Review: Stuck by Jennie Allen — A DVD Based Bible Study

A DVD based Bible study by Jennie Allen, "Stuck" aims to help Christian women get out of the broken, angry, discontented, fearful, overwhelming and sad situations that make them feel stuck — to help women focus on God instead of their circumstances.

Each study chapter (there are 7 of them) is around 15-20 pages long and includes verses to study, reflective questions, and challenging activities on top of Allen's written reflections. The chapters are long, but the DVD clips never exceed 8 minutes. For leaders, there are also several question cards per chapter for group discussion.

Going through this study on my own, I didn't care much for the discussion cards. One of the things I dislike about Bible studies is all the questions. For me, group discussion based on the content of the study, itself, most often comes shallow and without effect. Having external questions might help a bit with this, but I think I would prefer more natural conversations centering around the week's Scripture passages. I also have a hard time with many of the questions asked in these kinds of studies because sometimes I just can't come up with answers. "Stuck" was a bit refreshing in that aspect. I was able to get something out of most of the question (but I skipped the parts that asked you to draw pictures representing various things).

As far as the DVD goes, Allen is very natural and open as she speaks, but the sessions are so short, you don't really get much out of them. But you have to watch them to fully understand the pictures that accompany each chapter in the study book.

The content of the study is simple — stuff many of us have heard before or already know — but will be refreshing and eye-opening for those who are going through or who are stuck in the deep, hard situations.

* I received this product for free from BookSneeze.com in exchange for my honest review of it.

Review: J.R.R. Tolkein by Mark Horne

Summary: Mark Horne takes readers from the beginnings to the end of the famous author J.R.R. Tolkein's life, giving particular emphasis to Tolkein's inspirations for Lord of the Rings and Tokein's interaction with other key authors including C.S. Lewis. Horne also emphasizes Tolkein's commitment to his Catholic faith.

Review: This is part of the "Christian Encounters" biography series, so, naturally, there are more references to faith than there might be in other biographies of Tolkein. But the religious elements are not prevalent, so non Christians could easily enjoy this book, especially Tolkein fans. And the book offers a lot of tid bits about where Lord of the Rings characters and locations came from, which followers of the books and movies are bound to enjoy. An easy read (aside from a few parts that are hard to follow, as is typical of a biography), and an enjoyable read, this biography is a good read even for the person who doesn't typically enjoy biographies.

On a Personal Note: I was sad to learn that Tolkein was a strong Catholic. The fact may be obvious to most, but I had no idea, and learning this fact made me lose some of my admiration for the author. In my opinion, Catholicism and Christianity are not the same, and if Tolkein believed in certain things like Purgatory, praying to Mary, and confession to the priest, I'm afraid... well... you can defer the rest.

* Disclaimer: I received this book from BookSneeze in return for my honest review of it.

Review: Stained Glass Hearts by Patsy Clairmont

Review: I don't even know how to summarize the point of this book — that's how bad it is in my mind. Unless you learn from stories, and stories, and lots more stories... in fact, nothing but stories, then maybe you'll get something out of Clairmont's cluttered, unorganized life stories. And maybe you enjoy the two (rather pointless) chapters on how great poetry and reading books are. But I don't see what any of these things have to do with stained glass hearts (aside from the end of chapter reflections and suggestions and maybe one chapter or two).

I expected a book on redemption and finding beauty in the broken pieces, but the majority of the book didn't really deal with that. I was left so bored that when I got to the chapter on books (where Clairmont gave the reader permission to stop reading a book that didn't catch the reader's attention in the first 50 pages), I stopped reading and started skimming... which quickly led to reading the first and last sentence of paragraphs... which led to skipping to the end of chapters... which led to being glad I was finally done with this book.

Maybe if you're a Patsy Clairmont fan or a Women of Faith attendee you'll enjoy this book. But I consider it shallow spiritual growth if this is all you can learn from. My advice: Read a book that gets deeper into Scripture, or read Scripture, and skip this book entirely.

Summary (from Book Sneeze): Much like stained glass, life's broken pieces become the prism through which God's grace shines most brightly and beautifully.

"Life is no doubt full of difficulties, but it is also filled with promise and possibility," says best-selling author and WOF speaker Patsy Clairmont. In Stained Glass Hearts Clairmont guides readers to view the difficult experiences of life through the lens of God's grace. Using art as a theme, and likening people to stained glass windows, she shares that it's when we're surrounded by darkness that His healing light shines most brightly within us. Encouraging women to step back and see life from this new perspective, Patsy offers help and hope for the dark places of life.

