic chapters that he labels as things you should know, he shares the tough thoughts and feelings in this book, yet brings the hope of Jesus to those who may be in the same situation. Reggie weaves stories of life to tell us that our life is merely a collection of the choices we have made. Big Daddy, the name Reggie has given to our Heavenly Father, is truly a very important part of his life, and Reggie weaves stories from the Bible into this book. This book is very inspiring and will be a great addition to anyone's library!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through their book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

We Be Big (and we love gravy)

In their latest book, We Be Big, Rick and Bubba take a break from the hilarity of their previous books and roll back the pages of time to show us the genesis of The Rick and Bubba Show. I be big. They be big. Together, we be big. Anyone who has listened to this show has come away with the same sense of familiarity. These two guys, along with the other staff members feel as though they belong at your dinner table, or your front porch. Their relaxed and inviting style makes everyone feel like we’ve known these guys since birth.

We Be Big takes the reader through the early lives of the “Two Sexiest Fat Men Alive”, focusing on the ethics instilled in these two by the parents. The moral compass instilled in these two by growing up in the South under the watchful eye of God fearing parents is on display early in this book. We Be Big chronicles the lives of the dynamic duo showing us successes and failures along the way. Where stumbles are made, they are glaringly on display in the pages of this book. We are allowed to witness the spiritual maturation process of these two stars, and how God uses each of them in various situations to be His mouthpiece. We are taken through triumph and tragedy; we’re made to feel again like part of the family. No matter how familiar you are with this hilarious morning show emanating from the broadcast plaza and teleport near downtown Birmingham, you will enjoy this book. We can all take heart from the example of how God will bless those who choose the walk through the doors that He opens.

I received this book in exchange for a fair review from Thomas Nelson through their Booksneeze program.

A twist, a turn, and a source of hope

Indivisible, by Kristen Heitzmann, is an intriguing adventure into the world of severed connections and secrets. Turns and twists on every side add to the thrilling suspense of the plot, weaving in along the way the truth that Christ is the only solution to all of our issues. Make sure you have the time to give to this book before you pick it up – it is a page turning read and you will not want to stop until you have devoured the entire book!

There are some dark parts to this book and it is not overly religious by any standard. And yes, the word 'hell' is in the book twice as a curse word. However, the story is very well-written, interesting, suspenseful, and, it has a good wrap-up at the end.

The characters in this book are realistic, identifiable, and well-developed. Piper, Sarge, Sue Donelly, the supporting characters to Tia and Jonah, were very much a part of the overall story, and you get deep character development with them all. Miles, Liz, and Lucy, the more mysterious characters, you find out more at the very end. My only thoughts against this book are that if you are extremely sensitive to gruesomeness, then either skim those sections like i did, or perhaps this wouldn't be a good read for you. Otherwise, it is intriguing and ultimately does point to Christ as the only solution, in spite of the fact that there are the 2 curse words and non-Christian characters. For anyone who has ever felt hopeless, this book can be a source that points to hope.

This book was provided for review by WaterBrook Multnomah in exchange for an honest review.