I Lift Up My Soul - Charles F. Stanley

Lift Up My Soul


Devotions To Start Your Day With God

by Charles F. Stanley



Wake up to a new day!


Lift Up My Soul is a daily devotional written by Dr. Charles Stanley. Dr. Stanley is the pastor of Frist Baptist Church in Atlanta, GA.


Dr. Stanley presents a daily scripture reading as a way to get you into Gods Word. It is a wonderful way to work through some parts of the Bible that you may not have spent much time in. I would say it would be a wonderful idea to meditate on the scripture of the day and apply it's guidance to the rest of the day. It is often amazing to see how you can apply verse to real life situations.


Next, Dr. Stanley presents a few paragraphs that range from real life stories that relate to the message for that day, a story that is inspirational or even insructional. This particular day he speaks of our needs and how important it is to take our needs to God alone and wait for his action. He is stressing the importance of not pushing OUR will on any given situation. It is a good reminder to take all things (big or small) to the Lord.


Lastly, Dr. Stanley presents a prayer for you. These prayers vary from prayers of thanksgiving to requests for knowledge. This devotional truly covers a multitude of situations, topics and instructional material. It is a must for any bedside table and presents a way to build a daily routine for spending time with our Savior and in His Word that is interactive and interesting. It is easy for many Christians to get lost in the Bible and to feel overwhelmed. This book is a wonderful way to break down parts of the Good Word into bite sized pieces that are easily related to.

*This book was provided by Thomas Nelson for review purposes

Where Hearts Are Free - Golden Keyes Parsons

I found Where Hearts Are Free to be a breath of fresh air! You'll not find your typical fairytale in these pages. Parsons has the refreshing ability to draw on real to life relationships that are not always easy. The answers are not always clear and sometimes we just don't know the way.

This book reminded me that faith can overcome all things and that Gods grace can and will make clean those things that stain us. I am not an avid reader of this time period but found myself drawn to the characters and their lives especially Philippe's family life in the Schuylkill Valley! I was delighted to see this setting as I briefly lived in the Schuylkill Vally several years ago. It is quite cold and snowy in the winter!

While it did take me a bit to really get into the book, once I was in I was hooked! I couldn't put the book down until the last 50 pages. All of a sudden I wanted to shelf the book because I just didn't want it to end. Reading those final pages would end the story too soon for me.

This one is definitely a page turner, a delightful read and chocked full of encouragement all along the way. You will battle right along side with this cast through varying emotions, mistakes and secrets! Oh the secrets that these characters have hidden away. I don't think there were a handful of them that didn't have a secret! Some will shock you and some you will completely understand.

In the end faith, love and honor could be lost. But will it?

Disclosure of Material Connection: 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. 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.”

The Jesus You Can't Ignore - John MacArthur

The Jesus You Can’t Ignore written by John MacArthur is a spiritual journey into the often overlooked parts of Christ’s ministry. Modern Christianity has turned a little soft as time goes by. Society teaches tolerance of all things, all peoples and often time all actions. This book delves deep into the realistic approaches of Jesus and his approach to religious sinners. We all know that Jesus helped sinners, treated them with love and respect and did not shame them. He really wanted to help and after all, that’s what it’s all about!




However, when it comes to false preaching and attempts to reach political or financial gain by false teachings, Christ had a much different approach. There is no love or respect there because it was and is unacceptable to him.



This was a very difficult book for me to read. I believe it is a much more deep book than I generally chose for myself for leisurely reading but definitely makes you think. Sometimes we learn much more through difficulties right! Our culture does not accept intolerance but when you look at what is happening to our society, our families and our government, perhaps it is time to express that we will not tolerate certain things.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze 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

You Can Be Everything God Wants You To Be - Max Lucado

When they say big things come in small packages, they must have been talking about this book!

In typical Max Lucado style, you are taken on a journey through this book. Max picks your mind while providing tons of insight and practicle solutions and stories.

One of my favorite chapters in this gem of a book is all about living out of the bag that God packed for you. are you trying to live out of someone elses bag? There are sure signs that point to yes!

There are "buildings packed with people working to live rather than living to work." Our society has become dull and lifeless. We are looking for bigger and bigger thrills to fill the void.

Lucado asks us to look back at our past because "an early strength forecasts a lifelong trait." We often get off track but with a little investigating and detective work, we CAN find our "sweet spot."

He asks a great question. "What makes your pulse race and your eyebrows arch?" Small deeds do make a big difference. Just like ripples in the ocean.

Find your "sweet spot" today and then pass this great book on to someone you love!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers. 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

Rick & Bubba's Big Honkin' Book of Grub - Rick Burgess & Bill "Bubba" Bussey

Rick Burgess and Bill "Bubba" Bussey are two well known and loved radio personalities. They love their grub and are now sharing everything they know with their readers/listeners. “Eating is an art.. An event.. An experience,” says Rick and Bubba. So grab your forks, y’all, and come on. There’s eatin’ to do! Let Rick and Bubba show you how!




This book will surprise you with every chapter! From Rick and Bubba’s “Hey you gotta live” diet, biblical reasons to eat meat and surprising insight for servers everywhere. This book definitely keeps you on your feet and the food is delicious! Your mouth will be watering before you even begin to collect the ingredients to dishes like.. Spam ‘n’ Taters, Goat Drop Cookies, Sherri’s Delicious Salmon and Pasta and my personal favorite Bubba’s World-Famous Homemade Macaroni and Cheese!



My kids could eat that every night!



I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze 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

66 Love Letters - Dr. Larry Crabb

66 Love Letters was a book I truly anticipated reading! Dr. Larry Crabb offers a fresh perspective to reading and understanding the Bible presented to you as 66 Love Letters written to you from God. I have to admit it was a little comical to me that the book that was to sum up the Bible was actually as big as most bibles! I just thought that was a cute side note.

I did not read this book the way it was intended to be read. I read straight through therefore probably missed some of the finer points that I would’ve gained along the way if I had taken my time. I agree that the way to read this book would probably be to read one chapter each week or even each month to get the most out of it.

Many times reading and understanding the Bible can be an intimidating task. Dr. Crabb does a wonderful job taking you on a beautiful journey through all 66 books that will have you wanting to take more time to read and understand His story.
My copy of 66 Love Letters was provided by Thomas Nelson Publishing for review.

Where Is God? - Dr. John Townsend

The ability to find God in all situations whether pleasant or disastrous can make all the difference not only in your spiritual life but in your physical, emotional and mental wellbeing. This book will give you priceless advice that will allow you to do just that! I definitely recommend this book and I urge you not to give up when it seems like it is starting out a little slow.

"Where Is God?" was another one of those books that just jumped out at me. Who hasn't asked themselves this question at one time or another? This book took a little effort to get into but boy was it worth it! I think the groundwork that Dr. Townsend lays in the first chapters really is the fertilizer that makes the rest of the book bloom for you.

This book is full of relatable stories and will catch you off guard by providing some powerful food for thought. For me personally, the ideas of the distorted images we have of God provided surprising hours of reflection.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers. 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