Along with character studies of women in Scripture, and modern-day, relatable stories, each chapter includes:

Chalice—memorable quotes
Mosaic—recommended music
Spires—scriptures and readings
Litany—sample prayers

Review: Ascent from Darkness by Michael Leehan

Summary: "Ascent from Darkness" by Michael Leehan is a very dark, very deep, yet very enlightening account of Leehan's "ascent" from his practice of Satanism to his embrace of God and Christ's sacrifice. The majority of the book follows the darker parts of his lives, but testifies to the power of prayer as various Christians enter Leehan's life and pray for him and encourage him. Leehan's experience included death, suicide, demons, sacrifice, cutting, rituals, and much more. But a fight within him eventually led him to the Lord and freed him from the weight of darkness.

Review: This book was an extremely intense read, like reading a mystery suspense thriller. I was on the edge of my seat wanting to know what would happen next. While I have always been critical of "spiritual experiences," this book convinced me of something I've always known: demons and spirits are out there, and they're battling for our souls, influencing people like Leehan was to manipulate believers for the worse. Leehan's writing isn't too explicit, but it's enough to emphasize just how real the spiritual battle is and just how prepared we need to be. It has certainly motivated me to surrender more to God and His Word in obedience and love. Leehan's testimony may be difficult for some to read. Aside from Satanism, Leehan slept around and treated people poorly. He even ended up in jail for several months, and almost committed suicide. There's a lot to relate to in his story, and it may bring up unpleasant memories or temptations. But it also ends with a wonderful admonition to follow Christ through all the ups and downs. It's a powerful read.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

* Disclaimer: I received this book for free from Book Sneeze in exchange for my honest review of it.

Review: Heroes and Villains of the Bible

Review: This book is a refreshing way to make the Bible exciting for Children to read. It uses actual Bible text (International Children's Bible) and teaches children that being a hero comes from choosing to follow God. I was disappointed that there were few illustrations (maybe one per chapter, and they're all an awkward 3D), especially since the cover was so colorful. Basically, this book takes certain passages from the Bible, organizes them by characters (thus, heroes and villains), and provides reflections at the end of each chapter. The way it organizes them by heroes and villains is what makes this book such a good read for parents and their children. It makes discussion easy by doing all the hard work for you.


Summary (from Book Sneeze): 50 true-life adventures of real people from the Bible—stories of good versus evil, right versus wrong, and heroes versus villains—and their life-shaping lessons that point children to God—the greatest hero of all! The Bible is packed with stories of courageous people who loved and served God, and how He used them to do great things in the world. It is also filled with villainous people who disobeyed God and did horrible things. Heroes and Villains of the Bible encourages its readers to aspire to become great, courageous, and heroic servants of God, and reject all that is evil in the world. With Heroes and Villains of the Bible, children will realize some of their favorite heroes aren’t from the movies, but are real people from the Bible.

* Disclaimer: I received this book for free from BookSneeze.com in exchange for my honest review of it.

Review: Thank You God for Blessing Me by Max Lucado

Summary (from Thomas Nelson): Meet Little Hermie—the cutest baby caterpillar in the garden! Little Hermie’s thankful heart shows toddlers how to be thankful for God’s blessings. Little Hermie is thankful for everything God has given him. He goes through his day thanking God for his many blessings in this adorable board book with flocking on the cover! With over 5.5 million brands units sold, the new Little Hermie books open the wonderful world of the Hermie & Friends garden to an entirely new audience.

Review: This is a VERY short children's book, but it's very sweet. It includes colorful, enjoyable pictures. Hermie thanks God for lots of things like nature, a place to sleep, health, friends and family, but you'll be thankful for the beautiful illustrations and the lessons this book will teach your young one. It encourages children to pray for guidance in doing the right thing and to thank God for the blessings in their lives. It's definitely meant for pre-school and younger, but it's adorable. I just wish it were longer.

* Disclaimer: I received this book for free from BookSneeze.com in exchange for my honest review of it.

Review: Just in Case You Ever Wonder by Max Lucado

Summary: "Just in Case you Ever Wonder" by Mac Lucado is short children's book written from a loving parent's perspective. The parent reassures the child that he or she is loved by God and by his or her parents, tells the child the parent will always be there for them, and reminds the child of the glories of heaven that await.

Review: As sweet as this book is, I miss Lucado's children's books that had more intriguing illustrations and deeper morals behind them. This book is a great book for a parent to read to a child. It teaches that God created each person, just as he created the entire universe. It teaches a proper parenting model of love,  teaching, and bringing a child up in the Lord. It's sweet. I just pity the child who won't be able to relate because they aren't in a positive family.

* Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from BookSneeze.com in exchange for my honest review of it.