The Millionaire Next Door, by Thomas Stanley and William Danko

Started:  12/24/2014

Finished:  12/28/2014

I read this book several years ago, and thought that I would read it again over the Holidays.  Despite some bad reviews, I think this is a great book that tells things like they are in terms of individual wealth accumulation. 

Safely Home, by Randy Alcorn

    

Started:  11/17/2014

Finished:  12/22/2014

Meet Me at the Olive Tree, by Julia Fisher, Jews for Jesus

Started:  11/7/2014
Finished:  11/16/2014

"That my life has changed is all because of the grace and love of he Lord.  He has opened many doors of opportunity for me.  We are just tools in His hand and He wants to use us to win more souls for His Kingdom and to bring more glory to His name.  We are disciples of the Lord Jesus; we are His ambassadors representing the Kingdom of God here in this world.  We have a big responsibility as believers to go from place to place to serve Him and even to start churches.  I believe this is our responsibility , and God is calling us to work more and more to bring more people into His Kingdom."  ~ Maron Raheb

"So we need people who have a calling from God to come and work with us here in the Middle East, especially in Israel." ~ Maron Raheb

Same Kind of Different As Me, By Ron Hall & Denver Moore

Started:  10/29/2014
Finished:  11/6/2014

I first heard about the story of Denver Moore and Ron Hall on the JoyFM Morning Show a few weeks ago.  Moore, the homeless man in Fort Worth, Texas, and Hall, the wealthy international art dealer, and their unexpected friendship orchestrated by GOD alone.  At the time, I thought it to be an interesting story, and that's it. A few weeks later, while reading, Interrupted, by Jen Hatmaker, I noticed that at the end of one of her chapters, she referenced this book.  Coincidence?  How did I not hear about this book when it was released in 2006?

This was a wonderful book that I'm urging Kristie to read next.  By the way, the filming for this movie has begun in Mississippi.  Looks like a stellar cast! 

Interrupted, by Jen Hatmaker

Started:  10/21/2014
Finished:  10/25/2014


"I can't unknow what I know, and I can't unsee what I've seen.  It leaves me aching." ~p. 112

"We painfully overhauled our personal budget, freeing up some excess to share."  ~p. 113

"Shane Claiborne described his experience at the Home of the Destitute and Dying when working with Mother Theresa in Calcutta: 'As I looked into the eyes of the dying, I felt like I was meeting God.  It was if I were entering the Holy of Holies in the temple - sacred, mystical.  I felt like I should take off my shoes...' ".  ~pp. 109-110

"It us en vogue to broadcast anti-materialism while tweeting via an iPhone upgraded from last year's model."  ~p. 180

"Believer, your life is too essential to waste on pettiness or word wars, greed or ladder climbing, anger or bitterness, fear or anxiety, regret or disappointment.  Life is too short."  ~p. 182

"If the gospel is good news to all, then it's not just an idea to consider, a time slot on Sunday, or a task assigned to a select few -- it's a life to live.  And it's bigger than all of us."  ~p. 187

Jesus>Religion, by Jefferson Bethke

Hudson Taylor, by Janet and Geoff Benge

Here's one that's been on the shelf for a long time.  Some of the kids read it, but I had never picked it up.  I didn't know much about this missionary to the lost country of China until I read this "Christian Heroes, Then and Now" book.

 

Trapped in Hitler's Hell, Anita Dittmann

Eva's Story, A Survivor's Tale, by Eva Schloss

 

A Painted House, by John Grisham

Leading the Way Through Daniel, by Michael Youssef

Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis

Start Date:   7/1/2014
Finish Date:  9/?/2014

Chronicles of Narnia is a book that I have always wanted to read that I had just never gotten around to.  My kids have read the book, and I've even seen the three motion pictures (The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe; Prince Caspian; Voyage of the Dawn Treader).  So, needless to say, I was trying to catch up with my kids on this one.

We recently got back from vacation.  I was able to get a lot of C.O.N. read while at the beach.

What amazes me most about these stories, written in the years 1949-1956, is the many parallels they have with Christianity.

Of the seven books, my favorite by far is the Voyage of the Dawn Treader.  The imagery of the boat, the water and the many islands the crew stops on is simply amazing.

All Over But the Shoutin', by Rick Bragg

Started:  June 2014
Finished:  June 2014

This was a great read.  I found this book while visiting my parents house one afternoon.  It was laying out on one of their old antique tables.  Apparently, my aunt and uncle had given my folks this paperback as a gift Christmas 2001.  My dad mentioned what a good read this was, so I thought I would give it a try.

The book is an autobiography of Rick Bragg a journalist for several large newspapers including the New York Times.  It's an insight into the deep south in the 50's and 60's and the scars of segregation.  Bragg talks of how severely abusive his father was to Bragg's mom and his family.  It was extremely difficult to read in some areas, due to how vividly he describes the last encounters with his father while he was still alive.