Friday, September 10, 2010

Outlive Your Life

Outlive Your Life
Max Lucado
Thomas Nelson Publishers

Max Lucado is the quintessential story teller. In Outlive Your Life he continually weaves a story that readers across the masses can relate to while bringing attention to the social injustices of our time. Max paints a transparent picture where he, like us, is no less tempted to turn a blind eye and allow life to go on as usual while avoiding the uncomfortableness of facing those less fortunate.

Throughout the book Max reminds us of how the 1st Century church dealt with social injustice by drawing from their eye-witness accounts of how Jesus treated the poor, the handicapped, the diseased and the unloved. Max reveals how the extra-ordinary can be accomplished by the ordinary and challenges the reader to outlive his life by allowing God to work through us. As Max puts it “none of us can help everyone. But all of us can help someone”.

I am reminded through the text as I read in my warm, comfortable home that I am among the wealthy in respect to the vast majority of the rest of the world. I am average for sure, among my peers and neighbors but according to Max Lucado “In the game of life, many of us who cross home plate do so because we were born on third base. Others aren’t even on a team”.

For us, the writer points out that our biggest obstacle to outliving our lives is letting go of our biases and reaching out to those in need regardless of their background. We are called to understand the common Savior that binds us to one another. I highly recommend Outlive Your Life and join the author and his call to step out of my comfort level and make a difference.

This review was completed after reading a complimentary advanced copy of Outlive Your Life that was provided through Booksneeze by the publisher. I review for BookSneeze

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

The Heavens Proclaim His Glory

The Heavens Proclaim His Glory - a book review
a spectacular view of creation through the lens of the hubble telescope
created and compiled by Lisa Stilwell
Thomas Nelson publishers

This is a fascinating book where galactical images leap off of the page.

Star-studded quotes from the likes of Abraham Lincoln and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow to current day Christian recording artists Third Day are used to draw the reader to understand this vast creation and to bring glory to it's creator. We are spiritually lead through the eye of the Hubble and the scriptures to understand our minute existence, the infinitesimal position of humanity, in which God chooses to place his image.

Science is brought to life and the heavens are brought to earth. The details of each of the Hubble photos are presented in a way that the reader is entranced by the magnitude of it all. The reader is lead to an appreciation of the Hubble Telescope and the value it has brought to the world. Scientific facts speak to the knowledgeable background of the author and contibutors of this delightful piece of science made into art.

An awesome coffee table book that will thrill the scientist and comfort the spiritual heart. This book will entertain children and educate the adult. It is something that the reader can continue to go back to and walk away with a nugget of inspiration possible only through the majesty which is the creation we live within.

I review for BookSneeze